MEMO INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY LITERACY STANDARDS - 2009 REFRESH

New! Final versions of the refreshed MEMO Information and Technology Literacy standards are available now. Click here to locate copies of the new standards as well as copies of the previous version and other related standards documents. Standards information can also be accessed from the top menu under the "Organization" tab.

TIES MINNESOTA TECHNOLOGY LEADER OF THE YEAR

Josh Sumption, Manager of Information Technology for the Southwest and West Central Service Cooperative in Marshall, MN, coordinates technical support for 59 member school districts and 14 nonpublic and charter schools, with over 51,000 students and 7,600 teachers across 18 counties in a 12,500 square mile area of western Minnesota.

Through the Technology Coordination Services framework, Josh ensures that small, rural school districts have access to effective, affordable technology services and support.

Josh Sumption spearheaded the development of a 32-district wide area network that serves over 60 school buildings and 45,000 students. To create this network, Josh had to build bridges and re-establish relationships with many districts that had been disenchanted with previous cooperative ventures.

Dedicated access to the Internet through this network has allowed districts to increase educational opportunities in many ways, including online learning and expanded web presence to better communicate with parents and students.

Josh also leads the development of the cooperative’s robust Distance Learning Program, which offers nearly 250 students courses online and over interactive TV, including creative writing, forensics, biology, business law and economics, plus several foreign languages. Without this program, many of the very remote districts Josh serves could not offer these courses. Twenty-five districts have fewer than 500 students.

Congratulations to Josh!

TIES MINNESOTA TECHNOLOGY TEAM OF THE YEAR

The South St. Paul Technology Facilitation Team was chiefly responsible for implementing a Response to Intervention program that uses the NWEA/Descartes Assessment for Learning to identify students who need assistance. The team has trained teachers to use this tool and established the protocols and schedules for online formative and summative assessment. It also trains teachers in using the TIES Tests and Assessments module to help them quickly and easily view test results and link to specific teaching strategies and resources.

Congratulations to South St. Paul Schools!

2009 MEMO Conference Session Handouts/Presentations

For those MEMO members who would like to view handouts, presentations and links from the 2009 conference, information from many of the sessions is available in the new "members-only" section of the MEMO website. Click on the link above - once there, if you have not already requested access, please follow the on-screen instructions to request access. **NOTE** Only MEMO members who are current with dues will be allowed access. Please allow time for MEMO staff to check membership status. You will receive an Email notification when you have been approved for access. At that time, you will be able to access the "members-only" area and find the posted handouts/presentations.

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