3a Resource Development: Human and Financial

Activities

Description

Documentation

A. Managing the human resources necessary to support distance learning

Overview
To run the distance learning program at the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency, I have to manage human resources, the building and district videoconference coordinators. I am not their direct supervisor, but I support and train them as they support videoconferencing in their schools.

Competency Connection
This project shows my ability to manage and support human resources.

Artifact Descriptions
I've included this documentation because it gives evidence of how I manage and support the videoconference coordinators in the districts I serve. The directory is a list of all the schools that I support and the contacts I have there. The notes are unsolicited emails from a few of the coordinators that I assist and support.

Files unlinked for confidentiality or privacy reasons.

i. DL Directory 2008

ii. Sample notes from building coordinators

B. Managing and increasing funding to pay for VC programs for my schools

Overview
To run the distance learning program at the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency, I have to manage the funding used to support the program.

Competency Connection
This project shows my ability to manage a budget.

Artifact Descriptions
i. This documentation shows the budget that I manage. The first worksheet shows my overall budget, and the other worksheets are where I keep track of the funding in each of the four accounts that I use.

ii. In addition, because of the work I've done on our Videoconference Program Database, Polycom approached us to sponsor the site and has provided funding annually since. The funds allow us to hire a student worker from Andrews University to keep the database up to date. The documentation includes some of the invoices and the service of work contract with Polycom from 2008.

Files unlinked for confidentiality.

i. 2007-2008 Budget Excel file
ii. Evidence of Polycom funding

C. TWICE Read Around the Planet funding

Overview
I serve on the board of TWICE (Michigan's K12 videoconference organization), and helped co-found the organization in 2001. TWICE runs an international program called Read Around the Planet where we match classes together to share reading activities via videoconferencing.

In 2006, the board decided that the Read Around the Planet project had grown too large to sustain with volunteer labor. So I began soliciting funding from some of the major vendors who manufacture videoconferencing equipment. Polycom was willing to sponsor the event which allowed us to contract with someone to take care of the daily work of supporting the 1500+ classrooms that participate in the project. Then we needed to contract with someone to write a database/matching software to support the project. The board approved this development and I supervised the project. In January 2007, Polycom asked us to create a directory of people in K12 videoconferencing based on the Read Around the Planet database. I serve on the committee to supervise this project. I also served on the committee to renegotiate with Polycom for the current support of Read Around the Planet and Collaborations Around the Planet, the online directory.

Competency Connection
This project shows my ability to acquire and manage funding for a project.

Artifact Descriptions
i. The 2007 minutes show the beginning of the contract with Polycom.

ii. The 2008 minutes show the renewal of the contract with Polycom at a higher level.

iii. These notes were used to negotiate additional funding with Polycom.

iv. This is an example of the type of reports that we send to Polycom so they understand the impact of their sponsorship.

Some files unlinked for confidentiality.

i. TWICE Board Minutes to Contract with Polycom for 2007
ii. TWICE Board Minutes to Contract with Polycom for 2008
iii. TWICE Committee notes for completing contract with Polycom for $40,000
iv. Report to Polycom for work completed Q1 2008

D. USDA RUS DLT Grant $350,000

Overview
In 2005 I wrote a United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant. The grant was awarded in December 2005 and ran 2006-2009. The grant allowed us to acquire 35 videoconference systems for elementary and middle schools in Berrien and Cass counties. A picture of the cart systems installed in the schools can be found on my blog.

Competency Connection
This project shows my ability to write and implement a grant project.

Artifact Descriptions
i. The first grant application was denied. I used that formative assessment to rewrite the grant so that it was awarded in 2006.

ii. This is the 2006 grant application which was awarded.

iii. This is the grant budget.

iv. The grant evaluation was completed by an outside evaluator in the spring of 2009.

v. These evaluation notes from the school level VC coordinators show their appreciation of the grant and my support.

Files unlinked for confidentiality.

i. Grant application 2005 (which was denied)
ii. Grant application 2006
iii. Grant budget
iv. This grant evaluation was done on the grant implementation by an outside evaluator, Lakehouse Evaluation.
v. Notes from participating building educators

E. Leadership & Learning Group Contribution

Overview
The artifacts here show my contribution to my Leadership and Learning Group.

Competency Connection
This shows my ability to connect the knowledge base to my work and that of some of my LLG colleagues.

Artifact Descriptions
i. I shared these book reviews with my group members via our Moodle site.

ii. This comment shows how I was able to share useful information with my group members.

i. Two Book Reviews with some personalized recommendations to some of my group members (posted in our Moodle space).

ii. Comment from an LLG member (posted in Moodle).