E-Rate and Technology Plan

E rate and technology plan

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Better Teaching, Learning and Collaboration (TLC) through Techonology

According to my district's technology plan, it is composed of strategies and activities that will guide the district for the next 3-5 years.  The district's plan is based on the philosophy that educational technology must be used to support instruction to prepare students for the 21st century.     

Goals

• To advance and support the educational goals of the District by providing a technology rich, integrated environment for all learners.
• To facilitate and support anywhere, anytime learning for all through personal access appliances, enhanced communication tools and integrated data systems.
• To improve and support communication among and between all community stakeholders including administrators, staff, teachers, students and parents. 
• To facilitate and support just-in-time data driven decisions processes through integrated information systems with meaningful intuitive and consistent tools. 

 The district provides opportunities for professional development during school, after school and summer time.  The focus of the trainings are to find ways to utilize technology in standards based lessons.   We have full time professional development personnel, Technology Teachers on Special Assignments (Tech TOSAs) who provide trainings on software, implementation, and integration of technology into the classroom.  HLP also participates with Cal Poly, Pomona and the East San Gabriel Valley Educational Consortium in a professional development program called the TEAMatrx.  This program helps teachers develop lessons that meet three requirements:

• Integrate technology
• Address state and district standards (content and technology)
• Use data to modify instruction

 HLPUSD participates in site based decision making, decisions are made by  a Leadership Team or School Site Council.  Schools are allotted money from the general fund to spend on the schools needs and focus areas.  Schools also have funds available from federal and state categorical funds which can be used for hardware, software and upgrade purchases.   

A variety of assessments are used to determine the level of technology used over a time period.  These tools include an annual online state technology survey, an online teacher proficiency assessment and technology use survey, a district created survey, and a district created teacher technology needs survey.  To measure students at the K-5 level, they will examine the percentage of students who have attained grade level content standards and the technology standards are reported on the standards based report card.  At the secondary level they will use the technology benchmark assessment results and the number of students passing the computer literacy graduation requirement.

National Education Technology Plan

The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) is designed to transform education with technology and was created to remain competitive in the global economy.  There are five learning components of the plan:  learning , assessments, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity.

The learning component, asks us to create learning experiences that engage and motivate students.  To allow students to use technological tools used in professional jobs to research, analyze, problem solve and communicate to gain the skills needed later in life.   

The teaching component focuses on empowering teachers to become facilitators in their students' learning.  The teaching model that is encouraged is connected teaching, were teachers work as teams, are connected to technology resources to improve their instructional practices and workshops consisting of ongoing in person collaboration.

Technology based assessments will be used to make informed decisions.   This assessment model allows us to use the data to make decisions that are best for each and every student. 

Part of the professional development is to provide educators with learning experiences lead by technology to increase their technology literacy and help them create assignments for student learning, assessment and instructional practices.

Although this is a great plan to want to implement one of my concerns lies with the teacher.  How will we get teachers to buy into using this technology plan.  How can we have them move from the traditional way of teaching to using technology as a learning tool in the classroom.  Many teachers are set in their ways and may not be willing to try new things.  NETP is created in the best interest of every student and every teacher should also be in it for the student and if technology is the way to go, then so be it.   

U.S. Department of Education.  (2010)  Transforming American Education Learning

         Powered by Teaching.  Website:  http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010-

         execsumm.pdf.

Web Conference Experience (1/25/12)

This was my first web conference experience.  It was nice seeing some of my classmates face to face.   Although we didn't get to share much, we got to learn a lot about the program.   I felt a little overwhelmed with everything that is required of us from the program, but I guess I have to take it one step at a time. 

The web conference was very insightful, meeting Professor Boral was nice.  We had a few glitches with the microphones, and it took a while to figure out what was the problem, but eventually it was taken care of.  Unfortunately we didn't get a real opportunity to discuss much of the program as we probably would have liked. But that's technology for you, there's always going to be some kind of technical difficulty.  It's so interesting how computers work now a days.  With these technological advances, we can all be in different states but yet be in the same virtual classroom.  The professor had a PowerPoint with all the information, which was great because it made it easier to understand and catch everything that we needed to know.  All in all I had a very informative and wonderful experience.

Value of Assessment

In an age where we (teachers) are the digital immigrants and students are the digital natives, we need to broaden our horizon to all the technology out there and use what we can in the classroom to excite and motivate our students.  Whether we like it or not technology is becoming more prevalent in our education system.  The problem with this is that teachers lack the skills and knowledge needed to execute a technology plan in their classroom.  We have teachers at different levels of skills and knowledge of technology.  The technology assessment tool such as the Texas STaR Chart was created to measure and easily identify teacher and student levels and needs.  I do believe there is value assessing, because it helps define strengths and weaknesses, which can then set the foundation that may help reach any technological goals and 21st century learners.   

As stated in the Texas Teacher STaR Chart manual "Its purpose is to assist all classroom teachers in assessing needs and setting goals for the use of technology in the classroom to support student achievement." (Texas Education Agency)
 Data always helps in determining any type of decision, but with any assessment, there are pros and there are cons.  We may be able to use the results of this test to identify the schools technological levels and determine what are teacher and student technology needs, but at the same time who is to say the school was being truthful in answering all the questions. Even if they are truthful who is to say that the outcomes to these tests will be met and implemented.  With budget cuts on the rise, technology is always on the bottom of the list. 


Texas Campus STaR Chart Summary.  (2009, December).  Website:  http://starchart2.epsilen.com/campus
            searchlist.aspx?foryear=20092010&district=beaumont&campus.
Texas Campus STaR Chart Summary.  (2010, November).  Website:  http://starchart2.epsilen.com/campus
            searchlist.aspx?foryear=20102011&district=beaumont&campus.
Texas Campus STaR Chart Summary.  (2011, December).  Website:  http://starchart2.epsilen.com/campus
            searchlist.aspx?foryear=20112012&district=beaumont&campus.
Texas Education Ageny (2007-2011). Texas Teacher STaR Chart.  Website:  http://starchart.epsilen.com/
            docs/TxCSC.pdf