School Technology Plan

School Technology PlanBy: Leslie KeithFall 2013ITEC 7410

Objectives:1. Discuss the newly created technology vision that could help support technology at Daniell Middle Schools by being a focus in the next school year.2. Briefly explain a SWOT Analysis by discussing the current reality at Daniell.Discuss Strengths and weaknessesDiscuss Opportunities and threats3. Explain why these items will help Daniell in the future.4. Discuss the planned course of action. 5. Explain how this will create an effective learning environment.

Reasons why:Daniell believes in constructivist learning approaches, and technology is the new driving force behind this type of learning.Daniell has an emphasis on preparing students for college and career readiness .Technology is critical to success in the 21st century classroom and beyond in the work place.Teachers will support this emphasis in many ways. Professional developmentFormative assessments Classroom communication with students and parentsTake on various roles to facilitate, guide, and be a co-learner (Creighton, 2003, 70-71).

Reasons WhyContd:Daniell has a focus on the school, teachers, and students which leads to one shared vision for technology.Focus on higher order thinking skillsProfessional Development to open up better communication and collaboration between teachers and studentsItems such as audience response systems open up communication (OConnor, 343).BYOD school opportunities further develop and support the vision

Current Reality:Gathered information from the current School Strategic Plan (SSP)Used information from a school-wide survey on technology completed by the teachersCovered general and specific questions about technologyAsked about opinions and attitudes Discussed areas of improvementTechnical Needs

Strengths:Daniell relies and focuses on technology through the Cobb County Technology Plan and Vision.Proficient use of basic programs used daily in the classroom (Ie: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, email)Support SSP through differentiation with technologyShared T Drive that houses universal information for the teachers and administrators (files, documents, etc)Shared collaboration time to plan and meet in regards to lesson (can focus on technology)Teachers attend professional development frequently when new technology becomes availableAccording to the survey, teachers agree technology is the new classroom trend.Teachers access emails, blogs, and communicate daily.

Weaknesses:Lack of availability of technology is problematic.Tech standards and Common Core do not align.Currently, technology is not in our SSP (SSP).Technology is not viewed as critical by some, as they fail to have it available (survey)Troubleshooting is challenging (survey)Teachers struggle to help students navigate away from certain problemsTeachers cannot keep up to date with these types of resources.Technology is not always used as it should beOften used as Drill and Kill Lower level thinking (survey)

Opportunities:Students can use more diagnostics through technology (SSP)Use county resources to learn new technologies and gain PLUs.Create a committee to support technology and push it into the SSP.Use surveys to further develop learning opportunities for students and teachers (focusing on professional development needed in the building)More learning opportunities with technology in the classroom setting.

Threats:While there is a good county plan, there is no clear outline on how to implement it at Daniell.Lack of certain technologies limit use in classes.Teachers lack many skills required to implement technology in the classroom.Class size creates challenges with lesson planning for technology (survey)Professional development is often viewed in a negative light.Taught too quicklyTeachers do not have time to implement

Why Take Action:Action should be taken to further enhance the learning at Daniell Middle School.Teachers will learn how to utilize their resources without getting discouraged through the help of mentor teachers.Professional Development will build upon previous lessons helping enforce knowledge.Shadowing will allow teachers to view what technology should look like in the classroom.Create a partnership between teachers and administratorsDevelop a Technology Committee (GAPSS Team).Increase technology use for the school SSP Utilize available resources (Atomic Learning)Mentorship available to streghthen technology in the classroom

Hopefully this PowerPoint has answered any and all questions you may have about this plan. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you!Leslie Keith

Works Cited:Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc.Daniell Middle School School Strategic PlanO'Connor, K. J. (2013). Class participation: Promoting in-class student engagement. Education, 133(3), 340-344. Technology Survey