We will use this document at our meeting to hightlight, cross out, etc. If you are not able to attend, please choose a color and make your comments.
Technology Plan
Fayetteville-Manlius School District 2008
Technology Committee Members
Laurel Chiesa, Computer Resource Teacher Elementary Schools Amy Fiorito, Computer Resource Teacher Middle Schools Jeanne Klein, Computer Resource Teacher High School Anita Pisano, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
Michael Vespi, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services
Table of Contents
Vision Statement................................................................. 3
I. Goals and Strategies...................................................... 3-8
Combine teacher and student goals/ similar goals, there are more student than teacher goals
ALl goals should be up a level - what should we all be using these goals for: management, research, Overarching goals for all constituents, Think about step by step goals in a timeframe
How do you know teachers or students have mastered these objectives
Integrate benchmarks into curriculum map
Why are we using the technology?
Are we integrating effectively
a. Student Goals..................................................... 4
b. Teacher Goals.................................................... 4
c. Administrator Goals............................................. 4
d. Organizational Goals.......................................... 4-5
e. Instructional Program......................................... 5-8
II. Professional Development.............................................. 9-11
Curriculum mapping, products from inservice, sharing, have final products that can be used by others, summer projects, teacher centered as well as student centered, bring back to a group to share, evaluation before added to curriculum map
a. Professional Development Philosophy........................ 9
b. Professional Development Goals........................... 9-10
c. Strategies for Professional Development................ 10-11
d. Evaluation Plan for Professional Development............ 11
III. Assessment of Services.................................................... 11
IV. Budget........................................................................ 12
V. Evaluation Process...................................................... 13-14
Hardware/ Budget - What do the teachers have to work with
Instead of placing this in the plan, discuss in the tech committee to look at what hardware will be used.
The needs of the teachers in the buildings can be discussed - have a process in place like an annual review on emerging technologies,
Describe the process that should be in place that speaks to the budget process by building, clarify the communication that goes into this, similar in each building
Fayetteville-Manlius School District Technology Plan
June, 2008
Vision Statement
Computers and information technology have transformed the way the world learns, communicates, and conducts business. The rate of world change due to technological advances has necessitated a shift in our students' education. Technology is a tool "to enhance student learning and the instructional environment. It affords both students and teachers an opportunity to collaborate across distances, gather information from many sources, analyze complex data, and enhance personal productivity." 1 The Fayetteville-Manlius School District is committed to preparing students with the technological skills necessary to make wise decisions, work productively and compete globally. Every student will have the opportunity to utilize technology to access and analyze information, to develop higher order thinking skills, to solve problems, and contribute to the global community.
The technology plan encompasses five major areas: clear goals and strategies, a professional development plan, assessment of services, a budget to maintain all aspects of the plan, and an evaluation process.
1 "West Bloomfield School District Technology Benchmarks." The West Bloomfield School District. November 2, 2000.
Fayetteville-Manlius School District Technology Goals and Objectives
I. Goals and Strategies
In keeping with the need to prepare students for 21st Century Skills, the technology plan reflects the ISTE NETS, the NYS Learning Standards and the District's vision to have technology incorporated into daily instruction. The following goals and objectives embrace the computer benchmarks and reflect the District’s commitment to developing technologically literate students. The goals and objectives are organized into student, teacher and organizational competencies.
Student Goals
Students
· Become effective and efficient users of technology in order to be successful now and in their world beyond school.
· Use technological literacies to acquire the skills needed for the 21st Century including:
§ accessing and analyzing information in ways that develop higher order thinking skills and sound reasoning.
§ increasing their ability to use technology as a tool in solving problems.
§ developing their skills as effective communicators through collaboration, team work, and interactive communication.
§ promoting curiosity, creativity, and inventiveness.
§ taking personal responsibility by demonstrating knowledge of ethical and legal issues relating to technology.
§ being able to plan, prioritize, and produce relevant, high-quality products.
Teacher Goals
Teachers
· Integrate technology benchmarks into each subject's curriculum and instruction.
· Use technology to increase personal productivity and efficiency.
· Evaluate effectiveness of instruction with respect to developing technologically literate students.
Administrator Goals
Administrators
· Use technology resources to develop management systems and to create a school climate and culture that result in high achievement for all students.
· Understand and monitor the use of the computer benchmarks as they are integrated into instruction.
· Use technology to increase personal productivity and efficiency
· Support professional development.
· Provide leadership in integrating technology into curriculum, instruction, and student learning activities.
· Provide support for the exploration of new technologies.
Organizational Goals
The District
· Provides professional development opportunities on an ongoing basis throughout the day within classrooms and after school with the support of computer resource teachers and teacher leaders.
· Provides technology to support management functions (communication, monitoring student achievement, elementary report card modules, myGradebook).
· Creates guidelines for the appropriate use of technology.
