Junior High- Cara Moreland

1. Recognize the related legislatures and regulations to support the needs from your institution.

According to the Navasota ISD Technology Plan, the districts plan aligns with student standards, Technology Application Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and standards for teachers determined by the State Board for Educator Certification (2010). The Technology Plan also aligns with the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) (Navasota ISD Technology Plan, 2010). According to the Districts Technology Instructional Specialist, the technology department does the best they can to keep the district aligned with these standards and to make sure they are being followed (Moreland, 2012).

Needs Assessed from Report 1:

Most teachers are not comfortable with network troubleshooting.

NETS for Teachers
3 a. “demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.”
(ISTE, 2008)

Technology Application Standard:
2.7s resolve information conflicts and validate information by accessing,
researching, and comparing data from multiple sources

(Texas State Board for Educator Certification, 2003)

NISD cannot provide every student with a computer, and teachers do not always have access to computers for an entire class.

NETS for Teachers
1 b. “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.”
(ISTE, 2008)

NETS for Students
2. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

(ISTE, 2007)

A lack of funding
Without funding teachers cannot meet these NETS for Teachers standards:

2. Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

(ISTE 2008)

Not enough employees in the technology department
Having another Technology Instructional Specialist would help meet the following Technology Application Standards:

Standard I. All teachers use technology-related terms, concepts, data input strategies, and ethical practices to make informed decisions about current technologies and their applications.

Standard II. All teachers identify task requirements, apply search strategies, and use current technology to efficiently acquire, analyze, and evaluate a variety of electronic information.

Standard III. All teachers use task-appropriate tools to synthesize knowledge, create and modify solutions, and evaluate results in a way that supports the work of individuals and groups in problem-solving situations.

Standard IV. All teachers communicate information in different formats and for diverse audiences.

Standard V. All teachers know how to plan, organize, deliver, and evaluate instruction for all students that incorporates the effective use of current technology for teaching and integrating the Technology Applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) into the curriculum.
(Texas State Board for Educator Certification, 2003)

2. Develop the objectives for the school technology plan based on the needs from your institution.

Navasota ISD’s technology plan is there to “support the district’s mission to create learning environments that provide equitable experiences for students to participate in a rigorous curriculum that will prepare them for living and working in an increasingly information based society.” (Navasota ISD Technology Plan, 2010). A technology plan is there to help the district utilize technology for all in the district; the technology plan “should support the district improvement plan and be aligned with the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology.” (TEA)

Based on my first report the following objectives focus on the weakness of the school:

Objective 1:
Navasota ISD will provide professional development for teachers, in order to increase the teachers ability and comfort level with technology, focusing on the ability to troubleshoot technology issues. This is measurable through the use of technology listed in lesson plans and classroom observations by principal, assistant principal, and campus technology specialist.

Objective 2:
Navasota ISD will provide funding for Navasota Jr. High to become a 1:1 campus, to meet the goal the district has set. This is measurable by the ratio of computers/iPads to number of students on campus.

Objective 3:
Navasota ISD will provide funding to increase the amount of funding for Navasota Jr. High to upgrade the equipment on the campus to better meet the needs of students and teachers. This is measurable by keeping records of the amount of money provided to the school through outside sources.

Objective 4:
Navasota ISD will provide a second Technology Instructional Specialist to increase the amount of professional development for teachers and to assist in meeting the needs of the district. This is measurable by the Technology Instructional Specialist providing dates and times they meet with a teacher, and through lesson plans and classroom observations looking for the use of technology.

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.

Becoming a 1:1 campus is the districts goal for the Jr. High Campus by the school year 2014-2015 (Moreland, 2012). Project RED states "Daily technology use in core subject-area classes, frequent technology use in intervention courses, and a low student-to-computer ratio were found to play a critical role in reducing dropout rates, the study reveals” (Devaney, 2010).

Technology:
All teachers will be trained on the Technology Application TEKS and incorporate the TEKS into their daily lessons. Navasota Jr. High School will be a 1:1 campus in the district to help easily meet the TEKS in the classroom. This will be measured by classroom observations and lesson plans looking specifically at the use of technology, and 1:1 will be measured by the ratio of computers/iPad’s on campus to the total number of students on campus.

Funding:
Navasota Jr. High will continue to seek outside funding for technology, such as grants and corporate sponsors. This is measurable by keeping records of the amount of outside money the campus receives in a period of time.

Management:
Navasota ISD technology department will continue to provide professional development for teachers. The technology department will focus on training teachers on troubleshooting problems. This is measurable by keeping a log of when someone was called (campus or district level technology personnel) to assist a teacher with a troubleshooting problem and when a technology problem was fixed by a teacher.

References:

Devaney, L. (2010, June 28). Technology news for the K-20 educators: Study reveals factors in ed-tech success. Retrieved from http://projectred.org/uploads/eSchoolNews_ProjectRed.pdf

ISTE (2007). NETS for Students. Retrieved from
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx

ISTE (2008). NETS for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Moreland, J. NISD. NISD Technology Instructional Specialist. Personal Communication February 24, 2012.

NISD Technology Plan 2010-2013. 2010. Unpublished manuscript.

TEA. Texas Planning e-Rate Support Center. Retrieved from http://tpesc.esc12.net/eplan/default.html

Texas State Board for Educator Certification. (2003). Technology Application Standards. Retrieved from http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/sbeconline/standtest/standards/techapp.pdf