WEMTA Members: We need more of your stories!

Dear WEMTA Members,

Several weeks ago we asked you to share stories about your libraries with us so we could share them with legislators at National Library Legislative Day on May 2.  Thank you to those of you who shared your stories! We need more stories from the following congressional districts:

District 2 Mark Pocan 

District 4 Gwen Moore

District 6 Glenn Grothman

District 7 Sean Duffy

District 8 Mike Gallagher

If your school is in one of these districts, please complete the form at the link below, and please include a picture or video along with your story. You can find your congressional district by typing in your school's zip code at http://www.house.gov/

On May 2, Janet Vraney (Green Bay PS) and Amy Pugh (Pewaukee School Dist.) will attend a National Library Legislative Day in Washington D.C. where they have an opportunity to meet with legislators and/or their aides to share the wonderful work that is happening in our school libraries across Wisconsin. They need your input on the survey linked so they can share the stories of the great programs and resources that are extending student learning in our school libraries.

Your participation in this short survey by April 20 is greatly appreciated. If you know of another library staff member in your district or region that is not a WEMTA member, you may also share this survey with them. (Survey/Form link: https://goo.gl/forms/aV1Yn8CDMpNC6anx1)

Thank you in advance. 

WEMTA Legislative Committee

Advocate for edtech funding!

Dear WEMTA Members,

Your support and participation is needed to advance advocacy efforts on the following issues. ISTE's advocacy work over the last several years is under attack. Progress on E-Rate, the Lifeline program and educational technology funding via the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is at stake with the new Congress and Presidential Administration. Please take action by doing the following:

• Sign up for the ISTE Advocacy Network, a one-stop source for information about edtech policy. Each week in April ISTE will be sending a policy update email that also includes an action item you can take to directly benefit edtech policy.
• Participate in our advocacy campaign by following#Act4Edtech on Twitter and retweeting @isteconnectsupdates.
• Watch and share this video from ISTE Board President Mila Fuller to learn more about ISTE's advocacy priorities and how you can help advance our efforts.

Visit ISTE's Take Action Page today and learn how you can win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Digital Wish has just launched a massive hotspot donation program for educators

Now on the Sprint network, Mobile Beacon's 4G LTE Program has donated hotspot modems and discounted $10/month wireless service for educators.  You get unlimited, high-speed 4G LTE mobile broadband service and a high quality, 10 hour battery life hotspot modem that can connect up to 10 people to the internet on only one plan!

You can expand your internet access at school, on field trips, at sporting events or while working at home.  The coverage area is now over 5 times larger and internet speeds are a lot faster at 6 to 9 mbs.  

Mobile Beacon’s 4G LTE Internet service can help districts fill in critical access gaps, including:

• Providing instant wireless access to teachers who struggle with unreliable Internet access at their homes or schools.
• Provide out-of-school access to disadvantaged or at-risk students.
• Providing mobile Internet access on field trips and off-campus events.
• Creating a low-cost, back-up Internet source at schools to prevent lessons from being disrupted if the school’s primary Internet connection fails.
• Bring wireless access to areas of the school building with spotty internet
• Offer video-streaming of school events to engage families and communities.

Teachers and administrators can order the modems and Internet subscriptions individually with their own credit card as long as they are employed by a district and have a proper school email address. They can also order the donated modems now and wait until June 30th before setting up the subscription. An $18 admin fee applies for a single modem donation and subscriptions must be paid for a full year.

Find out more and get your donated hotspot modems with service here.

Please share the news with your colleagues and WEMTA!

All the best,

Gordon Woodrow

Executive Director

Digital Wish