1. Recognize the related legislatures and regulations to support the needs from your institution.
From the Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020 students beginning in kindergarten must master the state Technology Applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and demonstrate that they are technology literate with the needed proficiencies to acquire information, solve problems, and communicate using technology (www.tea.state.tx.us/).
During the last session of the 82nd Session of the Texas legislature pertaining to education House Bill 3280 allows school districts to run their own virtual shops, with minimal state over-site. The principle behind the bill was to allow schools to address the specific needs of their student body at a minimal cost to the state. This bill places the responsibility of technology integration and implementation in the hands of independent, public learning institutions. This bill is exclusive to public schools but it also reinforces how dire the situation can be for private learning institutions to establish funding (Golsan, 2011).
2. Develop the performance objectives for the school technology plan based on the needs from your institution.
Target Population: Twelve pre-kinder four and five year olds make up the Crocodile class and twelve three and four year olds in the Frog class. Each class consist of students with varying cognitive abilities and gross motor skills.
1. Instructional Goal: Improve preschool student’s fine motor, gross motor and manual dexterity skills by manipulating touch screens, touch pads, and or a mouse to complete objectives using skill builder games, applications, and software.
1. Performance Objective: During classroom instruction the student will use
psychomotor skills to manipulate a mouse to complete objectives. The student will need a computer equipped with a mouse to accomplish this objective. Student will demonstrate mastery by completing assigned objectives independently.
Free online accessible applications and games:
3. http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint " target="_blank">TuxPaint (A drawing program for PC, Mac, or Linux users.)
2. Instructional Goal: Increase cognitive skills, structural knowledge, and basic problem solving using discovery based software. Students’ gain an understanding how technology is used in real world experiences to solve problems.
1. Performance Objective: During classroom instruction the student will use intellectual skills to develop cognitive skills used in problem solving while gaining structural knowledge of how games, applications, and software operate. The student will need a computer equipped with games, applications, and software to accomplish this objective. Student will demonstrate mastery by completing assigned objectives independently.
Free online accessible applications and games:
1. Sebran's ABCs (Math and reading games in more than 20 languages. PC only.) http://wartoft.nu/software/sebran
3. Instructional Goal: Develop literacy skills, language development, and begin reading using skill builder games, applications, and software. Cognitive and verbal skills will also benefit from during instruction.
1. Performance Objective: During classroom instruction the student will use intellectual skills to explore literacy units, develop language skills, and begin reading. The student will need a computer equipped with games, applications, and software to accomplish this objective. Student will demonstrate mastery by completing assigned objectives independently.
Free online accessible applications and games:
2. StoryPlace http://storyplace.org (Stories read aloud in English and Spanish.)
3. StudyDog (Very comprehensive early literacy curriculum for both PC and Mac users.) http://studydog.com
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 Objective: Utilize technology applications to develop foundations, information acquisition, problem solving, and communication understanding to prepare students for Kindergarten (TEKS: Technology Applications, K-2). Increasing fine motor skills, cognitive development, and literacy skills will benefit student learning and enhance classroom instruction. Student mastery of objectives using skill builder games, applications, and software will be used to measure whether objective is being met.
Funding Objective: Establish funding for four technology learning stations equipped with personal computer, desk, chair, speakers, headphones, wireless Internet or broadband and adequate lighting. Budget accommodations can be used to provide the necessary technology supplements including applications and software, as well as establishing a partnership with parents and obtaining a corporate sponsorship. Computer hardware and accessory can be donated or funding established using websites such as DigitalWish.com. Objective needs to meet by June 4, 2012 when classes advance up for the four and five year old Crocodile and Frog classes.
Management Objective: Understand the necessity for incorporating technology into current curriculum and instruction, by promoting ongoing professional development, sustaining student workstations, and provide instructional and technical support for teachers and students. This objective needs to be continually monitored by management and technical staff to ensure that both the teachers and the students are growing, learning, and achieving using the technology plan.
Revised Objectives 3/4/2012
Revised Objectives 3/4/2012
Technology Objective:
1.0 Utilize technology
applications to develop foundations, information acquisition, problem solving,
and communication understanding to prepare students for Kindergarten (TEKS:
Technology Applications, K-2).
1.1
Increase fine motor skills with skill builder games, applications, and software
into the current curriculum plan to build skills needed for writing, cutting,
and mouse control. Student mastery of objectives using skill builder games,
applications, and software will be used to measure whether objective is being
met.
1.2
Promote cognitive development and problem solving skills using software,
applications, and skill builder games to enhance classroom instruction and
benefit student learning. Student mastery of objectives using skill builder
games, applications, and software will be used to measure whether objective is
being met.
1.3
Develop literacy skills and communication skills through skill builder games,
applications, and software to promote student learning and enhance classroom
instruction. Student mastery of objectives using skill builder games,
applications, and software will be used to measure whether objective is being
met.
