Technology Plan

Personnel/Title role/responsibilities
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction;
Executive Director of Secondary Education;
Curriculum coordinators Implement instructional software that develops TEKS for academic achievement
Director of Technology; Rhonda Tarbell; Instructional Technology Coordinator; TechnoCamp Instructors Students in grades 4-8 will have the opportunity to apply for a position in a TechnoCamp located at their campus.
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Computer Services Manager; The district will provide economically disadvantaged students with computers that are being replaced via the district's replacement cycle.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Instructional Technology Coaches Develop a benchmark for the Technology Application TEKS (grades 2, 5, and 8) to ensure the achievement of student technology proficiencies.
Instructional Technology Coordinator; Director of Instructional Technology Coordinate with local communications companies to establish a partnership for students to apply for an educational rate on internet services.
Executive Director of Curriculum & Staff Development; Executive Director of Secondary Education; Curriculum Coordinators; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Director of Instructional Technology Online lesson planning will be used by all teachers to ensure technology integration in lesson plans.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator Technology tutorials will be created and/or updated for
both teacher and student use to suit the needs at all levels.
Executive Director of Secondary Education; Director of Instructional Technology; Principals; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Instructional Technology Coaches Technology Applications curriculum will be used by all campuses to integrate technology into the curriculum.
Instructional Technology Coordinator; Campus Technology Liaisons Conduct Campus Technology Liaison meetings to assess the technological needs for each campus as well as future campus standards
Director of Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator ; Executive Director of Student Services Special Education staff members and students will
have the devices needed (per IEPs) to facilitate instructional strategies for the special needs populations as needed- including communication devices, touch screens, adaptive/assistive devices, IEP Plus and CLASS.
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Campus Librarians; Campus Technology Liaisons; Instructional Technology Coordinator Laptops, projection systems, digital/video cameras, video streaming, and distance learning equipment available to staff and students for on- demand access.
Director of Technology; Rita Rich; Elementary Science Coordinator; Science Teachers All campuses will have access to equipment needed for virtual labs and probeware in science classes.
Executive Director of Secondary Education; Director of Instructional Technology The Instructional Technology Department will continue to fund distance learning opportunities to enhance student learning.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Maintain and update media distribution system to allow archiving and streaming instructional content.
Director of Technology; Executive Director of Secondary Education; Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator Review and update district technology standards to ensure that all equipment and software is on the leading edge of emerging technology
Director of Technology; Computer Services Mananger; Technology Assistants; Campus Technology Assistants; Campus Technology Liaisons All campuses will conduct an annual audit of technology
equipment to determine replacement and updates according to the technology standards.
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology ;Instructional Technology Coordinator; Curriculum Coordinators The Technology Department and the Curriculum &
Instruction department will continue to provide research, data and support for teachers who write grants for technology integration
NEF Staff The district will provide grant workshops to assist teachers with the tools necessary to write effective innovative teaching grants.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator Develop a vertical alignment of the
Technology Application TEKS. broken down by curriculum strand and by grade levels.
Director of Instructional Technology ; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Campus Principals; Staff Supervisors 100% of instructional staff will meet criteria for
specific applications assigned by curriculum strand and grade levels.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator;Executive Director of Secondary Education; Instructional Technology Coaches; Campus Technology Liaisons Instructional Technology will develop and provide
professional development opportunities for integrating technology applications into the curriculum.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Executive Director of Curriculum & Staff Developmenti; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Teachers will be assigned software applications for
which they will be responsible in developing teacher proficiency for independent integration by curriculum content and by grade level.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Instructional Technology Coaches; Campus Technology Liaisons Instructional Technology will provide individual
technology assistance/training on an "as needed" basis.
Comments: Campus Instructional Technology Facilitators will be phased in beginning with one facilitator managing several campuses, and build toward a full time personnel unit on every campus, with more than one at the secondary schools with larger numbers of personnel.
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Elementary Science Coordinator; Instructional Technology will provide opportunities
for educators to further the development of their technological abilities through provision of additional resources.
Director of Technology; Computer Services Manager; Computer Technicians As part of the computer replacement cycle, include
the laptop "Computers on Wheels" with updated wireless laptops on each campus based on a laptop/student ratio along with the electrical infrastructure in each building.
Director of Personnel; Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Instructional Technology personnel who do not have
homeroom class responsibilities will proactively co-develop lessons and projects with classroom teachers in order to ensure effective and timely integration of technology tools into curricula.
Director of Instructional Technology;Instructional Technology Coordinator; Executive Director of Secondary Education; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction; Executive Director of Curriculum & Staff Development Instructional Technology, along with the Campus Technology Liaisons (CTLs), will revise and continue the requirements of technology proficiencies
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator;; Curriculum Specialists; Executive Director of Curriculum & Staff Development; Campus Technology Liaisons The district will offer professional development opportunities electronically.
Comments: Eduphoria and MediaCast are accessible via the Internet
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator; Elementary Science Coordinator; Elementary Math Coordinator; Campus Technology Liaisons All campuses, teachers and specialists will display an informative website linked to the District's Internet site.
Director of Instructional Technology; Instructional Technology Coordinator The district will provide "Intel Teach to the Future" classes for all instructional
personnel
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Administrators Administrators will incorporate PDAS
provided in the online software module as their appraisal system, and use alternative appraisal instruments for non- instructional or paraprofessional staff.
Administrators; Teachers Develop and utilize benchmark assessments for all students and continue to assess technology proficiencies for all teachers.
Director of Technology; Executive Director of Secondary Education; Director of Instructional Technology The District Technology Department in cooperation with the District Curriculum and Instruction Department will send district and campus personnel to state conferences such as TCEA and TxDLA. Funding will be appropriately assigned between Department and campus budgets.
Comments: Encourage teachers to attend state conferences such as TCEA and/or TX-DLA to represent NISD for the purposes of professional development or to present sessions and/or workshop
Chief Financial Officer; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction; Director of Technology; Campus Principals; Curriculum Specialists; Teachers Utilize eSchool Plus Student Management System, DMAC, and other databases to access student performance (electronically) and assist in instructional planning.
Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology; Executive Director of Secondary Education; Chief Financial Officer; Utilize eSchool Plus gradebook program to
enhance attendance collection, administration of grade reporting, instructional planning and parental communication through parent online access.
Webmaster; Lesley Weaver; Principals ; Instructional Staff Utilize and consistently update district and campus
web pages, email and e-news to communicate with parents and the community
Chief Financial Officer; Scott Van Hoeven Provide support and training on the Pentamation Financial System to assist in budget preparation, employee benefits, payroll and other financial requirements.
Executive Director of Secondary Education; Director of Technology; Director of Instructional Technology Analysis of the Texas STaR Chart Survey


