How are you supporting robotics?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7791881@N04/4115004912/

We have had a robotics program in our district for many years and I have always wanted to be more involved in building this program.  I have finally gotten that chance over the last year.  And I am continuously amazed by the things our students do in robotics.  

This past weekend we took our high school clubs to our regional TCEA robotics competition.  I have been working with one of the clubs for the last few weeks trying to help them prepare for this competition.  After making connections with these students it was that much more fun to see them in their first competition.

What I saw were students engaged in problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.  Only they didn't really know they were engaged in any of that.  Mostly because they were having so much fun with their robots!  Having fun when you learn makes such a difference!

My favorite pieces of the competition:

1. In the arena competition they have to compete in multiple rounds.  In between those rounds they get about 30 minutes to adjust their bot (either through physical or program modifications).  They must work together to identify the needed adjustments, and the divide and conquer to enact those adjustments.  And they must do it quickly in order to test the outcome and make sure they haven't broken anything that was already working.
2. In the invention competition, they are not only judged on the invention itself, but also on how they present and 'sell' their idea.  They have to create marketing materials, and give an oral presentation.  They also have to show their robot in action.  This is practice that our students desperately need if they are ever going to successfully sell and idea, or a project in the future.

These are skills that aren't measured on standardized tests.  They aren't reflected in accountability ratings.  Yet, they are (in my mind) absolutely critical to our student's success in their future endeavors.  I can't think of many better experiences for our students to have.  And on top of that they are getting a great STEM foundation.  I am very proud the successes we have had (two of our teams even qualified for the state TCEA competition!).  But more than that I am excited about the direction our program is headed. 

So my question to you is:  How are you supporting robotics?  :)

'Appy' Hour! #edtech

I recently got a great idea from Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) to have an 'Appy' Hour in my district.  Carl has been doing these in his district this semester, and his implementation was influenced by the ideas of Lisa Johnson (@computerexplore).

The idea is to get a group of iDevice users together and facilitate the sharing of their favorite Apps.  One of Carl's great ideas was to create an App menu.  I love this idea as it fits in so well with the happy hour theme, and then it gives the group some specific Apps to explore/discuss.  The App menu is created as a PDF with embedded links to the provided apps.  When you open this PDF in either your iPad browser or iBooks the links are clickable, and the users can easily navigate the App Store to research and install the apps.  This really makes it simple, AND FUN!

My first Appy Hour will be for our Principals.  The apps I pulled together for them focus mostly on note taking and audio recording/translation.  I added in a few creative Apps (like puppetpals) for when they might need a laugh at a staff meeting!  Here is the App menu I have created for them:

I used the open source Scribus software to create this App menu.  It was my first try at using Scribus, but I was impressed.  It took a little getting used to at first, but then it started to go pretty smoothly.  If you are looking for an open source desktop publishing package, I recommend it.

What Apps would you include on your App menu for Principals/Administrators?

iOS Management Webinar #edtech

Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) and I did a presentation on iOS management at our Fall TECSIG meeting a couple of weeks ago. Tim Holt (@timholt2007) talked us into doing this same presentation as a webinar using Adobe Connect.

Tim was kind of enough to archive this webinar for us and you can find it here:

http://connect.episd.org/p58955314/

You need flash in order to view the archive, but as long as you use a flash enabled browser (like Photon) you can still view the archive on an iPad. :)

Carl does the first half of the webinar and talks about how his district managed their processes and decision making while embarking on their 1:1 initiative with iPads. In the second half of the webinar I talk about how we have managed our shared cart model with iPads. I also cover the details of the VPP program and how App licensing works.

You can also find some detailed notes that Sandy Kendell (@edtechsandyk) took during our TECSIG presentation here.

Storytelling - Dean Shareski

I had the pleasure of learning from Dean Shareski (@shareski) today at West Lake High School. He was discussing storytelling and how we have so many ways to tell a story these days. Below is the prezi he was working from:

The Truth About Stories on Prezi

He had our group do a couple of activities that I enjoyed, and I was able to do them on my iPad which was great. They would be perfect for showing how easy it is to create on an iPad! The first activity was to create image depicting what we think learning is. Here was my image:

What I loved about this activity was that Dean had us all email our images to him. And then he created a slide show of all the pictures on his iPad. He set the slides to change after 20 seconds, and then he hit play. When your image was shown you had 20 seconds to explain it. I believe he said this process was based on the Pecha Kucha presentation style. It was a great way to quickly see and hear what everyone was thinking.

