Planning


 * //Becky Meyer, Pam O'Connell, Sharon Riehle//**

=4. B. School Technology Planning=

//WATCH THIS VIDEO//: "Paying Attention" http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4/content/view/221/35/ (This link was sent to me via an agricultural education listserve I belong to-Becky)

**I would like to see some technology plans that have worked I am assuming that planning will help put the stakeholders at ease and get the most bang for the buck.**
Technology planning for education should:
 * Basic Principles of Technology Planning (North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium)**
 * Be an organized and continuous process, use a simple straightforward planning model, and result in a document that improves how technology is used for instruction, management, assessment, and communications.
 * Take into account the mission and philosophy of the organization and be "owned" by that organization, its administrators, and instructors. (While outside assistance, such as that provided by a consultant, can bring a broad perspective and knowledgeable opinions to the technology planning process, the process must have the commitment of decision makers and staff.)
 * Be broad but realistic in scope, with economical and technically feasible solutions.
 * Involve all the stakeholders--including administrators, instructors, staff members, students, parents, community leaders, and technology experts--with experience in education.
 * Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and how each will impact the implementation of technology.
 * Formalize the procedures and methods for making technology decisions, including the setting of priorities and the purchase, evaluation, upgrading, and use of technology.
 * Be driven by educational goals and objectives rather than by technological developments.

Complete Planning guide available at: http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/guidewww/gqhome.htm

Sample Technology Plans South Carolina's Technology Plan Introduction Remainder of plan available at: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/offices/tech/techplan/sctp1998-2002/

MN Technology Plan MN Technology Planning Guide

Additional planning resources
 * http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te300.htm
 * http://www.serve.org/seir-tec/techplan/plans.html
 * http://www.seirtec.org/techplan.html
 * http://www.rtec.org/index.cfm

**How frequently should a Technology Needs Assessment be conducted in a school district?**
Technology Needs Assessments must be ongoing. With the fast pace of hardware and software updates, fiscal planning and educational goals, at minimum, the plan must be evaluated on an annual basis.

The School Technology Needs Assessment collects perceptive data - what respondents think - about a variety of broad areas of technology implementation in their school: (SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in Education Consortium)
 * Conditions influencing technology use
 * Professional development opportunities offered and taken advantage of
 * Patterns of teacher practice, with respect to technology in teaching and learning
 * The nature of student activities with classroom technology
 * The impact of technology on teaching practice and student outcome


 * An Educator's Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms
 * http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdTechGuide


 * In **1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs That Work** (2000, International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 88-89), Pamela Livingston suggests that surveys be done before, during and after a laptop program is started.


 * Assessment tools
 * http://www.russelltexas.com/needs.htm
 * Sample Assessment
 * http://www.mccsc.edu/survey.html#SKILLS
 * School Technology Needs Assessment Checklist[[file:STNA Checklist.pdf]]

How can teachers who are not tech-savvy make their needs understood? How do you get super-tech people to listen to them?
Educators are not techies. Educators in large measure are people people. So those folks who are interested in learning about the technology, tend to be those folks who are interested in learning how to do things better. --Cheryl Williams (Director of the Institute for the Transfer of Technology to Education, a program of the National School Boards Association) = =
 * A series of keynote speeches on how to involve teachers http://www.4teachers.org/keynotes/
 * In **1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs That Work** (2000, International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 88-89), Pamela Livingston includes these suggestions for encouraging teacher buy-in:
 * Technology Coordinators should schedule informal drop in sessions and/or "hang out in the faculty room" so that teachers feel comfortable asking "even the simplest and most embarrassing technical questions".
 * "Surveys are a good tool for gauging teacher attitudes and soliciting feedback in an unthreatening, anonymous way."'
 * "Reach out to those you know aren't on board."
 * "Give teachers a laptop," says Tony Van Hoof, Technology Coordintor for several charter and private schools, "They will be more comfortable experimenting with programs and access when they are able to practice in their home environment."


 * Is Universal Design for Learning a consideration when making technology decisions in a district?**

[|UDL Systemmatic Change Planner]


 * __Technology Infrastructure Considerations for Implementing UDL__**
 * Computers and software, districtwide/networked
 * Technology coordinator staff
 * Provision of image/text/sound/video digitizing equipment
 * Provision of digital cameras (still/video)
 * Provision of software supporting UDL
 * Networks - intranet/internet; high speed; widespread access
 * Class web sites
 * School/district web sites
 * Tech support - 24/7 within building
 * Tech staff collaborate with classroom and special educators
 * http://www.cast.org/research/faq/index.h


 * How can we persuade and motivate teachers and administrators to embrace technology sooner rather than later? Moving gradually is comfortable for people, but with the rapid progression of technology, we end up behind and students pay the price.**


 * International Society for Technology in Education. An organization of great diversity, ISTE leads through presenting innovative educational technology books and programs; conducting professional development workshops, forums, and symposia; and researching, evaluating, and disseminating findings regarding educational technology on an international level.
 * http://www.iste.org/


 * Firsthand accounts about trials and triumphs with technology in the classroom: (some sections also available in Spanish)
 * http://www.4teachers.org/testimony/
 * http://www.4teachers.org/kidspeak/


 * An extensive list of professional journals and organizations that assist teachers in gaining technology skills for use in the classroom.
 * [|http://www.4teachers.org/profdev/index.php?profdevid=pj_]


