From the Executive Director

Dear TETL Members,

Welcome back to another school year! It doesn’t matter if it is your 5th or 40th year, starting a new year is always a challenge. I hope your particular challenges are manageable and that the first few weeks of school go as smoothly as possible for you.

We have some exciting TETL events coming up this fall and we hope that you can join us.

The 2023 TETL Fall Summit will be held on October 6 at Prosper ISD. The theme is "The Future is Now—AI in Education” and the meeting will include a full day of sessions related to artificial intelligence.

This fall, TETL is offering a new free, hour-long "Lunch & Learn" monthly webinar series focusing on topics relevant to our members and their districts:

• Wednesday, October 11, 12:00-1:00 | "Bringing AI to the Classroom: Enhancing Teaching & Learning with EdTech Partners" | Presenter: Joe Pringle | Educational technology companies are embracing innovation and bringing AI enhanced solutions to classrooms and school districts across the country. Join a panel discussion with these partners exploring how they are currently using AI and how they see the future impact of AI on student learning. Sponsored by Amazon Web Services. 

• Wednesday, November 15, 12:00-1:00 pm | "Surviving a Cyber Breach" | Presenter: Ted Joffs | Ted Joffs has been a valued member of the Sentinel Technologies team for over a decade. His stellar track record speaks to his proficiency in offering expert advice and support to thousands of clients. Ted and his team have effectively handled over 350 cybersecurity incidents and numerous consulting requests, ranging from small to large-scale. Ted is the Senior Manager spearheading our Digital Forensics & Incident Response and Security Engineering services in the Fortis by Sentinel product portfolio. Ted is a highly skilled cybersecurity specialist with extensive international experience in technology operations across multiple domains. He frequently speaks at institutions and conferences, sharing his insights on cybersecurity. His latest talk focuses on "Surviving a Cyber Breach." Sponsored by Sentinel.

TETL members are also invited to join our Fall 2023 CETL Cohort. The group will take a deep dive into the knowledge and skills outlined in the Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO, the foundation of the CETL Certification program.

• The study group will meet in an online one-hour conference call.

• The study group will decide on a day and time of the week to conduct the class, once the study group members are identified. We will strive to accommodate everyone’s schedule.If you are interested in participating in the Fall 2023 cohort, please email me at exdir@tetl.org.

Good luck and best wishes for a wonderful new year. We look forward to seeing you soon!

All the best,

Dianne Borreson, CETL

The Long Range Plan for Technology identifies 6 strategic technology goals for education and guides local education agencies (LEAs) as they develop individual technology plans. Its accompanying web-based Resource Center is intended to support a wide range of campus-based and district-wide professionals. The LRPT Advisory Committee has developed six strategic goals and 18 focus areas that they believe represent the technology trends and priorities in education. Each LEA should carefully consider how the six strategic goals outlined in this plan align with their own objectives and should strive to achieve positive progress in each focus area. Learn more and access TEA's LRPT resource center HERE!

Read the full article by TETL member Dr. Karla Burkholder and Chris McMurray in the Summer 2023 issue of INSIGHT. https://tasanet.org/about/news-communications/insight/

Problem: With fewer resources available than larger school districts, small school districts struggle to provide the same education technology assets and opportunities to students.

Overview: Through the use of already existing planning resources, careful budget planning, and strategic staffing decisions, small districts can ensure the safety of their school communities and provide students with the same access to education technology as students in large districts. Data privacy is increasingly important for K-12 districts in a digital age where student and staff information is stored across many systems. Small school districts in Texas can adhere to existing standards for security implementation and staff training by taking advantage of existing resources from established partners. Further, through a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms for school funding, small districts can leverage existing local, state, and federal funding streams and maximize efficiency in order to provide students with the technological opportunities and district systems necessary for K-12 education in the 21^st century.

TETL is your partner to help you be successful in all of your technology endeavors. If you are not yet a member, we encourage you to join. From white papers like this one to professional learning and networking opportunities, a wealth of resources are available to you. We truly are all in this together! If you would like to receive a copy of the full white paper, please send an email to Dianne Borreson at exdir@tetl.org.