Technology Center Visit II First District RESA Date of visit: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Person Interviewed: Virginia

Bennett and Lisa Burkhalter

The Educational Technology Training Center (ETTC) is housed at the First District Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) in Brooklet, Georgia. It serves 18 school systems. There are only three employees. Lisa Burkhalter is the Director, Virginia Bennett is the Instructional Technology Coordinator, and they have an IT Specialist. Their goal is to support student achievement through technology by supporting teachers. In talking with Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Burkhalter, I learned the history of this particular ETTC. Originally, it was a separate entity, but two to three years ago, funds were put into RESA funds so then they became a part of the RESA. They went on to explain the big picture across Georgia. There were 13 ETTCs and 16 RESAs across Georgia. The ETTCs were either under a RESA or a University. Funding was primarily from Federal Title IID grants. That funding ended and was put into RESAs. Most recently, the little amount of funding left has been taken from the state and put into the schools. First District RESAs ETTC is operating on a $70,000 budget to serve 18 school systems. First District RESA used to have an ETTC with Armstrong, but it was closed at the end of last year. The ETTC at First District RESA: offers courses to teachers either onsite or at the First District RESA location in Brooklet They offer virtual teleconferencing as well. They have conducted Department of Education training for the Georgia Performance Standards.

 They are responsible for administering the EOCT (end of course tests) for home-schooled and private school students. They maintain collaboration with Technology Directors in the 18 school systems. They offer training on interactive white boards, tablets, and student response systems. They have two computer labs. One has desktop computers. The other lab has desktops as well as a polycom for virtual teleconferencing.