Email Web Conference

The Stephens Group is hosting a web conference on the use of email on Email on Monday, March 19th at 6:00pm CST, 4:00pm PST.

This may seem like a fairly basic concept, but in conversations with consultants I have found that there is much we can learn from one another that can help us work more efficiently.

Some of the topics we will be covering are:

• How to back up your email and contacts (no it is not the same as backing up your other files)
• How to get multiple email accounts to merge into one email system
• How to set up a signature
• How to set up a distribution list
• Strategies for aiding project management with your email (setting up folders, color-coding your email)
• Mail-merging into email
• Any other tips, strategies that are working for you regarding email that you would like to share
• Questions regarding how to use email more effectively

If you are interested in attending this web conference email Tammy Stephens at tstephens@thestephensgroup.com . Note: we have limited seats available.

Update on MDMC2007

Much is happening with the upcoming Milwaukee Digital Media Conference to be held at the Milwaukee Public Museum on July 31st- August 3rd!

The syllabus for the conference has been approved by Cardinal Stritch University and is posted on the Syllabus Page at the conference web site at http://mdmc2007.com .

We are excited that there are a number of teachers from all levels, librarians and curriculum coordinators registred to attend the conference. We even have some international teachers registered to attend.

"This conference is a non-traditional conference in that it is a working conference. Participants will be working with instructors and curators from the museum to create digital content for the museum. We will be focusing on what it means to be a 21st Century Learner throughout the conference." -Tammy Stephens

A group of instructors created a podcast for the museum exhibit, The Rainforest at Night (see our 9.06.2006 Digital Media Conference Update posting below to learn more about the experience of creating a podcast). Last month, Dick Diener produced a second podcast about the Danish House in the Streets of Old Milwaukee Exhibit. The purpose of this was to give instructors the experience of working at the museum and to collaborate on the logistics and instructional design of the upcoming conference.

In order to help participants better understand what the conference will be like, The Stephens Group is in the process of producing a series of podcast interviews with instructors to explain the vision for the conference. Currently, an mp3 file is posted of Dick Diener in an interview on the experience of creating a podcast at the museum (linked on the Syllabus page of the museum). We are working with Second Platform, a web site development firm, to make the conference web site into a RSS feed which users can subscribe to and get updates as we post more information on the conference.

Return on Investment

The Stephens Group is active in many districts in helping them create strategic plans for information and technology.


The Stephens Group has created a formula for calculating Return on Investment (ROI) for emerging technologies that school districts are considering investing as part of the planning process. District stakeholders work collaboratively to score different emerging technologies they are considering using white papers published by The Stephens Group. The formula helps district determine the Total Cost of Ownership of the technology they are considering and the projected Student Benefits. Stakeholders then chart their results on a graph. This is helpful because it allows for stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions about the technologies they are considering and makes it easier to prioritize and make decisions in the planning process.

The process was piloted in the New Berlin School district in January 25th with approximately 30 stakeholders. The process took one day to complete. The outcomes of the meeting were helpful in creating a three year information technology plan and budgeting for technology needs.

The Stephens Group Offers Secretarial Training

Over the past eighteen months, the Stephens Group has been offering secretarial training to the West Allis and Watertown School Districts. The No Child Left Behind Act has increased pressure for school districts to collect, use, and report out on student data for continual improvement. Secretaries need increased proficiency in how to export data from student management systems and manipulate data into usable reports. The Stephens Group customizes their training services to each school district's needs. Trainings are differentiated by secretarial skill levels. Training consists of three phases: direct instruction, guided and independent practice to help secretaries feel confident in their skills.

The Stephens Group has also developed preformance assessments for secretarial positions that are used by Human Resource Departments to determine technology proficiencies of secretary's applying for new positions. These preformance assessments are based in real world tasks that secretaries would preform as part of their job duties in a school district. The Stephens Group can either score the preformance reports for school districts, or train members of the Human Resource Staff how to score the assessments internally.

We feel that this training is important because it helps build the internal capacity of a school district to make data based decisions.

Kenosha Middle Schoolers Get Laptops

The Stephens Group will be evaluating the1 to 1 laptop initiative at Washington Middle School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. We are excited about studying how this initiative will impact students as they move through middle school. We will be tracking current sixth graders for the next three years to see how the use of laptops impact student achievement on standarized tests, writing and 21st Century Skills.

See a report by Fox News here http://www.myfoxmilwaukee.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=05868B32F53C8559C0325E54BD0F0A3E?contentId=2431170&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 . Note: You will need to type "Kenosha Middle" in the search box to find the story.