The Kettleman City Elementary Technology Plan (2009-2012) aims to integrate technology into the core curriculum to enhance academic success and creativity among students. Key objectives include increasing technology usage, developing writing skills through classroom blogs, and providing professional development for teachers on blogging tools. The plan outlines specific benchmarks and monitoring strategies to evaluate progress and ensure effective implementation.

1. Proposal Kettleman City Elementary Technology Plan 2009 - 2012 by James Ragsdale EDUU 563 September 18, 2009

2. Mission Statement Goal #2: Maintain and expand high technology usage while upgrading curricular goals to expand technological education Goal#1: Build Academic success through all learning modalities

3. Background Kettleman City Elementary needs to integrate technology in the core curriculum. Students work on computers on a daily basis beginning at the kindergarten level and continuing through grade eight. Computers in the primary grades will be used as a regular station. Elementary level students use a free internet reading program; Star Fall and Accelerated Reader. They also have access to the reading program, Soliloquy. Middle School students use Accelerated Reader, Microsoft Office, digital media, and curriculum related software as provided by the textbook publishers. Middle school use computers to research, write, publish, and actively explore the subject areas that they are studying. All students whose schools have a Tulare County Office of Education (Educational Resource Services Subscription) account have unlimited access to online programs made available via the subscription. Technology also serves as a powerful outlet for creativity at all grade levels. By integrating technology into the curriculum, we can build academic success through all learning modalities.

4. Background Although Reef-Sunset Unified School District has made technological strides in the past few years, we understand that technology is always advancing; therefore, our advancement is necessary to keep up with the changing technological environment. We plan to maintain and expand high technology usage while upgrading our curricular goals to expand technological education. Students have access to use of technology through weekly computer lab visits for teacher-directed lessons. Students have on-going use of individual computers in the computer lab, classroom, and/or library media center, as needed. All of the computers have internet access and internet access is available to students with computers at home, at a reduced rate.

5. Curriculum Objective 1: All 4th grade students will publish at least 2 grade-level pieces of writing that addresses a specific audience on the internet on a classroom blog. Benchmark 1.3 End of Year 3 (2011-2012): 90% of 4 th grade students will publish at least 2 grade-level pieces of writing that addresses a specific audience on the internet on a classroom blog, and will write constructive comments for each piece of writing. The blog will focus on a current local or national issue and will be open to comment from an audience of community members involved in that current issue. Benchmark 1.1 End of Year 1 (2009-2010): 90% of 4 th grade students will publish at least 1 grade-level piece of writing that addresses a specific audience on the internet on a classroom blog. Benchmark 1.2 End of Year 2 (2010-2011): 90% of 4 th grade students will publish at least 2 grade-level pieces of writing that addresses a specific audience on the internet on a classroom blog and will write constructive comments for each piece of writing.

6. Professional Development Objective : All 4th grade teachers will learn the features and uses of classroom blogs and will be able to help their students publish writing pieces on a shared classroom blog. Benchmark 1.1 End of Year 1 (2009-2010): All 4 th grade teachers will be introduced to the use of blogs and will set-up a basic classroom blog. Benchmark 1.2 End of Year 2 (2010-2011): All 4 th grade teachers will receive further training in the use of blogs, and will set-up a classroom blog that will be accessible district-wide to other teachers with the Reef-Sunset Unified School District. Benchmark 1.3 End of Year 3 (2011-2012): All 4 th grade teachers will receive further training in the use of blogs, and will set-up a classroom blog on a current topic of local or national relevance. The blog will be accessible district-wide to other teachers with the Reef-Sunset Unified School District, as well as to the public.

7. Infrastructure & Equipment Issues Needs: network access to internet, file storage, printing (completed) Needs: Computers available with Microsoft Office software to students to type and publish writing pieces on classroom blogs (completed) The technical support staff will check security and firewalls so that access to classroom blogs is not blocked from either the students, teachers, or invited readers of blogs. They will also ensure that the latest internet browsers are downloaded to the computers so that the computers are compatible with available blogging sites.

8. Funding & Budget There are no major equipment purchases needed with this budget plan. Computers will be updated as they become obsolete, which will happen in the normal technology cycle. Software, such as Microsoft Word and Internet security and firewalls, are already in place and will be updated as needed. An outside trainer may be hired for certain professional development dates. District technical support staff, school administrators and knowledgeable teachers currently working in Kettleman City or Reef-Sunset Unified School District will be utilized when possible.

9. Budget Narrative Category 1000-1999 Certificated Personnel Salaries Regular Teacher’s Salaries Category 2000-2999 Classified Personnel Salaries Teacher’s Aides, support staff

10. Budget Narrative Category 4000-4999 Books and Supplies Desktop Computers, Printers as needed, printer supplies Category 5000-5999 Services and Other Operating Expenditures Trainers for Professional Development Seminars on Blogs in Education

11. Monitoring & Evaluation The District Technology Committee will meet to review the progress of the technology plan as it affects student achievement. It will review the goals of the components and evaluate the data on student growth in their academic and computer skills. The Committee will also evaluate the staff professional development in regard to student computer knowledge. Specifically, the District Technology Committee will view samples of student blogs and the writing source material for the blogs. They will evaluate the blogs for effective writing and demonstration of computer skills. The District Technology Committee will also collect information from principals and teachers on staff development needs in regards to blogs in education. The principals and teachers will be able to communicate with the District Technology Committee formally at staff professional development and informally throughout the school year through e-mail.

12. Monitoring & Evaluation The committee will meet at least three times during the year, preferably monthly, to evaluate collected data and to make recommendations. It will meet in February to meet the school district’s need for the following year’s budget then in May to meet recommendations for the Curriculum & Instruction committee regarding software curriculum issues. The committee will communicate regularly with principals and 4 th grade teachers to ensure that blogs are being used in 4 th grade classrooms. The committee will contact principals and 4 th grade teachers at the beginning and end of each quarter of the school year. At the beginning of the school year, the principals and 4 th grade teachers will be reminded of the blogs in education goals and deadlines for the first blog posts. The committee will evaluate the blogs throughout the school year and communicate feedback to principals and 4 th grade teachers.

13. Summary & Conclusion The current technology plan for Reef-Sunset Unified School District provides some high standards and goals, but certain objectives, particularly writing objectives, are too general. This plan provides more specific goals for teachers in publishing student writing on the internet. This plan also addresses specific professional development objectives and support. By utilizing blogs in the classroom, teachers will be able to connect student writing with a more current practice of publishing.