ICE-CAP Calendar of Events

2006-07 Calendar of Events:
Welcome to ICE-CAP's calendar page. We meet bi-monthly through the school year during the third week of September, November, January, March, and May.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006: General Meeting: 4-6pm at the Elizabeth Training Facility at 320 N. Elizabeth St. in the 4th Floor Commons (Driving/CTA directions below-- free parking is available on the corner of Ada and Fulton Market, approximately one block south.)
We will again welcome Robert Runcie, CPS Chief Information Officer, as our guest speaker! Mr. Runcie will highlight the Office of Technology Services' (OTS) current initiatives, services, and programs and then welcome your questions and comments.

AGENDA:
4:00 - 4:15 Welcome, sign-in, refreshments
4:15 - 4:25 Introduction of attendees
4:25 - 5:35 Guest speaker CPS CIO Robert Runcie along with a question & answer session
5:35 - 5:45 Best practice sharing along with tech. help support
5:45 - 6:00 Closing thank you's, announcements, and upcoming tech. events

We will provide two CPDU's for attendance. Refreshments will be served. ICE-CAP invites your chapter participation and leadership. A brief ICE-CAP Board meeting will follow this general meeting. Please spread the word! All are welcome!

CLICK HERE for driving directions and/or public transportation directions
CLICK HERE for a map and location

Saturday, October 21: Workshop: 9am - 3:30pm at the Elizabeth Training Facility at 320 N. Elizabeth St. in the 3rd floor lab. (free street and lot parking (click above for transportation help)
Topic: Photoshop Elements 4 Basics (9-12) and Photoshop Elements 4 Beyond Basics (12:30-3:30).

Our first hands-on workshop is on Adobe's Photoshop Elements 4 and will be led by Jeff Shaw, Teacher, North Shore School District 112, who was one of the ICE Summer
Workshop instructors. The sessions cost $5 each for ICE members (or $10 each for non-members). In addition, lunch (pizza or subs)will be provided for $5, depending on response. (We ask that you do not leave the building for lunch.)

Photoshop Elements is the consumer version of Photoshop CS. Adobe just released version 5 for Windows, though we will be training on version 4. We will use a Windows lab, though the Windows and Mac versions are basically identical. You are welcome to use your own laptop-- if you don't own the program, Adobe provides a Windows trial version. (Note: As of today, there is no version 5 for Mac nor is there a trial version for version 5 for Windows.)

Basics Session Description:
New to digital photography? Want to be creative with it? Try Photoshop Elements! This workshop will provide a basic introduction to this incredible tool for manipulating and publishing digital images. In this workshop, you will learn how to make basic adjustments to images and be introduced to powerful features such as filters and effects.

Beyond Basics Session Description:
This workshop is for those who can make basic digital image adjustments with Photoshop Elements but would like to know more. In this session, you will become more familiar with selection and adjustment tools. You will use layers to create special effects, and use the text tool and layer styles to create cool-looking text.

For workshop registration, please reply to Charles Gunn. Please state the name, membership status, phone number e-mail, and lunch status (pizza, sub, or bring-your-own) for each participant. For professional courtesy, we will use the honor system and collect all payments at the workshops-- this simplifies the process for all of us. We must have at least five participants with a maximum of 20. This workshop is strictly non-profit on behalf of ICE's vision and mission. Only our presenter receives a stipend. We thank Chicago Public Schools for providing our workshop lab. Three CPDU's will be offered for each session.

Thursday and Friday, November 16 - 17:
13th Annual Illinois Education and Technology Conference www.il-edtech.org
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 South Dirksen, Springfield, Illinois

Monday, November 20: General Meeting: 4-6pm at Computer for Schools, 3350 N. Kedzie Ave. (street parking on Kedzie):
Topic and Location: Computers for Schools services and warehouse tour and review of Computers for Homes program. In addition, the CEO from APTE, Sally deVincentis, will discuss their educational software design and development and provide us with free programs. Finally, a representative from the Wilderness Classroom Organization, Amy Voytilla, will discuss their upcoming two year Trans-Amazon expedition on-line adventure along with their training sessions at the Shedd Aquarium, including CPS school scholarships.

