VITA-Learn NEK Minutes from 5-1-08

VitaLearn – Northeast Spring
Meeting

MINUTES: May 1, 2008

Glover Community School  - 
St. Johnsbury  -  Montpelier

Present:
13

1)    Jerry Piette

2)    Jeff Coburn

3)    David Mitchell

4)    Peter Drescher (Montpelier site)

5)   
Ed
Barry

6)   
Barb
Hobbs

7)   
Sherry
Lussier

8)   
Rick
Mallon
(St. Johnsbury site)

9)    Geoffrey Gunter

10)                 
Cathi
Wasklewicz

11)                 
Sean
Wallace

12)                 
Carol
Reynolds

13)                 
Lois
Michaud

1)   
Peter Drescher gave a State of State address to the group on:
• E-Rate status/summary (see attached summary)
• discussion on consolidating the application process
• May 30th date proposed to have a gathering of  “minds”

2)   
EDUCATOR SHOWCASE:

Carol Reynolds – Barton School - classroom
integration (SmartBoard, …)
(www.portaportal.com à>>> guest name: 
smartideas
• She presented various interactive sites for classroom use. Check them out!!

Sherry Lussier – Orleans School – the
REAL Game, NASA pilot school project
•
She presented the REAL game website. The site contains activities on career and
economic skills and simulations.
•
She also presented an overview of the NASA SCHOOL PROJECT which
Orleans Elementary School is involved.
 

Cathi Wasklewicz – Brownington
School - DCF Moodle
•
She also presented her DCF Moodle Project.  Cathi is retired but diligently updates and promotes this
self-created project providing a virtual reading environment for students to
share ideas and comments on various books.

Check out her web
link: http://vle.ocsu.org/moodle/

-   
go to book discussions and log on as a GUEST

3)    Ed
Barry provided an
update on the upcoming Dynamic Landscapes conference.  He also updated the group on the VTCITE Summer
Institute.   From his travels
throughout the state attending and/or moderating the VITA-Learn meetings, he
has seen the importance of continued support from VITA-Learn.  Just this past year, there have been 3
VITA-Learn meetings in the Northeast Kingdom.  There hadn’t been one in 5 years!!  His “prodding” has had a positive influence and with the
success of such meetings, it is very likely meetings next year will continue.

4)   
Jerry Piette  --  Tandberg / Video Conferencing Projectk
overview
- just a quick update
- meeting today was a slow start, however, succeeded in completing a 3-way
conference meeting with sites outside the district network
- use of the Tandberg equipment is growing among teachers as the linkups become
more reliable