As a private school, there are no legislative and regulations to support this institution in Technology. While it is in the best interest of the students to incorporate technology into instruction, the school is neither funded nor governed by the State in this area. There are many reasons to create a Technology plan beyond it being a requirement. Non-profits and service organizations like private schools benefit from creating a clearly defined plan . (National Community Service Corporation, n.d.). There are many model plans available.
Each Goal would be managed by the Steering Committee, the Principal, the classroom teachers, and the newly created Technology Committee. The primary obstacles faced by this school are common to many, according to the long range planning for TEA.
" Lack of time during the school day is the primary obstacle teachers face when using technology in their classroom (59%). Lack of enough computers (46%) and no home access for students (45%), as well as not enough time for planning (44%), are additional barriers. Most teachers indicated that their pre-service preparation or school-provided professional development aided in their use of technology. All teachers reported a desire for additional professional development with the primary emphasis on integration of technology into the curriculum and instruction (Long-range Planning, 2012).
Goal 1. Teaching with Technology
1.1Assist teachers in learning to use the resources available to extend student learning and learning 21st Century communication and collaboration tools.
Evidence: Job embedded training will meet with each teacher for a one hour session to show teachers side-by-side how to enroll in Edmodo, Twitter, and to find forums to collaborate with other teachers.
Cost: One hour of in-sevice training and a graduate student volunteer.
1.2 Use digital images and graphics in products and enable students to do the same.
Evidence: Teachers will use multimedia projections to enrich lessons and students will use cameras to record projects, dramas, oral recitations, create documentaries, etc.
Cost: Acquisition of 5 hand held digital camera/ video cameras. Consider receiving donated iPhones that do not have a monthly data plan.
1.3 Learn to access the power of many by finding and connecting with other educators to share lessons.
Evidence: Teachers will share in a brown bag lunch session each week what kinds of forums they have been accessing to find useful lessons that have already been designed and shared.
Cost: Lunch room attendant once per week. Consider parent volunteers.
1.4 Demystify technology hardware to train teachers and students to troubleshoot basic problems.
Evidence: teachers will reference the handouts and reduce the number of support requests that escalate to the building principal or to the Network Specialist.
Cost: Current staff will recruit volunteers to create videos and technology handouts to train teachers and students.
1.5 Create real-world projects through project-based learning embedded with technology that prepare students to work in digital environments.
Evidence: Students will display their products at an "I made this" exhibit where parents and the community attends a public showcase of student projects. Some projects may also be passed up to the correct authorities to further implement the findings of the projects.
Cost: Afterhours use of building facilities and labs. Security.
1.6 Use data from the gradebook and student performance to make decisions regarding curriculum and lessons.
Evidence: Teachers will use information to make data driven decisions about the lessons needed. Some lessons will be omitted as unnecessary and others will be added to the scope and sequence each year to adjust the instruction to the needs of each learner.
Cost: Additional printing costs
Goal 2. Student use of Internet to create and collaborate.
2.1 Leverage the existing technology to increase student engagement through the use of multimedia.
Evidence: Students will participate in a pair of surveys--the first asking general learning style and multimedia skills questions, the second given after several months of hands-on, will focus on the learner's reflections on his own learning.
Cost: Increased electricity payments.
2.2 Increase Internet safety by educating students about the dangers and responsibilities of digital citizenship.
Evidence: Each year students will participate in a class discussion and role play.
Cost: Curriculum or donated materials that have active engagment.
2.3 Create showcases for digital products to share beyond the classroom and generate traffic to validate student work with comments.
Evidence: Visible to visitors and students, student work will be on display in a physical digital showcase (tv, computer playing screencasts and slideshows of stills,) and on-line in a social networking site, for example Edmodo or FaceBook so that others can access student created materials for comment.
Cost:
2.4 Teach students to access information to become self-directed learners.
Evidence: Showcase in entry lobby and student showcase visible as a link from schools homepage.
Cost: One donated computer and monitor dedicated to the display.
Goal 3. Communication.
3.1 Use Web 2.0 tools to open communication between parents, the school and the community.
Cost: none
Evidence: on going job embedded inservice in a learning community, number of subscribers/followers to the services
Evidence: on going job embedded inservice in a learning community, number of subscribers/followers to the services
3.2 Use Gradebook program to help students monitor their own progress.
Cost: subscription fees
Evidence: student log ins to the the program available on a report.
3.3 Use social networking and podcasting to keep the community, sponsors and parents informed about student products and needs.
Cost: none
Evidence: on going job embedded inservice in a learning community, number of new posts, site traffic
3.4 Create internship positions for students from Caldwell High School to work with students in a more individualized setting to master technology and create a knowledge base of skills.
Evidence: student in building for 3 to 5 hours per week each in the lab and in classrooms.
Cost: publicity and screening, background check
3.5 Use videoconferencing to work collaboratively with other schools and subject matter experts.
Evidence: Virtual fieldtrips and guest speakers via videoconference will be announced and posted on the schools homepage.
Cost: videoconferencing equipment has already been donated
Cost: videoconferencing equipment has already been donated
Goal 4. Initiate long-term planning for future technology needs
(18 months ago the school raised 20,000 for an initial outfitting of the labs,peripherals, software, and network. Rather than wait until all machines need updating, begin a cycle of replacement in more manageable quantities.)
Evidence: a committee will form and begin long range planning as evidenced by agenda and minutes.
Evidence: a committee will form and begin long range planning as evidenced by agenda and minutes.
Cost: publicity, background checks.
4.1 Create a vision for technology committee to support the schools technology needs from stakeholders including:
the faculty, the student body, parents, former students, steering committee members.
the faculty, the student body, parents, former students, steering committee members.