· Provides opportunities for communication with the community (District web site, email, Technology Advisory Council, libraries, Blackboard).
· Provides web-based information about children’s learning environment, curriculum, student activities, and other resources to support the home-school connection (Citrix home access, District web site, Blackboard, myGradebook).
· Provides home access to files, resources, and applications (Citrix home access, Blackboard).
· Creates a plan to update hardware and infrastructure.
Instructional Program
In an effort to provide a technology rich environment for all students, grade level computer technology benchmarks have been developed to serve as guidelines as the staff incorporates technology into instruction.
We believe that students should be proficient in using current technologies and have opportunities to seek out and use new technologies. To this end computer resource teachers work daily in teachers’ classrooms and computer labs by modeling the integration of technologies such as SmartBoards, simulations, Blogs, wikis, digital storytelling, video, animation, global communication, and web conferencing. In addition, the Library Media Specialists in collaboration with classroom teachers support the integration of technology in instruction through focused research projects, and lessons on Internet Safety, copyright and ethics, and authenticity of sources. We also believe that teachers should strive each year to learn new computer skills and develop units of study which integrate technology into all curricular areas.
The K-12 Technology Benchmarks are part of an evolving process. These benchmarks follow the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) that at least forty-seven states have currently adopted. They are concepts that all students need now and will need in the future. These benchmarks are not by grade level. They are by student. They are about what each student needs to achieve for technological proficiency. It is not about the technology--the specific hardware or software; it is about the concept, the “big idea.” How can we prepare our students for the technological world that will be, even though we’re not sure what that is?
It is our hope that every teacher embraces these benchmarks and integrates them wherever possible so as to ensure that every student receives the necessary technology skills needed before graduation. All teachers are asked to create lessons that integrate these concepts into their curriculum whether their subject area is English, Mathematics, Art or Family and Consumer Sciences. All areas! All students! All the time!
2007 Technology Benchmarks
A. Creativity and Innovation
· Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Students
· Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
· Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
· Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
· Identify trends and forecast possibilities.
B. Communication and Collaboration.
· 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
· Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
· Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
· Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
· Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
C. Research and Information Fluency
· Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Students
· Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
· Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
· Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
· Process data and report results.
D. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
· Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
Students
· Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
· Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
· Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
· Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.
E. Digital Citizenship
· Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
Students
· Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
· Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
· Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
· Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
F. Technology Operations and Concepts
· Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
Students
· Understand and use technology systems.
· Select and use applications effectively and productively.
· Troubleshoot systems and applications.
· Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
21st Century Skills
The volume of knowledge, the rapid rate of change due to technology, globalization and the need for sensitivity and diversity for other cultures require that our students are prepared both personally and professionally for the 21st Century world.
Globalization, instant access to information, active participation through various media as well as the ISTE benchmarks compel our District to focus our attention on 21st Century skills that all students need to succeed beyond school.
21st Century skills include:
§ Digital Age Literacy
§ Inventive Thinking
§ Effective Communication
§ High Productivity
Digital-Age Literacy
§ Basic, Scientific, Economic, and Technological Literacies
§ Visual and Information Literacies
§ Multicultural Literacy and Global Awareness
Inventive Thinking
§ Adaptability, Managing Complexity, and Self-Direction
§ Curiosity, Creativity, and Risk Taking
§ Higher-Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning
Effective Communication
§ Teaming, Collaboration, and Interpersonal Skills
§ Personal, Social, and Civic Responsibility
§ Interactive Communication
High Productivity
§ Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
§ Effective Use of Real-World Tools
§ Ability to Produce Relevant, High-Quality Products
“enGauge 21st Century Skills For 21st Century Learners.” NCREL Metiri Group. 2003 <http://www.ncrel.org/engauge>
II. Professional Development
Professional Development Philosophy
The Fayetteville-Manlius School District offers professional development opportunities to every staff member, including teachers, support personnel and administration. The staff development offered is aligned with the needs of the various staff. For example, technology skills appropriate for the secretarial staff are offered as well as workshops needed for teachers to integrate technology into their curriculum. Through online surveys, discussions with computer resource teachers and agendas at building meetings, staff members have input into the technology skills they are to learn and the types of instruction that are most effective for learning. Staff development activities are optimized based upon feedback from participants. We continue to provide long-term support for staff members in order for them to effectively utilize technology in their respective areas. In addition we believe that § Technology skills are best learned in small group settings, providing for individualized attention.
§ Staff members often learn best from their peers.
§ Staff members should be offered a variety of instructional opportunity types (after-school courses, peer mentoring, school day release time training, online and video tutorials).
Professional Development Goals
§ Provide professional development to staff that is directed at supporting the District’s technology benchmarks and promoting student achievement.
§ Provide training to teachers to support the integration of technology into curriculum and instruction.
