district technology plan 2012-2015 - bloomer school district

School District of Bloomer

Dr. Mary Randall, District Administrator

2012 – 2015

Information & Technology Plan

Contact Persons

District Technology Coordinator:

Barry Kamrath (through June 30, 2012)

715-568-1025 ext. 2101

[email protected]

David Roseth (beginning July 1, 2012)

715-568-1025 ext. 2116

[email protected]

Approved by Board of Education: May 31, 2012

Executive Summary

This plan is the result of the School District of Bloomer’s Technology Committee’s work over a seven month period beginning in November of 2011. Planning included a District-wide needs assessment of the current state of instructional technology and information resources and their use in the District. Data were gathered primarily through the STNA (School Technology Needs Assessment), which was also used in the previous three-year plan. Data were compared to previous assessment results that showed both areas of strength and growth as well as areas that are in need of improvement. Additional data were collected through informal and formal observations. As realized through a goal in the previous plan, all faculty evaluations included a brief analysis of educator proficiency of our adopted staff technology standards. Additionally, the District is in the second year of a comprehensive strategic planning process. Prior to strategic planning committee meetings, the District completed a comprehensive data collection process through the School Perceptions Survey. The survey collected data from a variety of stakeholders including school board members, staff, students, parents, and community members. The technology planning committee, with the assistance of the CESA 10 Technology Department, met on several occasions to evaluate the level to which the former technology plan’s goals were realized. The team then reviewed the current research on best practices in using technology in education. Using the results of the former plan evaluation, and data from the STNA and School Perceptions Survey, several goals were developed that focus on:

Improving student and staff access to information and technology resources

Expanding a District-wide vision for technology usage

Ensuring all students are prepared as digital citizens

Increasing appropriate integration of technology into content areas to improve student learning

Using technology as a tool for data analysis to inform decision making The District’s Technology Committee will meet annually to monitor progress towards the plan’s goals, and report on that progress annually, disseminating the report to all stakeholders. Although challenges exist in implementing this plan, primarily due to budget constraints, the technology planning committee developed goals and objectives that are achievable through consistent monitoring and implementation efforts.

Table of Contents

CommunityandDistrictDemographics.........................................................................................................................4

FacilitiesandInfrastructure...............................................................................................................................................4Network..................................................................................................................................................................................5Servers....................................................................................................................................................................................5StaffandStudentDevices................................................................................................................................................6

Library/MediaFacilities:....................................................................................................................................................7Library/mediaprogramphilosophy........................................................................................................................8Overviewofthelibrarymediaandinstructionaltechnologyprogramsastheyexisttoday..............8DistrictSupportedSoftware/Applications............................................................................................................8

Vision/MissionoftheSchoolDistrictofBloomer..................................................................................................10Beliefs....................................................................................................................................................................................10MissionStatement............................................................................................................................................................11Goals......................................................................................................................................................................................11Strategies.............................................................................................................................................................................11

SummaryofResearch..........................................................................................................................................................12

ThePlanningProcess...........................................................................................................................................................16Membersofthetechnologycommittee...................................................................................................................17

Needs:.........................................................................................................................................................................................18Needsbasedonreviewofresearch..........................................................................................................................18Needsbasedongoals/objectivesnotmetfromlastplanorsuggestionsfromevaluationofpreviousplan:....................................................................................................................................................................18NeedsbasedonSTNA....................................................................................................................................................19NeedsbasedonStrategicPlanGoals/StrategiesandtheSchoolPerceptionsSurveyData............20

Goals............................................................................................................................................................................................20Systemssupportandleadership................................................................................................................................21StudentProficiency.........................................................................................................................................................24Educatorproficiency.......................................................................................................................................................27Effectiveteachingandlearningpractices..............................................................................................................31AccesstoInformationResourcesandLearningTools......................................................................................32

BudgetProjections................................................................................................................................................................37

Monitoring,Evaluation,andRevision...........................................................................................................................38

DisseminationtoStakeholders........................................................................................................................................39

References................................................................................................................................................................................40

LinkstoSchoolDistrictTechnologyPolicies.............................................................................................................41

LinkstoSchoolTechnologyNeedsAssessmentData.............................................................................................42

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Community and District Demographics

Geographically, the School District of Bloomer is located in the Northwest/central region of Wisconsin, 25 miles north of Eau Claire where Highways 53, 40, and 64 converge. The School District encompasses approximately 160 square miles. The community has a strong agricultural tradition, emerging manufacturing and industrial businesses, comprehensive health care facilities, and its own municipal police department, working in concert with the volunteer fire department and emergency medical services. The population of Bloomer is approximately 3,500 people. The city of Bloomer dedicates its service to the members of the community through a strong commitment to the meaning of “community” – a group of individuals working for the common welfare of all by providing for the safety, welfare, education and a quality of life for all citizens. The city and the School District work cooperatively to provide responsive public services in a low-cost efficient manner. The School District of Bloomer student population over the past few years has been approximately 1,100 students. There are three public school buildings (high school, middle school, and elementary school). The School District of Bloomer employs about 80 licensed educators including 3 guidance counselors, 12 paraprofessional aides, 6 support staff, 6 custodial employees, and 6 cooks. The District administrative team consists of one District administrator, three building principals, one dean of students/athletic director, one buildings and grounds supervisor, and one technology coordinator. The technology coordinator position has been an additional responsibility of a building principal, but will be replaced with a full-time position beginning July 1, 2012. Additionally, a building principal will assume the additional assignment of Virtual Education Director effective July 1, 2012. The District also purchases services from other agencies including technology support from the Cooperative Educational Service Agency 10 located in Chippewa Falls. High-speed Internet access has traditionally been provided through the District’s Internet Service Provider, the Bloomer Telephone Company (BTC). This partnership, combined with extensive planning and approved referenda spending, has allowed the District to install a wide area gigabit fiber optic network that both meets the current needs of the District, and allows for future expansion and augmentation as the District’s technology needs and capacity change. The partnership with the BTC is unique. The District and the BTC work together to support the District’s technology vision. Currently, the District contracts with the BTC for its Internet access and telecommunications needs.