First, learn about the leading computer refurbisher and approved recycler in the Chicago area for schools and non-profits by President Willie Cade and his staff. Computers for Schools has served the Chicago area since 2000 and was started nationally in 1991. They are a "Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher," which means they can pre-load Windows and Office at the lowest education price. In addition, they have a complete inventory of used parts for older equipment repairs, plus inexpensive systems for student family purchase (ie. holiday gifts).

Next, learn about APTE Software from Evanston, a designer and producer of educational software since 1990. Their president Sally deVincentis will lead a discussion on software design strategies and request our preferences and insights. She is teaming up with her staff and the former president of Edmark (now Riverdeep), Donna Stanger, to develop a new top-notch product line. All attendees will receive free award-winning APTE software programs!

Finally, we welcome Amy Voytilla from Wilderness Classroom Organization, who will share project information on their upcoming "Trans-Amazon Expedition", a 2900 mile journey across South America from Lima, Peru to Bellum, Brazil in 2007 and 2008. They have teamed up with the Shedd Aquarium and their “Amazon Rising” exhibit. (There are free training sessions on Nov. 14 and Nov. 16 at the Shedd, and some will be added in Jan. and Feb.) This is their ninth expedition in the Americas with interactive on-line communication. The Brinson Foundation is providing full scholarships to qualifying Chicago Public Schools. Each scholarship includes two school visits, teacher training, and printed teachers’ guides.

AGENDA:
4:00 - 4:15 Welcome, sign-in, refreshments
4:15 - 4:20 Introduction of attendees
4:20 - 4:35 Guest speakers Willie Cade, President of Computers for Schools, and his staff will cover the top issues for computer recycling and refurbishing along with school service
4:35 - 5:00 Sally deVincentis, President of APTE, will discuss current software design strategies and provide free award-winning software
5:00 - 5:20 Amy Voytilla from Wilderness Classroom Org. will showcase their next on-line interactive expedition
5:20 - 5:35 Tour of Computers for Schools warehouse
5:35 - 5:45 Best practice sharing along with tech. help support
5:45 - 6:00 Closing thank you's, announcements, and upcoming tech. events

We will provide two CPDU's for attendance. Refreshments will be served. ICE-CAP invites your chapter participation and leadership. Please spread the word! All are welcome!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007: General Meeting: 4-6pm at Falconer School, 3020 N. Lamon Ave. (near Cicero and Wellington) in Computer Lab 204 with parking in lot behind school. Please go to Falconer's website for directions.
Topic and Location: Adobe Systems, which merged with Macromedia about a year ago. In addition, we will learn about Falconer, a showcase technology school.

Adobe has become the leader for creative content design and communication in education. Their presentation will demonstrate Flash and Acrobat 8. John Schuman, an Adobe solution engineer and product expert for Flash 8 and Acrobat 8 will present via Adobe Connect technology (formerly known as Macromedia Breeze). This exciting video conference technology is current being adopted by CPS’ Office of eLearning for future system-wide staff development and conferencing. Come and see this technology in use as a tool for affordable and effective remote communication. In addition, we will hear about Adobe’s general product line.

We are grateful to our host school. Falconer is regarded as a model school for technology integration with a tech. office and full-time tech. coordinators. In addition, Falconer is an AMPS school with autonomous management. We will get a brief tour of Falconer technology in action along with an overview of their technology program and plans by ICE-CAP Board member Christine Zelaya and ICE-CAP member Julie Kelley.

February 27 - March 2:
ICE's IL-TCE 2007: "Think Outside the Box and Wires"
Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois.
Mailers are sent to all members and to all schools.

Tuesday, March 20: General Meeting: 4-6pm at National-Louis University, at 122 S. Michigan (between Monroe and Adams) in Computer Lab 4038 (parking available in Grant Park and Millennium Park garages or take public transporation).
Topic: CPS's Dept. of Libraries and Info. Services and NLU's Technology in Education program will team up for a workshop on "Online Virtual Reality Environments for Teachers" highlighting Multi-User Virtual Reality Environments (MUVEs) technology.

