MassCUE Board Meeting
Holiday Inn Worcester
August 28, 1998

Members present:
Pat Trotman, Lelia Richardson, Buzzy Esempio, Sharon Esempio, Jim Modena, Laurene Belisle, Marcy Reed, Nancy Vose, Ron Koehler, Debbie Gabriel, Christine Maloof, Kathy Peloquin, Priscilla Kotyk, Algot Runeman

Call to order: 5:04 P.M.
The official MasCUE gavel is present.
Presidential comments.
Nancy notes the current issue of EdTECH News from Unicom has a MassCUE conference promo.
iMac on the cover of MediaOne.
Steve Johnson moving on to Midwest for Apple.
Bob Trikakis is going to come today.
New set of tapes "The Leadership Engine" Noel Tichy. A business tape (maybe too wordy) but good knowledge.
Inc. World & Strictly Business free pass. Available for passing out to community members.
Pink Pages - Nancy's thoughts (attached)
Survey - Hope we filled it out.
Apple coming today.
Nancy stated, "Thanks to Algot who THINKS."

Secretary's Report
Move to Accept the minutes of the July Board Meeting (Christine/Marcy)
Passed 11/0

Treasurer's Report
Report deferred (eventually not given because Steve did not arrive).

SIG Committee Report
Ron (in congratulations for those who did) had nothing to do with the organization of the Retreat as he left for vacation in Spain. The retreat was organized magically by Sharon and Kathy. 
Six board members present each day in addition to the SIG group leaders.
Sharon points to Kathy for the main planning.
There were some important late night sharing sessions.
Nancy calls the retreat "fabulous."
Laurene - back to roots with MassCUE. Special breed of cat. Feels she was cut off from her base. Ready to move ahead on expanded conference.
Christine - there was food, always.
Nancy - Thanks to Bell Atlantic for their support.
Priscilla - Are SIG kits available for SIG leaders who weren't present?
Sharon - As soon as the opening of school crazies are over, the kits will be available.
Nancy - letters to superintendents for SIG leaders and board members to acknowledge benefits to the districts of having one of their staff be a MassCUE activist.
Sharon - SIG leaders pictures on web and board members.
Laurene - reminder of privacy concerns of individuals. Not all may wish to be so visible.

Conference Committee
Pathfinders on this year's list are a phenomenal group as shown by their bios.
Consider having SIG leadership meeting at Sturbridge Host hotel.
More available rooms than thought at first.
Marcy is looking forward to just "sit on the conference committee chair" as all jobs are passed along. Laurene is going to work as facilities chair. We need to be able to expand. Three areas: More breakout space, more vendor tables, more lunch/keynote attendance.
Consensus of those who went to the SIG event (and who were evaluating the site) that this is a good location. Dates different : November 17, 18 (Wednesday, Thursday) back to two days for 1999. At Worcester, the three days spread the load as we wanted (approximately 600 attended each day) but costs went up to $20-30K daily conference cost. If we can do more breakouts, and comparable pricing it will lower our overall costs for the conference.
Laurene - Look at room locator, please (attached)
Some breakout rooms such as Southbridge Suite+++(see chart circles) are not clustered with the rest of the rooms.
We'll need a map - maybe wall markers to out-of-the-way places.
4 sessions a day
2 lunches in courtyard.
1200 people each day can eat at once.
Bob Trikakis from Apple arrived to hear that Marcy doesn't trust sales people. Bob remarked, "I'm in MARKETING not sales!"
Grand ballroom for keynote (opened without partitions in place)
Exhibit hall has 30% more space. Can create pole and drape space or expanded vendor area. Hallway space. Vendor tables possible in Ballroom foyer and exhibit hall hallway.
Comparison of Hotels sheet needs to be reversed.
Need to look to negotiate the rental charge scale which is listed as 10 times higher than Worcester.
Unclear how many rooms will be occupied by MassCUE conference attendees.
We will be the only people holding any meetings in the hotel for the two days.
Electricity charged directly to vendors - we do not have to do wiring.
AV can be done done by hotel as well.
In 2000 can slide back to earlier dates.
2001--dates we traditionally use in October are open.
Conference manual done by Laurene before the move to Holiday Inn will be ready for the Conference Committee meeting that follows the Conference this year. Laurene found the dot matrix output from her Apple IIGS (showing how technologically long ago it was done) and is going to get her secretary to retype it.
Several sections - especially budget - timetable - forms - vendor packet - equipment list. Every job should have a checklist in the booklet so that everything is institutionalized. Rookie in training for every job. Need somebody like Marcy who will say "yes" when asked to take on a new role and who will then follow through. 