Action Plan : Part 2 -

One would be uninformed and not using all data available if they were not taking into account the current state of the budget within the State. This could have tremendous impact on the availability and proposed purchases and implementation of technology in the next two years. However, that being said, and knowing that we will be allowed to utilize a small portion of the rainy day funds my recommendations from this point forward will somewhat take budget constraints into effect.

I found last week that according to our District Improvement Plan, one of the standards is to provide personnel who do not have homeroom class responsibilities and they will proactively co-develop lessons and projects with classroom teachers in order to ensure effective and timely integration of technology tools into curricula. We currently have a Technology Liaison who visits our campus once a week, and does develop lessons and help us with Web 2.0, that because of the budget cuts will go back to the classroom next year, strongly effecting some classrooms.

Our Principal is trying to use more technology, and trying to communicate with parents and shape their feelings about using technology to communicate. In addition, she is using it, she is showing teachers how they can also use it in their classrooms. Over a series of small staff developments we have implemented various Web 2.0 tools into our daily teaching. Across our campus we have technology being used in a variety of ways and to different extents depending on the grade level and reading ability of the students. We have been encouraged to use and try new things, which is part of our campus culture and is reflected in our CIP, and the SBDM committee members agreed was enforced by our campus principal. We have briefly discussed the following as a possibility to assess where each teacher currently is functioning.

A professional development I would suggest is being able to assess these different levels of technology, which are very tricky. Some of the difficulties may lie in the fact that each teacher has a different level of proficiency for the various tools, so setting an acceptable level of standard would need to be established first, for each tool or application. Then following would have to be availability of training. Once training has been offered, level of application into the classroom and lesson plans would have to be monitored and assessed.

In order to do this we must begin thinking differently, instead of me telling the students constantly to be putting their phones away, I want to encourage their use. I had never thought about using them as a classroom management tool, but after hearing that on the interview with Dr. Abernathy and Ms.Cummings last week, I am thinking about it!
To enhance instruction, I recently started using a blog for my book talks in language arts. It has allowed several students, who do not normally get a word in my class, a voice to share their thoughts and feelings. It has brought up several great conversations that have taken my class to a higher level of thinking. These types of ideas need somehow to be assessed. Do we generate a checklist saying they have been used and the number of times or do we assess the proficiency at how the students can use the different tools and based on that we can rate the teacher?

Action Plan : Part 3

I am blessed to be employed by such a technologically advanced district that truly sets a very high priority on educating children for the future. The technology plan that we have in place is so very extensive and although may need adjusting once our new budget comes through it will likely exceed what most average districts have in place. As far as an Evaluation for the Action Plan for our district the only recommendation I can think of as to how to improve it would be to develop a personalized professional development growth plan for each new employee including a technology piece.
As each employee was hired they would complete an extensive questionnaire that would encompass all the training they may have had. This would also include any technology proficiencies they may or may not have. Very similar to the one we took at the beginning of this course so each person would know where their personal strengths and weaknesses were and what they needed to focus on. The district could have a minimum requirement of met proficiencies the first year and then additional ones as time moves forward but this plan would be personalized to each educator and their personal experiences/trainings as well as their goals of where they were headed with their career. Staff development in our district is already organized and you sign up through Eduphoria but it is lacking a directional tool, a planning element that helps you have a focus or direction with your professional development. As far as evaluation I think this would tie nicely into PDAS or could even be a separate evaluation as for the proficiencies in application of these tools and how the students used them. The application of these tools by students would be the ultimate level of success since our goal is to have them proficient at the highest levels of technology.