§ Provide ongoing training and staff development for teachers, support personnel and administrators for effective, efficient, and appropriate use of computer technology to support classroom instruction, and the professional and personal use of computers to improve efficiency.
§ Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by facilitating learning experiences that advance student creativity and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
§ Design digital-age learning experiences and assessments by incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS for teachers.
§ Model digital-age work and learning by exhibiting knowledge, skills, and work processes that are representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
§ Promote digital citizenship and responsibility by understanding local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.
§ Engage in professional growth and leadership opportunities to continuously improve professional practice and exhibit leadership in the classroom, school, and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.
Adopted by ISTE NETS for Teachers 2008.
Strategies for Professional Development
§ Computer Resource Teacher assigned at each level and available to help with the planning and development of computer lessons and projects (elementary, middle, high)
§ Peer coaching, planning, co-teaching, and individualized training provided by computer resource teachers
§ Individual coaching and mentoring sessions offered by computer resource teachers during teacher preparation time on topics specific to individual needs
§ Computer lab assistants in each building available to help with instruction and troubleshoot software and hardware problems
§ In-service opportunities on staff development days
§ Newsletters created with computer technology information
§ Computer resource web pages that provide resources, help sheets, and other educational technology information
§ Help sheets provided and posted regarding various software and hardware topics
§ Individual or group training for staff as needed
§ Training opportunities at faculty meetings on specific technology integration topics by curriculum area and/or grade level
§ After-school computer inservice classes
§ Conferences during the school day, after school, weekends, and summer
§ District-wide grade level curriculum meetings
§ BOCES-sponsored workshops
§ Collaboration with educators from other schools, including on-site visits to model settings
§ Availability of teacher standards and benchmarks
§ Additional staff development opportunities for staff through outside agencies (BOCES, IKON, universities, etc.)
Evaluation Plan for Professional Development
Each year a technology survey is administered to teachers giving them an opportunity to provide feedback on professional development opportunities and to provide input for the evaluation of the program and what revisions need to be made in the plan. (Inservice brochures, teacher surveys, attendance sheets are all kept on file at the District Office.)
III. Assessment of Services
Assessment of our technology plan, services, hardware/software and infrastructure is achieved through a varied approach. Each year an annual staff survey is conducted that addresses all of the above aspects of technology. There is a five year hardware/infrastructure replacement plan that is reviewed annually. Software is purchased at the building levels through the Computer Resource Teachers based upon staff needs and at the District level through the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. Next year a District technology committee comprised of a representative group of teachers, parents, and administrators will be formed. This committee will set technology goals for the District, address concerns, assess current operations, and make recommendations to the District for continuous improvement of the technology plan.
Each year an annual review of BOCES services is conducted that includes yearly technology purchases, telecommunication services, and technology needs for the next school year.
Evaluation Process
The organizational as well as the instructional plan needs to be continuously evaluated to support ongoing changes in technology.
Organizational Evaluation
The Coordinator of Technology will be responsible for reviewing the technology plan on a yearly basis. The plan will be evaluated with the guidance of the Computer Resource Teachers, Assistant Superintendent for Business, and Technology Committee (teachers, administrators, parents, technicians)
Data will be collected in various forms:
· Survey of the infrastructure, hardware and curriculum (Benchmarks)
· Report on professional development
· Integration of the benchmarks
· Observations from Technology Committee meetings with stakeholders
· Grade-level Curriculum Meetings
2008 Teacher Survey of Technology Summary
During the 2007-2008 school year an online survey was sent to the staff requesting information on teacher technology skills, technology integration, barriers to technology, attitudes about using technology, support, and future technology requests. Results from this survey will be addressed by the Technology Committee next year.
Technology Report
A report is made each year to the Board of Education that reviews the status of technology throughout the District. Included in the report are how the goals are met, any unexpected outcomes, new needs, and goals that are no longer relevant.
Instructional Evaluation
Student Evaluation
In order to evaluate instruction, students will digitally collect samples of work to be included in a portfolio. Digital Portfolios can be used for technology and content area assessments. Students today not only are required to hand in digital projects, but thrive on the use of technology for presentations and communication. A digital portfolio is similar to a personal web page or Blog. Digital portfolios allow students to meaningfully organize and critique school work continuously from one year to the next, and they require skills that will be needed in the workplace.
The portfolios will have three uses: communication with parents, demonstration of the mastery of skills, and self-reflection. They can be fully integrated into the curriculum and also supplement the curriculum.
Teacher and Administrator Evaluation
Teachers and administrators will use self-reflection methods to evaluate personal technology use after:
· Inservice Workshops
· Grade Level Meetings
· Grade Level Projects created during Staff Development days
Administrators will support and demonstrate the mastery of ISTE teacher standards by
- Observations of integrated technology lessons (Principals use an observation template that includes technology questions such as impact technology made on students, etc.).
- Grade level and building discussions.