The other activity was called a six word story. You can find some samples of these here at Ben Grey's (@bengrey) wiki. The idea was to end up with six words that tell the story of an image. Dean said we could either chose the story first and then find a good image to go with the story, or start with the image and then create the story. Here was my first six word story:

For both of these activities we used http://compfight.com to search for creative commons images on flickr. On the iPad we saved the image into the camera roll and then used the Fotolr app to add the text.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in your district? #edtech

Has anyone successfully created special interest groups (SIGs) for the teachers in their district? This is a project I want to try this year, but I am wondering if anyone else has tried it already. And if so, how did it turn out?

I would like to create different SIGs for specific technology topics. Like say an iPad SIG, or a collaboration SIG. The SIG could meet monthly, or every couple of months. Not so often that people get burned out, but enough that people can get regular information on the topics.

I want to run the meetings in an 'un-conference' style. Where we can run short concurrent breakout sessions which are driven by the requests of the crowd. I think we could start out with our technology specialists running the breakout sessions, but my hope would be to eventually have the teachers (and possibly students and community members) take over the presenting.

Is anyone already doing something like this? How would you feel about participating in district PD run this way?

Allotment gone for Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN)

New legislation from the 82nd Texas Legislature, First Called Session, 2011 introduced changes to funding for students taking online courses through the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN). A student enrolled in a course offered through the TxVSN enables the district to earn funding under Texas Education Code Chapter 42 in the same manner as a student who is enrolled in a traditional classroom setting. Separate TxVSN allotment funding is no longer available to Receiver or Provider Districts.

TxVSN will continue to offer quality online high school and dual credit courses for Texas students; however districts and open enrollment charter schools will be responsible for the course cost beginning with fall 2011. Schools may use a variety of sources of funds, such as Foundation School Program (FSP) funds, the Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA), applicable state and federal program and grant funds, or local funds.

For additional information, visit www.txvsn.org.

SBOE Approves Standards for Technology Applications

Because of the changing nature of computer technology and the digital environment, the State Board of Education gave final approval to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications for kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as to 19 high school courses.

The revised curriculum standards will be implemented in 2012-2013. These replace standards in use in Texas classrooms since 1998.

Some of the courses for which curriculum standards were approved are Robotics Programming and Design, Game Programming and Design, Mobile Application Development, and Digital Design and Media Production. AP Computer Science A, IB Computer Science-Standard Level, and IB Computer Science-Higher Level were all included in the new Subchapter D, which was approved by the SBOE in April 2011.

At the board’s July meeting, standards for six high school courses were approved. Those courses are Fundamentals of Computer Science; Computer Science I, II, and III; Discrete Mathematics; and Web Game Development.

All the Technology Applications courses are organized around six strands: creativity and innovation; communications and collaboration; research and information fluency; critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making; digital citizenship; and technology operations and concepts.

More information about the curriculum standards update is available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=8192

Merit Pay: What should it be based on? #education

Merit pay is a constant thought that is always bouncing around in my head. Sometimes I think it could be the key to education reform, and sometimes I think it could very well destroy the education system. With all the news coming out of Atlanta with their cheating scandal, it seems to look like the bad guy right now. However, I have always believed that merit pay, when tied to test scores would ultimately lead to cheating. Why then are we still talking about tieing pay directly to test scores? Because the question remains: What else do we tie it to? I have thought about this for years, and I have never come up with a good answer.

However, today I had an idea. I haven't decided if it is a good idea, but it is an idea none the less. I am wondering if it would be possible to tie merit pay to student projects. We want our students to create. We want them to learn 21st Century skills and become responsible digital citizens. We also know that by participating in exciting projects our students will be more engaged. And we know that anytime there is a story involved (which a project can become) it is easier for our brains to recall information. All this leads to the fact that quality projects are good for students.

