Tech Plan

Fayetteville-Manlius Technology Plan, 2011 – 2015

Draft, March 6, 2011

Committee Members: Cynthia O’Connor, Heather Bouck, Amy Fiorito, Tim Teelin, Jeff Gordon, Lynda Aaron Dorsey, Dave Hart, Doug Lawrence, Katie Baker, Kerry Avery, Kory McMahon, Mike Morrison, Kate Nowak, Marc Savicki, Matthew Six, Todd Sorenson, Teresa Wildehack, Tom Winiecki, Susan Bang

Vision

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. 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 Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District has a shared vision to provide equitable access, superior teaching, authentic experiences for students, and around the clock support for all students and staff with technology. From the Board of Education, to the District Planning Team, to in-service offerings and digital portfolios, Fayetteville-Manlius has created an innovative technology experience for students, teachers, administrators, and the community.

District Goals

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. To create an equitable experience for all learners, universal design is important to the planning and creation of lessons. The following goals and objectives embrace the computer benchmarks (See Appendix 1) and reflect the District’s commitment to developing technologically literate students. Teachers and students will meet the expectations of the technology benchmarks across the curriculum.

·         Teachers and students will use technology to increase personal productivity and efficiency.

·         Teachers and students will use technology to evaluate, create, and archive instructional products that represent a mastery of knowledge.

·         Teachers and students will become effective and efficient users of
the Fayetteville-Manlius 21st Century skills and attributes:

o   Accessing and analyzing information in ways that develop higher order thinking skills and sound reasoning.

o   Demonstrate creativity and innovation by promoting curiosity, creativity, and inventiveness.

o   Communicate and collaborate.

o   Conduct research and use information.

o   Think critically, solve problems, and make decisions.

o   Use technology effectively and productively.

o   Take personal responsibility by demonstrating knowledge of ethical and legal issues relating to technology.

Appendix 2  should be the district attributes – rework these below to have a representative from each.

Global Learners as evidenced by:

o   Understanding and respecting individual and cultural differences.

o   Seeking out new cultural experiences that broaden perspectives.

o   Drawing upon the strengths of other cultures.

o   Collaborating in languages other than English.

o   Working with others to understand current events and pose solutions for global issues.

o   Exhibiting positive interpersonal relationships that value multiple languages, cultures, and all persons.

Effective Communicators as evidenced by:

o   Mastering skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English and other languages.

o   Exhibiting appropriate interpersonal skills for effective dialogue.

o   Collaborating strategically in a technology-rich environment.

Critical Thinkers as evidenced by:

o   Soliciting and considering different points of view prior to decision making.

o   Evaluating resources in all forms for validity and accuracy.

o   Applying information and appropriate skills to new contexts/situations.

o   Articulating solutions to real-world problems that demonstrate a sound rational.

o   Increasing their ability to use technology as a tool in solving problems.

Socially Responsible Citizens as evidenced by:

o   Participating in school and community initiatives.

o   Exhibiting responsibility for personal well-being and compassion for the well-being of others.

o   Following the civic principles, ethics, and virtues necessary for sustaining the common good in a democracy.

o   Understanding the importance of sustaining a healthy planet.

o   Pursuing a range of interests that exhibit a balance of physical, social, and intellectual activity.

o   Demonstrating a strong work ethic.

21st Century Reference Page

http://www.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=119

Professional Development

Fayetteville-Manlius culture is that of collaboration, collegiality and of shared goals. The professional development piece is important to the district’s motto of “excellence”. The district offers a variety of professional opportunities including but not limited by computer resource teachers, district wide in-service, mini workshops, curriculum meetings, department and grade level collaboration meetings, support with individual teachers, team teaching collaborations, curriculum development opportunities and community based conferences.

A valuable resource to support teachers and students is the computer resource teachers. There is one teacher supporting K-4, another for grades 5-8, and the third is available to the high school teachers. Resource teachers provide instruction in faculty meetings, one on one support, curriculum meetings, staff days, team teaching, and in-service classes. The district is committed to staying current with the ever changing technologies that support 21st Century skills. These teachers also regularly meet with grade levels/ departments, and offer mini workshops during planning periods, or before and after school hours. In addition, they work closely with the computer lab assistants.

In-service classes are also offered by colleagues. Instructors consist mostly of teachers, but also include staff from the local BOCES. Workshops are also offered by professional vendors. In order to facilitate collaboration and teacher leaders, participants of in-service classes are required to produce the following, depending on the nature of the class: reflection/ letter, lesson you can use in your class, podcast of what was learned, description of how a lesson went, and presentation with team, movie, or other plans. Teachers can receive additional credit when final products are added to the district curriculum map. In relationship with BOCES, Syracuse University, and Fayetteville-Manlius Continuing Education the district provides workshops for community members around the county.

The Coordinator of Technology offers mini workshops for administrators and has created an internal blog for administrators to safely practice blogging before going public. The technical staff is constantly updating knowledge with infrastructure growth, efficiency of running servers and switches, and security. Weekly meetings involve a review of technical terms, emerging programs for teachers, and procedures. An average of 100 hours is spent yearly on professional development for the technical staff.

Last year, the district purchased a web module for teachers to house student video projects for a global audience, but this module has proved necessary in the professional development of staff. How-to videos created by the computer resource teachers are sent periodically to teachers quickly demonstrating how to use a document camera, or when to export files for backup in SMARTNotebook.

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.

Assessment of Technology Program

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. Laurel will do more of this.

The Technology Committee was created three years ago to support the demands, and changes of instruction. In addition to district initiatives, the Technology Committee works closely with teachers and students to remain current. For example, the committee created a five year digital portfolio plan to ensure that chosen work started in first grade would be saved for the life of the student. Starting in first grade, a student’s reading fluency can be monitored by audio recordings either in Audacity, Jing, or Glogster and now saved throughout the student’s years at Fayetteville-Manlius.

The committee has fostered technological innovation through a formalized process where, at the request of the teachers, the technology is provided as a pilot. This small team of teachers becomes trainers and support staff for that hardware as is the case with the iPod touches purchased last summer. (http://www.fmschools.org/files/filesystem/purchasing%20procedures.pdf).

The form is submitted to the Technology Committee for review.

The Technology Committee will complete an annual review of the Technology Plan. This review will include surveys from staff and students, curriculum reviews, and feedback from teachers and administrators during planning meetings. The goal will be to help meet the every changing technology keeping current in the 21st Century.

A yearly review of library services from BOCES is discussed  by the Assistant Superintendent of Business, Curriculum, and Coordinator of Technology along with the librarians.  The Coordinator of Technology reviews the hardware replacement plan on a yearly basis.  The Computer Resource Teachers review all software in the fall to prepare computers for the spring.  At this time new software is ordered and updated,  or old software is removed.  Performance reviews for all technology staff are yearly. Newer employees are evaluated multiple times per year.