News & Notes
Helpful reminders about how to participate in the many benefits of ISTE’s Affiliate Program.
Affiliate Committee – Who? What? Where?
The Affiliate Program is guided by an appointed ISTE Board committee called the Affiliate Membership Committee. The AMC is made up of nine people, two of which are elected Board representatives, plus the Affiliate program director. We usually meet monthly by phone, but rarely get an opportunity to meet in person other than at NECC.
In November the committee met in Nashville for a weekend’s worth of dialogue about how the program is going, who Affiliates are and what their needs are, and where we go from here. In attendance were Chairman Davis Brock, ISTE President-Elect Helen Padgett, Ginger Long (ICE-IL), Jill Pierce (TETA), Ralph Leonard (ACCE) via web and phone, Program Director Susan Larson, and Senior Director of Membership Jessica Medaille. We also gathered input from committee members who could not attend. We were armed with a lot of information and ideas, thanks in large part to those of you who completed our recent survey.
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 Jill Pierce staying very connected! Thanks to ENA for their meeting facilities.
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We were graciously hosted by ENA, Education Networks Association, who provides internet service for schools throughout Tennessee and neighboring states. It was very nice to have free access to their technology so we could include our off-site committee members. They were so pleased to have us there. We were treated like rock stars!
Our work centered on ways we can enrich the Affiliate Network and possibly bring new opportunities and benefits to the Affiliate Program. We were certainly not short on new ideas, to say the least! The job now is to prioritize them and develop the best ideas into workable opportunities for everyone. So my advice is to be patient but watch for announcements in this coming year. As always, your input is greatly valued, so don’t hesitate to contact me and/or the committee with your thoughts.
ISTE Awards – Nominations Open Now Through March
We know there are thousands of hard-working, creative educational leaders out there doing their jobs each and every day, often without even a thought of recognition. Well, we certainly do think about it and want to honor those outstanding leaders who truly are making a difference. That’s why we give award winners prizes packages, recognize them at NECC, and publicize them throughout ISTE’s media channels.
We are happy to announce one new award this year: Public Policy Advocate of the Year, which recognizes an individual who is an outstanding leader and mentor in advocating for education technology policy at the local, regional, national, and/or international level.
ISTE presents a number of awards and we count on you to present your shining stars as nominees. Three of these awards are available exclusively to Affiliates: Outstanding Teacher, Outstanding Leader, and Making IT Happen. Please follow the links to learn more and get your submissions in by the deadlines.
Awards Info on ISTE.org: www.iste.org/awards
Deadlines:
Advocate of the Year: March 15
Kay L. Bitter/PK-2: March 16
Sylvia Charp/District Innovation: March 16
Outstanding Teacher & Leader: March 20
SIGMS/Media Specialist: March 31
SIGTel/Online Learning: March 31
Making IT Happen: Ongoing opportunity. Award(s) are presented at your conference.
ISTE Board of Directors Nominations and Elections
Affiliate Rep Primary Election January 14 – 23, 2009
Serving on the ISTE Board is an excellent avenue to offer your expertise, build your leadership skills, and have a big impact on the advancement of our mission together. Eight positions open this year, each as a two-year term beginning June 2009.
One of those positions is the Affiliate Representative. This open position is one of two Affiliate Reps on the Board. These people also serve on the Affiliate Membership Committee and are charged with representing the best interests and needs of all Affiliates.
This nomination process usually happens slightly differently than those for the other positions. The nomination must be submitted via the Affiliate organization. Each Affiliate may submit only one candidate. The candidate must meet the eligibility requirements of any board position and must have attended an Affiliate Annual Meeting at least once in the last three years.
We received six nominees this year: Jeff Allen (NCCE), Cara Hagen (TIES), Chris Johnson (AzTEA), Carol Anne McGuire (CUE), Jill Pierce (TETA), and Annette Smith (WEMTA). You (as the Affiliate Rep of your organization) can log in to the ISTE Web site to learn about each nominee and place your vote. Votes are cast by the Affiliate organization, not by individuals. Therefore, you should discuss these nominees with your leadership and make your choices. Each Affiliate must vote for two names.
Primary voting will end on Friday, January 23, midnight PST. The top three candidates will be sent to the Board Nominations Committee who will then determine the final slate of candidates for the general election. It is likely that all three names will be added to the general election ballot. General elections are held for March 10-April 10. Votes may be cast only by current ISTE members (not Affiliate organizations).
Vote Now for Affiliate Primary: www.iste.org/affiliate_primary_election.
Other board positions available:
Two At-Large Representatives: Any area of educational technology.
One Computer Science Representative: PK-12 or post-secondary education computer science instructor.
One International Representative: Resident of a country other than the United States, involved in any area of educational technology.
One PK–12 Schools Representative: PK–12, school-based educator, either classroom teacher or technology coordinator.
One State Technology Director Representative: Director of technology for a state education agency.
To submit a nomination for one of the positions on the board, go to www.iste.org/elections/.
Advocacy Events and Resources
Thanks to Hilary Goldman, our director of government affairs, and many of our volunteer leaders, we have a number of helpful resources for your organization’s advocacy efforts.
- Ed Tech Policy Summit, sponsored by ISTE and CoSN, April 30 - May 1, Washington D.C.: Send your advocacy team to this high-impact event. They’ll meet with members of Congress and bring back a great deal of knowledge to continue the work at home. Thursday includes meeting with congressional staffers who will give updates on current policies and legislative happenings, plus a “boot camp” to prep for hill visits. Friday will be meetings on the hill, and time for a post-meeting wrap up. Our event planners will schedule these congressional visits. Registration is $120. Watch for details soon about how to register.
- Advocate of the Year Award. This is a brand-new award, and we are excited to have an opportunity to recognize individuals who have been working hard “in the trenches.” These are the people who know how to make connections; fight for their school, district, state, and even country; and bring more attention, funding, and availability for educational technology. Nominees can be anyone, from any country, and do not have to be an ISTE member. Be on the lookout for these people who lead by example and help us give them the recognition they deserve. More details at www.iste.org/awards.
- Advocacy activities at NECC: We have a number of things planned, with details still being cooked up. But one thing we can share is the opportunity for NECC attendees to visit with their congressmen/women or staffers as best as we can accommodate. Visits will be held on Tuesday during NECC. More information is on the way, including more ways you can connect with our nation’s leaders while you’re in D.C. These opportunities are certainly not limited to US residents. We invite our non-US friends to join us! Watch for details coming soon.
Survey Winners
A few months ago many of you participated in our survey about the Affiliate Program. Thanks to all who gave us your thoughts, opinions, and ideas. We learned a lot and now have a good basis from which to work as we plan for the future of the Affiliate Program.
As promised, we have 10 winners who won a Standard ISTE membership. These winners can use this membership to give away as a prize or incentive, to a board member, or in any way they choose. Congratulations to the winners!
Chris Johnson, AzTEA (Arizona)
Crystal Priest, ACTEM (Maine)
Dr. Sean Owen, MECA (Missouri)
Ginger Long, ICE (Illinois)
Jill Hobson, GSTE (Georgia)
Marla Davenport, TIES (Minnesota)
Michele Baboolal, JCSEF (Jamaica)
Ren Baldwin, MACUL (Michigan)
Sue Sullivan, NJAET (New Jersey)
Tony Brandenburg, formerly ICTEV (Australia) but now working in Qatar
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