So what if we create a way to measure the quality (not quantity - we don't want to just give out rewards for volume) of student projects that are produced throughout the year. Is that even possible? Does anyone do that now? Educators could create a portfolio of the work that their students produce, and submit that for review at the end of each year. We could build a review process that encourages improvement through the creation of student projects, and rewards those that are succeeding in that area.

In theory this style of learning should lead to improvement in student performance. But would it? What are your thoughts?

60 Seconds on the Internet #edtech #infographic

This is a great infographic that I came across in Google+ and wanted to share:

Infographic by- Shanghai Web Designers

You can view the web page here:

http://www.go-gulf.com/blog/60-seconds

Shared Evernote notebook

I finally took the time to figure out how to share an Evernote notebook this morning. Here is the link to my EdTech Articles notebook. It seems pretty neat. It looks like you can even subscribe to the notebook via RSS. Then as I add new articles they will show up in your reader.

When you go to the link you can also sort by tags. So if you want to look at all of the BYOT articles that I have collected you can just pick that tag and there you go.

Pretty neat stuff!

Here is the Evernote blog post that I used to help me get this setup.

New look and feel for Google products #googleapps

Hello Apps EDU Administrators,

Google is rolling out a new look and feel (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/evolving-google-design-and-experience.html) across Google’s products, and these interface changes will also be released to Google Apps services, such as Gmail, Calendar, and Docs, over the next months. Following is information about the new rollout and steps to take for your account.

How will this affect my Google Apps users?

We’ll release interface update an ongoing basis initially to consumers, with some services offering an opt-in/opt-out option for Google Apps users, before the changes become permanent for all users. For example, you can start to preview the new Gmail look this week.

The rollout will follow the Google Apps Release Track process (http://whatsnew.googleapps.com/release-tracks). Administrators can choose the Rapid Release track to move to the new look at the roughly same time as consumers. Or they can choose the Scheduled Release track to receive changes later and take more time to prepare for the transition.

What do I need to do now?

See what’s new: The first updates to Gmail (http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/preview-of-gmails-new-look.html) and Calendar (http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=1351806) were released this week. We encourage you preview the new look over the next few weeks to gain familiarity with upcoming changes. See the What’s New (http://whatsnew.googleapps.com/new-look) site for instructions.

Review your current release track settings. Administrators who choose the Scheduled Release track will have more time after the Rapid Release date before changes become available to their users. Depending on your needs you may want to update the release track setting your Google Apps Control panel. (http://whatsnew.googleapps.com/choose-release-track)

How can I keep up to date?

On the Google Apps What’s New site (http://whatsnew.googleapps.com/new-look), you’ll find information about the release process, and instructions on how to try the new designs for Gmail and Calendar. We’ll keep this site up to date with information on the new look, how to give feedback, and resources for you and your users.

Sincerely,

The Google Apps Team

You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Google Apps account.

Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043.

©2011 Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc.

What IT departments can learn from Braveheart #edtech #iste11

I have to admit I am a fan of the movie Braveheart. If you have seen it you know there are quite a few notable quotes in the movie. One of the quotes that has always stuck with is this one:

"There's a difference between us. You think the people of this land exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure they have it." - William Wallace to Robert the Bruce

The more I think about this quote I think it can apply perfectly to an IT department. While not always the case today, all to often IT departments have the idea that they need to lock down their network, and serve as the police of the network. I know. I have been there. And I am ashamed to say I have put processes in place to lock things down. However, I have seen the light. And I am working hard to get us out of the police business. If you take out the word 'land' in the above quote an replace it with network, it really hits home.

"There's a difference between us. You think the people of this network exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure they have it."

The network doesn't exist to provide the IT department with jobs. It also doesn't exist so that we can limit its use. The network is there to support creativity and innovation, to allow collaboration and communication, and to facilitate data analysis and problem solving. The network is there to provide freedom. And our IT departments are there to make sure we have it!

What are the key factors that make PD successful? #edtech

How would you have answered the above question?

I came up with four key factors that need to be addressed.

1)Awareness

Teachers/Administrators have to be aware of what tools are available. If they aren't aware of the tools it is hard to get them into PD. Everyone is so busy if there isn't a hook then there isn't a reason to give up time. If they have a basic idea of what their kids can do with a specific tool, then they will make more of an effort. We have to find ways to create more awareness of what is available.

