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National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators
General Topic: Generally accepted technology skills standards for administrators
Scope: Administrators play a pivotal role in determining how well technology is used in our schools. The NETS for Administrators enable us to define what administrators need to know and be able to do in order to discharge their responsibility as leaders in the effective use of technology in our schools.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: International Society for Technology in Education has standards for students, teachers and administrators.
 
Administrative Leadership Styles and the Use of Technology
General Topic: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Effective Administrative Leadership Styles and the Use of Technology
Scope: This article provides some information educational leaders may find helpful when conducting a self-assessment.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: ABSTRACT: Advances in technology have inspired a growing debate regarding effective instructional strategies in our present educational system. As the roles and responsibilities of administrative leaders shift, this research was conducted to ascertain what leadership attributes affect the integration of technology to improve teaching and learning. A survey of Ohio public educators was conducted to identify faculty perceptions of building leadership and how these perceptions influence attitudes toward innovative technology implementation efforts, and ultimately student achievement. This study focuses on the relationship between administrative leadership styles and implementation of new technological programs or instructional strategies
 
Technology Planning for School Administrators
General Topic: Technology Planning: A Toolkit for Administrators and School Board Members
Scope: A general overview of the technology planning process.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: Abstract: This section is for busy administrators and school board members who want to play a more active role in planning technology integration. Overseeing and facilitating the development of a technology plan is a primary responsibility for administrators and school board members. The successful development of the technology plan should follow a simple six-step planning process: (1) Organize & Empower a District Technology Planning Team and Governance Structure, (2) Prepare the Planning Teams for the Study, (3) Assess Current State of Technology in District, (4) Develop Guiding Documents for Technology, (5) Develop the Long-Range Technology Plan, and (6) Implement and Institutionalize the Technology Plan. Tips, traps, and tactics are tools in a technology planning toolkit when working with teachers, students, parents, business, and community members.
 
Technology in Education
General Topic: North Central Regional Educational Library
Scope: NCREL is one of the most widely accepted and recognized clearinghouses for educational information.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: This web site provides a wonderful summary of some important technology topics such as assistive technology, tools to help LEP students, technology as a tool to improve student achievement, ensuring equitable access to technology, promoting technology use in schools, developing a technology plan for either a school or district.
 
Alan November
General Topic: A recognized speaker and researcher on educational technology issues has many resources on his web site.
Scope: A. November also provides consulting and workshops
Cost for Access: None for the web site, but charges for consultation and workshops.
Comments: Published author on technology issues as they relate to education. Podcasts are available for download.
 
Technology Integration
General Topic: Technology Integration: Best Practices--Where Do Teachers Stand?
Scope: International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning
Cost for Access: None
Comments: Abstract-- As technology becomes more available in k-12 classrooms and teachers apply it their teaching, it is important to consider how we are going to evaluate the technology integration efforts of teachers. This article summarizes the stages of technology integration, and then goes on to present examples of best technology integration practices. Finally, it offers questions to consider when assessing teachers and their uses of technology
 
Technologically Savvy Administrator
General Topic: Becoming a Technologically Savvy Administrator
Scope: Clearinghouse on Educational Policy and Management
Cost for Access: None
Comments: The article is a bit dated since it was written in 2000. Some good information is presented.
 
The High Touch, High Tech Principal
General Topic: School-based administrator information about effective use of technology
Scope: Smart use of new technologies is more likely to thrive in schools whose principals play a central, encouraging role. When principals act as instructional leaders, when they model discerning use and they lead staff through wise choices to sound daily practice, the program is much more likely to thrive.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: This article first appeared in the May 2002 Classroom Connect Newsletter
 
Why Technology?
General Topic: Broad strokes of the needs for technology resources and the potential impact on student engagement and learning.
Scope: Information from the National School Boards Association website related to technology.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: Our schools thrive on information. In the ever-changing world filled with new technology, our teachers and students require the right information, from the right sources, today. Having direct access to industry information gives the competitive edge needed to succeed. Student performance can be improved when the enhancement of teaching and learning using technology is adopted as the norm.
 
Elements of Good Teaching in Technology
General Topic: Simple assessment tool for determining the effective use of technology in the classroom.
Scope: Technology is just a tool to support good teaching and student learning.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Technology Enriched Administrators
General Topic: The material developed for this site provides administrators with a starting point for understanding the complex and seemingly overwhelming task of integrating technology into the educational process. 
Scope:A variety of modules are provided.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Laws Concerning Child Pornography
General Topic: Administrators may be faced with investigating staff accused of possession of child pornography on school technology equipment.
Scope: Federal laws are clearly outlined with respect to what is considered child pornography. Duty to report suspected child pornography use or access may be required under state laws requiring that suspected abuse or neglect of minors be reported by administrators and other licensed educators.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Acceptable Use Policies
General Topic: Overview of AUP considerations
Scope:Links to multiple resources related to developing, critiquing and implementing and AUP.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Partnership for Learning
General Topic: Parent Partnership
Scope: An award winning nonprofit organization that helps schools and communities work together to education children.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: With the increased focus on parent involvement, every administrator can use some additional resources.
 
