March 25-27, 2009, Madison City Schools, Madison, AL

Madison City Schools is one of the fastest growing, highest performing public school systems in Alabama and is located in Madison, the fastest growing city in the state. The city of Madison is located adjacent to Huntsville International Airport, Redstone Arsenal, and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and is a hot-spot for defense contractors like Boeing, Raytheon, and others. Madison City Schools serves 8,400 students and has nine schools: six elementary (grades PK-6), two middle (grades 7-9), and one high school (grades 10-12).

We have a solution! Visit with School Board members and the Superintendent to learn methods for handling rapid growth, designing and building new schools (another new elementary school will open Fall of 2009), and leveraging the expense of technology with little or no funding sources. Learn how the school system has utilized free software such as Moodle, Audacity, Mailman, and Open Office to build a sense of community and to provide students and teachers with emerging and state-of-the-art technologies at the lowest costs possible. Learn how to include the public while saving money with paperless board meetings (no special software needed) and e-mail notifications (free software solution) of meetings.

We have a solution! During your visit, learn about the very popular state-wide distance learning program, Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS) and Madison City’s role as a support center. This model program provides Advanced Placement courses to students across the state and provides rich content through courses such as Chinese.

We have a solution! Technology use in our classrooms as an enhancement to instruction will be the focus of this site visit. Beginning with its dedication to providing open resource computer labs, mobile laptop labs, student workstations in every classroom, students using their own laptops, and multimedia teaching workstations in every classroom, technology has been the background for strong teaching and enhanced learning opportunities. See how resources such as classroom sound systems, interactive whiteboards, and document cameras are used as ubiquitous learning tools. View students using blogs, wikis, and news forums in a safe computing environment.

We have a solution! Hear solutions for anywhere, anytime access to web-based network resources providing teachers and students with technology tools at their fingertips at anytime and from anywhere in the world! View 1-to-1 computing without the funding and maintenance nightmares.

Wednesday, March 25

7:00-9:00 pm
Registration and Welcome Reception, Madison Holiday Inn

Thursday, March 26

7:30 – 8:00 am
Registration and Breakfast at Hotel

8:15 am
Buses depart for Bob Jones High School, Zompa Auditorium

8:30 am
Welcome and Overview of Madison City Schools

9:30 am
Buses depart for School Tours

9:45-11:45 am
School Tours and Breakout Sessions
(Choose one—Tour A, B, or C)

Tour A: Bob Jones High School

24/7 access for students to network resources/web portal/Moodle using their own laptops
Video editing using Final Cut Studio on Macs
GEOCaching with Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information Systems
Career Technical/Health Science latest technologies
Digital simulators
21st Century digital classrooms including sound systems
Breakout sessions featuring web-based student resources including the Alabama Virtual Library, Moodle, and time-saving teacher tools.

Tour B: Heritage Elementary School

In-school broadcast system
Podcasting and student response systems
Technology fair projects
SuccessMaker and Knowledge Box
Alabama Reading Initiative
Teacher laptop program
Breakout sessions featuring interactive whiteboards,
soundfield systems, and Knowledge Box.

Tour C: Liberty Middle School

Cell phones for instructional purposes
Assistive technologies
Global Positioning Systems and Moodle in physical education
Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI)
Podcasting and vodcasting
Breakout sessions featuring the mechanics of podcasting, utilizing interactive whiteboards, and using PhotoStory.

12:00-1:00 pm
Lunch, provided by the Bob Jones High School National First-Place Culinary Arts Students

1:15-3:45 pm
School, Local Interest Tours, and Breakout Sessions
(Choose one—Tour D, E, or F)

Tour D: Bob Jones High School

Chinese instruction via interactive video-conferencing from another school system
Mass media production
21st Century digital classrooms
Audacity and Moodle
Student laptops
Breakout sessions will include a student led technology fair, a teacher led technology symposium, and a demonstration of the web portal for teachers and students.

Tour E: The Hudson-Alpha Institute

One of only two biotechnology centers in the world
The biotechnology research center tour
Hands-on scientific experiment in the center’s education lab
The Institute’s distance learning program available for students anywhere in the country
Biotechnology summer camps for secondary science students

Tour F: NASA Teacher Resource Center

Offerings available for educators and students anywhere in the country (and this one is within one mile of the Madison City School district!)
Distance learning opportunities for K-12 students anywhere in the country
Opportunities available to motivate and inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Space Camp—educate and excite students about math, science, and technology

3:45 pm
Buses depart for the Holiday Inn

5:15 pm
Buses depart for the Space & Rocket Center

5:30 pm
The Space & Rocket Center Tour and Reception

6:30 pm
Dinner at the Davidson Center
Dinner will be served under the Saturn V rocket housed at the Davidson Center. The Saturn V was recently named one of the Seven Wonders of America by ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America.”

Buses will begin return runs to the Holiday Inn immediately after dinner.

Friday, March 27

7:30 – 8:00 am
Breakfast at Hotel

8:15 am
Buses depart Holiday Inn for schools

8:30-10:30 am
School Tours and Breakout Sessions
(Choose one—Tour G or H)

Tour G: Columbia Elementary School

Virtual field trips
Assistive technologies
21st Century digital classrooms
Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative – GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Project
Breakout sessions featuring Moodle, classroom performance systems, and teachers using laptops and technology tools

Tour H: Discovery Middle School

Digital storytelling
Podcasting and vodcasting
Collaborating with students in other nations using SKYPE
Moodle and 21st Century digital classrooms
Breakout sessions featuring the Principal utilizing podcast announcements, interviews with student members of the CSI technology team (Computer Systems Investigators) in Discovery’s true Media Center, or the student technology fair featuring Second Life

10:30 am
Buses depart for the Teacher Resource Center

10:45 - 11:30 am
ACCESS (Tour I) or the School System Q&A (Tour J)—Choose one

Tour I: ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide)

The Distance Learning Program and Madison
City’s role
IVC and Web-Based
Equipment (Polycom and Tandberg)
Web-based tools

Tour J: School System Q&A

Talk to the Madison City Schools Superintendent
Mingle with the school system Board Members
Visit with Teachers from the elementary, middle, and high schools
Talk to district and school level technology staff members

11:30 am
Buses depart for luncheon destination

11:45 am-12:45 pm
Lunch (Meet with our Sponsors, Visit with our Board members)

12:45 pm
Buses Depart to the “Final Destination” Tours (Choose one)

1:00-2:30 pm
(Choose one – Tour K or L)

Tour K: The Redstone Arsenal Tour

Tour software companies creating training software for U.S. Troops
Participate in flight simulators and other virtual trainers

Tour L: District-Focused Breakout Sessions (Choose Two Sessions)

Session 1—Madison City Schools’ Web Portal, VoIP, and network security
Session 2—School System Communications including open source software, paperless board meetings, STI Home, and STI Home+
Session 3—District Level Management including teacher tools at The Teacher Resource Center, digital paper flow, paperless principals’ meetings, scheduling software, and STI PD
Session 4—Technology Planning/The Pioneer District Project (a new way of data collection for technology planning)

2:40 pm
Buses depart for the Huntsville Airport and the Holiday Inn

Travel Note:
Madison is located near the Tennessee River along I-565 just west of Huntsville, Alabama, and is adjacent to the Huntsville International Airport. Alternate airports along I-65 include Birmingham, AL (98 miles south of Madison) and Nashville, TN, (119 miles north of Madison).

Presented by the National School Boards Association and the Technology Leadership Network.