EMAILED TO:
jjohnston@sfasu.edu
bcarr@sfasu.edu
lfwhite@sfasu.edu
austinnorju@sfasu.edu
jlowry@sfasu.edu
rclaunch@sfasu.edu
tdavis@sfasu.edu
kstahl@sfasu.edu
rdarville@sfasu.edu
adoyleanderson@sfasu.edu
jstandley@sfasu.edu

Hello.
If you are a recipient of this email, it is because your email address appeared at some juncture as part of an ongoing dialogue regarding my request for information about the integration of technology into your teaching.  Please, first let me apologize for alarming any of you. I had asked my grad assistant who is completely reliable and professional to contact you for this information but I neglected to take the time necessary to more clearly communicate my needs to her.  I am here to better explain my request.

The College of Education (COE) is nearing the final stages of completing its report to maintain national certification with NCATE (much like the dreaded SAKS). I am chair of the technology committee. Our mission is to demonstrate the commitment to, and integration of, technology into our university teaching which is then expected to impact the kinds of teacher candidates we prepare--ultimately impacting K-12 public school classrooms.  This is a huge and rather elusive task; in fact, NCATE is not sure how to direct us on this even though it expects us to address it well.

On several occasions I reported our needs at various meetings in the COE and to the Steering Committee and I am sorry if I inadvertently assumed some of you had been present. Regardless, my request is really a simple one for you.  I do not need a "report" as such, rather a simple narrative or summary--whatever you can provide (email is fine)--that would help me begin to explore the integration of technology as it relates to our teacher Ed program and any influence you may have on this. I have narrowed it down to 4 main areas so it would be helpful if you would categorize any responses you may have for me according to the following:

I am looking for ANY "evidence" of

-a COMMITMENT to technology
-any INTEGRATION of TECHNOLOGY (STRENGTHS) into college teaching (of our teacher candidates)
-any perceived WEAKNESSES in the area of technology that you have discovered or are discovering
-any PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT along these lines

Your report does not need to be comprehensive nor complete; whatever comes to your mind probably best represents where you are right now with technology anyway. That simple narrative would be helpful to us.  As you continue to consider my request, you may notice more "evidence" which I would be glad to receive as you uncover it.  Our NCATE board does not expect us to have fully integrated technology across the entire university but they DO EXPECT us to have begun the "process" of taking an 'accountable' and "responsible" look at where we are and where we are going with respect to integrating technology into our teaching which in turn, as I mentioned, is expected to impact the kind of "effective" teaching our teacher candidates do in the public school classroom.

Thank you for whatever you can provide and please keep me in mind when changes in this status occur.

Carol Abel
Chair, NCATE Technology Committee
http://www.education.sfasu.edu/ele/classes/abel/ncate_technology.html