Move (Laurene, Kathy) to relocate the conference to Sturbridge in 1999.
Jim - Eastern edge folks should note that it is 45 miles to our current Worcester site and though more distance to Sturbridge, it is almost the same time/distance and the drive is easier because it is straight out the Mass Pike and the hotel is just off the exit.
Will our meetings be at Sturbridge? (The current cost to use the Holiday Inn is $0.00 with the conference held in Worcester.)
We need to be very diplomatic and careful and professional as we break with Worcester. Make a very clear statement that we are NOT unhappy with Worcester.
Current contract not actually signed with Holiday Inn.
Recommend that we give Holiday Inn staff MassCUE cups as a show of our appreciation.
Nancy is looking to run more events as well in addition to the conference, and would use the Holiday Inn.
May need to change board meeting location in January away from Sturbridge to ward off weather problems.
Hold alternating meetings Sturbridge/Worcester.
Remember we are moving just the conference, not breaking our connection with Holiday Inn.
Nancy does not foresee problems.
We will be sure of our legal status before making the switch.
Seek other Host owned hotels with same standards and quality to widen the 
Christine Maloof feels it will be difficult to attend from Lawrence and north because of the distance.
Laurene - North Adams to Worcester is 3 hours (representing the current reality for those who attend from western Mass).
Marcy - Connecticut draw for conference may offset the potential decline from the northeast end of the state.
Though we will lose some to Crista McAuliff technology conference in New Hampshire, (we already do) and try to draw from Connecticut and west end of state.
Christine - Rooms on first floor by golf course were mildewed and it will be important to check for bad corridors 325 was bad though Pat 310 was good. Sharon heard that there was a leak - and is also a smoking section of the hotel.
Laurene - Foreign Lang, reading conference, and other statewide conferences are in Sturbridge there...need to draw western mass! MassCUE is seen as an Eastern Mass organization.
Nancy - Need to plan and talk more - marketing, time
Marcy - Instructional Technology Specialist finally getting into the classroom - need to milk the new folks - the WEST.
Ron Move the question.
Passed 10/1
Note list of Pathfinder Awards here.
(contact Nancy for a copy)

Apple Proposal
Welcome - Bob Trikakis
At issue is the transfer of code for Apple Learning Interchange (ALI)  a FileMaker Pro product, to MassCUE so we can create a "MassCUE Learning Interchange".
Our discussion of involved teachers was a great lead in.
Educator product: Education search engine: Apple Learning Interchange
The central (ALI) is not growing as well as expected by the designers. The resources and units of practice sections have been stagnant. Some Apple activists felt that the code should be given out to organizations. Contacts have been initiated with 12 nationwide organizations including educators. If technology is going to be important to educators, it will need to come from the people "in the trenches."
As part of the offer, Apple will provide unlimited Apple Learning Interchange, training and support. Some of the major participants in the project are local in Massachusetts.
It will be "MassCUE learning Interchange" if we wish, not an Apple front page (though there will be a required link to the central ALI site. The Apple Logo will need to remain on our site as a link back to the corporate home site.
Submissions will not be just a random posting from teachers in the field- Apple staff will do the checking of the units of practice...

