The Career Connection to Teaching with Technology (CCTT) project is a geographically diverse endeavor by a consortium of schools, districts, curriculum experts, and partners. This project is creating a national collection of best practices, curriculum content, educational resources, and professional development online tools.

• Technology is positively changing the teaching and learning environment.
• Technology positively impacts student achievement.
• Students and teachers are partners in learning.
• Technology empowers teachers and students to become authors and publishers.
• There is strength in diversity.
• Authentic career applications enhance opportunities for students.
• The use of research findings on teaching and learning provides a greater depth and breadth to professional development.

• Adobe
• Apple
• Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company (formerly UMI)
• Cisco
• Follett
• Gateway
• University of Nevada at Las Vegas

SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR THE TICG DATA BASE

1. Project impact:
1. Number of students served: 6000
2. Number of teachers served: 300
3. Number of administrators: 35
4. Number of parents served: 50
5. Number of districts participating and/or served: 8
6. Number of schools:

Public: 21
Private: 0
7. Number of Community Centers and other services provided: 2
8. Number of Courses: 20
9. Number of Modules: 50


2. Unique information about the project:


1. Advanced Technologies Academy:
   Advanced Technologies continues to provide access and training in the following back office tools, WebCT and Symposium for both faculty and district personnel.



2. Fort Leavenworth USD 207:
   Teachers have been highly motivated to work on this project and share their ideas with other staff members. We are looking to expand this project in the upcoming school year with additional school districts in both Kansas and Missouri state. I feel this project has helped increase technology not only in the classroom, but in the way teachers think. The world is being brought right to the classroom door.



3. Mainland High School:
   Students at Mainland High School participated in the National Medal of Technology Program sponsored by the University of Central Florida. Students solved a real-world problem totally online, using industry consultants and creating Internet research sites. The projects took first and second place. One is called "Turtle Lights” and is a study of the effects of lighting on the habits of sea turtles with special emphasis on appropriate light meters for measuring wavelengths to which turtles are sensitive. The other is “X-Generation CADomation” and furthers the research in CAD and Home Automation.



4. Manual Arts High School:
   Manual Arts High School is currently in the process of upgrading electrical, security, and network wiring in all classrooms. This is being accomplished with funds from state bond measure Proposition BB. In addition we are purchasing new equipment and conducting extensive staff development with funds provided by our Digital High School grant. These projects go hand in hand with our CCTT grant as the upgrades, equipment and training they provide is essential to our achieving the goals of the DOE challenge grant.



5. Omaha North High School:
• Student technology support group for staff (American Technology Honor Society)
• This site has three people actively working on the CCTT project:
  A. Elaine Westbrook - Hub Site Manager
  B. Rich Molettiere - Technology Coordinator
  C. Dr. Susan Koba - Curriculum and Staff Development Specialist


6. Sprayberry High School:
• Developing an Online German I class to be delivered to middle school students over the web using WebCT and Symposium.
• Collaborating with several national projects: Generation www.Y Virtual High School Education for a Sustainable Future EPIC (Educational Power through Inter-district Collaboration)


3. The major focus of the project is to provide curriculum content utilizing integrated technologies. Ensuring that the process of curriculum development is of the highest quality and providing a national presence online have taken much time in year two. A national server will contain best practices, a course for teaching standards-based curriculum development, units, lessons, resources, and a “virtual community of scholars” which will provide educators access to ideas and each other online.
   
   Specific examples exist at the separate hub sites. These will be focused in one server and available to the educational community through partnership with the Apple Learning Interchange.
   