Here is how we are trying to address this: We have built a better social media presence. We want to use marketing to our advantage and take the information to the masses. There are so many different networks and everyone has their own favorite. We want to get our message out there in whatever medium they are using. We are using a blog to post daily tech tips, as well as advertise services. Our blog posts feed into our Twitter and Facebook accounts. We also use YouTube to post video announcements, screencasts, and workshop recordings.

2)Time

Have you ever heard how teacher's can eat faster than anyone else? This is because they have such crazy schedules during the day, they hardly have time to eat lunch! And at the end of the day they want to get home to their families just like everyone else. So the question is: When do they have time for PD. You can pull them during the day and cover their class with a sub. But there are already so few days of instruction in our age of high stakes testing.

Here is how we are trying to address this: We are trying to offer PD through multiple mediums. We are still doing face-to-face workshops, but we are trying to offer more workshops at different locations to make it easier for different groups to attend. We are recording as many sessions as possible and making them available via YouTube. We are using some of those recordings to help build online courses through Moodle. And we are just now working to allow virtual attendance to workshops/meetings through Big Blue Button.

3)Relevance

Just like our students want to know why it is important for them to learn a topic (ie. Geometry), so too do our teachers. We have to take time to show them how a tool can benefit them in their classroom. And what their students can create with it. I think in technology we often get tied up in the stuff (the devices, the tools, etc.) rather than the skills. We tend to create workshops on specific devices rather than what these devices allow a student to learn/achieve. We tell our teachers that they shouldn't be teaching the technology, they should be teaching with the technology. But I fear too often we don't follow our own instructions. Some of us really need to actually see a lesson that has the tool built in. Or at least see an example of what students can do with it. We also need to show how the standards are tied together, and how the technology supports the other standards.

Here is how we are trying to address this: We are trying to do a better job of breaking down the Technology Applications TEKS and making everyone more aware of how the tie into everything else. We are trying to make our PD about skills rather than stuff. Instead of teaching a session on how to use Google Docs, we are teaching a session on collaboration where Google Docs is just one of tools covered. By focusing on the skills I think we also pull in a bigger audience. Someone might not know what Google Docs is, but they may know they want to get better at collaborating. We are also trying to work more closely with our curriculum counterparts in order to present more of a unified front where everything is aligned and supported in example lessons. Here a link to our summer PD advertisement.

4)Support

We need to properly support our teachers/administrators after we train them. With all of the budget cuts across the nation this will become harder and harder. So we must innovate, and find a way to still provide support. Part of support is also building the right type of environment for them to work in. It is often noted that kids aren't afraid to break technology and that is one of the reasons why they are so comfortable with it. They are willing to try it and if they fail, they try it differently the next time. They aren't worried about breaking it. Many adults are worried they will break it. And they don't want to fail. So we must build a supportive environment where it is ok for them to fail. Another aspect of support, is the support that students can provide. Students are our best resource! We shouldn't be afraid to let them help us!

Here is how we are trying to address this: We are working to build a team of teachers at each campus that will be part of a support team. This team won't be focused as much on tools, as it will on skills. But they will be the primary support team for the campus. They won't receive a stipend or any rewards other than recognition for being a leader. We want them to be passionate about what we are doing. We believe passionate people will make our message contagious. By having a group instead of a single contact (as we have had in the past) we hope to give teachers multiple options to find someone when they need help. In our professional development sessions this summer we hope to encourage failure! Yes, we want people to fail. We want them to understand that it is ok to fail with us. And that we will be there to help them out and give them some options to try the next time. We are also working to bring in students to help present in each of our workshops. We want our teachers to see that our amazing students can teach us too!

These are the key factors that I see affecting PD. I am sure I have missed many others.

What are your thoughts?

Copyright Friendly Image Sources #edtech

Google Doc link: http://bit.ly/lf5klr

Copyright Friendly Image Sources

You may still need to attribute the source!