 * Supporting Teachers to Achieve Results by Integrating Technology into the Curriculum (STAR Tech) is a research-based professional development program that helps teachers integrate a full range of technology tools into the curriculum. The Star Tech program is designed to help teachers improve the performance of students with diverse abilities and needs by using a variety of low-, mid-, and high-technology tools.
 * http://www.startechprogram.org/index.html


 * What should students know about technology? Recommendations from ISTE on student technology skills.
 * [[file:What should student know ISTE.pdf]]


 * The need to address the technological differences between teachers and students described in the video "Paying Attention" [|The Digital Divide]


 * At the Horizon Forum on December 12, 2006, Scott McLeod gave a compelling presentation that really speaks to the need to prepare students for the world //they// will live in. A Breeze recording of the presentation is available at https://breeze5.umn.edu/p44056320/ (Scott's presentation begins approximately 35 minutes into the recording).


 * I'd be interested to know how other schools use their networks to improve efficiency. Shared department folders, user spaces, student and faculty e-mail accounts etc. Some technical (and philisophical) aspects of school network management.**
 * At **Cretin-Derham Hall High School** in St. Paul, MN
 * Each teacher and student has a network folder and an email account.
 * Teachers can request group folders. For example, Spanish teachers use a shared folder for lesson plans, worksheets, tests, and other materials.
 * Moodle has provided new ways to improve efficiency:
 * Teachers provide "drop boxes" on their class pages, which students can use to "transport" work between home and school. This is particularly effective with large files and with PowerPoints, which frequently get corrupted when sent as email attachments.
 * Student presentations (often PowerPoint) can be easily and quickly accessed (through the teacher's account) for class presentation purposes without multiple students needing to log in and out of the system.
 * Some teaching teams use their own Moodle pages (not accessible to students) to share resources


 * **At The Agricultural & Food Sciences Academy** in Vadnais Heights, MN
 * Technical aspects:
 * Each teacher has a laptop computer, an individual network folder, access to a shared staff network folder and an email account.
 * There are various group folders available, for example, special education staff have access to a folder that is not available to all staff.
 * There are various levels of administrative access.
 * Each student has access to a computer each day and has an individual network folder, access to a shared student network folder and an email account.


 * Philosophical aspects
 * Simpler is better.
 * Simple structure for building folder systems.
 * A locked password system for students (they will change and forget them often).
 * Use a simple log in naming system for ease in figuring out next sequencing or unknowns.
 * Structured is better.
 * Students will find access and loopholes if you make complex systems, so keep it simple, easier to repair.
 * Limit access on a need to know basis to folders.
 * Have defined file size limits for students.


 * Tony Van Hoof, Technology Consultant with Learning 3 was interviewed on the above questions:**

A. 10-15 years of technology consulting and planning with charter and private schools, and some work with higher education. Tony works with schools that range in size from 40 students to 800 students. Tony and his partner Dan Hornseth are the technology consultants who work with the staff at the Agricultural & Food Sciences Academy.
 * Q: Tony, what is your technology background?**

A. Plans should be written from a practical standpoint. They should be backed up by research, but the plan is written around the practical use and application in the classroom and school.
 * Q. What do you see in successful technology plans?**

A. Yes, I recommend continuous needs assessment. Looking at the physical infrastructure, the standard applications you want to use, how you are going to use it in the classroom and how you are going to teach teachers how to use it.
 * Q. Do you recommend a needs assessment for your schools?**

A. There is a bell curve of technology adoption. There are a few early adopters, most of them in the middle and a few latecomers. There is not much you can do to accelerate this process. Giving teachers laptops is one process that Tony has seen accelerate the learning curve. This gives them the ability to use technology in a comfortable, safe environment. Another way to accelerate use is to do aggressive one on one or small group training.
 * Q. How do you get teachers excited about learning about technology?**

A. That’s a tough one. Sometimes the tech consultants get frustrated when people do not look at the obvious answers. You need tech people who are patient in working with staff rather than super-tech savvy people. If they are not patient enough to explain things properly to staff members, they may turn them away from technology rather than draw them towards it.
 * Q. How do you get the super tech savvy people to listen to the people who don’t know what they are doing?**

A. Teachers should connect with peers that are using technology, either in person, at workshops or online.
 * Q. Besides time and laptops what other strategies are there to help teachers embrace technology?**

A. There are two good ones Tony recommends. One is International S Technology Education (ISTE) NECC National educational Computing Conference and the Florida Educational Technology Conference. Both have teacher presenters who have developed high quality lessons using technology and have technology trade shows where teachers can view demonstrations on the latest gadgets.
 * Q. Are there any support organizations in technology for teachers?**

A. Tony uses standards set by ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. They have developed standards for K-College for students and teachers. Those are the standards
 * Q. What do students need to know about technology or how do we decide what students need to know?**

A. Individual student log ins, space where students can save their work so they have access to their work from any computer. Schools should be careful not to allow too much access for students, which can give students more opportunities to be mischievous with the technology.
 * Q. Tips for student usability?**

A. Start with minimal access for students. Open up only the areas they need to have access to.
 * Q. Tips for security?**

Schools do not need always need to have super-knowledgeable technology staff on hand. When granting technology privileges, keep the context of the use in mind.
 * Other Comments**

Technology plans should be written in a practical manner. Teachers need time and training to become proficient technology users.
 * Key Points**