Facilities and Infrastructure

The School District of Bloomer has passed three referenda since 2000, with the most recent passing in April 2012. These referenda included the building of a middle school that opened in 2002, and additions and upgrades to the high school that were completed in 2004. A new elementary school is in the planning stages, and is set to open in the fall of 2013. The use of referendum funds allows the District to plan and build facilities that meet the needs of all students. Considerable effort is given in the planning for technology. The number of high-speed data ports in each building, as well as future planning of wiring for mounted data projectors and data access points demonstrate forward thinking and planning. Many

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classrooms now have data projectors mounted, and interactive whiteboard technology is being utilized in numerous classrooms across the District. Each building has cable and data networks. The current telephone system is designed to meet the needs of the students and staff of the District. With assistance in planning by the Bloomer Telephone Company, the phones in the District are all Voice Over IP (VOIP). The District currently maintains over 150 extensions in three buildings. Most extensions include voicemail access through digital streaming audio files. The voicemail server is located in the Bloomer Middle School. The buildings also allow access to technology in traditional stationary labs. However, the District has recently continued to fund wireless mobile labs – with emphasis given to upper grades. The middle school and high school have 100% wireless network coverage, while the elementary school has coverage where appropriate. The new elementary school will have 100% wireless coverage at high data capacity and speed. The elementary school recently added two full stationary computer labs, and three mobile computer labs of repurposed machines. The middle school and high schools have recently added netbook computers in mobile labs. In 2010, the School Board approved a migration process from MacIntosh to Windows operating systems. This transition is 100% complete at the high school and nearly complete at the middle school. The elementary school still utilizes MacIntosh computers as many of the machines remain serviceable and continue to meet the needs of our students and staff.

Network

All District sites are wired with RG6 for instructional television. Each building is equipped with a video server that allows for video distribution over the TV network. All wiring for the data network within the buildings is CAT 5e with the exception of some original wiring within the elementary and high school that is CAT 5. Sufficient network jacks can be found in all buildings, and all buildings also have wireless access. The middle and high school has total building coverage, and the elementary building is increasing coverage in high-use areas. There are a total of 1152 ports in the School District of Bloomer to plug network cables into at the port speed of 100 megabytes per port, all of the main Cisco switches are connected with fiber optic cables to each other at the connection rate of 1GigaBit. The main backbone switches for the District are Cisco 3550s and other switches are Cisco 2950-s. There are no routers in the District network. Each School has 5 VLans: administrative, instructional, telephony, wireless, and switches. There are 4 -3550 Cisco switches and 25 Cisco 2950 Switches.

Servers

The District utilizes several servers – some housed in the District and some housed elsewhere. The School District of Bloomer does not house its own email server. Rather, the District purchases email server accounts from the Bloomer Telephone Company. This also allows for emails to undergo a filtering service. The District also purchases web content filtering from the Bloomer Telephone Company.

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Housed within the District are numerous servers, each serving a purpose. These are shown here by building. Elementary School: Telephone server - for voice over IP telephone service to each classroom and office area Video server - allows for video distribution to all classrooms Middle School: X-serve (1) - Apple server - file server for high school staff X-serve (2) - Apple server - file server for elementary and middle school students and staff X-serve (3) - Apple server - file server for high school students Web server - houses District web pages including lesson plans, also runs out listserv software Video server - allows for video distribution to all classrooms Windows 2003 server - Skyward student data system server Windows 2003 - Skyward Web Server and Norton Anti-virus server for PCs Voicemail server - manages flow of District voicemail messages to telephone system Telephone server - for voice over IP telephone service to each classroom and office area DHCP server - open BSD server – provides DHCP service to wireless network as well as NAT services PC Server - running technician support request system Apple Server - running NetRestore software for deploying software images district-wide. Software update server - provides system and software update services for Mac and PC clients Multipoint PC server for nComputing devices High School: Video server - allows for video distribution to all classrooms Telephone server - for voice over IP telephone service to each classroom and office area Library server - for the library automation system and circulation for all three building libraries as well as our Elementary Destiny Reading Resources Room Collection Symantec End Point Protection server - data protection/network virus protection server

Staff and Student Devices

Elementary School: Staff iMacs: 44 (combined 20” and 17”) Student iMacs: 32, most are in the iMac lab (24) and are 17”; however, there are 4 20” in 4th grade or special education rooms. 25 MacMini in that lab or IMC 10 20” iMacs in IMC 2 MacBook Air laptops 2 iMac library circulation stations 14 iPads (5 in LMC and 9 Special Education) Approximately 50 eMacs in classrooms for student use; 2 in most classrooms 3 carts of iBooks totaling 50 iBook G4s; an additional 12 iBooks are available for staff checkout (We also have about an additional 8 that are reserved in case any of these should fail.) 10 Smartboards

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Middle School: 13 PC’s for student use in the Library Media Center 30 PC’s in Middle School Computer lab 88 PC netbooks for student use on 5 mobile carts 15 Imacs for Art computer Lab. 6 nComputing terminals 25 PC desktops and laptops for Staff One MacBook pro for MS Principal Two PC’s, one Imac, and One Ubuntu box for Technician 8 Smart Boards High School: 27 PC’s for Business Ed Lab 22 Netbooks for Ag Mini Cart 20 PC’s for CAD computing Lab 21 PC’s for Library computer lab 62 PC’s for Mobile Labs on four carts 10 Netbooks for Science computing lab 34 Staff notebooks and desktops 4 PC Special ED desktops 15 Imac Computer Labs District: 2 PC Desktops and 1 Laptop

Library / Media Facilities

The School District of Bloomer has three Library Media Centers. They each consist of reading, listening and viewing areas as well as computers used as look-up and research stations. The elementary and middle school libraries also have attached computer labs along with attached processing and storage areas. The high school library has an attached classroom that is used for instruction. All three libraries have storage areas for professional collections. Staff: The School District of Bloomer employees one full-time media specialist and three full-time aides. The media specialist splits time between the three schools. There is one aide in each of the buildings’ libraries. The libraries also have volunteers along with teacher assistants (high school students) who assist with the everyday library tasks. Collection: The development of the LMC collection has been driven by curriculum needs and the selection policy. The collections at the schools have been mapped within the past five years. The mapping process has allowed the professional staff to review the current status of the collection, and to focus future spending where appropriate. The library staff also uses sources such as Booklinks and Library Media Connection for reading reviews of materials.

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Library / media program philosophy

The library / media program of the School District of Bloomer is based on the philosophy that all people need access to information in a variety of formats - as well as the skills to find, evaluate, and apply that information. The library / media program facilitates student learning skills by:

Working with classroom teachers to integrate teaching units and themes.

Providing resource materials for classroom instruction.

Directing activities with classes in the library / media centers.

Assisting individual students with their needs as individual learners.

Promoting the use of multi-media resources. To be effective, information skills should be integrated and taught in conjunction with subject curriculum. To achieve this integration, the library / media centers must be open and staffed during the school day so students can access information at the point of need. This will encourage students to use their developed information skills to meet their needs, solve problems, and establish a pattern for life-long learning.

