Technology Action Plan

Technology Application Plan

Areas of Need:
Student journaling through blogging and podcasting
Integrating technology in the study of science/social studies through web connected classrooms
The use of data driven technology for student assessment and progress report
The use of technology for student acceleration

Personnel Responsible:
General Ed Teachers (Implementation)
District Technology Specialist (Identification and Professional Development)
Campus Computer Tech (Resource for Technology)
Campus Administrators (Professional Development and acquisition of appropriate technology)
Campus Testing Coordinator (Identification of student needs)

Specific Technology Identified:
Wikis
Blogspot.com
Classroom Teacher Websites
Promethean Planet
Teacher Tube
Waterford
Success Makers
INOVA
Eduphoria
Brain Pop
Study Island


Administrations involvement in the implementation of technology use is critical. It is the responsibility of the principal to see that the vision of technology use on campus is understood and that all staff is committed to the process of implementation and use of technology in the classroom. In my plan each grade level will have a point person that will make up a Technology Team. The Technology Team will work closely with the principal in coordinating the classroom implementation of the technology components. It will fall to the Technology Team members to train their grade level colleagues in the new technology, not only in the use of the technology but to make them aware of the roles that each piece will play in student achievement and success. The Technology Team members will meet regularly with the principal to inform him/her on how the technology is being implemented in the classroom and report data that is being gathered by students’ use of the technology. As the team meets it will evaluate what technology pieces are working and research ways to “tweek” areas that are not working smoothly. Evaluation of technology use in classrooms will take place every 3 months. Reports of the evaluation will be given to teachers so that all staff is aware of how the campus is progressing toward the integration of technology in the classroom.

The equipment and technology pieces are in our classrooms but we do not fully understand how to use them to promote real student achievement and success. This learning must take technology from more than just a way to capture student’s interest and entertain them, to a vehicle that they can use to transport themselves into the drivers seat of their own individual learning. Professional development and appropriate training must be offered to guide teachers in this way of thinking and in the implementation of the equipment and technology pieces used in classroom instruction. These training opportunities need to be ongoing, just as learning is a never ending process. Since technology and the digital world are changing everyday, so must our understanding of the technology and how it can best be used in the instruction of our students.

Several professional development trainings that I am aware of that need to be put in place for all of my districts educators concern the data collecting tools of INOVA, Eduphoria, and Success Makers/Waterford. INOVA is a tool that tracks student’s TAKS testing progress from year to year. It breaks down the student’s comprehension by objectives in all tested subject areas and tracks the progress that needs to be made to keep the student on the current performance level for success. Professional development for this tool would include training in what the INOVA report generates.

Eduphoria is a tool that is new to teachers in our district. It is a place where all information collected by the school/district is housed for every student in the district. One piece of this tool is the inclusion of all TAKS, Benchmark and Milestone scores collected throughout the student’s education process. These scores are housed and available to the teacher for use at any time. This tool makes it quicker to identify at risk students and allows each teacher to view their student’s progress from grade to grade. Another evaluation tool is that of Success Makers for 2nd thru 6th grades and Waterford for K thru 2nd grades. These tools offer students acceleration in Reading, Math, and Science. It can take a student on their current comprehension level and move them through a process to try to advance them to grade level comprehension and understanding of the content material.

As far as professional development opportunities for technology training for instructional and organizational leadership are concerned, my district has a new course set up that is self paced and covers 23 things - as they say- that are part of the Web 2.0 technology advancement. The course is self paced and walks you through a step by step process of how to accomplish tasks and post your completed assignments to a blog that is used for collaboration among those taking the course and the instructors, much like this course through Lamar University has done. It has been interesting to discover new ways to include my learning as a piece of technology that is visible to more than just me and an instructor. I am including the link to the site for the course used by my district to touch on each of these technology pieces. http://misd23things.blogspot.com/2008/05/23-things_29.html These tools can be used in every aspect of campus life, from staff communication, to administration correspondence and training, to student learning and education.