Data-Driven Decision Making Survey
General Topic: Data Driven Decision Making
Scope: CoSN provides an online survey for administrators to help them know whether they are ready to use data to drive instructional decisions.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: eSchool News reports on the tool at
 
Free Online Survey Creator
General Topic: Surveys
Scope: Zoomerang Basic provides a limited-feature trial version of zPro surveys. Limited to 100 or fewer participants and 30 or fewer questions results expire after 10 days. Ongoing membership is free.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: You can have a survey "pushed out" to users by sending them an email or you can publish the link.
 
Free Mind
General Topic: Productivity
Website: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Scope: FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: FreeMind is available in two versions -- maximum and minimum. Minimum version is considerably smaller to download, having around 3 MB instead of 8 MB. Maximum version contains additional plug ins. The plug ins feature exporting to Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), exporting to Portable Document Format (PDF), reminders that can be attached to nodes, and help for FreeMind reminiscent of help usually delivered with Microsoft Windows applications.
 
On-line Collaboration with Writely
General Topic: Productivity
Scope: With Writely, you can:
  • Use our online editor to format documents, spell-check and more.
  • Upload Word documents, OpenOffice, RTF, HTML or text.
  • Download documents to your desktop as Word, PDF and more.
  • View your documents' revision history and roll back to any version.
Plus, since its online, you can:
  • Invite others to share your documents by e-mail address.
  • Edit documents online with whomever you choose.
  • Publish documents online to the world, or to just who you choose.
  • Post your documents to your blog.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Google Calendar
General Topic: Productivity
Scope: This free online calendar can be accessed when you log in to your Gmail account and set up your Gmail Calendar. This calendar can be shared by other Gmail users if you share the resource. Multiple calendars can be differentiated by color.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: Gmail accounts can be set up for free at http://mail.google.com/. Users can personalize their Gmail desktop space, including links to the Gmail calendar, by logging in to http://www.google.com/ig. This tool allows you to set up your email homepage to include games and RSS feeds if you are interested in regular updates.
 
Google Spreadsheets
General Topic: Productivity
Website: http://www.google.com/googlespreadsheets/tour1.html
Scope: Create basic spreadsheets from scratch. You can start from scratch and do all the basics, including changing the number format, sorting by columns, and adding formulas.

Upload your spreadsheet files. Upload spreadsheets or worksheets from CSV or XLS format - all your formulas and formatting will come across intact.

Familiar desktop feel makes editing a breeze. Just click the toolbar buttons to bold, underline, change the font, change the cell background color and more.

Share with others via the web

Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Bablefish (Translation)
General Topic: Productivity
Website: http://whizzgadgets.googlepages.com/Babelfish
Scope: Paste the text you want translated in the box.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: The translation will not be perfect, but it is a good start.
 
Portable Firefox
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/browsers/portable_firefox
Scope: An easy to use full-featured Web browser with tabbed-browsing and pop-up blocking built in.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: The tabbed browsing is a real treat for users who have struggled with the multiple windows of Microsoft Explorer.
 
Portable Thunderbird
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/email/portable_thunderbird
Scope: This complete email program allows you to transport your address book and saved messages.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Portable Open Office
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://portableapps.com/apps/office/suites/portable_openoffice
Scope: This site contains a full office suite of applications
Cost for Access: None
Comments: Open Office will open Word documents and will save in either Open Office format or in Microsoft Word format. The tools and short cuts are quite similar to Microsoft Office.
 
Portable AbiWord
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://portableapps.com/apps/office/word_processors/portable_abiword
Scope: If you only need a word processor, AbiWord is the tool for you to keep on your thumb drive.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Foxit Reader
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Scope: This PDF viewer is faster than Adobe Reader and it is a smaller program, perfect for your thumb drive.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: The following is a list of compelling advantages of Foxit Reader 2.0:
  • Incredibly small: The download size of Foxit Reader is only 1.5 M which is a fraction of Acrobat Reader 20 M size
  • Breezing-fast: When you run Foxit Reader, it launches instantly without any delay. You are not forced to view an annoying splash window displaying company logo, author names, etc.
  • Annotation tool: Have you ever wished to annotate (or comment on) a PDF document when you are reading it? Foxit Reader 2.0 allows you to draw graphics, highlight text, type text and make notes on a PDF document and then print out or save the annotated document.
  • Text converter: You may convert the whole PDF document into a simple text file.
  • High security and privacy: Foxit Reader highly respects the security and privacy of users and will never connect to Internet without users' permission. While other PDF Reader often silently connects to the Internet in the background. Foxit PDF Reader does not contain any spyware or adware.
 
TrueCrypt
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://www.truecrypt.org/
Scope: This application will allow you to encrypt your documents on the thumb drive. If you loose the drive, or if it is stolen they will be unreadable.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
Portable ClamWin
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/antivirus/portable_clamwin
Scope: This antivirus program can scan a hard drive, a folder or an individual file.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: When you are using a thumb drive in multiple machines, it is a good idea to check the drives for viruses. This is also a good companion if you are using portable email. Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner, that is, you need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware. Also, ClamWin Portable has scheduled scans and updates disabled as they are not used in a portable scenario.
 
Freeware Collection
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://portablefreeware.com/all.php
Scope: Hundreds of free downloadable software that has been categorized into 14 different areas.
Cost for Access: None
Comments:
 
USB Applications
General Topic: Thumb Drive Resources
Website: http://www.kikizas.net/en/usbapps.html
Scope: Terrific compilation of freeware for your thumb drive.
Cost for Access: None
Comments: This site has a high level of sophistication and is probably more than the casual user will need.