Overview of the library media and instructional technology programs as they exist today

The integration of library media skills into the curriculum is an important aspect of the library media program in the District. Developing collection and library services, and facilitating their use are tasks that are directed by this importance of library/information skill integration. Once a unit of study includes the library, it gives the library media specialist a focus for developing the collection to support that aspect of the curriculum. A flexible schedule in the District library media centers has also been emphasized, so accommodations can be made for all teaching staff wishing to utilize the resources available. This also allows for common planning time between the faculty and the library staff so that cross-curricular and integrated units can be planned. This has had an impact on teaching and learning in the District. The emphasis on integrating library skills which requires the collaboration of the library media staff and the teaching staff has been difficult to maintain as the District has had to reduce the number of library media resource personnel over the past several years due to budget restraints. However, in the face of staff reductions, the library media facilities in the District have shown dramatic improvement. This has been (in part) as a result of two passed referenda. Additionally, a recent referendum passage will result in a new elementary school in 2013, with state-of-the-art library/media and technology resources. The library media centers at both the high school and middle school are new construction since 2002. They have been planned and constructed in a manner that allows for an increase in class and individual usage of these areas. Likewise, the technology resources available in all buildings have increased significantly. Therefore, the utilization of technology has also made great strides.

District Supported Software / Applications

Apple Mail and Address Book (staff)

Apple Remote Desktop

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Adobe CS5 Suite – Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, inDesign, Bridge, Acrobat Professional, and Fireworks

Solid Works

DraftSight

Bailey’s Book House, Sammy’s Science House, Millie’s Math House

Dashboard and various Widgets

DeepFreeze

Field Trip to the Sky

Firefox

JAWS

Inspiration

in Sight

iWork ‘11 - Keynote, Pages, and Numbers

iLife ‘11– which includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes. ICal, iWeb, Garageband where applicable

Kidspiration

Kidworks 2

Kidworks Deluxe

Geo Logo Math Series

Jumpstart Music

Number Cruncher

Mapmaker’s Toolkit

Math Arena

Microsoft Office 2010– Word, Outlook, Excel and Powerpoint

Microtype 5

Millie and Bailey

Symantec Anti-Virus

PageMaker 7

Peachtree Accounting

Preview

Publisher

Open Office

Safari

Story Lords

Table Top Jr

Tenth Planet Literacy

That’s Life

Typing Time

Microsoft Remote Desktop

Windows XP Professional

Windows 7 Professional

Windows Server 2003

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Windows Server 2008

Windows Mulitpoint server 2011

TeamViewer

Spiceworks

Symantec Ghost

Fog Server

Crashplan

Destiny Library Automation server

Zoombini

Vision / Mission of the School District of Bloomer

The School District of Bloomer’s mission/vision statement was established through a comprehensive strategic planning process that involved thirty members including school board members, administrators, teachers, support staff members, community members, local business leaders, parents, and students. The planning process began by examining data and defining a set of beliefs held by all members of the strategic planning committee.

Beliefs

The School District of Bloomer believes:

A partnership among community, parents/guardians, and school is essential to a quality education.

Teamwork and communication are essential skills.

Every child deserves an excellent education.

All individuals can learn.

Individual needs are met and growth is achieved by providing a variety of opportunities to develop talents and strengths.

Schools help develop individuals of character.

All individuals have value and should be treated with respect.

Critical and creative thinking are essential to adapting to an ever-changing global and technological society.

Learning should be a fulfilling, life-long experience.

All individuals have a right to a safe, welcoming environment.

All individuals are responsible for their actions.

Taking pride in school facilities enhances school climate.

Setting high goals promotes excellence. Once beliefs were agreed upon through consensus of all committee members, the committee set to the task of crafting a new mission for the District. The Mission of the School District of Bloomer was approved by the Board of Education in the spring of 2011.

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Mission Statement

In partnership with the community and its students, the School District of Bloomer is committed to excellence by empowering and challenging all students to achieve their potential as life-long learners in an ever-changing global society.

Additionally, the board approved a vision that will guide the District: The School District of Bloomer: Challenge, Empower, Achieve!

Goals

The District has developed two goals that are supported by the implementation of four specific strategies:

By 2015, all students will be individually challenged and demonstrate educational growth as measured by grade level and/or content benchmark assessments.

All students will be able to demonstrate and articulate their social and personal growth.

Strategies

1. We will ensure all students can articulate their social growth and character development in relation to District-aligned developmental assets.

2. We will ensure all students’ progress is measured by district-wide content and/or grade-level

assessments of performance indicators.

3. We will build community partnerships through service learning opportunities in elementary, middle, and high school.

4. We will ensure all students have a safe, clean, and welcoming school.

The Instructional Technology Planning Committee began reviewing the mission/vision statement, goals, and strategies as they relate to Instructional Medial and Technology in November of 2011. Belief statements endorse the use of technology so that students may be successful in today and tomorrow’s worlds. However, as technology becomes more prominent in our District, members of the technology planning committee agree that the District is in need of a more succinct vision strictly for technology. Therefore, one of the goals of this plan includes the development of a new vision for technology in the School District of Bloomer.

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Summary of Research

The Instructional Technology Planning Committee reviewed research to guide the technology planning process. The School District of Bloomer Technology Plan is our plan to incorporate research-based practices in technology to enhance student learning and to prepare information and technology literate students. The summary of research is presented by first crediting the Technology Planning Committee members who reviewed various documents supporting contemporary trends and issues relating to technology in public schools. District technology needs that become apparent through literature review will be included in the Needs section of this Technology Plan. Research Reviewed by Katie Brunner According to Marc Prensky (2008), a consultant in areas of education and learning with technology, “Today’s kids grow up in the light. They are deeply immersed in it (technology) long before educators ever see them”. Prensky refers to “the light,” meaning students being exposed to the outside world to broaden knowledge. Prensky goes on to state that children are coming to school and walking into the darkness of the “old fashioned classroom”. They are leaving behind their intellectual light of their everyday lives and allowed to use Basal readers, old textbooks, and outdated equipment. (Prensky, 2008). School instruction has become so cookie cutter and one size fits all, despite the fact that we live in an era of customization. Thus, as educators we need to educate students to prepare them for the future by bringing technology into the classroom. He provides four ideas to help accomplish this goal: (1) give students the opportunity to use technology in school (2) Find out how students want to be taught (3) Understand where kids are going-that is-into the future-and help them get there (4) Connect students to the world (Prensky, 2008). Prensky stresses “covering the material and preparing kids for the test, is not preparing them for the future!” Schools need to participate substantially in the future of our children, which means we must be willing to finally “turn on the lights” (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Marc Prensky, 2008). Research from the Forum Unified Education Technology Suite, funded by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the United States Department of Education states that all education organizations should have a technology plan in place that supports an overall vision for an organization. The article states that, technology planning is an ongoing process that helps your organization map a preferred course for its technology resources. Therefore, unless our plan is part of an overall unified vision, how else can technology systems and support along with administration share the same priorities in technology? A district’s technology vision is the roadmap to the technology plan. Without the map, where do we go from here? The National Staff Development Council states that an organization’s technology plan should be established through the development of an overall technology vision. After establishing that vision, it can be used as a guide in continuous development of the technology plan. According to The National Staff Development Council, for technology to be integrated into our school systems, all stakeholders (i.e. staff, administration, students, parents, and board members) need to be involved with the development of the plan in order to successfully meet the expectation of the overall district technology plan.

