February 2011

The eighth annual PBS teacher survey on media and technology use reflects a deepening commitment to media and digital technology that connect teachers and their students to educational resources.

With each passing year, teachers’ reliance on media and technology for classroom instruction and student engagement is increasing. Teachers value digital media as instructional resources that help them engage student interest, promote creativity and differentiate instruction. Increasingly, teachers are turning to the Internet to access content that traditionally has been distributed via television broadcasts.

Among the survey findings:

• The Internet is quickly becoming the source for media-based instruction, with streaming and downloading of content surging.
• Teachers believe that a variety of technology devices and Web-based systems help them do their jobs better and help them to engage students in learning.
• Teachers see great educational potential in smart, portable devices, including laptops, tablets, e-readers and handhelds.
• Teachers are joining online professional communities to connect, collaborate and share resources with other teachers.

The Federal Communications Commission is amending its rules concerning communications with staff and interested parties concerning FCC rulemaking proceedings. The Report and Order adopts a new rule requiring all oral ex parte communications to be documented, and their content described. This reform should enable those participating in our proceedings as well as those observing them to better identify and understand the issues being debated before the FCC. New electronic filing rules will empower anyone using the Internet to access this information, and stronger enforcement provisions will bolster these new requirements. Given the complexity of the issues we must decide and the far-reaching impact our decisions often have, we believe these initiatives to increase transparency serve the best interests of the Commission, the entities we regulate, and the public we serve. We also continue this proceeding with a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that asks for comment on whether the interests of fairness and openness would be served by adopting real party-in-interest disclosure rules based on those that apply in many court proceedings.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said the FCC, through this action, is making "true improvements to the transparency and openness of its work."

Quickly...

Filing and Content Requirements

Ex parte notices will be required for all oral ex parte presentations in permit-but-disclose proceedings, not just for those presentations that involve new information or arguments not already in the record.

If an oral ex parte presentation is limited to material already in the written record, the notice must contain either a succinct summary of the matters discussed or a citation to the page or paragraph number in the party’s written submission(s) where the matters discussed can be found. If an oral ex parte presentation includes new information, the notice must contain a summary of the new data and arguments presented.

Notices for all ex parte presentations must include the name of the person(s) who made the ex parte presentation as well as a list of all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the presentation was made.

Notices of ex parte presentations made outside the Sunshine period must be filed within two business days of the presentation.

The question whether to require disclosure of real parties-in-interest requires further consideration in light of issues raised by the commenters. Therefore, while we do not adopt disclosure requirements today, we are including a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to elicit further comment on this matter.

Special Provisions for the Sunshine Period
The Sunshine period will begin on the day (including business days, weekends, and holidays) after issuance of the Sunshine notice, rather than when the Sunshine Agenda is issued (as the current rules provide).

If an ex parte presentation is made on the day the Sunshine notice is released, an ex parte notice must be submitted by the next business day, and any reply would be due by the following business day. If a permissible ex parte presentation is made during the Sunshine period (under an exception to the Sunshine period prohibition), the ex parte notice is due by the end of the same day on which the presentation was made, and any reply would need to be filed by the next business day. Any reply must be in writing and limited to the issues raised in the ex parte notice to which the reply is directed.

Commissioners and agency staff may continue to request ex parte presentations during the Sunshine period, but these presentations should be limited to the specific information required by the Commission.

Electronic Filing
Ex parte notices must be submitted electronically in machine-readable format. PDF images created by scanning a paper document may not be submitted, except in cases in which a word-processing version of the document is not available. Confidential information may continue to be submitted by paper filing, but a redacted version must be filed electronically at the same time the paper filing is submitted. An exception to the electronic filing requirement will be made in cases in which the filing party claims hardship. The basis for the hardship claim must be substantiated in the ex parte filing.

Enforcement
To facilitate stricter enforcement of the ex parte rules, the Enforcement Bureau is authorized to levy forfeitures for ex parte rule violations.

The rules are modified to require that copies of electronically filed ex parte notices must also be sent electronically to all staff and Commissioners present at the ex parte meeting so as to enable them to review the notices for accuracy and completeness. Filers may be asked to submit corrections or further information as necessary for compliance with the rules. Where staff believes there are instances of substantial or repeated violations of the ex parte rules, staff should report such to the General Counsel.

