IMPORTANT!

TTL 2001 HAS SEEN NUMEROUS MODIFICATIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS THAT DIFFERENTIATE TTL 2001 FROM PAST ACADEMIES.  READ ALL INFORMATION THOROUGHLY AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.

Avoid misunderstandings. Be sure that both you and your administrator(s) share an  understanding of the school district's responsibilities and your responsibilities as a participant. 

What is TTL?
TTL 2001 Sites & Dates

TTL Purpose

TTL History

Financial/Credit

Who may attend?

 


What is TTL?

The Governors Academy for Technology in Teaching and Learning is a professional development opportunity for South Dakota's K-12 Educators. The Academy is a month long summer seminar that provides participating teachers with skills necessary to effectively use technology as a teaching and learning tool.

During the academy, participants enhance their technology skills in the context of professional practice so as to accomplish meaningful integration of technology into teaching and learning based on identified best practices. The academy is designed with a primary focus on the collaborative design of meaningful learning experiences, through creation of technology infused study units that are implemented in the participants' classrooms during the school term following academy participation..

Return to top
 
  


TTL 2001 Academy Locations/Dates/Times/Schedules:

Session Dates:
Session 1:   June 4, 2001 - June 29, 2001
Session 2:   July 8, 2001- August 3, 2001 

Residential Sites:
Black Hills State University, Spearfish - Session 1 - Only
Northern State University, Aberdeen  - Session 2 - Only 

Non-Residential Sites:
Southeast Technical Institute, Sioux Falls - Session 1 - Only

Additional non-residential regional sites will be selected by DECA from those school districts that respond to an RFP. Final site information will be available in late December or early January. Check back for updates. 

Daily Academy Schedule: (Each daily schedule includes a one hour lunch period and appropriate AM  and PM breaks.)

Mon.:    10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Tues., Wed., Thurs.:  8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Fri.:    8:00 AM to Noon

Computer Lab Schedule:  (Use of the labs during the following times is at the participant's option.)
 Mon.:  7:00 AM to 10:00 AM & 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
 Tues., Wed., Thurs.:  7:00 AM to 8:00 AM & 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
 Fri.:  7:00 AM to 8:00 AM & 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Labs available upon demand only)
 

Return to top 
 
 


TTL Purpose?

Basic TTL Academy Purpose

The 2001 Basic TTL Academy continues to develop technology-capable South Dakota educators. TTL provides participating teachers with the knowledge, competencies and understandings to apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the learning needs of students.

2001 Basic TTL Participant will have opportunities to:

Apply current teaching research to help plan learning environments and experiences that support the diverse needs of learners. Demonstrate proficiency with select educational technologies that support classroom instruction.
  • During the Basic TTL Academy, participants will gain proficiency in the educational use of:
    • Microsoft Office Products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and FrontPage
    • Email, listservs, WebCT, and web browsers to locate and share information
    • Computer peripherals such as digital cameras, video cameras, scanners, and printers
  • At the end of the Basic Academy, participants’ demonstrated competencies will be expected to meet or exceed the student standards included in the National Technology Standards for Students. http://cnets.iste.org/index2.html  
Reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.
  • Basic TTL participants will develop an electronic professional portfolio that provides evidence that they meet or exceed the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers http://cnets.iste.org/index3.html  
Evaluate instructional design through a collaborative approach. Return to top 
  

History


Over the past several years Governor William J. Janklow has initiated an aggressive program to bring the benefits of technology to South Dakota schools to enhance educational opportunities for students in the State.

To date, these efforts have included the innovative "Wiring The Schools (WTS) project and the Connecting the Schools initiative which has led to the development of a sophisticated statewide intranet -- DDN (Digital Dakota Network).