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Research Reviewed by Nancy Post Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin, and Means state “Schools today face ever-increasing demands in their attempts to ensure that students are well equipped to enter the workforce and navigate a complex world. Research indicates that computer technology can help support learning, and that it is especially useful in developing the higher-order skills of critical thinking, analysis, and scientific inquiry” (p. 76). They also emphasize that “Computer technology can provide students with an excellent tool for applying concepts in a variety of contexts, thereby breaking the artificial isolation of school subject matter from real-world situations” (Roschelle, et al., 2000, p. 82). Using technology “can bring unprecedented opportunities for students to actively participate in the kind of experimentation, design, and reflection that professionals routinely do, with access to the same tools professionals use. Through the Internet, students from around the world can work as partners with scientists, business people, and policy makers who are making valuable contributions to society” (Roschelle, et al., 2000, p. 83). Educators that instruct with “computer-based technology can also improve what children learn by providing exposure to ideas and experiences that would be inaccessible for most children any other way” (Roschelle, et al., 2000, p. 84). Kieft and Cardon highlight that teachers can “implement technology learning experiences” by leading “discussions with children to help them realize some of the many ways that technology helps people” (p. 11). Children that are able to use technology at younger ages are more accustomed to it as they become adults (Goldstein, 2006). Becker maintains that, “Next to families, schools are the institutions most responsible for instilling in children the knowledge and skills believed to lead to productive lives and cultural continuity” (p. 45). Educators must realize that “in addition to frequency of use, the nature of use—as indicated by the type of software or application—is an important consideration in determining how the presence of computers in schools might affect student learning” (Becker, 2000, pp 48-49). Schools must provide access to computers and the Internet in order for “children to grow up with the information-gathering, analytic, and written and graphical communications skills that will constitute “being educated” in the twenty-first century” (Becker, 2000, 68). This research indicates that students need be proficient users of technology to help achieve success. Research Reviewed by Deb Hayden “Professional development is the key component to fostering the technology culture, because educators are needed to apply and integrate technology with the curriculum, and engage students in different learning projects aligned with their learning goals” (Cunningham, 2003). Cunningham further discusses how professional development in technology is not a one-time workshop but needs to be a program that has ongoing support for the teachers. There are examples of school districts that use their early release days as a day for technology training. Sometimes the training is done in large workshop type training or sometimes it is done through working with their team on a new technology. The author makes a point to remind us that our classrooms have computers but if teachers don’t have the right types of training and time to work on figuring ways to use the technology, then those computers are worthless. Robert Brumfield, in an article titled Teacher Development Key to Tech Success takes a look at how teachers responded to a survey about technology in their schools. The information from this survey was

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then included in a study done by CDW-G called “Teachers Talk Tech 2006: Fulfilling Technology’s Promise of Improved Student Performance.” The study looked at K-12 teachers and how they used computers in their jobs and how they felt about the readiness of their students for the 21st century jobs. The researchers found that that there was a correlation between the number of hours of teacher development, implementation of technology in the classroom, and improved student performance. The study also found that teachers are concerned with the lack of time and access to implement technology into their curriculum. The article also pushes for more funding toward teacher development in technology such as the EETT grant. Research Reviewed by Tammy Toth “Teachers are clamoring to have interactive whiteboards in their classrooms” (Branzburg, 2008). What is it about this technology that is so appealing? Simply stated, interactive whiteboards are an large output device to view information from the computer as well as an engaging input device where teachers and students make annotations, draw, take notes, circle important points with their finger as well as the mouse. With the interactive whiteboard, one can print it, save it to a file, email it , or post it on the Web. Further, one can record an entire sequence of events and show it to parents during a conference. Whiteboards can be found in many sizes to fit a variety of budgets. Computers need to be connected to a LCD projector as well as whiteboard itself. The most common projectors used with interactive whiteboards are front projectors but they can also be free-standing. “10 Tips for School Technology “(Revenaugh, 2008) 1. Keep First Things First Before you add one more computer or one more software license to your stockpile, ask yourself how it fits into the larger picture and meets your goals. 2. Sell on Strategy, Spend on Tactics Make sure you have a detailed yearly implementation plan that spells out the steps needed to achieve those aims. 3. Think Open One of the emerging themes in education technology is the ability of your boxes, wires, and software to work together with any other boxes, wires, or software. 4. Leave Room for Risk Develop stringent criteria, and set aside a portion of your budget to pilot new technologies. 5. Think Fat Upgrade your school’s connection to the Internet, linking your facilities together in a fast WAN, and beef up your LANS. 6. Get Smart about Data Find ways to consolidate and use as much data (demographic data, achievement data, classroom data, special programs data, etc.) as much as possible to achieve your core mission. 7. Invest in Your Wetware Your wetware is your teaching staff. Some experts argue that that unless 25% of the total technology budget is set aside for professional development, the plan is doomed.

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8. Keep an Eye on the Total Cost of Ownership Factor in: training, support, maintenance, and the inevitability of obsolescence, and you’ll be close to understanding the real price tag for technology. For more information, visit “Taking TCO to the Classroom” at www.classroomtco.org on the Consortium for School Networking Web site. 9. Share the Risk Press the technology companies you work with for things like “try before you buy” pilot installations, guarantees of results, favorable pricing, and extra support and training. 10. Learn From a Kid It will take courage on your part to admit what you don’t know, but it will give you the insight you need to chart a successful course into the future of technology. Research Reviewed by Jaime Otto Virtual schools are becoming more prevalent in the U.S. and abroad. In an article titled Virtual Education: Student Online Learning, the author focused on the three areas of virtual schools: legal considerations, policy considerations, and district students taking on-line courses. The need for providing adequate and appropriate access to technology was addressed mainly in the policy considerations area. The Wisconsin Collaborative Online Network (WCON) Advisory Group provided guidelines for online learning including:

Teachers, facilitators and presenters of online courses should possess necessary skills to provide effective instruction and elicit desired student outcomes.

Teachers, facilitators and presenters of online courses should engage in professional development on an ongoing basis.

Access to resources that enrich the course content should be provided.

Appropriate technical support for students and staff.

Appropriate training specific to online instruction for staff. WCON Advisory Group’s guidelines also provided information to support the need for timely and reliable communication and feedback in an online setting. The following helped support this need:

Appropriate and timely teacher/facilitator-to-student interaction, including feedback about student progress, should be an ongoing part of the online experience.

