IT State Professional Organization – Planning Meeting
(Now officially named – ITUG – DE)

Tuesday, May 23, 2000
Smyrna DCET Offices
5:00 – 7:00 PM

Meeting attended by:

Meeting Open

Meeting opened at 5:20 by Wendy Modzelewski

Goals and Missions

Group discussion was held regarding the group’s perceived goals and missions of this organization. The group developed the following list:

• Fully integrate technology into the curriculum (facilitation)
• Tie technology to state standards
• Focus on educational aspect
• Conduit for communication about technology throughout the state
• Liaison between business world and classroom
• Networking / camaraderie (aside to meeting attendees: yes, this is how this word is spelled!)
• Support system between classroom teachers and other aspects of technology (administration)
• Fill gap – place where (virtual vs. actual) individuals deal with technology issues
• Focus on professional development – inservice days created around technology by departments
• Re-establish technology workshops/programs (retreat style)
• Software help
• Standardizing technology issues from national to state-level

Mission Statement

Proposed: Our mission is to facilitate the sharing of information and resources related to instructional technology to empower K-16 educators to enhance teaching and learning.

Adopted: Our mission is to facilitate the sharing of information and resources related to instructional technology to empower PreK-16 educators to enhance teaching and learning.

Organizational Structure and Membership Criteria

Structure:

Two options were discussed:

• Option I - formal organization with parliamentary procedure and elected officials
• Option II  - informal organization

Pros and cons were discussed with relation to both options. Decision reached, based on group consensus:

• Keep informal and revisit in 6 months
• Stay grassroots and “user-based”
• DCET take control for now to facilitate
• Review options for listserv – OIS, E-groups, in-house at DCET
• Elected Wendy Modzelewski from DCET as facilitator of organization for the next 6 months.

Membership Criteria

Agreed: Membership is open to anyone interested in Instructional Technology. Our target group includes, but is not limited to, teachers, administrators, and preservice teachers. The organization will also be open to parents, the business community, and vendors.

Name the Organization

Name chosen by popular vote: ITUG – DE
Instructional Technology Users Group – Delaware

Logo discussion about a tugboat pulling a barge with the State of Delaware on the barge was considered.

Other choices considered and rejected:

• DITO – Delaware Instructional Technology Organization
• DOIT – Delaware Organization for Instructional Technology

Meeting Agenda:

A sample agenda was reviewed and discussed. Two agendas were adopted; possibly to be alternated every other month:

Educationally based:

Vendor Based:

• It was agreed that the focus of meetings should be networking and providing an opportunity for educators to discuss instructional technology issues.
• If vendors are to present, their content must be instructionally based  (not sales-based) and allow for hands-on interaction with products when appropriate.
• Monthly meetings should be held from September to May.
• The meetings will be scheduled on the 12^th of every month. If the 12^th falls on a weekend, the meeting will be moved to the following Monday.

Good of the Cause

• Pat Sine of the University of Delaware volunteered to maintain a website for the group and to set up the listserv if it needs to be moved off of the OIS server
• Wendy Modzelewski and Wayne Hartschuh will investigate possible funding sources for food at future meetings.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Monday, June 12^th, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM in the DCET Smyrna offices. The focus of the meeting will be to map out topics and speakers for the September 2000-May 2001 monthly meetings.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 7:10 PM

(Minutes as taken by Alyssa Rosenthal and typed by Wendy Modzelewski)