   Current examples include:
1. Courses:
   http://www.unlv.edu:8900/public/natstand5/index.html
   http://www.unlv.edu:8900/public/natstand6/index.html
2. Curriculum in development:
   Units and Lessons
   http://www.atech.tec.clark.nv.us/epss/lessons/billrights
   http://www.atech.tec.clark.nv.us/epss/lessons/nevada
3. Lessons K-9
4. Physics curriculum, PhysicsLAB
5. Student web-based research project, TurtleLights


4. CCTT teachers and project personnel participated in all of the following categories of professional development activities:
1. Summer institute
2. Online
3. Video/internet/teleconferencing
4. CD-ROM tutorials
5. Software development/curriculum development
6. Courses and seminars Credit Non-credit
7. District
8. School
9. Teacher Peer Mentors
10. Other: Training through other experts such as representatives of NCREL, NCTM, NSTA, NCSS, NCTE, and AECT.


5. Parent training activities: Internet and computer use training is already offered at some hub sites to the community and parents. Others have plans to start next school year. Parents also volunteer in the schools and receive or give one-on-one training. This is not a formal effort of the project at this time.



6. The innovation: This is described through the eyes of hub site manager, Michael Lovelady, of Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles:
   

   “Innovation in schools requires a variety of resources and approaches. The shift from the traditional classroom to teaching with integrated technology will not happen over night. Many of us have watched emerging technologies begin to impact the way we teach. Change has been slow for a variety of reasons. Primary among these is the lack of access to technology in public schools. The Internet has become a catalyst for changing the way we teach. Besides the wealth of resources available through the World Wide Web, we have also realized that the information literacy skills our students need to compete in the emerging job market cannot be taught without access to the technology and technology training. The funds provided to each of the six schools participating in our project are modest in relation to their overall budgets. However, creating a position like mine, hub site manager, provides a wealth of resources to schools. As hub site manager I have been able to provide resources by networking with our partner schools, organizing our ongoing staff development, and supporting the efforts of teachers as they integrate technology into their curriculums. In addition, I have been able to advocate on behalf of technology and advise as decisions are made about hardware purchase and placement. In short, my position is that of a technology coach facilitating the process of technology integration. The changes I am describing would take place even without my position, but my position is certainly accelerating these changes.”

Michael Hartoonian – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
Elsie Husom – Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
Ann Bartel – National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
Laurie Peterman – National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
Jean Dummer – National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Lyne Motylinski – Technology and Information Educational Services (TIES)

Advanced Technologies Academy:

• Work has been done to help coordinate the CCTT curriculum development process and National Standards with the district curriculum standards, including training of teachers in the district using online courses in Internet usage, integrating technology into the classroom, and displaying exemplary practices online.

Fort Leavenworth USD 207:

• With the help and co-operation of Gateway Computers, the computer club has been gaining valuable experience in maintaining machinery: students have been learning computer repair (hard drive replacement), loading of software on network machines, and also how to work with and follow directions from customer support.
• Students and teachers utilize the Adobe software, drawing slates and HP 1170 Cse, and they continue to work, finding Internet sites that can be used with the developed lessons.
• Students are currently using lessons and modules, developed under the grant and delivered via a local Intranet, in classrooms in four schools.

Mainland High School:

• Teachers and students prepared activities for mathematics, particularly Algebra 1 level materials: students developed html pages using FrontPage98 and original art work using Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator.
• Sample activities that were prepared using the guidelines of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards 2000 are also available.

Manual Arts High School:

• A group of fifteen Technology Lead Teachers representing a wide range of disciplines has been recruited and trained, leading the staff development for the school’s technology initiatives and working on curriculum development.

North High School:

• The model for unit and lesson development was created with the guidance of Sue Koba, Curriculum Specialist, and Laurie Peterman, NSTA representative, working with Sonja Schmieder of TIES. This is referred to as the “Preliminary Checklist” and is described and illustrated in the publication “Developing High Quality, World-Class Curriculum Content for 21st Century Schools” (see Appendix B).
• Grant Wiggins’ “backward design model” was incorporated into the staff development, and a formal presentation was prepared for teachers and other hub site managers. Mr. Wiggins is a national educational consultant who has authored curriculum development guidelines for ASCD.
• Students are using, for the first time, material developed under the grant. This will lead to a field testing process which will be applied to all CCTT content in year three of the project.
• Web curriculum access is provided in the new math/science enrichment center at North High School. Off campus locations at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Omaha and Girls Inc. are provided with web curriculum access through North High. This supports increased achievement in math and science.