Parents should be notified prior to student enrollment in online courses. It is the intent of these guidelines to help school districts create quality online learning experiences for their students. Districts who follow these guidelines can establish a sound instructional setting where students can use 21st century skills to increase the effectiveness of the course material. Using these guidelines as a starting point for the online learning of their students, districts will have provided their students with adequate and appropriate access to technology. They also would have enlightened staff with the necessary skills to effectively engage their students in online learning using the technologies that are most appropriate. Timely and reliable communication and feedback will be met through these guidelines as well. Communication is a key point to the success of any school. The written word can often be taken out of context or can be confusing. Technology can often create confusion as well. However, the right teacher

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teamed with the right technologies can create a very successful and effective learning experience. In order to accomplish the shift to meet the 21st century skills, library media specialists, core teachers, and business teachers need to direct their technology-savvy students. Teachers need to focus on creating lessons that use technology. They need to make sure they are trained in that technology and are able to provide constant feedback to their students. Kathleen Fulton (2002) discusses preserving the essential policies of education. However, the online world provides a different look at education. Fulton states, “As part of a ‘networked learning community,’ students, no matter where they live, can communicate with teachers, peers and experts around the world and can immediately access information from a multitude of sources.” While this statement was intended to look at virtual schools, the idea is true of most classrooms today. With the increased use of technology, teachers are able to communicate in many different forms. Teachers use email, podcasts, Moodle, and many other technologies to gain the interest of their technology-savvy students. Districts will continue to gain the interest of the 21st century student by updating technology. Adequate and appropriate access to technology will fuel the learning for the new type of student that we see in our classrooms every day.

The Planning Process

The planning process began in November of 2011 at CESA 10. The District Technology Coordinator attended a day-long session on technology planning. This session was followed up by a meeting with between CESA 10 technology representatives, the current District Technology Coordinator, and the designated staff member who will assume the position of Technology Coordinator in the summer of 2012. Through CESA 10, our District scheduled a date in December of 2011 to participate in the School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA) Survey. Our technology committees met and determined that this assessment tool would provide a thorough analysis of technology use in the District, and thereby furnish data for continued planning. Data from the current STNA results were then compared to results from the same survey instrument taken in 2008. In March of 2012, the technology planning committee met to define roles throughout the planning process. About two weeks later, the planning committee met to review the current STNA survey results and compare them to the 2008 results, which were broken down by building level. From these results, the committee formulated 11 areas that were deemed in need of improvement. Additionally, data from the School Perceptions Survey were analyzed. This survey was utilized to facilitate a strategic planning process, and it provided information relevant to the importance of technology in our schools. Two primary needs were identified through analysis of School Perceptions Survey data. In March of 2012, the technology planning committee again met to analyze the 2009-2012 technology plan goals. After reviewing the current plan, the committee formulated a list of nine objectives or goals

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that had not been completely realized over the course of the previous three-year plan. The committee then determined what other relevant data were needed in order to draft meaningful goals for this technology plan, and what areas of literature would best inform the committee in goal development. Literature reviews were then compiled and examined. Based on analysis of the previous technology plan, the District’s strategic plan, the STNA survey, and other relevant data, the committee formulated several needs that fit within a framework of five broad categories:

1. System Support and Leadership 2. Student Proficiency 3. Educator Proficiency 4. Effective Teaching and Learning Practices 5. Access to Information Resources and Learning Tools

Members of the technology committee

The District technology committee consists of the following members: Katie Brunner, Elementary School Teacher Deb Hayden*, Elementary, Middle and High School Library Media Specialist Jaime Otto*, Elementary, Middle, and High School Teacher of Technology and Communications James Willi, Elementary School Teacher Tammy Knoepke, Middle School Science Teacher Carol Krejci, Middle School Teacher Ellen Mihm, Middle School Science Teacher Tonya Miller, Middle School Language Arts Teacher DeWayne Fossum, High School and Middle School Agriculture Teacher Jim Huston, High School Social Studies Teacher Nancy Post*, High School Business Teacher Tammy Toth*, Middle School Art Teacher Dave Roseth*, Network Technician (District Technology Coordinator (effective July 1, 2012) Tim Fehr, CESA 10 Technology Support Barry Kamrath*, Middle School Principal and District Technology Coordinator (through June 30, 2012) * = Instructional Technology Planning Committee Member and/or Literature Reviewer

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Needs

Needs based on review of research

Research and local data reviewed by the Instructional Technology Planning Committee established the District’s technology needs. These needs were researched and then formulated into technology goals. The committee’s research concluded that technology needs to have a place in every classroom. Students need to be prepared for the evolving world, and educators need to help them through that process. In order for students to be prepared for the life ahead of them and educators to create the technological pathway desired, the pertinent resources need to be efficient and reliable. The technology being used has to meet the needs of all students, and be equally accessible by students who are in special populations. In order for students to develop 21st century skills, research suggests that schools have to provide adequate technology and a method to implement those skills to real-world applications. However, this cannot be done without appropriate support through staff development, access to technology, and commitment to the District’s vision for technology. Provided that educators are given the necessary resources as well as the time to incorporate it into their curriculum, research indicates technology usage in the classroom is more likely to increase and the result is improved student performance. Furthermore, educators now have the opportunity to enhance their curriculum through interactive technologies. Relevant research maintains that these interactive technologies are vital to the success of students because it allows them access to many experiences they would otherwise never have. These experiences enhance the learning opportunities of students and allow educators another chance to embed the students’ multiple intelligences and learning styles into their lessons.

Needs based on goals / objectives not met from last plan or suggestions from evaluation of previous plan:

1. Although the District’s Strategic Plan includes a belief statement and strategies that support the use of technology, the District has not yet

developed or shared a clear vision for technology. 2. The objective to evaluate, improve, and implement new technology policies has been realized; however, there is a need for increased

education for students in the area of digital citizenship. 3. Wireless coverage in all buildings has been improved; yet wireless access in the high school is not as consistent or reliable as necessary,

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and wireless access at the elementary school is inadequate. 4. Although the District has made positive strides in the use of technology in research methods, there is still a need to expand opportunities

for students to use technology in simulated “real-world” environments or applications. 5. The District has improved opportunities to utilize technology in classrooms; but the need to include technology in lesson plans remains.

Lesson plan templates do not yet address both content and technology standards. 6. Improvements to professional development have been made over the past three years; however, needs still exist when it comes to

incorporating a Professional Learning Community model to support faculty in the development of lesson plans and utilizing instructional strategies that include technology.

7. A budget cycle that supports ongoing advancement in technology has yet to be developed. 8. Access to primary computing devices has increased; however, consistent access to and application of peripheral devices has not been

improved sufficiently. 9. The Virtual Education Option has been developed and implemented with supporting policies and procedures. The District has not yet

explored the option of attaining “Charter Status” through the Department of Public Instruction.

