FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BY RIC WILTSE


FROM THE


MACUL MEMBER UPDATE


Member Dues


Eliminated Last


November, the MACUL Board of Directors formally


dropped the membership dues from $40 a year to $0. The decision


Mobilizing Mike Oswalt


Ready or not, mobile learning is here! Students today have access to mobile devices more than ever before in their personal life. On top of that, school districts are purchasing mobile devices to be used by students in learning. The use of technology that a student can carry around isn’t new. School districts have been working on one to one initiatives for years with one of the primary devices being laptops. The difference now is that the device being considered isn’t a laptop or mini—it’s a device that is already being widely used and accepted by students (and the public) outside of school. Mobile devices have become an extension of a student’s daily conversation, not just a means to access online resources currently available through laptops. It is a connection to their online world. Districts need to capitalize on this connection and mobilize plans for mobile learning in the school setting!


• Mobile Learning


In the Winter 2011/12 MACUL Journal, I listed four key areas to consider when implementing the use of mobile devices (iPads, Android Tablets, iPods, Smart Phones, etc.) in the school district:


Infrastructure: are school buildings ‘wired’ to handle the increased need for wireless access?


• Management: are processes in place to handling all the apps that are being acquired?


• •


Integration: are the apps being used educationally appropriate and aligned to the curriculum?


Professional Development: is staff provided sustained professional development on the use of mobile devices for learning?


In addition to these considerations when planning for mobile learning, it is important to consider how mobile is mobile. What I mean is this: if we are


MACULJOURNAL |


MOBILIZING continued on page 30 SPRING/SUMMER 2012


was based on similar action taken by ISTE affiliate organizations in Virginia and New York. Both organizations experienced tremendous growth in membership upon taking this bold step.


“MACUL’s mission is to ignite learning through meaningful collaboration and innovation. In order to increase the opportunities for collaboration, the MACUL Board chose to remove the barrier of fees for membership,” stated Board President Mike Oswalt.


The no-dues action taken by the MACUL Board has resulted in substantial membership growth. In the first two months after dropping dues, MACUL has added over 1,000 members. The MACUL Special Interest Groups have also added a significant number of new members. Membership is still only $5 for each SIG.


With this new direction for MACUL, the Friends of MACUL has also been established. Yearly membership of $20, which is tax deductible, enables members to financially support the organization and receive donor recognition. More information is available on the MACUL website.


Have you encouraged your colleagues to join MACUL, www.macul.org/ membership/ ? Spread the good word!


UPDATE continued on page 30 7


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