Creative Commons Search Engine
http://labs.creativecommons.org/demos/search/
Please note that search.creativecommons.org is not a search engine, but rather offers convenient access to search services provided by other independent organizations. CC has no control over the results that are returned. Do not assume that the results displayed in this search portal are under a CC license. You should always verify that the work is actually under a CC license by following the link. Since there is no registration to use a CC license, CC has no way to determine what has and hasn't been placed under the terms of a CC license. If you are in doubt you should contact the copyright holder directly, or try to contact the site where you found the content.

Google Images - Using Advanced search (with usage rights)
images.google.com
Verify the license type, you still may need to attribute the author based on the type of license.

Flickr
http://flickr.com/creativecommons
Creative Commons licensed photo search through Flickr:
Attribution means:You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work - and derivative works based upon it - but only if they give you credit.
Noncommercial means:You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work - and derivative works based upon it - but for noncommercial purposes only.
No Derivative Works means:You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.
Share Alike means:You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.

Yale
http://discover.odai.yale.edu/ydc/
The Gallery is making the Materials available for limited non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, in accordance with the fair use provisions of the copyright laws. Users may download these files for their personal or educational use, subject to any additional terms or restrictions, which may be applicable to the individual file or program. Users must cite the author and source of the Materials as they would material from any printed work, and the citations should include the URL "http://artgallery.yale.edu" in addition to all copyright and any proprietary notices contained on the Materials. Any use of the Materials that does not qualify as fair use is subject to the Gallery's prior written approval, and the user must request and receive such approval prior to any use. Copying or redistribution in any manner for commercial use, including commercial publication, or for personal gain is strictly prohibited, without the express prior written permission of the Gallery or the relevant third-party rights holder, as the case may be.

Pics4Learning
www.pics4learning.com
Pics4Learning is a copyright-friendly image library for teachers and students. The Pics4Learning collection consists of thousands of images that have been donated by students, teachers, and amateur photographers. Unlike many Internet sites, permission has been granted for teachers and students to use all of the images donated to the Pics4Learning collection.



MorgueFile
http://www.morguefile.com/
You are free:

• Remix — to adapt the work.
• Commercial — to use this work for commercial purposes.
• Without Attribution — to use without attributing the original author.

Under the following conditions:

• Stand alone basis — You can not sell, license, sub-license, rent, transfer or distribute this image exactly as it is without alteration.
• Ownership — You may not claim ownership of this image in its original state.
• Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the contributor.
• Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author's moral rights.

StockXChng (now part of Getty Images)
www.sxc.hu
You may use the Image(s)

• In digital format on websites, multimedia presentations, broadcast film and video, cell phones.
• In printed promotional materials, magazines, newspapers, books, brochures, flyers, CD/DVD covers, etc.
• Along with your corporate identity on business cards, letterhead, etc.
• To decorate your home, your office or any public place.

Always ask permission from the photographer if you want to use the Image

• In website templates that You intend to sell or distribute.
• For creating printed reproductions that You intend to sell.
• On "print on demand" items such as t-shirts, postcards, mouse pads, mugs (e.g. on sites like Cafepress), or on any similar mass produced item that would contain the Image in a dominant way.

Wikipedia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
The Wikimedia Foundation owns almost none of the content on Wikimedia sites — it is owned by the individual creators. However, almost all may be freely reused without individual permission according to the terms of the particular license under which it was contributed to the project, but some licenses may require that the original creator be attributed. You do not need to obtain a specific statement of permission from the licensor (unless you wish to use the work under different terms than the license stated).

Digital History
www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/images.cfm
This site links to many other collections. Each individual collection has its own copyright rules, but many only require proper attribution of the work used.

NASA
http://www.nasaimages.org
A credit line should be used in connection with the images and should read "NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org."

If the NASA images obtained from NASAIMAGES.ORG are used for commercial purposes (including advertisements or packaging), such use may not suggest, either explicitly or implicitly, that NASA endorses any commercial goods or services.

NOAA
www.photolib.noaa.gov
Most NOAA photos and slides are in the public domain and CANNOT be copyrighted.

There is no fee for downloading any images on the NOAA Photo Library. Educational use is encouraged as the primary goal of the NOAA Photo Library is to help all understand our oceans and atmosphere so as to be better stewards of our environment for future generations.