New Media
Comments made on the Commission’s new media sites will not routinely be incorporated into the records of all permit-but-disclose proceedings at this time. The Commission will continue to incorporate this material into some Notices of Inquiry and other proceedings, and will continue to develop ways that will make its inclusion in additional proceedings technically possible. In the interim, users of new media may file comments electronically in any permit-but-disclose proceeding consistent with the ex parte rules by clicking on the link to ECFSExpress on the Commission’s homepage, www.fcc.gov.

Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA), major congressional players on privacy issues, wrote to Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg expressing concerns about the social networking site's plans to share user addresses and phone numbers with developers and websites.

“Facebook needs to protect the personal information of its users to ensure that Facebook doesn't become Phonebook," said Rep Markey, who co-chairs the Congressional Privacy Caucus along with Rep Barton and two senators. "This is sensitive data and needs to be protected.” The letter highlights the increased scrutiny Facebook is getting on Capitol Hill as lawmakers consider whether to update online privacy laws. Markey said he plans to introduce legislation that will include a requirement for a do-not-track mechanism so the online behavior and personal information of children won't be tracked.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has appointed persons to serve on the Emergency Response Interoperability Center Public Safety Advisory Committee (ERIC PSAC or Committee).

Chairman Genachowski has also designated Chief Jeff Johnson, representing the International Association of Fire Chiefs, as Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Chief Eddie Reyes, representing the City of Alexandria, Virginia Police Department, as Committee Vice-Chair.

The members represent a diverse and balanced mix of viewpoints from public safety organizations, state, local and tribal government agencies, and various entities from the communications industry. The Committee is a Federal Advisory Committee that will provide recommendations to assist the Commission's Emergency Response Interoperability Center, an entity established within the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, in the development of a technical framework and requirements for interoperability in order to ensure that the public safety wireless broadband network is interoperable on a nationwide basis. The Commission published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2010, a notice of its intent to establish the Committee. On August 6, 2010, the FCC, pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, established the charter for the ERIC PSAC for a period of two years through August 6, 2012.

Under its charter, the ERIC PSAC's duties may include:

• Recommending technical and operational requirements and procedures to ensure a nationwide level of interoperability for the public safety broadband network;
• Recommending requirements and procedures to address operability, roaming, priority access, gateway functions and interfaces, the interconnectivity of public safety broadband networks, and other matters related to the functioning of the nationwide public safety broadband network;
• Recommending authentication and encryption requirements for common public safety broadband applications and network use;
• Recommending best practices and actions the Commission can take to ensure the security, reliability, operability, and interoperability of public safety communications systems; and
• Recommending ways to strengthen the collaboration between communications service providers and public safety entities during emergencies and make recommendations for how they can be improved.

Membership

Gene Fullano, Designated Federal Officer
Brian Hurley, Deputy Designated Federal Officer

Chair: Chief Jeff Johnson
International Association of Fire Chiefs
Chief Executive Officer Western Fire Chiefs Association

Vice Chair: Deputy Chief Eddie Reyes
City of Alexandria Virginia Police Department

Members:

Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International
Richard Mirgon
Immediate Past President, APCO International

International Association of Chiefs of Police
Chief Harlin R. McEwen
Chair, Communications & Technology Committee, IACP

Major County Sheriffs Association
Raymond J. Flynn
Assistant Sheriff, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Major Cities Chiefs Association
Deputy Chief Charles Dowd
New York City Police Department, Communications Division

National Sheriffs’ Association
Andrew M. Seybold
CEO and Principal Consultant, Andrew Seybold, Inc.

Fraternal Order of Police
Major Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
Commanding Officer Uniform Division
Providence Police Department

International Association of Fire Fighters
Jonathan W. Moore, Director
IAFF Fire & EMS Operations/GIS Department

National EMS Management Association
Gary Wingrove
President, NEMSMA

National Association of State EMS Officials
Kevin McGinnis, MPS, EMT-P
Communications Technology Advisor

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
Robert Lederman
Broadband and Network Engineer/First Responder

National Public Safety Telecommunications Council
Tom Sorley
Deputy Director, Radio Communications Services

National Emergency Management Association
Michael Cline
State Coordinator
Virginia Department of Emergency Management

International Municipal Signal Association
Chief Douglas M. Aiken
Chair IMSA Communications Committee, IMSA
Lakes Regional Mutual Fire Aid
Laconia, New Hampshire

