• ISTE Announces Winners Of 2003 Ed Tech Awards
• Dr. Bonnie O'Day And Audiovox Announce Settlement
• FCC Can't Require Video Description

ISTE Announces Winners Of 2003 Ed Tech Awards

(Eugene, Ore.)-The International Society for Technology in Education's (ISTE) Affiliate Executive Committee has named Lori Rounds of The Woods Academy in Bethesda, Maryland, and Douglas Becker from South Dorchester High School in Cambridge, Maryland, the winners of the 2003 awards for Outstanding Leader and Outstanding Teacher, respectively.

Rounds was nominated for her leadership nationally, regionally, and at the Woods Academy, and for her continual effort to bring innovative projects to the school. "I am deeply honored to be selected," says Rounds. "This award validates what I feel is a key element to successful technology integration -- synergy! It is about building rapport, trust and support between the administration, the school board, the IT team, and most importantly, the teachers! No amount of hardware or software can transform the pedagogy in a classroom like an empowered teacher whose IT efforts are recognized and supported by the principal, the board and the IT staff!"

Becker was recognized for his early and outstanding dedication to effective technology integration in his classroom. "I am extremely honored and gratified to have been chosen for this award," Becker says. "My main objective was to stay current with the advances of science. With an investment of time and effort, I found that I could bring the current state of affairs into my classroom without having a hefty budget. In a broader sense, I hope to show teachers in small rural communities that, by incorporating technology-based curriculums, we can take our students to prestigious universities through the internet, we can provide an interactive learning environment that can be reviewed at home and at school, and we can demonstrate concepts that are otherwise too costly for our schools."

For the first time, both award winners were nominated by the same ISTE Affiliate: Maryland Instructional Computer Coordinators Association (MICCA).

Rounds and Becker each received $1,000 toward travel to the 2003 National Educational Computing Conference in Seattle, where they will receive commemorative plaques and complimentary ISTE memberships.

The awards recognize and honor individuals who have demonstrably improved education through the use of technology. The ISTE Affiliate Executive Committee selected the recipients from nominations submitted by ISTE Affiliates.

A membership organization, ISTE provides leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in education. ISTE members include teachers, technology coordinators, library media specialists, administrators and teacher educators, as well as representatives from key corporate, governmental, and policy organizations. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), ISTE meets its mission through knowledge generation, professional development and advocacy.

For additional information on ISTE's publications, projects, and activities, visit www.iste.org/. For information about purchase orders, special member and bulk discounts, call 1.800.336.5191

Dr. Bonnie O'Day And Audiovox Announce Settlement

Dr. Bonnie O'Day and Audiovox Announce Settlement in Section 255 Formal Complaint Proceeding

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
Audiovox Communications Corp., a majority owned subsidiary of Audiovox Corporation (Nasdaq: VOXX), and a leading provider of mobile phones, announced today that it has reached a settlement of litigation with Dr. Bonnie O'Day concerning the accessibility features of Audiovox mobile telephone equipment. In a formal complaint filed with the FCC last February, Dr. O'Day, who has impaired vision, had contended that Audiovox mobile telephone equipment was not accessible to people with visual disabilities to the extent required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. As a result of the settlement, in which Audiovox does not admit any violation of law, the parties have moved to have the complaint dismissed.

The specific terms of the settlement are confidential. The parties did disclose, however, that Audiovox is making a number of significant improvements. For example, Audiovox's 9900 series, which is to be released during December, provides a more accessible keypad and audible announcement of certain visually displayed information, such as dialed and incoming phone numbers battery power, and roaming status. In addition, the company will make instruction manuals and other information more user friendly for blind and low vision individuals, will develop an accessibility plan for its website, and will undertake additional employee training on disability issues. The company is currently assessing additional, more advanced speech output capabilities for its mobile handsets with a view toward incorporating these capabilities in the future.

Dr. O'Day hailed the settlement, stating, "I filed the complaint because blind and low vision people were frustrated with the pace of progress achieved by the wireless industry. Audiovox's commitment in this settlement, however, makes them a leader in providing wireless access to blind and visually impaired consumers."

Audiovox's President and CEO, Philip Christopher, added that "As wireless technology evolves and our industry provides enhanced communications capability to 150 million wireless subscribers in North America, it is important to improve wireless access for the 10 million Americans who have visual impairments. That's why Audiovox is taking seriously its commitment to implementation of Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act and our efforts to add value to these subscribers' wireless experience."

FCC Can't Require Video Description

D.C. Circuit: FCC Can't Require Video Description of Television Programs

Abstracted from The Resource Source, Winter 2004

The FCC issued regulations requiring commercial television broadcasters and multichannel video programming distributors to add video descriptions to a minimum number of hours of programming. However, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the Motion Picture Association of America, which had contested the FCC's authority to enact video description rules. The Court ruled that it is the FCC's duty to ensure geographic availability, not to regulate the content of programs.