A few photos in the NOAA Photo Library that are known to have copyright restrictions are so noted in the caption information associated with those images.

Credit MUST be given to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce. Where a photographer is noted, please credit the photographer and his/her affiliated organization as well.


FreeFoto.com
www.freefoto.com
1) ANYONE, by which we mean commercial and non-commercial alike, can use FreeFoto.com images in an online setting, providing they provide attribution to the image and a link back to FreeFoto.com (either the image or the main site). This license allows blogs, social networking sites and use in emails, just to name a few, providing they provide the required attribution, this includes sites that pay people to write, carry advertising or are selling and promoting products. The only requirement the attribution and link back.

2) Under the Creative Commons license for non-commercial, no derivatives, attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). This provides for use in any media providing it is not for commercial purposes and they are not making a derivative image or gallery. This allows use such as for an artist to paint based on one of our images, provided they don't sell the painting, or to be used in school work or college projects.

Digmo
http://www.digmo.co.uk/photo/free-creative-commons-photos-for-education/
Creative commons license applies. You must attribute the author.

Custom List
https://sites.google.com/site/freetoolsoutthewazoo/copyright-friendly-images

Where is the bailout for Education? #txlege

A colleague shared a thought with me earlier today, and it has been bothering me ever since. The thought was: Why was our country willing to bail out for-profit organizations (which were mismanaged until it was impossible for them to recover) but when it comes to non-profit educational institutions, the coffers are empty?

Why is it that companies like GM and AIG were worthy of our tax dollars, but not education? Why are companies that were giving out millions of dollars in bonuses (while being bailed out) seen in a better light than education? Are these companies really more critical to the success of our state (and nation) than educating our children? I struggle to see the logic here.

Consider the following facts (as shared here by Michael Gilbert of White Oak ISD):

"The fact is, the US Education System ranks 20th in the world, according to the United Nations Education Index"

• The combined population of the nineteen countries ranked higher that the US are not equal to the population of the USA.
• Only seven of the countries ranked higher that the US have a population greater than New York City.
• Only five of those countries have a population greater than the State of Texas.
• None of the countries ranked above the US are regularly mentioned as economic rivals the US.
• Japan ranks #34, China ranks #97 and India ranks #145.

"One of the most often heard complaints is that the increase in expenditures has not resulted in an increase in results. Although there has been an increase in total dollars spent on Texas Education, there has not been a significant increased in the cost per student. Texas adds 85,000 new students to the rolls every year."

Now consider this (as posted here by Spring Branch ISD):

In 2005, state property taxpayers were told by the Texas Legislature that their property taxes would be lowered and that the funding loss to our schools would be made up through other taxes or revenue sources, including a new business or "margins" tax. That promise to make up for the funding loss has not been kept. The Texas Legislature must honor its commitment and restore this funding.

In 2006, the state froze school district revenue at the 2006 level. Since that time, in order to fund basic inflationary cost increases, including cost-of-living increases for our teachers, SBISD has made difficult non-campus reductions and used its savings to limit the direct effect on our classrooms.

Yes, education spending has gone up over the years, but as Mr. Gilbert pointed out that is largely due to the number of new students enrolled in the educational system every year. In other words: spending has not gone up over time due to mismanagement or wildly extravagant purchases. Nobody is getting million dollar bonuses, and as Spring Branch ISD pointed out, Texas hasn't even allowed for a cost-of-living increase since 2006. Furthermore, the current fiscal problem in Texas was created, not by the local education agencies, but by a poorly thought out tax reform.

Where is all the fat in this system? I can't seem to find it. At this point the only thing left to cut will be crucial programs that are vital to the success of instruction. And when we do that we hamstring our state (and nation). We will literally cut the feet out from underneath ourselves. How can we let this happen?

I leave you with one final question: Does it make sense that we should prioritize GM, AIG and other big businesses over our educational system? My answer is NO!

Know Your Texas Legislators #txlege

*Reminder - You can use the link below to find out who representatives you in Texas!*

http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Thanks to Scott Floyd for posting this committee info (via ATPE). Below are the Texas Legislative Committee assignments (related to education).

