Painesville Township Technology Plan

1
Painesville Township Technology Plan

• Natalie M. Rowles
• Jessica Reigle

2
What is a Technology Plan?

• According to Larry Anderson, founder and
  director of the National Center for Technology
  Planning. Technology planning can be described
  as both a noun or a verb. Wise planners and
  leaders will examine both the noun and verb
  aspects, then apply what they believe about these
  aspects.

3
The Noun-form of Technology Planning

• The planning document itself.
• An analogy is like a planning document to a road
  map.
• Maps show the distances from one place to
  another.
• The type and form of infrastructure available.
• The direction one is traveling.
• Various points along the path a person would take
  in getting from one point to another.

4
The Verb-form of Technology Planning

• More important.
• Describes the kinds of actions, attitudes, and
  results that are involved in the process.
• Key concept is ACTION.
• Using the road map analogy-this is the trip, the
  experience of planning.

5
Key Components

• Process is the most important
• Involves systematic improvement
• Introspective activity
• Involves more than change
• Is reform and restructuring
• Engages all members of the community
• Not just about computers, but it is about people
• Smorgasbord of things

6
Technology Planning is a ...
Process!
7
Our Process

• First we went to the following website to
  research other plans www.nctp.com/
• Then we printed out some technology plans.
• We examined various issues.
• We compiled a list of questions and made surveys
  for the teachers.
• We revised our survey questions.
• We conducted interviews with the superintendent
  and the technology coordinator.

8
Issues Involving a Technology Plan

• Technology budget
• Planning committee
• Curriculum integration
• Professional development
• Technical support
• Evaluation/revision
• Philosophy/vision
• Goals/objectives
• Community involvement
• Implementation
  
  

9
Our Vision...

• The school system will make a commitment to
  technology.
• It is essential that our staff and students be on
  the cutting edge of that development in order to
  compete and grow with the advancing technologies.

10
Computer Staffing

• Elementary computer coordinator to facilitate
  staff development, coordinate curriculum/technolog
  ical purchases, and curriculum development.
• Elementary technology person responsible for
  hardware and maintenance upgrades and maintain
  local area networks as well as internet services.

11
Staff Development

• Train members of the staff to use computers
  competently.
• Each year staff members will receive ongoing
  training in the latest advances.
• District substitute teachers will have computer
  training available to allow them access to the
  computer lab for instruction.
• Laptops will be provided for each teacher to help
  them keep up with advancements.
• Creation of staff development center.

12
Technology

• Computers will be networked throughout each
  building.
• All computers will be connected to other
  buildings within the district as well as on the
  internet.
• There will be a computer and printer in each
  room.
• All classroom computers will be connected to TV
  monitors for classroom presentations.

13
Technology continued

• Portable LCD screens will be available for school
  presentations.
• Administration will be connected to E-mail for
  greater efficiency.
• Quick Take cameras, Quick Cams, and scanners will
  be available in each school for multimedia
  presentations.

14
Computer Lab

• A file server will be available in each computer
  lab to allow access to all types of information.
• A teacher station with a computer that will be
  continuously upgraded.
• A scanner will be in labs.
• Each teacher station will be equipped with a zip
  drive.

15
Elementary Technology Goals

• To provide all teachers with training to
  integrate and implement technology into the
  curriculum.
• To provide basic technology skills which will
  enable students to enhance learning for the
  future.
• To improve basic and advanced skills.
• Students will be given the opportunity to design
  and deliver the curriculum.
• To encourage creativity by accommodating
  individual learning styles and needs.

16
Elementary Goals Cont

• To provide all students with the educational
  technological tools to acquire, evaluate, and use
  information.
• To increase parents awareness by building
  partnership among home, school, and community.
• To provide awareness of legal and ethical issues
  regarding computer technology.

17
Promoting Technology

• Hold executive brief meetings
• Coordinate tours to other high-tech schools
• Hold Computer Day for parents
• Have students evaluate software
• Hold contests regularly
• Seek publicity
• Develop a media center with a trained technician

Karen Robertson
18
Promoting Technology

• Send out a newsletter
• Seek outside funds
• Maximize technology use
• Reward those who come for training
• Enlist help
• Train students to be troubleshooters

19
Interviews
20
Superintendent Interview

• What is your perspective on technology and its
  implementation within the system?
• I feel that technology is a vital piece of the
  world today. Some issues picking whats
  relevant for education, what works, willingness
  to change instructional experiences, maintaining
  and updating technology.

21
Superintendent Interview

• Do you have a continuous quality improvement
  plan? Is technology and instructional reform
  continued in the plan?
• Our districts strategic plan addresses
  technology, as does our evolving continuous
  improvement plan. Technology decisions must be
  intimately related to instructional gains.

22
Superintendent Interview

• Is there a dedicated line item in the budget for
  technology costs? How vulnerable are those
  monies if a budget cut is necessary?
• Yes, all line items are vulnerable to budget
  cuts, technology more so.
• The magnitude for the cost of new technology
  and keeping technology current is a significant
  challenge.

23
Superintendent Interview

• What are the issues related to teachers,
  curriculum, and teaching?
• Trying to find the most cost effective way to
  use technology to increase/enrich learning in a
  documented manner.
• Letting go of 50 year old instructional
  goals, strategies, and topics to make room for
  relevant new goals, strategies, and topics.