The CTS initiative included creation of a robust telecommunications infrastructure (DDN) capable of supporting high level school use of interactive data and video applications. This initiative also provided schools with a wide range of onsite technology tools which allowed them to complete Local Area Networks and to establish and maintain connections to the DDN which provides statewide /international linkages. Items supplied to schools have included sophisticated network servers, switches, routers, videoconferencing equipment, and an assortment of computers and peripherals designed to enhance teaching and learning opportunities. Together, WTS, CTS, and DDN combine to provide a solid technical infrastructure that serves as a firm foundation for the Technology for Teaching and Learning (TTL) efforts.

Perhaps the most visionary aspect of Governor Janklow’s initiatives is his attention to providing educators with the training needed to use technology as an effective teaching and learning tool. In 1997, the Governor initiated the first Technology for Teaching and Learning (TTL) Academy.  Now entering its forth year, this very successful staff development academy provides teachers with skills and knowledge that enables them to create new and more engaged learning environments for their students through the integration of technology into curriculum. Academy graduates become part of a growing networked cadre of teachers who act as effective advocates for the integration of technology into classrooms, and they become technology integration mentors to colleagues within their local districts. Over 3500 teachers have already participated in TTL training.

In 1999, Governor Janklow expanded his training initiative to include school administrators (TTL for School Administrators) and network administrators (TTL for Network administrators).  To date, TTL for School administrators (TTL SA) has provided nearly 200 superintendents and principals with training similar to that provided to teachers. However, instead of developing instructional units, TTL SA participants concentrate on examination of educational technology issues that are of concern to administrators. Some of these include supervision and evaluation in a technology infused environment, administrative uses of technology, technology planning processes, budgeting for technology, technology staffing issues, and technology related curriculum issues.

TTL NA was also added in 1999 to help insure that each school district had one or more individuals on their staffs with the knowledge, skill, and expertise to create and maintain their local area networks. All participants complete a rigorous course of study that included salient elements of the Microsoft Official NT curriculum. In keeping with the heritage of the TTL academies, TTL NA participants gained valuable training and experience through "hands-on" instruction that included disassembly, reassembly, and configuration of  high end servers that were made available through the CTS program. One hundred and seventy-five network administrators representing 160 public school districts attended the first TTL NA. In 2000 TTL NA was expanded to include advanced training that allowed active network administrators to expand their knowledge base. Basic network administration continues to be offered to help fill the growing need for network administrators as school networks continue to grow in importance and complexity.

TTL 2000 also saw the addition of a DTL (Distance Teaching and Learning) component. DTL gave interested educators a jump-start in using South Dakota's newly available video conferencing capabilities as an instructional medium.

Return to top 
 
 


Financial/Credit

General
Lodging

Meals

Stipend

Support Allotment

Travel

Recertification Credit

Graduate Credit

Return to top 
 
 General

The academy is funded through the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs as a part of its ongoing effort to develop and implement improved forms of continuing and sustained professional development opportunities for educators.
Back
 

  • Lodging:  Lodging will be provided for those individuals who attend either BHSU in Spearfish or NSU in Aberdeen.  All other sites are non-residential academies that do not offer a lodging option.


Back
 

  • Meals:  Meals provided at the various sites may vary. However, all meals that are provided by TTL are at no cost to participants. Three meals per day are customarily provided at campus locations where living accommodations are also provided. Drive in sites provide a noon meal and snacks during morning and afternoon breaks..


Back
 

  • Stipend:  A $1,000.00 stipend is provided for each individual participant who attends the Academy. This amount is sent to the teacher's school district for payment through normal payroll channels. (Only "customary and ordinary" deductions are to be withheld from the stipend.)


Back
 

  • Support Allotment::  A $1,000.00 allotment is paid to each participant's school district. Expenditure of this allotment is to be directed by the participant and must be used for software/hardware purchases that support implementation of the unit(s) designed during the summer Academy. The allotment is NOT for purchase of the participant's computer workstation.


