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August 4, 2010 TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED: SUBJECT: Project Share and Back-to-School Events This letter is the fourth in a series of letters to inform districts and open-enrollment charter schools of activities that will take place as teachers return for the 2010-11 school year and are invited to participate in online activities within Project Share. During the summer, numerous districts participated in the teacher account upload process. As of August 2nd, over 120,000 teacher accounts have been created. Many of these teachers were introduced to Project Share and joined the online platform during face-to-face professional development sessions offered by the 20 education service centers (ESCs). It is very gratifying to know that teachers across Texas are taking the Texas Tour, joining and creating online groups, exploring the content repository, and, for our high school teachers, finding online instructional materials that provide information and strategies for implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) in grades 9-12. Because this is such an exciting time in Texas K-12 education, TEA has planned a special back-to-school event that all districts and open-enrollment charters are invited to attend. On Wednesday, August 18th, at 10:00 a.m. CST, TEA and the New York Times will host a webcast featuring Thomas L. Friedman, author of The World is Flat. In his book, Mr. Friedman discusses how technology instantly and seamlessly connects people from across the globe and what this means for countries, communities, and individuals. He also explores what this connectivity means for education. During the webcast, Mr. Friedman will discuss the endless possibilities for educators and students as learning reaches beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom. Mr. Friedman will also answer questions from Texas educators. To prepare for the webcast, each district is asked to reply to the RSVP posted on the Project Share website (http://www.projectsharetexas.org) and begin making plans to gather teachers in common areas such as auditoriums, cafeterias, and libraries to view the webcast. We are especially pleased that we can offer this event as teachers return for the 2010-2011 school year. During the next few weeks, many teachers will see their “Welcome to Project Share” emails for the first time, and as teachers log in, the number of accounts will continue to grow. It is anticipated that all account holders will continue to join online professional learning communities, participate in professional development courses, and search for resources to be used in the classroom and for personal growth. With this in mind, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will continue to add professional development opportunities and online resources to Project Share. While the TEA will continue to communicate Project Share updates to districts and open-enrollment charter schools, information will also be made available on the new Project Share website at http://www.projectsharetexas.org. This website will provide general information to the public, special announcements, and a convenient place for teachers to log in to their Project Share accounts. We look forward this exciting back-to-school event and hope that all districts and open-enrollment charter schools will participate in the August 18th webcast. For background information regarding Project Share, please visit http://www.projectsharetexas.org and review previous correspondence to districts at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/comm111309.html, http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/stanprog020210.html, and http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/stanprog050610.html. ESCs are also prepared to share information about Project Share and to work with districts and open-enrollment charter schools that need to complete the teacher account upload process. The TEA welcomes the opportunity to answer your questions and provide additional information about Project Share. You can learn more about Project Share by visiting www.projectsharetexas.org or sending questions to the Project Share mailbox at projectshare@tea.state.tx.us. You can also contact Kerry Ballast, Director of Special Projects, at (512) 305-9231 or via e-mail at kerry.ballast@tea.state.tx.us. Sincerely, Anita Givens  |