Sprayberry High School:

• The CCTT training lab is being used by teachers and students to review for Georgia exit exams in all subject areas.
• Work continues with the special education department to identify online resources for families of special needs students.

Technology and Information Educational Services:

• TIES personnel provided training for all hub site managers on Information Literacy Standards, ISTE Technology Standards, and the creation of on-line projects.
• A documentation process began under the direction of a psychologist in order to examine changes in key personnel involved with technology leadership as well as facilitate the integration of technology into educational practices.

• Mr. Lonnie Brown, Florida State Director Social Security Administration
• Ms. Mary Bruno, Director, Applied Technology, Volusia County School District
• Dr. Robert Carlson, Director, Management Services, Council of Great City Schools
• Mr. Bob Coleman, Regional Manager, Florida Power and Light
• Mr. David Crippens, Senior Vice President, Educational Enterprises- KCET
• Dr. Tom Devlin, Superintendent, Unified School District 207, Fort Leavenworth, KS
• Ms. Charlotte Frank, Vice President, Research and Development, McGraw Hill
• Mr. Rick Fraser, Chairman, Volusia Manufacturing Association
• Mr. Scot Fritzsche, National Account Executive, Follett Corporation
• Ms. Wilma Graham, Educational Consultant, International Speedway Corporation
• Mr. John Graham, President, International Speedway Corporation
• Ms. Nora Hall, District Aide, Congressional Representative, John Mica
• Mr. Michael Healy, District Manager, AAA
• Ms. Evelyn Lynn, Florida State Legislative Representative
• Mr. Scott Pettit, Director, Continuing Education, AIM Institute
• Ms. Lisa Rycenga, Director, Distributed Learning, UMI Company
• Ms. Sandra Session-Robertson, Assistant General Manager, WCEU TV 15

• Career objectives have been identified through work done by the Clark County School District’s School-to-Work Consortium, Clark County Community College, District Curriculum Specialists, local business leaders and manufacturing firms, and used to set standards of performance in each of the career strands at Advanced Technologies Academy and throughout the district. Results of endeavors like this are being incorporated into curriculum to connect specific activities to possible careers and student interests.
• At the present time Advanced Technologies employs a full time Internship Coordinator who places qualified seniors with job skills learned at Advanced Technologies in business internships and job shadowing opportunities throughout the county. In Clark County, NV, students have acquired jobs as a result of their training and work at Advanced Technologies Academy. Using the Career Connection to Teaching with Technology grant opportunities, Advanced Technologies Academy hopes to share its programs with other schools.

• Work force competencies are incorporated into all learning modules.
• Through the district’s partnership with Gateway, students are learning computer repair and maintenance and customer service skills.

• The Academy of Design and Manufacturing and the Academy of Communication & Multi-Media Technology use industry standard software.
• Teachers and students have been trained by business partners in industry technology applications such as Cisco Networking.
• The Rose Bay project is an environmental study and maintenance of a 33 acre area which includes endangered animal and plant life. The “Learn and Serve” project involves a partnership between Mainland High School students and local authorities, working to produce opportunities for students at schools in Volusia County to learn environmental lessons in the field. A web site is being developed to share the information and lessons with other schools.
• Mainland High School is currently in conversation with Volusia County’s Vocational Education (School to Career) Department for assistance in this area. Many items are currently in place e.g., career clusters, four year planning, career software, job shadowing for educators, and internships for students.
• Work force competencies are incorporated into all lesson development.
• The guidance department uses CHOICES to help plan student vocational agendas. The department will be piloting an online version of this software in the fall of 1999.

• Work force competencies are incorporated into all learning modules.
• Career ware, “Choices 99” site license purchased. Software is being used in Education and Career Planning classes, and in the International Studies Academy.
• New Media Academy classes begin July, 1999.