Back
 

  • Travel:  Each school district sending someone to TTL agrees to "provide transportation" for each participant." The minimum requirement for this agreement is that the district provide at least one round-trip per session. This may be handled in a variety of  ways, depending on local district  preferences. In the past some districts have chosen to provide more than a single round-trip per session. Some have gone so far as to provide for daily round trips. This is a local matter that should be clarified prior to TTL attendance.  Participants and their respective district officials should have a shared understanding and/or agreement on this issue.
Back
 
  • Re-certification Credit:  Re-certification (Renewal) credit is available for successful completion of  the Summer Academy. This credit is available to interested participants from the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs (DECA) at NO COST.


Back
 

  • Graduate Credit: Additional credit opportunities will be available to TTL Academy participants through one or more universities.. Costs for these credits will be the participant's responsibility.


Back

Return to top
 
  


Who May Attend?

Eligibility
Non-Public School Participation
Skill Requirements
IMPORTANT NOTE

Return to top 
 

Eligibility:  Any person who is currently under contract for a teaching assignment in a South Dakota school may apply for participation in the Governors TTL Academy. Applicants may include classroom teachers, special education teachers, administrators, librarians, staff development specialists, and other CERTIFIED, CONTRACTED personnel. Teachers aides, assistants, or others who are hired in a support role may NOT attend .

There is no limit to the number of eligible individuals who may apply from a single school district. All applications are to be submitted electronically at http://ttl.tie.net. Be sure to follow ALL directions for completing and submitting your application. GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE DIRECTIONS CONCERNING SUBMISSION OF ASSURANCES.

All applications submitted MUST include a rank order number, assigned by the appropriate school district official and entered in the blank provided on the Assurance pages and other documents submitted in hard copy.  (See instructions.)   Each school DISTRICT must establish a single, sequential numbering system for this purpose. This ranking will be used for selection of participants when more applications are received than can be accommodated at any given Academy site. Individuals applying from non-public schools are to be ranked separately from public school nominees.

Federal regulations require that at least 50 percent of the dollars used to fund TTL must be made available to schools with a high number or percentage of students from low income families.  Therefore, fifty percent of the positions at each TTL site will be reserved for qualifying low income districts.  The Department of Education maintains district income status information. This information will be used during the TTL placement process.

If more nominations are received than can be accepted, first emphasis will be upon insuring that each school district and non-public school from which applications are received have at least one teacher in attendance.

back
 

Non-Public Non-Public School Participation: It should be noted that under federal regulations, only public school districts in South Dakota may receive grants to support the participation of educators. However, public school districts are encouraged to nominate private school educators as a part of community wide efforts to increase student achievement through appropriate utilization of technology. If a private school educator is selected to participate, the grant will be awarded to the public school district within which the non-public school resides. The public school district must use the grant funds to support the participation of the private school educator. Consequently, the $1,000 stipend must be paid to the private school educator. In addition, expenditure of the $1,000 support allocation is to be directed by private school participants in the same manner as public school participants.

back

Skill Skill Requirements: The TTL Academy is intended primarily for classroom teachers who are interested in effectively integrating technology into the teaching and learning process in ways that create more engaged learning opportunities for their students. TTL participants are expected to possess minimum computer skills at the beginning of the summer seminar. Opportunities to gain, improve, and/or extend skills are available. For instance, computer labs and instructors are available during evening hours. as necessary. However, using this time to gain basic skills will detract from the opportunity to gain/extend integration skills and knowledge. Failure to have basic, entry level skills will also increase frustration levels as participants work on integration.

back 

IMPORTANT IMPORTANT NOTE:  the academy does not purport to provide in-depth training on any particular software program (i.e. word-processing or presentation software) or hardware platform. Instead, participants are given basic instruction on a variety of software and hardware items, including e-mail, word-processing, web navigation, WebPage development, presentation software, digital cameras, and scanners. The academy's emphasis is on integration of these items into curriculum as teaching and learning tools rather than on mere mastery of the technology.

The Academy IS NOT intended to provide advanced technical training and support for those who already possess advanced levels of skill and knowledge in this area (i.e.: computer coordinators, network administrators, technical support staff, etc.) Again, Academy emphasis is on integration of technology into teaching and learning.

back

Return to top