Needs based on STNA (2011 and compared to STNA 2008 results)

1. Staff members want a more clear technology “vision.” 2. Staff members want an improved technology plan review process. 3. Staff members want improved communication of the technology plan across stakeholder groups. 4. Staff members want material and/or non-material incentives for teachers who are technology innovators. 5. Staff members see a need for an improved budgeting process and plan for technology purchases. 6. Staff members would like a process developed to request classroom technology resources based on need and impact on classroom

instructional strategies and student achievement. 7. Staff members want consistent access to technology including mobile computing student assets. 8. Staff members want to move away from traditional professional development (inservice model) to more of a job-embedded project-based

professional development model. 9. Elementary Staff members want increased access to peripheral devices including scanners, color printers, digital cameras, data projectors,

and interactive whiteboard technology. 10. Elementary Staff members want improved online and network security and safety. 11. High School Staff members want improved Internet and network access through enhanced wireless coverage and reliability.

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Needs based on Strategic Plan Goals / Strategies and the School Perceptions Survey Data

1. Students need access to online data storage and e-portfolio options. 2. Educators need a method to collect, analyze, and monitor both academic and behavioral data.

Goals

Systems Support and Leadership District leadership practices, District policies and the budget cycle will reflect the support of a newly developed vision for technology. Student Proficiency Students will appropriately utilize technology to be prepared as digital citizens in an every-changing global society. Educator Proficiency Student learning within all educators’ classrooms will be enhanced through active teacher utilization of technology. Effective Teaching and Learning Practices District faculty and administration will effectively make use of technology and harness it as a tool for data collection and analysis to inform curricular, instructional, and behavioral intervention decisions. Access to Information Resources and Learning Tools The District will provide ready access to technology and educational resources for all students and staff members.

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Action Plans

Systems support and leadership

Goal : District leadership practices, District policies and budget cycles will reflect the support of a newly developed vision for technology.

Need Develop a vision for technology to share with all stakeholders

OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES PERSON

RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Evaluate prior vision statements and incorporate new District vision / mission into a meaningful technology vision that will guide the District

Develop committee of stakeholders to review previous plans and strategic planning documents Through an inclusive process, develop a District vision for technology

Technology Coordinator Technology Committee

Fall, 2012 Spring, 2013

Release time for committee members Release time for committee members

$850 District $850 District

Completion District technology vision will be shared on a technology resources webpage

Need Update technology policies and develop a system for continual review OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES PERSON

RESPONSIBLE TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER RESOURCES

BUDGET SOURCE

EVALUATION

Update District policies to include online safety

Evaluate current policies regarding online safety for students. Evaluate other Districts’ policies on online safety.

Technology Coordinator Technology Coordinator

Fall, 2012 Fall, 2012

CESA 10 Technology Staff and WASB Policy Resources

$500 District

Completion Completion

Develop policy and submit for board approval

Technology Coordinator and Technology Committee

Spring, 2013 Release time for staff members

$850 District

Completed policy published on District website / implementation of policy to include teaching online safety

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Need Develop a budget cycle for technology OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES PERSON


AND OTHER RESOURCES

BUDGET SOURCE

EVALUATION

Develop a budget cycle for technology purchases

Meet with superintendent to determine current budget amounts available for technology Allocate funds as part of annual Fund 10 District budget for technology purchases and updates

Technology Coordinator / Superintendent Technology Coordinator / Superintendent

Fall, 2012 Summer, 2013

Completion Completed budget approved by the school board and shared with all District staff members

Need Review, update, and implement policies and practices related to one-to-one computing and “bring your own

devices” OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES PERSON


AND OTHER RESOURCES

BUDGET SOURCE

EVALUATION

Review policies and practices Update, revise, or develop policies that support students using their own computing devices as learning tools

Review current District policies related to BYOD Review other Districts’ policies relative to initiatives Visit other schools who have implemented one-to-one computing and “bring your own device” practices

Technology Coordinator Technology Committee / Technology Coordinator Technology Committee / Technology Coordinator / Teacher Volunteers

Fall, 2013 Spring, 2013 Spring, 2013

Release time for committee members WASB Policy Center Release time for staff members

$1,200 District $850 District $850 District

Completion Completed process evaluated by committee members Presentation to school board

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Develop District policy that addresses students using personal devices and District computing devices Implement newly developed policies and procedures

Technology Committee / Technology Coordinator All staff

Spring, 2013 Fall, 2013

Release time for staff members

$850 District

Presentation of policy and proposed procedures approved by school board & Procedures explained to students and followed by staff and students

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Student Proficiency

Goal: Students will appropriately utilize technology to be prepared as digital citizens in an every-changing global society.

Need Implement use of online data storage and use of e-portfolios to meet District strategic planning goals and

strategies


RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Review possible options for student online data storage and e-folios

Participate in demonstrations by vendors Visit other schools (either in person or virtually) that utilize e-folios and online storage Through an inclusive and collaborative process, adopt option that best meets the needs of our District

Technology Coordinator / Technology Committee / Administration / Students Technology Committee / Technology coordinator

Fall, 2012 Fall, 2012 Spring, 2013

Release time for staff / Internet Access Release time for staff / travel expenses / Internet Access Release time for committee members / Internet Access / Software and/or web hosting

$1500 District / eRate $255 District $1850 District / eRate $10,850 District / eRate / Cypres funds

Completion Completion Student demonstration to school board and strategic planning committee

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Need Implement a program that prepares students as digital citizens of a technological society


RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Adopt and implement a program that prepares students as competent and conscientious digital citizens

Review current research on digital citizenry Evaluate other Districts’ policies on digital citizenry Adopt and implement digital citizenry program and provide professional development as needed

Technology Coordinator / LMC Specialist Technology Coordinator / Technology Instructors Administration / Technology Instructors /


Library Media Center / Internet Access WASB Policy Center Release time for staff Curriculum costs

$1000 – District / eRate $500 District $850 District $1000 District

Completion Completion Demonstration to administrative team Completed policy published on District website / implementation of policy to include teaching online safety

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Need Expand student usage of research methods in technology

OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES PERSON RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER RESOURCES

BUDGET SOURCE

EVALUATION

Increase availability of technology to students for application to real world situations. Provide students with examples of how technology is used beyond school. Expand student use of research methods in technology (satellite imagery, simulations, etc).

Research contemporary trends in technology applications, utilizing resources such as WITC, CVTC, UWEC, and area businesses. Expose students to different technologies through virtual field trips, real field trips, and visiting technology professionals. Expand technological course offerings, particularly at the middle and high school levels. Purchase needed software and hardware to provide access to technology.

Technology Coordinator BHS Technology, AG, and Business Department Personnel Curriculum Coordinator Technology Coordinator BHS Technology, AG, and Business Department Personnel Curriculum Coordinator Technology Coordinator District Administrator


WITC, CVTC, UWEC, Area businesses that are leaders in technology (e.g., Hutchinson, Cray, Architects, etc.) Release time for personnel Cost of field trips and personnel Internet Access Release time for personnel Technology Support Software / hardware / Release time for personnel / professional development

$500 District $850 District $1,500 District District/ eRate $45,000 District (software=$20,000) Possible Grants

Completed evaluation of current technology offerings compared to current trends in technology Completed Trips / Visits Student evaluations New or Updated course offerings

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Educator proficiency

Goal: Student learning within all educators’ classrooms will be enhanced through active teacher utilization of technology. Need Material or non-material incentives will be provided to staff members who are technology innovators


RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Develop incentive program that encourages staff members to become technology innovators who utilize technology to enhance student learning and student achievement

Gather information from other Districts who offer technology incentives Meet with faculty and administration to determine possibilities to present to the school board Present plan for approval to the school board / incentives being offered and utilized

Technology Coordinator Technology Coordinator / NUE Unit Director

Fall, 2013 Fall, 2013 Winter, 2013

Release time for faculty

$850 District Up to $25,000 District

Completion Completion Board approval and implementation

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Need Professional development will meet the needs of staff members as application-based professional learning

communities



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Develop professional learning communities (PLCs) based on needs of faculty

Develop survey of staff members for PLC needs Determine interest in forming PLCs by having staff complete survey Share data and develop PLCs around areas of need

Technology Coordinator / Administrative team Technology Coordinator / Administrative team Technology Coordinator / Superintendent / Administrative team

Fall, 2014 Fall, 2014 Fall, 2014

Survey software / license

$100 District Possible release time of staff volunteers $255 District

Completed survey Completed survey PLCs present at all-staff meeting

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Need Lesson plans will reflect technology standard integration in addition to content standards



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Provide teachers, parents, and students lesson plans that will enhance student learning and achievement through technology integration

Provide professional development with faculty to ensure all faculty understand the technology standards Develop a universal lesson plan template that requires integration of technology standards Train faculty on how to utilize lesson plan template to incorporate technology standards into lesson plans

Technology Coordinator / Building Principals Technology Coordinator Technology Coordinator

Fall, 2014 Fall, 2014 Winter, 2014

Release time for staff Web Hosting / Internet Access CESA 10 Technology Assistance

$850 District $5,000 District /eRate CESA contract - % District

Completion Completion Demonstration to administrative team and ongoing monitoring by building principals

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Need Improve and standardize staff web presence



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

All faculty have a web presence to facilitate communication with a broader community including students, parents, and community members

Update staff technology standards to include developing and maintaining a web presence Train all staff members on how to utilize web hosting software


Fall, 2014 Fall, 2014

Web Hosting / Internet Access Web hosting service / Internet Access

$5,000 District /eRate $12,000 District, Cypres (Elem. %), eRate

Completion All faculty web sites can be accessed on the web

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Effective teaching and learning practices

Goal: District faculty and administration will effectively make use of technology and harness it as a tool for data collection and analysis to inform curricular, instructional, and behavioral decisions. Need Faculty will utilize behavioral and academic data to improve student achievement


RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Utilization of computer-based data collection systems to provide meaningful data for decision making

Gather information from other Districts and professional organizations Determine application-based software for PBIS and RTI data collection and monitoring Approval of universal screener assessment that utilizes technology and provides data

Technology Coordinator / Strategy Teams Technology Coordinator / Superintendent / PBIS and RTI committees Technology Coordinator / Superintendent / PBIS and RTI committees


Travel resources and Staff Release time Release time for faculty

$1,000 District $850 District Up to $25,000 District / Cypres (Elem. %)

Completion Completion Implementation and application / appropriate use of data and analysis

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Access to Information Resources and Learning Tools

Goal: The District will provide ready access to technology and educational resources for all students and staff members.

Need Improved wireless access for increased capacity


RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Determine wireless coverage needs and add high speed and capacity wireless access points where needed

Map current wireless coverage Plan for full wireless coverage in new elementary school Purchase needed wireless access points and ensure their functionality across the District-wide networks

Technology Coordinator Technology Coordinator / Elementary staff members Superintendent / School Board Members

Fall, 2013 Summer, 2012 Fall, 2012

Private vendors Release time for faculty

$0 (vendors will do for no cost) $850 District Up to $50,000 District (including referendum) Cypres (elementary %)

Completion Completion Board approval and installation / use

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Need Provide staff access to peripheral devices including scanners, large-scale printers, and centralized high-speed

printers



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Determine needs for staff and student use of peripheral devices and possible locations Purchase and provide availability of peripheral devices

Develop survey of staff members that includes needs of staff and students and suggested locations of centralized technology Examine data from survey and make recommendations Request bids on determined hardware items / purchase items / install

Technology Coordinator / Administrative team Technology Coordinator / Technology Committee Technology Coordinator / Superintendent / Administrative team

Fall, 2014 Fall, 2014 Fall, 2014

Survey software / license Internet Access Release time for staff members Peripheral items / hardware

$100 District $100 District (eRate) $850 District Up to $20,000 District (including referendum)

Completed survey Installation and use by students and staff

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Need Ensure underserved populations have equal and improved access to technology


RESPONSIBLE

TIMELINE TECHNOLOGY

AND OTHER

RESOURCES

BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Determine need for increased access to technology for underserved populations

Assess current level of access and usage of technology by underserved populations (Special Education, At- Risk, TAG, EL) Increase and improve access to technology for underserved populations

Technology Coordinator / Staff members Technology Coordinator / Superintendent / Principals


Release time for faculty Professional development for all staff members regarding underserved populations

$850 District $1,000 District / Title III

Completion Observation / informal staff survey

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Need Develop a method of requesting technology for classrooms based on curricular and instructional needs and

application of appropriate technology



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Provide teachers with a system to request technology for use within the classroom

Request information from other schools for ideas on how technology requests are processed Develop an online technology request form that is reviewed by the technology coordinator and administration


Fall, 2014 Winter, 2014

Possible travel time / Internet Access CESA 10 Technology Assistance Internet access / web hosting

$750 District CESA contract - % District $5,000 District / eRate

Completion Completion and demonstration to staff members

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Need Expand the virtual education option



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Expand virtual education option to include availability to students beyond the School District of Bloomer

Apply for Charter School Grant Apply for Charter Status Expand course offerings and virtual options to meet needs of additional students

Virtual education director Virtual education director Technology Coordinator / Virtual education director

Fall, 2013 Winter 2013 Spring, 2014

Collaboration time with educators Collaboration time with educators Vendors / Web hosting service / Internet Access

$170 District $170 District $150,000 (potential Charter Grant) $12,000 District / eRate

Completion Completion Enrollment of students

Need Explore virtual desktop options



BUDGET

SOURCE

EVALUATION

Provide students and teachers with virtual desktop computing options

Explore options for virtual desktops / Pilot one option in one school Provide a virtualized desktop environment computer lab in each building

Technology Coordinator / Building Principals / Technology Committee Technology Coordinator / Building Principals / Technology Committee

