E-Rate Overview and FISD Technology Plan Presentation

E-Rate and Tech Plan

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Overview of the National Educational Technology Plan

A 21^st century classroom requires students to have more power over their own learning. They need to be able to engage in the same types of activities in school that they choose to explore outside of school. To meet the goals of the National Educational Technology Plan, which include having a majority of the population having a 2-year or 4-year degree, and closing the achievement gap that would allow every student the opportunity to graduate from high school with the skills needed to succeed in college or a career, students have to develop a new style of learning that will empower them to be successful in this changing, global, digital society.

The whole framework of education needs to be evaluated. There will still be standards that are enforced, but critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration will be a part of their everyday learning environment. Digital communications will be a large part of their learning.

Students need to be taught how to use technology tools to help them decipher data, design original projects, collaborate with other students, and complete project based assignments. To do this, educators and administrators need to have on-going access to student data and progress. They must learn to determine if students are on track in their learning and how to fill the gaps when students fall behind. The teacher training will need to focus on developing teachers who can becomes a facilitator in the learning process.

Developing the existing, and building a more robust infrastructure is key to the success of this plan. Most of the technology needed exists today, but the infrastructure has to be strong enough to maintain these tools. The U.S. Department of Education is going to lead the effort to bridge the gap in the infrastructure.

The NETP sets in place recommendations for each level of education, federal, states, and districts, focusing on the five components of learning with a focus on technology; Learning, Assessing, Teaching, the Infrastructure, and Productivity.

References:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming american education: learning powered by technology Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf

Overview of FISD Technology Plan

FISD Technology Department Mission Statement: By providing leadership, infrastructure, support, and staff development, the Frisco ISD Technology Department will empower students, educators, and the community to utilize current and emerging technologies as tools for life-long learning.

A Technology Plan was created to keep all stakeholders informed of the goals and realistic strategies for implementing the vision of the department.

We believe that curriculum driven technology should be seamlessly integrated and not isolated in learning. Technology should be used as an instructional resource used to enhance learning for all students. Project-based assessments should be utilized to foster the creativity and problem solving skills necessary for 21st century learning.

Appropriate and relevant staff developments are key to educating our teaching staff in these new skills. The department is committed to provide training for minimum competency expectations as well as more advanced staff developments. Working together with the FISD Curriculum department, we will facilitate the database entry of K-12 curriculum lessons into Forethought, the online curriculum database and lesson planner.

Technology should also be used to enhance the communication between students, parents, school leadership and the local and global community. The plan must be continually evaluated and modified to meet changing goals and utilize emerging technologies.

Technology Assessments for Students and Teachers

I believe that it is invaluable to know the skills and technology leadership knowledge of your teachers to establish and build upon an effective technology plan for any district. You have to be able to determine what your teachers already know, what they still need to learn, before you can implement a district-wide plan. You must determine what the gaps are between where you are and where you need to be. A simple survey like the School Technology and Readiness Chart (STaR Chart) is a good baseline. It isn’t the final assessment tool that needs to be used though. The STaR Chart can help determine growth in an area over time, but it isn’t a good measure of what a teacher really knows. Short of giving teachers an annual skills test, the best way to determine what they know is by observation. Having personnel on campus that know the teachers, work with them on a regular basis and are able to do on the job training and assistance is essential.

It is also imperative to know what your student body knows as well. You need to determine the gaps in their knowledge and the goals they have for their learning, so you will know what needs to be taught. Then, train the teachers in those areas so they can instruct the students. The same personnel on the campus who works with the teachers can also assist the students in their learning.

Tech assessments can be tricky. If you use a self-assessment tool you can get inconstant data. Where one teacher thinks that because she knows how to create a basic PowerPoint and show it on her classroom projector she is highly skilled, another teacher may think that because she doesn’t use her MOBI Interwrite Slate for 90% of her instruction or she doesn’t know how to create an interactive online lesson in Prezi she is lacking the skills she needs to be an effective technology teacher. Although the latter teacher has a greater skill set in the area of technology than the first, she may score herself lower in some areas because she feels she can do more. The assessment in general is a good idea, it’s just fining the right method, or even methods, that need to be used. I think a good effective assessment would combine all of the above tools, self-assessment, observation by technology leadership personnel, and district-wide results of the STaR Chart, to determine where the gaps in learning are.

Web Conference Reflection

I participated in the ELED 5306 - Cohort 17 Required Web Conference for Week 2. The conference was facilitated by Dr. Abshire.

Once we managed our way through the technical aspect of getting everyone's microphones and video cameras working and linked, then trying to turn off the microphones, it was a productive meeting. There were several classmates on the conference and it went quite smoothly. Dr. Absire shared some important information about what to expect in the class and upcoming course work, as well as some information about the Internship process. I found the web conference very helpful. It let me get a feel for Dr. Absire and her personality, something that a web-based class doesn't usually afford you the opportunity for. Knowing your professor is half the battle.
I also found it interesting to see some of the other class members "face-to-face." Although there wasn't much conversation between classmates, other than the few questions that came up in the Chat Log, it was good to get a feel for who my cohorts were. We got a feel for how everyone else was feeling about the class so far. Glad to know I'm not the only one who was feeling a little overwhelmed. During the conference we decided to create a facebook page and group to help us collaborate a little more outside of the Epic Bulletin Board. This was set up before the conference was over, and has already become a useful tool for me.


I look forward to the upcoming web conferences that I will be able to attend. Many of them are on Thursday evenings, and I have a standing commitment on Thursdays. I am going to try to make as many web conferences as possible. If I can't attend in person, I will be viewing the recorded sessions later.

Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids

A classmate had this TED video on their blog. I quickly fell in love with this "child"!!