District/School Administration PK-16 Program Support Educational Technology
Massachusetts Online Network for Education (MassONE)

Newsletter - November 2007

MassONE Receives National Award

MassONE was recently selected to receive a "Best of the Web" award from the Center for Digital Education. This annual competition evaluates higher education, K-12, state and local Web sites on "their innovation, Web-based delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality." The winners are determined by a panel of national judges. To learn more about the award, you can click the award logo on the MassONE home page.

Training Opportunities for MassONE Admins

Two regional trainings for MassONE Admins will be held this fall:

• November 6, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Shrewsbury High School
• November 8, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at William F. Stanley Elementary in Waltham

Administrative training provides an overview of the MassONE online tools and resources, as well as a more detailed look at recent upgrades and new developments. The training will also cover management of student accounts, best practices, and innovative uses of MassONE. Participants will have an opportunity to brainstorm new implementation strategies and plan for possible district-wide MassONE training. To sign up, go to the MassONE home page and select the Training and PD link. Seating at each workshop is limited to 25 people.

Online Course Materials Posted

Schools now have access to materials used in past online courses, such as those sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Partnership for Technology Professional Development. These materials are posted so that local school districts can review them and possibly incorporate them into their own professional development activities. The Department recommends that curriculum coordinators adapt the materials to suit their district needs and that trained facilitators be used to guide course discussions and monitor teacher progress. To access these materials, click TLR (Teaching and Learning Resources) from the left menu bar, and then click "Online Courses."

Final Evaluation Report on PTPD Courses

Sun Associates has completed its final evaluation of the three sessions of online courses offered during the 2006-2007 school year through MassONE as part of the Partnership for Technology Professional Development (PTPD). Sun Associates administered surveys, conducted interviews, held focus groups, and "observed" both the online courses and face-to-face sessions. To read the entire report, see the news item about it on the MassONE home page.

Global Economics Resources Available

MassONE has a new resource collection focusing on global economics. It is designed to support teachers in increasing their knowledge of economics and building their confidence in teaching this discipline. The collection provides developmentally appropriate economic education resources and suggests specific ways to integrate these resources in a frameworks-aligned document. The resources include 26 lesson plans, which can be searched by major content area, state standards, and economic concepts.

The collection was compiled by the economics subcommittee of the Global Education Advisory Council to the Board of Education. To access these materials, click TLR (Teaching and Learning Resources) from the left menu bar, and then click "The Global Education Advisory Council's Resources for Educators."

Web Site Highlights Models of Technology Integration

The Technology Integration Matrix, a video-rich resource from the University of South Florida, provides models of technology integration in both one-to-one environments and shared-computer environments. The site also presents examples of increasingly sophisticated levels of technology integration, as well as methodologies that create meaningful learning environments. Check out this and other resources in the TLR's Educational Technology folder, or go directly to the Technology Integration Matrix at http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/index.html.

Did You Forget Your MassONE Username or Password?

If you misplaced your username or password, you can quickly and easily retrieve them anytime. To do so, just go to MassONE's home page and click "Forgot Username or Password?" To provide security, MassONE uses a two-step process. First you need to provide some basic information, along with a new password. Then MassONE will instantly email you a secure link, along with your user name and password. When you click the link in the email, your password is reset. You should do this as soon as possible, because the link expires after 24 hours. For security reasons the password reset tool cannot be made available to students. To reset a student's password, choose your classroom workgroup, click on the "Admin" icon at the top of the screen, and then click "Reset Password."

Back Issues of Newsletters

If you missed any previous issues of the MassONE newsletter, you can now find them on the MassONE web site. To access them, go to MassONE News Archives on the MassONE home page.