Senate

The Senate committee assignments for the 82nd Legislature were officially released Jan. 28. Here are the assignments for the public education-related committees:

Senate Education Committee

Florence Shapiro (R–Plano), chairwoman

Dan Patrick (R–Houston), vice chairman

John Carona (R–Dallas)

Wendy Davis (D–Fort Worth)

Mario Gallegos (D–Houston)

Steve Ogden (R–Bryan)

Kel Seliger (R–Amarillo)

Leticia Van de Putte (D–San Antonio)

Royce West (D–Dallas)

Senate Finance Committee (budget)

Steve Ogden (R–Bryan), chairman

Juan Hinojosa (D–Mission), vice chairman

Bob Deuell (R–Greenville)

Robert Duncan (R–Lubbock)

Kevin Eltife (R–Tyler)

Craig Estes (R–Wichita Falls)

Eddie Lucio (D–Brownsville)

Jane Nelson (R–Lewisville)

Dan Patrick (R–Houston)

Kel Seliger (R–Amarillo)

Florence Shapiro (R–Plano)

Royce West (D–Dallas)

John Whitmire (D–Houston)

Tommy Williams (R–The Woodlands)

Judith Zaffirini (D–Laredo)

State Affairs Committee (Teacher Retirement System (TRS))

Robert Duncan (R–Lubbock), chairman

Bob Deuell (R–Greenville), vice chairman

Rodney Ellis (D–Houston)

Troy Fraser (R–Horseshoe Bay)

Joan Huffman (R–Houston)

Mike Jackson (R–La Porte)

Eddie Lucio (D–Brownsville)

Leticia Van de Putte (D–San Antonio)

Tommy Williams (R–The Woodlands)

For full committee assignments, visit www.senate.state.tx.us/assets/pdf/TXSenCmtes82R.pdf.

House of Representatives

House Speaker Joe Straus (R–San Antonio) released his committee assignments for the 82nd Legislature Feb. 9. Below are the line-ups for the public education-related committees:

House Public Education Committee

Rob Eissler (R–The Woodlands), chairman

Scott Hochberg (D–Houston), vice chairman

Alma Allen (D–Houston)

Harold Dutton (D–Houston)

Ryan Guillen (D–Rio Grande City)

Todd Smith (R–Bedford)

Jimmy Don Aycock (R–Killeen)

Dan Huberty (R–Kingwood)

Mark Shelton (R–Fort Worth)

Mark Strama (D– Austin)

Randy Weber (R–Pearland)

House Appropriations Committee (budget)

Jim Pitts (R–Waxahachie), chairman

Sylvester Turner (D–Houston), vice chairman

Warren Chisum (R–Pampa)

Myra Crownover (R–Lake Dallas)

Dawnna Dukes (D–Austin)

Craig Eiland (D–Texas City)

Helen Gidding (D–De Soto)

Scott Hochberg (D–Houston)

Ruth Jones McLendon (D–San Antonio)

Geanie Morrison (R–Victoria)

John Otto (R–Dayton)

Debbie Riddle (R–Houston)

Mike Villarreal (D–San Antonio)

Jimmy Don Aycock (R–Killeen)

Angie Button (R–Garland)

Drew Darby (R–San Angelo)

Lance Gooden (R–Terrell)

Eric Johnson (D–Dallas)

Susan King (R–Abilene)

Dee Margo (R–El Paso)

Armando Martinez (D–Weslaco)

Doug Miller (R–New Braunfels)

Diane Patrick (R–Arlington)

Charles Schwertner (R–Georgetown)

Mark Shelton (R–Fort Worth)

Raul Torres (R– Corpus Christi)

John Zerwas (R–Katy)

Pensions and Investments (TRS)

Vicki Truitt (R–Southlake) – chairwoman

Rafael Anchia (D–Dallas) – vice chairman

Charles “Doc”Anderson (R–Waco)

Marc Veasey (D–Fort Worth)

Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe)

Ana Hernandez (D–Houston)

Ken Legler (R–Pasadena)

Barbara Nash (R–Arlington)

Rob Orr (R–Burleson)

The full House committee assignments can be found at www.house.state.tx.us/_media/pdf/member.pdf.