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The California K-12 High Speed Network (K12HSN) is offering a comprehensive set of tools to support teaching and learning in California classrooms. This free suite of tools, known as edZone, was developed by the California Dept of Education and currently includes blogging, videoconference scheduling and a file sharing system where educators can upload videos, podcasts, images and documents. EdZone is an excellent tool to share lesson ideas, upload student learning objects, disseminate best practices, and more! EdZone will soon be expanded to include Instant Messaging, Moodle, Wikis, Social Networking, Moodle-an online course management system and other Web 2.0 tools to enhance today's classroom environment. Watch for these new tools in Summer 2008!

Internet2 is a non-profit membership organization of 208 universities working in conjunction with government and industry to operate a private national Internet Protocol (IP) network reserved for the exclusive use of the US research and education (R&E) community.As the national R&E backbone, the Internet2 Network provides connectivity between institutions and connectivity to international research and education networks thereby providing access to the global research and education community. While there are many benefits of using Internet2 in the classroom here are the top three for K12:
1. Immediate access to experiences and expertise
2. Access to rich multi-media digital collections and resources
3. A truly global education network at your fingertips.

In California, we have a localized statewide version of this effort called K12 High Speed Network/K12HSN

The K12HSN Interactive Desktop Solution (KIDS) program provides free Polycom's PVX desktop videoconferencing software in order to bring videoconferencing into the classroom. The program is available for all K-12 educators working for a California school.

The K12HSN Professional Development Cafe is a series of videoconferences around a variety of areas of interest for K-12 school personnel. Participation in these sessions is available through videoconferencing or through web streaming.

"The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education," set for release this week, provides a framework for using copyright materials in classroom activities and student projects and lays out what applications are restricted or permitted by law.

Congress has authorized a new federal research center that will be charged with helping to develop innovative ways to use digital technology at schools and in universities. The National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies was included as part of the latest reauthorization Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader of the Higher Education Act, approved last month. President Bush signed the law on Aug. 14. The center will be charged with supporting research and development of new education technologies, including internet-based technologies. It will also help adapt techniques already widely used in other sectors, such as advertising and the military, to classroom instruction.

As a joint effort of CDE, CTAP and CUE, the Student Technology Showcase serves to inform parents, teachers, administrators, legislators and higher education representatives about curriculum-based student technology projects being undertaken in Kindergarten through grade 12.