Lisa Perez, Chicago Public Schools' Area Library Coordinator, and Dr. Craig Cunningham, Associate Professor and Program Director at National-Louis University's Technology in Education will lead the presention on MUVEs. MUVEs are popular online meeting spaces used by many youth for gaming. Participants assume the roles of avatars (virtual persons) and move freely about, interacting with others. There are also rapidly growing educational applications for MUVEs, such as distance learning and professional development. Learn about new online resources that exist for teachers in Second Life and other MUVEs. All participants should try to register for a free Second Life basic account before coming, if possible. You will choose a last name from the available list and then make up a first name. When you are asked who referred you, you can put Dewey Jung, which is Craig. Registering a payment account or downloading the client is optional.

Learn about these exciting virtual reality educational resources featuring these organizations and many more around the world:

We will create our own "virtual office" among attendees to demonstrate an online space that you could use to collaborate with teachers and other colleagues.

We will provide two CPDU's for attendance. Light refreshments will be served. ICE-CAP invites your chapter participation and leadership. Please spread the word! All are welcome!

Saturday, April 21: Workshop: 9am - 3:30pm (CANCELLED due to no available presenter)
Topic: Flash 8 Basics (9-12) and Flash 8 Beyond Basics (12:30-3:30). Lunch provided for $5. $5 per session or $10 for non-members.

Friday, April 27:
Technology & Learning magazine's Tech Forum Chicago
Now in its sixth season, this one-day event provides K-12 decision makers with thought-provoking content on the hottest topics of the day in education technology.
CLICK HERE for ICE MEMBER DISCOUNT- $165/save $95 by registering today! Only Available thru Friday, April 13th. Use source code CH7ICE.

Wednesday, May 16: General Meeting: 4-7pm (with year-end pizza dinner and social time from 7-8pm) at Medill Professional Development Center, 1326 W. 14th Place- free parking in lot (enter 14th Place)
Topic: Flash 8 "Basics" hands-on workshop. $5 registration fee (or $10 for non-members).

This extended meeting features a hands-on workshop on Adobe Flash 8 by Maureen Jacob, AV/Tech Associate at Washburne Middle School in Winnetka. Flash is an industry-standard tool for creating interactive content for presentations and is fully cross-platform and web-integrated. Flash 9 (version CS3) was just shipped April 20 and does not yet have a trial version (plus has high-end system requirements).

Maureen teaches Flash at Washburne to the 7th and 8th grade, as well as supporting all staff and students with individual multi-media projects. She has a bachelor's degree from Columbia College in Chicago. The workshop will involve shape tweens and frame by frame animation. We will learn how to copy and paste frames, import music, change the speed of the animation and change the background color. We will practice these skills by making a growing plant using frame by frame animation and a variety of tweening shapes, such as circles into squares, etc. This will also introduce the participants to things like gradients, colors, fills and strokes.

There will be a $5 workshop fee for ICE members ($10 for non-members). There is limited space with 18 Windows computers in the lab. However, you are welcome to bring your own laptop (Windows or Mac)-- the trial version of Flash 8 will be available on CD for self-installation. If necessary and with your consent, colleagues will be asked to share a computer, though we hope to work around this.

There will also be a year-end pizza dinner and social time from 7-8. The dinner is free to members and $5 for non-members. Note: the lab will be available until 8pm for extended practice, however, we must keep all food on the side of the lab.

Please RSVP to Charlie Gunn at cbgunn@cps.k12.il.us by the morning of May 16 at 10am. Please indicate if you are an ICE member and if you plan to stay for dinner. Confirmations will be sent by the next day (or noon on May 16 if you RSVP on May 16). All payments will be accepted at the workshop-- cash or check (made out to "Illinois Computing Educators- Chicago").

ICE is also providing their 2nd Annual Summer Workshop series on specific computer programs. Check out the ICE website, as they list all the workshops, plus an"Educational Technology Resource Database", an "Educational Technology Speaker Database", and many more member benefits, such as Atomic Learning!

ICE-CAP invites your chapter participation and leadership! There are open ICE-CAP Board positions for 2007-08. We will provide three CPDU's for the workshop.

June 24-27, 2007:
The 28th Annual National Educational Computing Conference www.iste.org/necc
NECC 2007 Theme: "Learning and Leading with Technology"
Atlanta, Georgia

	Workshop	Dinner
Members	$5	Free
Non-Members	$10	$5