• Workforce competencies are incorporated into all lesson development.
• The computer science lab has thirty new Gateway computers to enhance delivery of information technology courseware.
• There are increased course offerings to reflect current industry programming standards.
• Course work in industry standard network certification is offered at North High to both students and staff within the district and for staff throughout the state.
• Dual platform site licenses for ArcView GIS and ESRI distance learning training opportunities for the ArcView software was provided for North High staff members.
• Adobe GoLive professional software was introduced to create and manage web-based curriculum generated by staff.
• Software in vocational education has been upgraded to reflect industry standards in computer aided design (AutoCAD REL 14).
• North High students are offered experiences in designing, creating and maintaining a computer network for a summer elementary technology program: The Gifted and Talented Network Microcosm Project.
• Cooperation is ongoing with 6 elementary feeder schools (24 elementary classrooms) to deliver cross grade level curriculum to foster interest in information technology careers.
• $23,000 in district funds was received for gifted education, to provide early opportunities in areas of career interest leading to a career competitive edge.
• Graphics art professionals from a local area company were contracted to mentor and work with North High students in the digital preparation of archived school photographs that will be used to create a 75th Anniversary North High School book.

• Computers have been placed in the Yearbook room to facilitate our partnership with International Multimedia and the development of the yearbook. Adobe Pagemaker and Adobe Photoshop are being utilized to create the different layouts and images. Students are developing a portfolio to be used in career pursuits later.
• Workforce competencies are incorporated into all unit development.
• The guidance department received a $10,000 grant to create a career center computer lab and collaborates with the hub site manager on career activities.

Advanced Technologies Academy:

• Funded by the Clark County Public Education Foundation and the Elementary and Secondary divisions of the Clark County School District, a video teleconferencing link among hub sites using a product called SYMPOSIUM is under development at Advanced Technologies Academy for year two of the project. The program will further assist teachers with the use of our product and facilitate material development and review.
• The coordination of design of a class for guiding curriculum development, using a lesson plan template and incorporating standards, using web-based communication resources, using integrated technologies, and applying a lesson evaluation process: technical assistance, WebCT software, and server space are being provided by the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
• Existing technologies available at ATC, as well as training in these products, that are being used to accomplish this goal include the following.
          Follett’s Pathways to Literacy
          UMI’s site builder
          Centra’s Symposium
          World Wide Web Tools WebCT

Fort Leavenworth USD 207:

• Implementation and expansion of the Intranet used at USD 207: lessons developed under the grant are posted and staff has been trained to use the Intranet and the lessons.

Mainland High School:

• A workshop for Learning with Technology was conducted. Teachers participated in activities which demonstrated the use of the Internet in the classroom, use of different software, use of different presentation software, and the seamless integration of this technology into the teaching-learning process. This workshop will be repeated in the summer of 1999 as more material is developed for the project.
• Math and science teachers were trained to use Texas Instruments graphing calculators, calculator based laboratory, and calculator based ranger. To support this, ninety graphing calculators were purchased.
• Teachers and students have been trained in Cisco Networking, Microsoft Office and Server products, and Image Processing.

Manual Arts High School:

• A staff development model has been implemented through a Digital High School grant that will directly support the objectives of the CCTT grant. Classes meet after school twice a week.
• A workshop on integrating standards into the curriculum was given by John Watkins from the “Coalition of Essential Schools.”
• Training has been conducted in the following areas: Internet and Email, Technology Literacy, Power Point, Word Processing, Web Page Design and Publishing, Spreadsheet and Database.
• Lessons are being developed using integrated technologies.