Evidence:committee agendas and minutes
Cost: recruiting costs, background checks
4.2 create a fund that generates income to update technology on a cycling basis.
Evidence: an accumulation of funds statement from local bank.
Cost: Investment Advice, advertising to create enery/excitement,
4.3 create an inventory of assets (date of purchase, warrantee, expected life) to predict when they will need to be replaced and begin a schedule of retiring out of date technology.
Evidence: Technology assets are labeled, and a database of other information is shared as view only to stakeholders.
Cost: Labels and tracking software
References
Anderson, L. (2011) National Center for Technology Planning. It's more than computers. Technology: Retrieved February 25, 2011 from http://www.nctp.com/
National Community Service Corporation (n.d.) February 24, 2011 from http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/practices/20850
Week 6 required readings:
Technology
Educational Technology: Long Range Plan for Technology
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665
Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147494561&libID=2147494558
Alison –
ReplyDeleteDoes your school have affiliations with or accreditations by organizations which have technology specifications? I am also working with a private school, and we have technology standards set by our accrediting organization, SACS/AdvancED. We also are a member of the National Association of Independent Schools which also has technology standards. Both organizations work to ensure a high-quality education in private schools, and other accrediting organizations exist at both the state and regional levels (AdvancEd, 2007 and National Association of Independent Schools, 2010)
AdvancED. (2007). AdvancED Accreditation Standards for Quality School Systems. http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/k12programs/District_Accreditation/pdf/advanced_district_standards.pdf
National Association of Independent Schools. (2010). Technology use in private schools. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.nais.org/about/seriesdoc.cfm?ItemNumber=149157&sn.ItemNumber=146810
Susan,
DeleteI noticed this in your post and made a note to ask the school director. I am in the process of leading the teachers into using technology by introducing digital story telling. Mostly because it is so easy and fun and gets a lot of attention from parents and friends. Kids love to see this on the web. Storybird has delightful artwork and they are already asking about other "cool stuff we can do."
Allison,
ReplyDeleteVery nice post! Does your district make dual credit video conferencing (two-way interactive) courses available? If so, do you think two-way interactive courses are just as good as face-to-face courses? It seems like private and rural districts really benefit from two-way interactive technologies. However, finding institutions that provide quality instruction is always essential (Zaino, 2009)!
Zaino, J. (2009). Field-Tripping Goes Virtual. Instructor, 119(2), 34.
Mike, great point!
Deletewith a little encouragement, they agreed to try a presentation next week from the museum in Washington, Texas. Kids are going to play their recorder flutes with other students and the reinactment character at the musuem. They are already practicing from the sheet music. I love being a part of these high-energy events that generate enthusiasm.
Really like your post! Sufficent time to accomplish technology objectives is struggle for most schools. Days are filled to capacity already and then we expect teachers to do more. My school has the same problem, we are only in session for five hours a day and most of my students only come two or three days a week. To solve this problem I am developing a parent training program to accompany my technology plan. I perceive that some parents will not be willing to attend or even practice the techniques but at least given the tools some of them will help make my job easier.
ReplyDelete“Effective parent involvement correlates with students’ earning higher grades and test scores.” (National Institute of Education)
School Volunteers. Parent-Volunteers.Com. Retrieved February 27, 2012 from http://parent-volunteers.com/parent-volunteer-statistics/.
Thank you Amy.
DeleteI would like for parents to get a basic appreciation for how much school has changed in just the last few years...let alone since they attended. A dramatic way to accomplish this is through the cell phone. I have created a blind texting list that parents can subscribe to. I send out links to sample projects in the hope that this will start a dialog with their own student about their project. Less expensive and less trouble than mailing a post card! One girl who had her product featured a couple weeks ago bragged to the class, "My mom liked my project so much she took me to the mall and gave me $20 bucks (a real fortune to most freshman!)"
Parent involvement can be 24/7 with technology.
Allison, great input to break down each objective into the measurable methods and cost factors. I wonder whether I overlooked on the funding objectives. Many of your proposed objectives are related to the cost, should the funding objective/s be added into this technology plan?
ReplyDeleteThe school has literally no funds budgeted for technology. In an effort to keep the tuition as low as possible, they only budget for absolute essentials. Part of the basis of the school is a faith-based mission. If they were to have a budgetary excess they have, in the past, donated the extra monies to schools less fortunate. They believe "the Lord will provide what is needed as it is actually needed" and model this for the students. To outfit the new lab, they raised 20,000 in less than 3 months through car washes, bake sales and direct donations. When they needed a video conferencing lab, one was anonymously donated 3 days after. The need was not mentioned outside the faculty.
DeleteI would like to see a fund established similar to an endowment that will keep the technology current and retire aging assets so that in the future the school does not have to aggregate large sums under pressure, but it may be difficult to move from the school's basic mission statement.
To establish an endowment would be a great addition to the funding objective! Let's include it for the next strategies planning.
DeleteAllison, many great ideas and objectives! You cast a wide net here and in many cases I would be concerned that too much is being undertaken. But you have the natural energy and drive to go after such a challenge. I think as you start laying out the steps for achieving each objective in your plan you'll find the technology, management, and funding issues coming into focus. You may have to stagger some of these steps in terms of timing due to the management and funding issues. I'm glad you are recommending to replace the technology on a regularly scheduled cycle. That makes technology management and funding more sustainable.
ReplyDeleteGood advice, as always, Mike. As for the wide net, I assumed that some are part of the long-term plan stretching over 4 to 6 years. Many things related to this school seem to "fall into place."
DeleteI am looking to former students who are in their late 20's and early 30's and are interested in the education that this program will provide their children. With their support and involvement, I feel this is a viable plan.
This is one advantage to being a long-time resident of a smaller community.