According to Long Range Plan for technology involve the lack of adequate funding for administrators and educational technology staff to fully address their students' educational needs. District leaders expressed enthusiasm for implementing and integrating technology resources into and throughout their schools, but they expressed frustration with not being able to do so due to budgetary constraints. The current dedicated technology funding is in the form of the Technology Allotment that has remained at the same approximate $30 per student level originally set in 1992 in 2005-2006, the allotment was decreased to 115,000,000 or $27.14 per student in average daily attendance. Without "dedicated" funding for technology, districts are under tremendous pressure to find funds for technology because of such tight funding that already exist for all the other educational programs. Significant and "dedicated" funding is necessary to maintain what has already been accomplished in Texas and to (1) improve the student-to-computer ration, (2) provide instructional support and professional development, and (3) ensure adequate technical support, so that Texas can move into the 21st Century. ( Texas Education Agency)
Report 1 Weakness:
Technology- 2 computers in classroom, Computers not working in library or classroom, and missing technology pieces
IN4:Strive to achieve and maintain a personal computing device ratio of 1:1 for both students and professional educators.TL10:Ensure that school libraries have the latest technology and online resources for student research and curriculum integration.
IN3:Build community support for anytime, anywhere Internet access through collaborative planning, education, public information and other means.
Funding- Depends on schools. School does not put in a lot of funding for technology.
LAS06:Allocate at least 30 percent of technology allotment budget for professional development.
LAS15:Budget for, offer, and support expanded curricular and instructional opportunities to students via online and other distance learning.
IN02:Develop innovative funding and collaboration strategies with both public and private sectors to ensure all students have equitable and anytime, anywhere access to broadband communications.
Managements- More technology teachers, and more technology inservices
EP 1:Provide professional development for teaching and integrating Technology Applications into the foundation and enrichment TEKS through multiple delivery methods.EP 2:Provide professional development for Technology Applications courses as identified in Technology Applications Educator Standards VI - XI.
Ep09:
Provide instructional coaches and mentors to support classroom efforts in using technology to improve learning in core curriculum areas.
2. Develop the objectives for the school technology plan based on the needs from your institution.
1. Improve academic performance opportunities and achievement across the curriculum through technology services.
Target Population: Teachers, librarians, and administrators
Objective: Each semester a 90% participation rate will be expected for 2 staff development sessions offered for curriculum integration for technology.
Measure: Number of staff attending workshops and conferences. The staff members that attend the workshops or conferences will have to write on their daily lessons plans some of the technology techniques acquired at the workshops that they will use in the classroom.
Staff members present a powerpoint to other staff members at school of what they have learned and how to incorporate it to the classroom.
Certificates of attendance documented in staff development system.
2. 100% of the computers will have the latest Spring ISD software, and every classroom will have two working computers.
Target Population: Technology Personel
Objective: Upgrade or replace older instructional computers as necessary and increase the number of computers for students to use.
Measure: Computers upgraded from old software no longer used in school, upgrade 13 computers that do not work. The technology liaison from the school will make sure that each computer is up to date with the latest software used in the school, and that the computers are working.
3. The school will allocate 10% of campus budget on technology.
Target Population: Principal, CIP Commitee
Objective: Continue to participate in grant writing
Measure: The principal will have a grant writing committee. The members of this committee will have to go the grant writing classes that Spring ISD offers. This committee will meet once a month with ideas of different grants that involve technology. Staff members that are not in the committee will be able to turn in grants for approval. This process is to ensure that each critical step is done in order to receive the grant.
3. Identify the objective for each area of Technology, Funding, and Management. Provide the needed elements for each objective to make sure that it’s measurable.
Technology
Goal 1: Expand Our Capacity to Improve Teaching and Learning
Objective: Each semester a 90% participation rate will be expected for 2 staff development sessions offered for curriculum integration for technology.The teachers, librarians, and administrators will be trained with the technology needed in order to integrate it to the curriculum. The admnistrators will be observing teachers in order to make sure that this integration is happening. The schools will use some of the technology alloted money to replace the computers that do not work.
Strategies: 1.2.7 Promote and support effective instructional models and resources for using technology to teach core curriculum concepts through staff development, mentoring and modeling by curriculum directors and providing support resources as available.
Evidence: Documentation of best practices for instructional models available to all instructional staff. Staff development sessions conducted by instructional technologist specialist. Support resources available as needed.
Funding
Objective: Provide technology tools and multimedia devices to support classroom teaching and learning.
Strategies: 4.1.3 Provide access to multimedia devices such as interactive whiteboards, interactive tablets and digital cameras.
Evidence: Device Purchased and made available.
Management
Teachers will be given opportunities to develop and utilize technology proficiencies commiserate with the technologies available at the school. Teacher technology portfolios are requires as part of each staff member's summative evaluation. The portfolio provides evidence of technology proficiencies and support information obtained during classroom observations.
Texas Education Agency. (2011, August). Long range plan for technology,2006-2020. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from tea.state.tx.us: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665.
Kimi, please elaborate more for each question.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: Based on the needs and weaknesses you indentified in your Report I, please list the standards from the Long Range Plan for technology to direct your proposed technology plan.
Question 2 & 3: Each objective should include a minimum of 3 elements - targeted population, objective, and the measuring methods. Please refer to the writing format for the objective in CSTE5337. The objectives you proposed in question 2 & 3 should match with the direction of required standards in Question 1.
Please let us know if you need some clarification for writing the objectives.
Dr. Shannon,
DeleteI have modified my responses.
Kim
In looking over your needs for your institution, it is clear that technology is needed in the evaluation and integration of instructional technology and the loss of funding has cause many issues in trying to provide a balance of technology instruction “However, the importance of the ability to have individuals gain today’s ever changing contemporary competences and the ability to use technology for instructional purposes has increased. These two conditions reveal the need for different approaches to be presented in a wide spectrum that span from instructional strategies to techniques and from planning to evaluation. In this regard, it can be said that in the education field, instructional processes of evaluation, which show itself through the influence of understandings that have changed within the recent years and through the contribution of technology, will facilitate the creation of desired instructional contexts.” (Şengel, 2009, p.730) So, how do you work to provide instructional support and professional development to allow for a continued ability to integrate technology in the classroom for the benefit of the students?
ReplyDeleteŞengel, E. (2009). AN OVERVIEW FOR COMPUTER ASSISTED ASSESMENT. E-Journal Of New World Sciences Academy (NWSA), 4(3), 729-740.
Professional development in technology is very important. Many teachers still do not know how to integrate technology into the curriculum.The professional development that has been developed at my school is on how to integrate google docs into the classroom.
DeleteHaving an objective to look for grants is a great idea! I think that grants are something that many teachers overlook and really need to be taken more advantage of. Grants are there for people to use and are made available for teachers especially. Teachers spend so much of their own money in their classrooms and these grants could help alleviate some of that financial strain. It is a great idea to make teachers more aware of these grants.
ReplyDeleteBridget,
DeleteYou are correct. Grants are a great way for teachers to get money. Many teachers don't think they will get it and don't even apply. Teachers should take advantage of the grants.