American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials
William K. Brownlow
AASHTO Telecommunications Manager

American Hospital Association
John T. Collins, FASHE, HFDP
Director, Engineering & Compliance
American Society for Healthcare Engineering

InterAgency Board
Leonard Edling
Commander
Chicago Fire Department, Bureau of Operations

National Emergency Number Association
Brian Fontes, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer

National Association of State Chief Information Officers
Kenneth Boley
Director, Intergovernmental Initiatives
Office of the Chief Technology Officer
Government of the District of Columbia

National Governors Association
Ray Lehr
Statewide Interoperability Director
State of Maryland

New York State
Colonel Steven F. Cumoletti
Deputy Superintendent
New York State Police

Sandy Springs Police Department
Chief Terry L. Sult
Chief of Police
Sandy Springs, Georgia

City of New Orleans
Urban Area Security Initiative. New Orleans Region
Kenneth C. Hughes, Jr. (Colonel Ret.)
Regional Communications Planner

Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System
John Lenihan
Battalion Chief

Tennessee Valley Regional Communications System
Arnold Hooper
System Management/Regional Interoperability Coordinator

California Emergency Management Agency
Mike Beckstrand
Emergency Communication Coordinator
Advisor Interoperability Section

William Schrier
City of Seattle
Department of Information Technology
Chief Technology Officer and Director

State of Delaware
Department of Homeland Security
Mark A. Grubb
Director, Division of Communications

State of Louisiana
Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Brant Mitchell
Deputy Director for Management, Finance and Interoperability

Oregon Wireless Interoperability Network
Peter van den Berg
OWIN Strategic Planning Manager

Nevada Department of Public Safety
Robert F. Wideman
Statewide Interoperability Coordinator
Division of Emergency Management

Washington State Department of Information Services
Doug Mah
Policy Manager

Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Jackie Mines
Director, Emergency Communications Networks Division

Texas Department of Public Safety
Michael Simpson
Assistant Director
Law Enforcement Support
Texas Statewide Communications Interoperability Coordinator

Commonwealth of Virginia
Virginia Information Technologies Agency
Dorothy A. Spears-Dean
Public Safety Coordinator

Michigan Public Safety Communication System
Bradley A. Stoddard
Director

State of Mississippi
Christopher B. Epps
Chair Mississippi Wireless Communication
Commissioner Mississippi Department of Corrections

State of New Mexico
Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Jacqueline J. Miller
Chief Technology Officer

State of Ohio
Office of Information Technology
Thomas Bretthauer
Data Systems Manager
Multi-Agency Radio Communications System

Gila River Indian Community
Mark J. Hill, Sr.
Public Safety Communications Engineer
911 Administrator/Manager
Amber Alert Coordinator

Intra-Tribal Council of California, Inc.
Robert S. Nelson
Assistant Tribal Administrator
Director of Emergency Management

AT&T, Inc.
Stacey F. Black
Assistant Vice President

Verizon Wireless
Harry A. (Alex) Coleman II
Vice President, Government and Education Markets

T-Mobile USA Inc.
Neville Ray
Chief Network Officer

Rural Telecommunications Group
Art Prest
RTG Technical Advisor
Managing Director, Art Prest & Associates

Sprint Nextel Corporation
Vonya B. McCann
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

Satellite Industry Association
Patricia A. Cooper
President

Alcatel-Lucent
Dr. Kenneth C. Budka
Senior Director, Advanced Mission Critical Communications
Bell Labs Chief Technology Office

Ericsson
Michael Coyne
Vice President for Mobile Broadband Solutions

Harris Corporation
Dr. Dennis M. Martinez
Vice President Broadband and Cellular Products
Public Safety and Professional Business Unit

Intrado, Inc.
Stephen Meer
Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer

IPWireless, Inc.
Roger Quayle
Chief Technology Officer

Motorola
Paul Steinberg
Chief Technology Officer Motorola Solutions

Nokia Siemens Networks
Ajit Kahaduwe
Head of Industry Environment North America

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions
Maria Estefania
Vice President Standards Development

Syniverse Technologies, Inc.
Byron Neal
Chief Network Architect

Illinois Institute of Technology
Kenneth J Zdunek, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scholar

SAFECOM
Chief Charles Werner
Fire Chief, Charlottesville Virginia Fire Department