CUE

Friday, May 4 is the early bird deadline to register for Tech Forum Long Beach, produced by Technology & Learning. CUE Members receive a $95 discount on registration, meaning they'll save more than double their membership dues just by attending this one event! Keynote Speaker: Hall Davidson "Thinking Bigger as the World Grows Smaller" Where: Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Hilton When:  Friday, May 18, 2007 Time:   7:30 am - 4:30 pm How to Save:  CUE Members go to the "CUE Members only" button to get the code to register at the special CUE rate of $175 per person. Bonus: 1-year extended CUE membership- FREE * CUE membership is valid for paying attendees only. Existing CUE members receive a one year extension. Download Informational flyer

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CUE thanks all myCUE partners for making these benefits possible!
*myCUE Member Benefits logos based on designs by Ken Saunders of MouseRunner.com

Building Learning Communities - Boston, MA
Alan November has assembled a handpicked team of education practitioners and world class presenters for his eighth annual summer conference. 

• Pre-Conference: July 16-17, 2007
• Conference: July 18-20, 2007

How to save: CUE members receive $100 off by using CUE Member Code in the "Team Discount" section of the registration form. Members - click to login and get your code!

Applications are now being accepted for the third Google Teacher Academy, to be held at the Google offices in Santa Monica. Participants must provide their own travel, and only K-12 educators within a 90-minute local commute may apply. CUE and WestEd are key partners in the delivery of the program

About the Academy:
The Google Teacher Academy is a FREE professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. Each Academy is an intensive, one-day event where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, Academy participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region.

During the CUE General Session on March 2, 2007, CUE presented awards to extraordinary educational leaders. See who was honored!

Wikis are simple group websites that are easy for anyone to edit. They are great for classrooms, work groups, clubs and more. Wikispaces.com is offering free pro accounts (a $60 value) to all CUE members!

CUE is proud to announce its partnership with Technology & Learning, a leader in the field of educational technology.

Members receive a $95 discount on registration to Tech Forum San Diego, produced by Technology Learning.

If you're not a current CUE member, join and you'll save more than double your membership just by attending this one event!

As you all know, the President's proposed Federal 2006 budget eliminates all funding for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Act, originally funded as a part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Although CUE members recently helped to win a victory by rejecting the Conference Committee bill, suggesting much lower funding levels for EETT, THE BATTLE IS NOT WON.  Each of us still has the chance to impact the outcome.  Letters to your Federal legislators are needed now. [more information...]

Download CUE's mailmerge letter tool now!

CUE Members Take Action!

The CUE Legislative Advocacy committee has released a revised merge tool to generate customizable letters for you to fax to your representative. We encourage to fax rather than send emails or letters, as both take far too long to get to the decision-makers. Please take a moment to download this fax template to assist you in communicating with your congressional representatives. Download the merge tool and fax it to your representative now!

You can also use the EdTechActionNetwork's website to get your voice heard.

CUE/CalSAVE Purchasing Consortium

California schools and districts can now receive discount licensing through this exciting new partnership.

Find out more.....

In this issue:

• CUE Awards
• CLMS/CLHS Technology Conference
• Leadership Symposium - Oct. 28
• Nominations - A Message from Harvey Barnett, former Board President
• OnCUE Update - Sara Armstrong
• New MyCUE partner! - Teaching Made Easier
• CUE.org is brand new! - log in to experience it...

Classroom Technology Grants

By Paul Haas and Brian Bridges

Are you looking for funds to expand technology use in your classroom? While state, federal, and district budgets continue to be stretched thin, teachers and schools can still take advantage of a variety of grant resources to fund classroom projects.


Te@ch Award Program

One excellent grant source is Best Buy’s annual “Te@ch Award Program” which began in July and concludes September 30th,, so take a look at the Web site and make your plans for submitting a proposal next year. 1200 classrooms will receive individual $2,500 grants to continue technology activities already in place. All K-12 public, private, charter, and parochial schools may participate if they are within 50 miles of a Best Buy store.

The Te@ch Award Program recognizes classrooms that use interactive technology that make learning fun and is limited to programs that have been in place for at least one year. Best Buy defines “interactive” as activities where students actively engage with or create products using technology.  

To increase your chances of being funded, the application reviewers look for stories reporting that students are using and enjoying technology, that student interest has increased, that the current program has potential for expansion, and that school, parents, or community are committed to the program.

The online application process consists of four questions, each limited to a one-page response. For more information about the Te@ach Award Program, link to: http://www.bestbuy.com/teach. Check out their Frequently Asked Questions, as well, to help you get started.

Competitive Enhancing Education Through Technology Grant

Another funding source for district, school, and classroom technology projects is Title II, Part D of the No Child Left Behind act, also known as Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT).  While half of each state’s EETT funds are awarded automatically to districts based on their Title One populations, the other half must be awarded on a competitive basis. The good news is that your district may already qualify to submit an application to receive these funds.

The fourth round of the Competitive Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT-C) will open in October and will provide eligible schools with funds totaling $300 per student. The application process, which is extensive, is best completed by district teams consisting of classroom teachers, administrators, technology specialists, and curriculum experts. If your school qualifies for funding, participating in the grant writing process will not only provide you an opportunity to shape the grant’s activities, but it will also help build your grant writing skills.

To find out if your school qualifies, check out the EETT-C eligibility list which will be posted to the CDE’s web site: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/ft/.

Your local CTAP region is an excellent source of EETT information, grant training, and grant grooming. To find your local region, connect to: http://www.ctap.k12.ca.us.

For complete information, contact your local regional office through the CTAP web site www.ctap.k12.ca.us. Paul Haas is chairperson of the State Coordinating Council and director of CTAP Region 2. Brian Bridges is program manager for CTAP Region 6.