1. Ryan Peel EDLD 5352 EA 1133 Action Plan Week 4 Assignment Key Personnel/ Stakeholders Technology plays a very important role in the classroom today. Equipping classrooms with the latest technological devices is an on going and very expensive chore. There are many key people in charge of ensuring that teachers have what they need to teach the children of today. At the top of the ladder is the district superintendent. He/she is the one who makes the final decision on all important initiatives that have to do with major expenditures. Before the superintendent can make a decision, there are two levels of administration that do the “dirty work” so to speak. The associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction will determine what kind of technology each subject can use and how that technology can fit it with current curriculum and instruction in all grades and all subject matters. This is not an easy task. In a large district like the one I work in, this person must take in to account cost, and the feasibility of rigging each classroom in the district with proper technology. In addition to purchasing the equipment, plans must also be made to outfit the classrooms in a timely fashion. The district has also embarked on using a new committee. This new committee is call the Strategic Planning Committee. It is made up of 30 stakeholders (community members, administrators, teachers, and students). The job of the committee is to evaluate curriculum and make necessary adjustments according to shared values in the community. There are also provisions for improvements in technology on all campuses in the district. The plan is to be completed in a five year span. On the campus level, the principal oversees technology. At my school, he gets information from three key sources, the Technology Specialist, the Site-Based Decision Making Team, and Peer Facilitators. The technology specialist is in charge of all technology on the campus. He trouble-shoots computers, fixes all kinds software problems, helps administrators create databases for information gathering, etc. In addition to all of this, he also keeps himself updated on the latest uses of technology in the classroom. There is little doubt that he is instrumental in keeping everyone at my school going. The Site-Based Decision Making Team is made up of department heads and a few administrators. They meet once a week or so, and discuss key issues affecting the school. They meet on things from curriculum to dress code to activity sharing. The SBDM is key to getting new pieces of technology adopted by the school. They also serve as a voice for whatever needs a particular department might have, and can voice them to the people that spend the money. Peer Facilitators serve as a resource for the teachers at my school. They have access to all kinds of new ways to use the current technology that have. The PFs are always talking with people from other districts to come up with new lessons on old material. They also use technology to disaggregate TAKS information to help teachers target those students who are on the bubble as far as passing the test. The final piece of the puzzle are the classroom teachers. These are the ones responsible for actually using the resources given to them by all of the higher ups. All of the work of upper level administration would go to waste if the teachers did not implement the devices provided for them. It is key that teachers are trained and have the knowledge to use the latest technology that the school district has put in their classrooms. Professional Development Plan The technology that the district has purchased is useless if the teachers on each campus do not know how to use it to its maximum capabilities. It is up to the campus principal and administration to make sure that teachers are trained through local in-service meetings. At our last in-service day, the school had several different technology sessions depending on what teachers’ needs were. There were a couple on promethean boards, ranging from beginners to advanced use. There was also one on software as basic as Microsoft Office. The needs of all teachers with all different levels of proficiency were met. Two times a week, every other week, there are also sessions on using Active Inspire boards. These are promethean boards that also have the capability of connecting to a slate that is mobile. Its like a floating desktop. Teachers have the option of picking up some hours and learning something useful at the same time. I think that professional in regards to technology is extremely important. Teachers will also meet by department and go over TAKS data to determine how to use technology. The money spent on outfitting classrooms runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and it is up to the teachers to make sure that tax payer money is being spent wisely. Also, we are doing the students of today a big disservice by not providing them with the technology training that they will need for the 21st century. Evaluation The most useful tool, in my opinion, for measuring a district’s progress in regards to technology is the STaR Chart. The STaR Chart is a very in-depth survey of how technology is being used in each classroom, and how proficient teachers are at using different technological devices and/or software. The results from the survey give the district and state some idea of where each school stands, and what each campus’ individual needs may be. For the last three years, my school has been at the developing technologies level on the STaR Chart. Some technology is in place, but not all rooms are equipped with the same stuff. All teachers are not on or near the same level of expertise, either. I think that it is safe to say that there are some teachers who only use the computer to take attendance, and nothing else. With tools like the STaR Chart, administrators can zero in on teachers who are not as advanced as maybe they need to be, and get them the training that they need. Also at the campus level, administrators can determine who is using technology the proper way just by their normal walk-throughs. As assistant principals drop in random classrooms, they can evaluate what is going on and determine who is using what technology. I think that these random evaluations serve as a better guide as to what is really going on in classrooms than the scheduled PDAS evaluations. The schedule evaluations seem to be more of a “dog and pony” show, where the students almost have a script and the teacher does things out of the norm. Another simple, but effective tool for evaluating technology is an inventory. I am in the process right now of helping out with the inventory at my school. It has been a very tedious process, locating over 1000 items worth over $900,000. Obviously, items that we are having a hard time locating, or ones that may not be where they are supposed to be, aren’t being used in the way that they were intended. We are finding projectors still in cases, computers unplugged in a corner with dust all over them, and promethean boards not even connected to the teacher computer. All of this information tells administration that either teachers are refusing to use the technology, or that they don’t know how to use the technology properly. Either way, action needs to be taken to correct the problem. Conclusion Technology is no longer a luxury in the field of education, it is a necessity. School districts have no choice but to spend the money on computers, projectors, promethean boards, etc, in an effort to meet the educational needs of today’s students. In spending all of this money, schools must have some accountability to the public and make sure that the funds are being spent wisely. I think that all districts strive to be fiscally responsible and this action plan helps them achieve that goal. District Superintendent Classroom TeachersPeer FacilitatorsSite-Based Decision Making TeamCampus Technology SpecialistCampus Principal30 Member Strategic Planning CommitteeAssociate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction