When considering the alternative to not planning for technology use in a district, school, or classroom the need becomes quite clear. Consider the classic quote "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" In the case of education failure is not an option as the future of our students, the health of our budgets, and the cleanliness of our conscience is at stake. The Guidebook for Developing an Effective Instructional Technology Plan states that "The purpose of technology planning is not just to produce a document, but to produce continuous action that creates and maintains a technology-rich educational environment." Note the words "continuous action" In order to maintain such an environment, we must not only plan with purpose, but also create plans with a predetermined skill set to be acquired that allows for flexibility in today's rapidly changing technological world.
Sanders said the following: "Technology planners must recognize the power of computers; however, they must know that technology involves so much more than the boxes, wires, and switches of hardware...The great philosopher, Earl Nightingale, stated, “We become what we think about!” If we planners keep these concepts in the forefront of our minds and we keep them as essential components of our technology planning and implementation philosophy, we are sure to achieve great success!" When we strongly consider the real people who will be implementing, administering, and ultimately those who will be using the technology to grow as humans then our focus will be forced to lead us down the path of greatest success for all those involved.
Technology planning is a continuous process. There are four steps in the technology planning process. Organize the planning team: Technology planning should involve all stakeholders, including administrators, tech support, teachers, students, parents, school board members, local business leaders and community members. It is important to arrange and schedule planning meetings that will accommodate as many stakeholders as possible. Research and gather information: Researching and gathering information is a vital and time consuming part of the planning process. An effective technology plan should include goals and objectives, a current technology inventory, wants and needs of administration and staff, funding sources available, staff development needs, and a timeline for implementing the plan. Develop/construct the plan: Once the planning team has finished researching and gathering information for the technology plan they are ready to construct the plan. The finished product is a document that serves as a guide for implementing the plan in order to achieve the goals and objectives set by the technology planning team. Continually implement, evaluate and revise: An effective technology plan needs to be continually implemented, evaluated and revised. Implementing the plan is the first step toward fulfilling the vision of the plan. It is important to constantly evaluate the plan to determine areas of success as well as areas that need improvement. Revisions should be made to the plan annually.
The planning team consists of a variety of stakeholders. Administrators - needed for the sake of organizing, facilitating, and communicating the plan to the subcommittees and staff and may include: Director of Technology Principals Superintendent Finance personnel Professionals: ( those with specialized training in technology as well as those who will interact directly with learners) Instructional Coaches Integration Specialist Teachers Media Specialist Community - may include stakeholders who do not receive compensation from the school but have an interest in the educational process Parents Students Local business professionals School Board members Support: ( those that will support and maintain technology) Network Administrators Technical Support Specialist
A well-thought-out vision statement is essential to an effective technology plan. Vision fosters direction and unity among all people involved in the planning process. An effective vision should consider: the selection and implementation of technology the engagement of those involved with the effective technology the desired outcomes sought as a result of the technology the evaluation of whether desired outcomes were attained as a result of technology Considering these points, in our vision, "We strive to continuously select, implement, and evaluate current and evolving technologies to improve student achievement, stakeholder communication, administration, and faculty efficiency."
The District will integrate technology resources and tools to enhance k-12 curriculum and increase achievement. · Teachers will have all technical resources and tools necessary to engage and promote students in active learning. · Students will have access to educationally sound programs researched by the district. The District will provide curriculum and professional development for all employees to ensure effective integration of all technology processes. · Provide professional development for all employees. · Teachers will be trained in programs adopted by the school to increase student achievement. · The District will research all technology resources to ensure it meets or exceeds state and national standards. The District will provide technology support and assistance to all learners and educators to increase student achievement. · Network administrators and instructional technology coaches will be certified and required to maintain their certification. · A technology specialist will be housed at all locations and network administrators will be located at a central location. · Standard equipment will be purchased, integrated and used at all locations. · Trained staff will maintain and provide support to all technology resources and tools. The District will strengthen relationships with community partners with the effective use of technology. · Inform the community of scheduled events. · Provide technical training opportunities for parents and community members.
In his article "Technology Planning: It's More Than Computers", Dr. Larry S. Anderson, the founder of the National Center for Technology Planning said the following: "Sometimes, one of the key elements—a key tool—in the planner’s arsenal is pure, simple honesty . This means that planners must commit themselves to shed any defensive feelings they might have, or be threatened to adopt, as they examine their particular situation. True, sustainable growth comes from facing the honest reality of a condition, then working together to build a strategy for guaranteed success." Pride is a factor that will only inhibit a planners ability to maximize the effectivenss of collaborative technology planning.