North High School:

• Staff has attended training offered by the National Institute of Health “NIH Image,” the Internet Institute to learn how other teachers in Nebraska are incorporating the use of Internet resources into their curriculum.
• Work continues at North High School on use of HTML and ClarisHomepage.
• Students assisted science teachers in the development of the Health and Nutrition units and the Summer Technology Camp, mentoring elementary students, and managing a file server.
• North is sponsoring district wide math and science teacher training through the Teachers Teaching with Technology (T3) program. This will facilitate the implementation of probeware technology into math and science curriculum throughout the district. A $5000 grant from Texas Instruments provided partial funding to support this training. Staff development of web-based lessons integrating this technology is ongoing.
• $25,000 in state and district Eisenhower funds were received to equip and teach district science and math teachers calculator technology and probeware.
• UROG (Urban Renewal Opportunities Grant) of $37,800 provides multiple network drops in six elementary feeder schools and pays for professional development opportunities in order to enhance communication between North High School and our area elementary schools.

Sprayberry High School:

• A cadre of students was trained to become an onsite Tech Team helping with a 70 inch SmartBoard, LCD Projector, Network printer, a teacher resource, and with the maintenance of existing computers.
• Sprayberry capitalized on CCTT’s partnership with Gateway to purchase twenty-seven Pentium II 300MHz Computers. Twenty-one of the computers were placed in a lab designated as the CCTT Challenge Grant Training Lab. The lab is also equipped with Compaq Proreliant 6000, Windows NT Server, Internet connectivity, Office 97, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Pagemill, and Graphical Analysis. The lab has already been used as a training site for the Cobb County “Sustainable Futures” Challenge Grant, Countywide LSS training, Lotus Notes training for central staff, and teachers are able to schedule classes into the lab throughout the day.
• The CCTT training lab is being used to train Cobb county employees in the use and integration of technology. The program is called TechQuest and information about the course can be found on Cobb County's website.
• The hub site manager participated in the founding of the World Institute on Educational Imperatives at Aspen, CO, in the fall of 1998.

• Using the newly developed teacher training center at Advanced Technologies the Academy has offered and conducted Follett training in information literacy during the months of March, April and May in an online environment. Training was conducted in the use of our Unit/Lesson template in an online environment, district content specialists in the reviewing of lessons online, video conferences were held with grant partners, and a plan was developed to implement summer training institutes where Unit/Lessons will be developed, reviewed, and the best posted to our web site.

• The hub site manager has met with teachers and worked with them in the computer lab after their normal duty day to assist in lesson plan development, and has conducted training on various Microsoft applications for the development of student activities.
• All lessons that have been developed to date have been tested in the classroom at least once. We are designing a critique sheet to accompany testing of all lessons.
• With assistance from the computer club, we have been further developing an online regional project on the Buffalo Soldiers.

• Rose Bay, a regional project involving 10 Mainland High School teachers and dozens of others from the district, met during the summer to solidify the use of technology and curriculum as it relates to CCTT. These lessons will be deposited in the CCTT lesson plan organizer. Teachers identified appropriate sites from the world wide web. A separate web site for the Rose Bay project is under development.
• An all day in service to use RAVEN was conducted.

• Development of the online course for teachers to learn about integrated technologies and post lessons for comments is a priority at Manual Arts. The WebCT tools can be of great assistance in this effort. The hub site manager was trained in the use of these tools, and he has trained teachers to use this web site.

• Staff at North participated in the beta testing of WebLessons from Novell Inc., which is designed to manage student access to Internet lessons.
• WebCT is being used to communicate with the national content specialists in review and modification of unit plans.
• Units and lessons developed at other hubsites during their on-line courses have been reviewed online.
• Collaboration continues with other hubsites to develop and refine the unit and lesson templates (UPO/LPO) in an electronic format.

• Development of the online course for teachers to learn about integrated technologies and post lessons for comments is a priority at Sprayberry High School. The WebCT tools can be of great assistance in this effort. The hub site manager was trained in the use of these tools, and he has trained teachers to use this web site.

Copyright © 1997-2003 Career Connection to Teaching with Technology USDOE Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Marshall Ransom, Project Manager All rights reserved.