eMINTS Program Then: During the school years of 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 MOREnet obtained funding from the Southwest Bell Foundation to initiate the Multimedia Interactive Networked Technologies (MINTs) project. MINTs delivers a high-speed Internet connection to the classroom and places technology on the teacher’s and students’ desks while trying to determine whether eliminating technology barriers traditionally experienced by schools can change teaching styles and strategies and improve student performance. Six school districts in St. Louis County are involved in the MINTs project: Affton, Bayless, Jennings, Normandy, Riverview Gardens and University City.
On Feb. 24, 2004, the eMINTS program moved to a new level when the eMINTS National Center was approved by the General Officers of the University of Missouri System. Formerly administered by MOREnet, the eMINTS program is now a fully autonomous entity within the University of Missouri in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education The eMINTS National Center will serve as a resource base for Missouri schools and districts as well as for other states that wish to collaborate with eMINTS staff and with one another to replicate the eMINTS instructional model within their educational systems. The eMINTS National Center is part of the University of Missouri System, Office of Academic Affairs. Test scores in the MINTs classrooms improved, but even more important, attitudes and styles of teaching and learning changed also. The technology encouraged a new way of educating students – a way that engages them in their education by making resources available in a learning environment that fosters cooperation, collaboration, problem solving and higher order thinking skills. The connections to parents were also strengthened as they showed more interest in the positive stories their children were bringing home.
The goal of the eMINTS National Center is to support educators in Missouri and across the country as they integrate multimedia technology into inquiry-based, student-centered, interdisciplinary, collaborative teaching practices that result in
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of eMINTS is to support Missouri educators as they integrate multimedia technology into inquiry-based, student-centered, interdisciplinary, collaborative teaching practices that result in higher levels of student performance.
eMINTS meets ISTE STANDARDS
Professional Development Program Becomes the First Resource to Meet All Criteria in ISTE’s NETS Review Program (15 April 2005) WASHINGTON, D.C.—eMINTS Comprehensive Professional Development Program has become the first product or service to meet all of the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE®) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Teachers. ISTE’s Seal of Alignment program provides recognition of products, services, or resources through specific levels of alignment with ISTE’s mission and with NETS. The goal of the eMINTS (enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) National Center is improved academic performance for children across the United States. The Center features eMINTS professional development methodologies, materials, and services integrating technology into inquiry-based teaching. The Center provides participants with support to ensure that program integrity is maintained during replication. Read more at http://www.emints.org/programs/comprehensive/ (opens in new browser window). “The eMINTS National Center is thrilled to have the first professional development program in the world that meets all of ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers,” says Monica Beglau, EdD, director of the eMINTS National Center. “The alignment process was a tremendous learning experience for our staff and helped us to really understand the value of alignment. We are so proud of the quality assurances for our program that the alignment provides.” According to Don Knezek, PhD, ISTE’s CEO, “eMINTS is a stellar example of a forward-thinking organization continually striving to improve teaching, learning, and school administration through the appropriate use of technology. This outstanding resource, and those who make it possible, are to be commended for their innovation and their diligence.” Details about specific alignments of eMINTS Comprehensive Professional Development Program are available at http://www.iste.org/nets/seal/. The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project was initiated by ISTE’s Accreditation and Professional Standards Committee. The primary goals of the NETS Project are to enable stakeholders in PK–12 education to develop and implement standards for technology-literate students and the educational uses of technology that facilitate school improvement. The NETS Project developed the standards for students and teachers highlighted in NETS for Students and NETS for Teachers, and facilitated the Technology Standards for School Administrators Project. NETS alignment is valuable because of the overarching goals of the NETS Project—to improve teaching, learning, and school administration through the appropriate use of technology—and because the NETS are used by more than 80 percent of states. The ISTE NETS Seal of Alignment Program is open to members of the ISTE 100. More information is available at http://www.iste.org/nets/seal/. Find details about ISTE 100 membership at http://www.iste.org/iste100 and about ISTE NETS at http://www.iste.org/nets/. About the International Society for Technology in Education The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source in education technology for professional development, knowledge generation, and advocacy. A nonprofit membership organization, ISTE provides leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), ISTE represents more than 85,000 worldwide leaders and potential leaders in educational technology. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of integrating technology into schools. Recent ISTE initiatives include the ISTE Institute: Leading with NETS, a professional development program for educators based on ISTE's NETS, and the ISTE Futures Project, which includes a formal, academic Delphi Study that will forecast likelihoods for the future of education. Visit www.iste.org or call 1.800.336.5191 to learn more about ISTE. ISTE® is the registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in Education.
OUTSTANDING RESULTS WITH EMINTS
eMINTS has produced outstanding results in Missouri classrooms. In addition to the anecdotal evidence reported by participating teachers and principals, an external evaluation by another University of Missouri System unit, OSEDA (Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis ), substantiates changes in teaching practices, changes in student attitudes and, in the age of increasing accountability, changes in student performance on required statewide tests. For full copies of all eMINTS evaluation reports, visit http://www.emints.org/evaluation/ .
The eMINTS evaluation has been recognized as meeting the requirements for the U.S. Department of Education's "Scientifically-Based Research" outlined in No Child Left Behind legislation and was featured as a model program at the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) "National Leadership Institute on Evaluation" in December 2002.
The SETDA Institute featured "Analysis of 2001 MAP Results for eMINTS Students," a report that documents the impact of eMINTS on MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) grade three communication arts and science and grade four mathematics and social studies. The analysis of MAP scores for students in eMINTS classrooms in spring 2002 showed that, on average, students in eMINTS classes scored higher in every subject area than other students in the same school buildings. This analysis compared 1,836 students enrolled in eMINTS classes with 4,217 students not enrolled in eMINTS classes in the same grades and schools. In addition, the average eMINTS student scored higher than the statewide student average in every subject area. This report substantiates the 2001 and 2000 MAP results.
The report, "Leadership Orientations of FY00 Principals," focuses on a classification of eMINTS principals according to leadership orientation. The OSEDA team members conducted school visits during the 1999-2000 and the 2000-2001 school years. On-site visits and interviews with the principals and eMINTS classroom teachers resulted in the development of a report describing four general leadership orientations and their effects on teaching and learning styles and on student performance.