Fall, 2012 Fall, 2013

Equipment / Network / Internet Access Equipment / Network / Internet Access

$3,000 District / eRate $30,000 District (including referendum) Cypres (Elem. %), eRate

Completion Completion and use by students and staff

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Budget Projections

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Software Procurement $8,000 $20,000 $15,200

Hardware, Facilities & Networking Acquisition & Implementation

100,000 100,000 100,000

Operations, Maintenance & Upgrades

10,000 5,000 5,000

Professional Development 2,500 5,000 5,000

Human Resources in Support of Technology

118,000 93,000 93,000

SUB TOTAL 238,500 223,000 218,200

Goal 1 specific - budgeted other than above

500 1,200 0


1,755 2,850 1500


25,000 0 1,205

Goal 4 specific - budgeted other than above (note increase in professional development above)

1,850 25,000 0

Goal 5 specific - budgeted other than above (includes potential Charter Grant funds of $150,000 in 2014)

50,850 162,000 31,900

TOTAL $318,455 $414,050 $252,805

Possible funding sources

District Funds

E-Rate

Common School Fund

Special Education

(estimated 15%)

Grant (if approved)

Title III

220,836

39,000

10,750

47,769

$100

152,193

39,000

10,750

62,107

$150,000

132,884

39,000

10,750

37,921

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Monitoring, Evaluation, and Revision

This document is a guide only. Over the next three years, we plan to accomplish the stated goals and

objectives; however, since this is a tenuous financial time, we also acknowledge that we may not be able to

accomplish all of these items in three years.

Since this plan is part of the entire School District planning process, the Technology Committee, made up

of staff members from all buildings, reports these ideas to the Building Improvement Committees who

share and give input. The Board of Education receives a report annually with examples of how the students

are using technology and the district administrator updates the Board as needed.

To be sure this plan is effective, the Superintendent will work with the Technology Coordinator to integrate

the goals and activities as appropriate. The Curriculum Director and building principals will work with the

Technology Coordinator to be sure the staff development offerings are appropriate and meet the needs of

the faculty and staff, and that they are consistent with the District and site goals. Staff development will be

based on data-driven decisions of needs.

Purchases are monitored at the building level in conjunction with the overall planning of the district

administrator. These purchases are cross-referenced with the technology plan, to ensure that the plan is

“driving” the procurement of technology resources. The Technology Coordinator’s role is to monitor the

action plan against the purchases and staff development offered. The administrative team will meet

regularly to discuss the direction of technology. Updates are provided to the Board of Education regularly,

and the Technology Committee will meet as needed to oversee the implementation of the plan and discuss

other needs that are identified.

Planning at the School District of Bloomer is not done in isolation; continuous updates and revisions are

made as needs and goals change. Utilizing the existing standing technology committee, the administrative

team, CESA 10, and the DPI, we feel that this plan contains the input of our staff, Board of Education, and

it meets the needs of the students and community in a comprehensive manner. That input will continue on a

yearly basis.

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Dissemination to Stakeholders

The final copy of the School District of Bloomer Information & Technology Plan will be provided to board

members and administration. The approved plan will be published on the District website and copies of the

plan will be available upon request in each building office, and it will be emailed (in electronic format) to

all staff members. Information about the plan will be shared with building-level parent advisory/site council

groups.

Staff will receive an overview of the plan at opening in-service days every school year. The key elements

will be reviewed, including content and performance-based goals and objectives that will have an impact on

staff. Follow-up in-services, questions, and concerns will be addressed by building principals and the

Technology Coordinator at building-level staff meetings and in-service opportunities. The technology

committee will meet annually (and also as needed) to provide feedback and monitoring.

Finally, information about the plan will be disseminated through required No Child Left Behind Act

mailings.

In our District we carry out the following practices, but are not limited to:

District newsletters allow the School District to keep the community, parents, and students up-to-date

with current news, technology, and learning opportunities within our School District

Distribute Technology Plan to all staff members at the beginning of each school year

Website information is available to parents and students at home and at school

Technology equipment and our computer labs are available for community use upon request

Open House opportunities are provided to explore technology

Classroom personnel provide one-on-one training for computer volunteers

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References

Becker, H. J. (2000, Fall/Winter). Who's Wired and Who's Not: Children's Access to and Use of Computer

Technology. The Future of Children: Children And Computer Technology, Vol. 10 No. 2, 45, 48-49.

Retrieved from http://www.futureofchildren.org.

Branzburg, Jeffrey (April 2008). The Whiteboard Revolution. Technology & Learning Magazine (p.44).

Brumfield, Robert (July 21,2006). Teacher Development Key to Tech Success. eSchool News.

Cunningham, Joan (July 1, 2003). Between Technology and Teacher Effectiveness:Professional

Development. Center on Education Policy. Retrieved from

http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=10810511.

Fulton, Kathleen (November 2002). Preserving Principles of Public Education in an Online World.

Goldstein, Z. (2006, December 17). Technology Takes Center Stage: Schools incorporate computers in

education. Sun Journal. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.

Kieft, L. D., & Cardon, P. L. (2003, May). How to Get Started in Technology Learning Activities.

Technology and Children, 11. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.

Revenaugh, Mickey (retrieved from internet 11/25/08) Ten Tips for School Technology. Retrieved from

http:// www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=52.

Roschelle, J. M., Pea, R. D., Hoadley, C. M., Gordin, D. N., & Means, B. M. (2000, Fall/Winter). Changing

How and What Children Learn in School with Computer-Based Technologies [Electronic version].

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Links to School District Technology Policies

343.7 Virtual Education

347.7 EXHIBIT 1 Virtual Education Student Agreement

347.7 EXHIBIT 2 Virtual Education Parent Agreement

347.7 EXHIBIT 3 Virtual Education Application

347.7 EXHIBIT 4 Virtual Education Checklist

360.2 Use of Copyrighted Materials

360.2 EXHIBIT Copyright Chart

360.2 RULE Copyright Guidelines

361 Instructional Materials

361.1 RULE Instructional Materials Selection Guidelines

361.2 Library Materials Selection

362.1 Interlibrary Loan

363 Technology Resources and Acceptable Use

363 EXHIBIT 1 Technology Resources Consent Form - Staff

363 EXHIBIT 2 Technology Resources Consent Form - Student

363 EXHIBIT 3 Technology Resources Consent Form - Volunteer

363 RULE Technology Resources and Acceptable Use-Code of Conduct

363.2 Assistive Technology For Students

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Links to School Technology Needs Assessment Data

Elementary School: http://www.bloomer.k12.wi.us/factsheet/STNA%20ES.xlsx Middle School: http://www.bloomer.k12.wi.us/factsheet/STNA%20MS.xlsx High School: http://www.bloomer.k12.wi.us/factsheet/STNA%20HS.xlsx

district technology plan 2012-2015 - bloomer school district

Documents