Funding Objective:
1.0 Establish funding
for four technology learning stations equipped with personal computer, desk,
chair, speakers, headphones, wireless internet or broadband and adequate
lighting. Funding needs to be established by June 4, 2012 when classes advance
up for the four and five year old Crocodile and Frog classes.
2.0 Make budget accommodations
to provide for the necessary technology supplements including applications and
software. Objective needs to meet by June 4, 2012 when classes advance up for
the four and five year old Crocodile and Frog classes.
3.0 Establishing a
partnership with parents and obtaining corporate sponsorship. Computer hardware
and accessories can be donated or funding established using websites such as
DigitalWish.com. Objective needs to meet by June 4, 2012 when classes advance
up for the four and five year old Crocodile and Frog classes.
Management Objective:
1.0 Understand the
necessity for integrating technology into the current curriculum and instruction
plan.
2.0 Promote ongoing professional development by providing
access to online resources, courses, workshops and conferences for teachers to
increase confidence, knowledge, skills and abilities related to integrating technology.
3.0 Maintain student workstations. Computers need to
be inspected and maintained regularly, as well as, keeping the area neat and
clean.
4.0 Provide instructional and technical support for
teachers and students. This objective
needs to be continually monitored by management and technical staff to ensure
that both the teachers and the students are growing, learning, and achieving
using the technology plan.
References:
Golsan, J. (2011). Center for Education Policy: Review of the 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2011-82ndSessionRecap-CEP.pdf.
Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved February 25, 2012 from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147494561&libID=2147494558.
Tech Tips for Tots. (2010). Education World.Com. Retrieved January 20, 2012 from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech215.shtml.
Amy, good job for providing the population before stating the instructional and performance goals. Please review each goal to make sure that each goal is not too general to measure. For example, the 2nd performance goal: "During classroom instruction the student will use intellectual skills to develop cognitive skills used in problem solving while gaining structural knowledge of how games, applications, and software operate."
ReplyDeleteWhat type of inteleectual skills will be the targeted objectives in this goal statement?
What kind of cognitive skills will be used to support the problem solving?
Please review each goal to specify the measurable objectives.
Amy, for question 3, do you propose 3 objectives for the technology part? If so, each objective should provide at least 3 elements: targeted population, what the objective will be , and how the objective should be met. Please refer CSTE5337 objective development (Step 4) to reform your objectives for technology, funding, and management. For example, the funding objective, you stated "Establish funding for four technology learning stations equipped with personal computer, desk, chair, speakers, headphones, wireless Internet or broadband and adequate lighting."
ReplyDeleteAre these stations requested for one campus, all of the classrooms, or the entire district?
Where and how the funding will be proposed to add into the budget?
Thank you Doctor Shannon for the feedback! I am working on making corrections so that I will be prepared for Report II.
DeleteAmy, nice job focusing on a small group and elaborating very specific goals. Since you are modeling the objectives on the TEKS Technology Applications (which I agree with you doing)you might also look at the STaR chart self-assessment tool from the TEA to see if there are metrics there that you can utilize to provide better measures of progress towards your goals. Find the STaR Chart here: http://starchart.epsilen.com/docs/TxTSC.pdf
ReplyDeleteThank you Mike! I had not thought about using the STaR chart as well, I will now. I know using it will help me develop more complete performance objectives to benefit the students following my technology plan.
DeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteI am not very familiar with the private school sector. Does a majority of the funding come from tuition and other received from grants or donations? After viewing your blog I was curious how the budget differ between the two.
The information that explained the budget situation that I reviewed was:
Budgets
Since local property taxes support the bulk of public education, the annual school budget exercise is a serious fiscal and political business. In poor communities or communities which have many voters living on fixed incomes, there is precious little room to respond to budget requests within the framework of projected tax revenue. Grants from foundations and the business community are essential to creative funding.
Private schools on the other hand can raise tuition, and they also can raise significant amounts of money from a variety of development activities, including annual appeals, cultivation of alumni and alumnae, and solicitation of grants from foundations and corporations. The strong allegiance to private schools by their alumni makes the chances of fund-raising success a real possibility in most cases
(Kennedy, 2012)
Reference:
Kennedy, R. (2012). Private vs Public Schools. Retrieved (2012, February 29) from http://privateschool.about.com/cs/employment/a/teachingcond.htm
True, that as a private institution we could compensate funding for technology by increasing tuition. The problem is that today's economy does not support raising tuition. Family's are struggling already with out the increase in their monthly fees. I do however plan on reaching out to parents for sponsorships to help suppliment cost. I do think parents would gladly make a one time small donation that can be used to purchase software, headphones, and other technology aids. I also plan on recruiting parents to volunteer their time during school hours to work with students one-on-one playing games, completing tutorials, and promoting communication with technology.
Delete“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/.