24
Superintendent Interview

• Is there enough technology support?
• No, as we expand on our technology resources,
  and as they age, service needs are increasing
  rapidly. As more teachers have more computers,
  service needs increase. And trying to keep
  current with new technologies is always a
  struggle.

25
Technology Coordinator Interview

• How long have you been a technology coordinator?
  Tell us about your duties.
• 5 years, duties include all 6 elementary
  schools, inventory, budgeting, and maintenance

26
Technology Coordinator

• What types of platforms are used in schools? How
  old are they and how do you keep track of
  inventory?
• Macs, 4 years old
• Database is used
• Serial numbers, warranties, problems and
  solutions are kept in database.

27
Technology Coordinator

• What do you perceive as the main frustration for
  teachers?
• TIME
• equipment malfunctioning
• What is your main frustration?
• TIME

28
Technology Coordinator

• Do you think teachers want to use technology?
• Yes, but they dont know the computer well
  enough, dont have time, not adept at
  integrating. I think about 90 of teachers have
  attended at least one workshop.

29
Technology Coordinator

• What is the SchoolNet program and how is it
  implemented in your school district?
• A program that guides teachers as they
  integrate technology into the curriculum.
• They have 6 main categories of the National
  Educational Technology Standards for students
  developed by International Society for Technology
  in Education. Standards are aligned with
  curriculum state objectives.

30
Technology Coordinator

• Where do you see our district in terms of the
  level of technology usage and equipment?
• 75 of our teachers take their classes to the
  computer lab.

31
Technology Coordinator

• Why does our school system use MAC versus PC?
• Mac is a very good machine with a lower
  incidence of repair. We need children to be able
  to use the computers- they are more user friendly.

32
Technology Coordinator

• Is there enough funding for technology in the
  budget? If not, how do you prioritize the money?
• No, the support equipment comes from the
  building fund. I use my budget for urgent
  repairs. Upgrade is 6-7 years. We get money
  from schoolnet program buy student ration.
  School board buys all other computers.

33
Teacher Survey ResultsUtilizing Technology

• What types of technology are you using in the
  classroom?
• Most are using Computers, VCRs,
  calculators,
• TVs
• Some are using Scanners, digital
  cameras, LCD screen

34
Teacher Survey

• What software programs do you use in your
  teaching?
• word processing, spreadsheets,
• clarisworks for kids, type to learn,
  hyperstudio, other programs like Kid Pix

35
Teacher Survey

• How often do you teach a lesson using technology?
• Most used technology at least once a week, some
  2-3 times a week.

36
Teacher Survey

• What impact do you think the effective use of
  computers has on student achievement, learning
  outcomes, social, and other skills?
• students are more confident, willing to edit
  drafts, learning for future, more motivated,
  sharing ideas, group skills, computer literacy
  skills

37
Teacher Survey

• How do you integrate the curriculum?
• creative writing, spelling, reports,
  presentations, graphic organizers, English
  sentences, typing poems, graphing, map work,
  geometry

38
Teacher Survey

• How is teaching with computers different than
  traditional teaching methods?
• More motivating, challenging, and innovative.

39
Teacher survey

• Advantages
• Professional dev.
• Peer collaboration
• Motivates student
• Problem solving
• Inquiry skills
• Critical thinking
• Professional product

• Disadvantages
• Lack of time
• Students lack skills
• Equipment breaking down
• Technology not available
• Teacher lack skills

40
Training and Professional Development

• In the past 2 years, have you attended a
  professional development program that dealt with
  technology in education?
• The majority said yes.

41
Training and Professional Development

• Have you ever collaborated with another teacher
  to develop a technology based project/
• Majority said no. Not enough time.

42
Training and Professional Development

• Do you think that there will come a time that
  there will be a complete set of computers in each
  classroom in Painesville Township schools? If
  yes, when?
• Yes, 7-9 years.

43
Training and Professional Development

• What do you see as the role of the computer in
  the classroom of the future?
• Most see it for tutoring, drill and
  instruction, distance learning, foster
  cooperative learning

44
ReflectionsNegative Aspects

• Time frame involved in collecting data
• Surveys vague
• Revisions are not often enough
• Lack of help One technology person
• Teachers lack of skills in integrating as well as
  troubleshooting
• Updating equipment and software
• Limited equipment
• Equipment dependability
• Lack of community involvement

45
Reflections Continued

• No assistance in computer lab
• Time involved in planning lessons to integrate
  curriculum
• Teachers set in there way and unwillingness to
  change
• Lack of monies and funding
• Equity issues- not same in schools an among
  students
• Ethical issues/using internet

46
ReflectionsPositive Aspects

• Classes/workshops offered often
• Most teachers take an active role in using
  technology
• Resources provided by technology coordinator on
  how to integrate technology
• Implementation of student helpers/mouse patrol
• Grant money available
• Disabled students can succeed with technology

47
ReflectionsPositive Aspects

• Parents supportive and willing to help
• Acceptable Use Policy signed by most parents
• Continuous growth
• Udated version of technology plan is being worked
  on

48
Final Reflections

• Practical Idea
• Insightful
• Informative
• Learned a lot
• Many benefits
• It is our future
• Had fun!

49
The End!