When assessing the needs of your state, district, or school the use of the Maturity Model Benchmarks created by Shibley and Kimball can be quite helpful. The five main categories to be considered are: 1. Administrative-which includes assessment of policy, planning, budget, and administrative information 2. Curricular-which includes assessment of electronic information, assessment, curriculum integration, teacher use and student use 3. Support-which includes stakeholder involvement, administrative support, training, technical and infrastructure support 4. Connectivity-which includes assessment of local area networking, district area networking, Internet access and communication systems 5. Innovation-which includes assessment of new technologies and comprehensive technologies This outline barely scratches the surface so feel free to click on "Maturity Model Benchmarks" to view the entire in depth rubric.
One area of great importance that must not be forgotten is the consideration for students with special needs. Some areas to consider are 1. Visual Impairments 2. Physical Impairments 3. Hearing and Speech Impairments 4. Learning Disabilities 5. Exceptional Students Including tools, when appropriate, like speech synthisizers, voice recognition systems, and speech output devices will allow the technology included in a plan to benefit all students.
In his article, Developing Effective Technology Plans, John See states the “Technology plans that are not tied to long term staff development are destined for failure.” Educators need to know what technological resources are available and how to utilize resources to improve student learning. Educators must have support and instruction in how to use technology as well as how to integrate technology into their curriculum effectively. There are many options for staff development, instruction and support. Some options include: Technology workshops and conferences Districts should allocate staff development money to pay for substitutes and registration fees for technology workshops and conferences In-services and professional development opportunities Districts should provide in-service and professional development opportunities for all staff on site. These may be conducted by outside technology specialists as well as by district technology support personnel. Technology support personnel District technology support personnel, media specialists, instructional and integration specialists may provide instructional opportunities for staff before and after school as well as during individual teacher preparation periods. Peer- to-Peer Educators can collaborate and assist one another by utilizing individual strengths and experience with integrating technology.
According to the Guidebook for developing an effective instructional technology plan, data and research are required throughout the process of technology planning. Data can be collected for several purposes, some of which are: 1. Diagnosing the current technological climate of an institution in a variety of areas such as infrastructure, curriculum, and policy 2. Determining needs of stakeholders 3. Designing effective implementation methods 4. Evaluating the implementation of technology, and controlling the planning process It is clear that data collection and research is almost invaluable throughout the process of technology integration. The NETP states that particular goals are to “continuously monitor and measure our performance” and “hold ourselves accountable for progress and results every step of the way.” This points to data collection and research being an important part of each action taken by those charged with effectively implementing technology. Since the need for research and evaluation is necessary from the time planning begins, until actual new technologies are implemented, consulting specialists in research and evaluation is a wise decision. Thus, in consultation with professional researchers, each of the 4 steps of evaluation will be carefully conducted and analyzed. Results of data collection and analysis will be communicated to all stakeholders in order to put ourselves in a position to make the best decisions possible.
A timeline effectively communicated to all parties involved can serve as a tool to keep progress moving. According to Dr. Larry Anderson, founder and director of the National Center for Technology Planning, " members of the planning committee will achieve individual and collective goals if well-defined dates are established. " Actual dates and deadlines are best determined in light of the demographics of the institution, as well as input from committee members. Though exact time frames may differ, it is wise to plan for the short term, and evaluate decisions along the way (See). This flow chart depicts two phases: development and implementation. The first step should be approximately 4- 6 weeks long and be focused on establishing focused subcommittees and developing a driving vision. The second step could take anywhere from 18-24 weeks depending on personnel and demographics, and will involve assessing the current needs of the school's infrastructure, professional development practices, and curriculum. It should be noted that each of these areas would most likely utilize a separate subcommittee. Consultation with outside researchers is also highly recommended. After data is gathered, needs are defined, and the vision is revisited, the composition, preparation and communication of the plan can begin. Budget planning should be closely associated with this stage as with each of the following stages of implementation. This could take anywhere from 9-15 weeks. Pursuant to communicating the plan to all stakeholders involved, and preparing staff for changes, the initial changes could begin to be implemented. This would involve implementation on a limited bases to serve as a buffer for troubleshooting, and also to give stakeholders time to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the changes. Lasting anywhere from 9-12 weeks, this could also be a time for widespread professional development among staff. After the initial phase of implementing changes, full implementation can begin, as well as the evaluation of the development phase of the timeline. This stage should move seamlessly into the deeper evaluation stage during which the plan's effectiveness and the implementation process can also be evaluated. These stages of implementation and evaluation may span from 24-36 weeks. From the vision selection to the evaluation, anywhere from one to almost two years could elapse. This would provide for an efficient but not rushed timeline for completion. Having an agreed upon timeline by all of those responsible, will prove rewarding as stakeholders begin to see positive change in the outcomes of interest, through the implementation of evolving technologies.