Initial Publication Date: January 24, 2008

Agreement to Participate in the 2008-2009 DataTools Program

As with any course of professional development, your level of success in the DataTools program will be tied to the time and effort you put into it. The following statements outline the program elements and your responsibilities. At our first Introductory Meeting, you will be asked to sign a paper version of this agreement, indicating your understanding of and agreement to participate in the following course elements.

  1. I will attend the Introductory Meeting of the DataTools program on April 5, 2008.
  2. I will participate in the spring 2008 Distance Learning Component of the DataTools program. This includes four 'real-time' on-line teleconferences. See the Calendar for specific dates.
  3. I will attend and participate in the two-week face-to-face DataTools summer workshop held Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm July 7 through July 18, 2008. The workshop will include some homework.
  4. I will also attend and participate in two Saturday meetings on October 25, 2008 and March 21, 2009.
  5. I will discuss any schedule conflicts and opportunities for make-up with the project team.
  6. Through my participation, I will learn to use analysis tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, image-processing software, and spreadsheet software.
  7. I will gain skills that will allow me to help prepare my students for an increasingly technology-intensive workplace, and I'll help them connect their new skills with careers that use them.
  8. I will plan and implement two data-rich investigations in my classroom during the 2008-2009 school year. I will report on each plan and implementation using the templates provided during the four scheduled asynchronous on-line events. See the Calendar for specific dates.

For my successful completion of the DataTools program described above, I will earn 3 graduate credits from UMass Dartmouth (tuition = $466) plus a $1700 stipend for completing the program, plus a $100 travel stipend to help offset my travel expenses.

The $100 travel stipend plus the first $700 is payable upon successful participation through the summer workshop. The 3 graduate credits will be awarded and the additional $1000 stipend is payable upon successful completion of classroom implementation requirements, but no sooner than March 21, 2009 and no later than June 30, 2009.