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Spotlights

Accomplishments and news of Affiliates. Please send your stories so we can share them!

Affiliate Spotlight: Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine(ACTEM)   (Pictured left to right) Past ACTEM Presidents John Lunt and Gary Lanoie  with current President Vincent Vanier. --Susan Stillwell, JHU Graduate Student/ISTE Intern ACTEM began in the early 1990s when a handful of technology coordinators each contributed $5 to start a newsletter. ACTEM's mission statement is to "Enhance and influence education in Maine through the use of technology." Today the organization has 757 members, all Maine educators. ACTEM has been an Affiliate of ISTE since 2001 and is now involved with NEISTE, the New England ISTE affiliate organization. This regional group was displayed as a model at NECC 2007. Valuable member benefits include its annual conference, a robust purchasing consortium, professional development scholarships, listserve and a quarterly newsletter. This year’s conference was one the largest ever with 735 attendees, 70 sessions and 129 exhibitors representing 67 companies and organizations.  Keynote speaker, Will Richardson (www.Weblogg-ed.com), is the author of the critically acclaimed, best selling bookBlogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Tools for Classroom (March 2006, Corwin Press). ACTEM has a purchasing consortium for software and memory purchases. Schools receive significant price savings on popular software titles from Adobe, Apple, Filemaker, Microsoft and other vendors. A $25 district membership fee must be paid by the school district each school year in order to be able to purchase software at our discount pricing. Every member is eligible to apply annually for up to $400 in professional development reimbursement not covered by their district. Last year ACTEM reimbursed more than $20,000 to individual members who paid for their professional development experiences. The ACTEMlist is an electronic mailing list that offers a forum for Technology Coordinators, Technology Integrators, Teachers, and Administrators to get help with technology problems or issues they're facing.  ACTEM President Vincent Vanier states, "Over the years, the ACTEMlist has helped many districts within our state get quick and accurate help related to the deployment and implementation of technology within our member schools.  It's the quickest way for us to get help, and our membership has a number of really clever individuals.  It's a great asset when we work together on these issues." The Electronic Educator, ACTEM’s quarterly newsletter, exists as a communication device for ACTEM and Maine educators interested in classroom applications of technology.  It also is a forum to present information and exchange ideas. It is distributed a few weeks before each scheduled ACTEM meeting and special editions are published when information is needed by the membership. ACTEM annually honors four Maine educators under the "Technology Educator of the Year" award. Two winners receive $2000 personal stipends each and their respective schools receive $1000 in technology equipment selected by the winners. Two runners-up receive $500 personal stipends. For more info on ACTEM, or to send them a hello or ask questions, visit their Web site at www.actem.org.

Qwest Awards AzTEA $100,000 Grant

Congratulations to AzTEA on being awarded a $100,000 grant from the Qwest Foundation in Education.  Allocations of between $2,500 to $10,000 will be awarded to Arizona PK-12 educators who demonstrate an innovative use of technology with students. The funds will be disbursed to the local school district, charter, or private school. The funds may be used to purchase the following for use in the classroom: supplies and materials, technology, or professional development activities. Arizonaeducators may apply for funds in December or February.  Winners will be announced at conferences held in January and March.  See more info on the AzTEA Web site, www.aztea.org.

If you’d like to participate in this grant in your region, visit the Qwest Web site. Keep in mind they generally only award organizations in their service area, which is primarily the western United States. If you are not in that service area, they suggest contacting your local phone company.

Has your organization been a recipient of a similar grant? Let us know the good news!

CUE’s Interview with Representative George Miller

Because of the profound effect federal and state legislation has on classroom practice, CUE’s Legislative Advocacy Committee sought an interview with Representative George Miller (D-CA). In his role as chair of the House Education and Labor Committee,

Representative Miller is directly involved in developing and advocating for legislation regarding technology use in the classroom. CUE is grateful to Representative Miller for taking the time to share his thoughts on the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), and the new ATTAIN Act (Achievement Through Technology and Innovation).

This article was published in the fall edition of onCUE and is written by Steven Glyer.  Read the full article on the Affiliates wiki. Permission is given to copy with attribution to onCue.

Favorite Affiliate Web Sites

We would like to highlight Affiliate sites that are well done as they serve many functions.  Not only do they offer their viewers and members a great service, but they are a good example for other groups to model.  As you are well aware, Web sites come in all shapes and sizes, but even with such variety, there are key points that make some stand out from the crowd.

Take a look at other Affiliates' Web sites.  As you browse, please send us your favorites, and tell us why:

Yup, the list can go on and on!

Before I offer some my own favorites, I want to hear from you. Look for “reader’s choice” Web favorites in each newsletter!

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