Our commitments:
We need to provide an Internet connection and an Apple Server. This tool runs on FileMaker Pro. Even the Apple cheapest server will do the job. If the Apple server doesn't do the job later because of heavy demand for the content, upgrades will be considered.
T1 line.
MassCUE will be responsible to keep adding new Units of Practice to the database.
It should be one of our important tasks to link the Units of Practice to the Massachusetts State Frameworks.
The collection of Units of Practice is up to MassCUE. As an organization, we must get members and others to submit units. Posting goes to Bard Williams to evaluate and add to the database. MassCUE will not need to provide the clerical support to enter the information onto the site.
Teacher's name is on it...Who owns rights/author and school. Apple will not make a profit from the units. 
Bob Trikakis, Mark Weston and Bard Williams of Apple are pushing the concept.
Look for the blank database format on the current ALI web site.
Priscilla - Staff development is for MassCUE.
Sharon - who is responsible for upload?
Kathy - untapped resource - involve grad students and students. Multitasking - Online Committee...grow exponentially.
Nancy - envision SIG leaders will own the job of disseminating and bring in units of practice.
Ron- We want to train people to use MassCUE-ALI (MCALI?)
Kathy - Need team of Online Web developers.
Bob - This project promotes teacher power
Nancy - Pilot and look for statewide impact grant in following years
Priscilla - need team to design
Sharon - Units of practice should be expected from Pathfinders--recognition (professional level) for doing lessons.
Christine - Is the list of the other 11 organizations available and can we know who they are?
Need place to float articles
Conference book on line

Jim says teachers want to seek links from framework - to lesson - to resources - to MCAS test question. It should be practical to use.
Contact Kim Wright - She has made a head start linking units to the state frameworks.
Bob and Apple will help us link frameworks
Jim Lengle, the creator of the ALI code, is local, working now at Boston College.
Nancy - Apple is a business partner for MassCUE. This project is another example of how an educational organization can make links to business partners.
Commitment in dollars is Server and Internet connection.
All access to the FileMaker Pro database is Web Based. No special software is needed for administration.
We must hold on this approval until we verify our costs (Algot estimates $15,000.00) startup for the first year and ongoing service fees for connection, etc.) even recognizing that the training is donated.
Marcy? None of the other 11 sites are up and running. Have other sites done cost studies.
Move to form an ALI study committee (Marcy, Ron) to make a recommendation to the board about the expected financial commitment to participate in this project with Apple.
Ron- 3 issues that the ALI study committee should answer.
1) What is the cost?
2) We must find a location for the server/Internet connection.
3) What are the expected duties of MassCUE and what is the ongoing time commitment?
It was a consensus that this project is a perfect fit for MassCUE.
Sources of Units:
Kids and Technology Day
Lighthouse Grant recipients
Kathy- we must make a plan of what ongoing duties are and who should do them.
Summer reading lists on line are a good idea.
Check that this is actually a good tool for the average teacher to use.
Passed 11/0

Making a proposal to the board
Proposal sheet (yellow attached)
Review of Sharon's original proposal

Move (Nancy/Kathy) to require that the form (patterned after Sharon's) be used (copy from pink sheet - attached) 
Make the form available on the web site.
It is more than the form; its the process.
Discussion should happen ahead of the meeting to make the process.
Ron - ? Committee process good part of parliamentary procedure but not censure of fresh thought at the meeting itself.
Sharon - One component of the proposal should be an action plan which involves focus on a person who is willing to chair the committee that will do the actual work.
MassCUE board proposal development Form
Discussion prevents resolution because of the lack of fact gathering ahead of time. Spread our job to others who are involved with leadership.
Passed: 11/0

Internet Training??? how can we do it this fall?
Shoot for spring (March Internet Madness) - ALI tie-in?

Move (Jim, Algot) to form an ALI committee initially composed of  Jim (framework), Kathy (chair)(costs), Sharon(co-chair),  and Priscilla.
Passed 11/0

Move (Sharon, Algot) to create a board Policy manual committee to take the manual beyond the first draft, initial members: Sharon, Algot, Laurene
Passed 9/0 (two members had left)

Adjourn 7:50