Junior High- Cara Moreland

1. How did the plan meet the existing needs in technology, funding, and management issues?

Technology

There is a need for teachers to have an increase in confidence with technology. By having an increase confidence this allows them to not only utilize more technology in the classroom, but an increase in the teachers troubleshooting problems in their classroom (Moreland, 2012). My plan includes professional development to increase the teachers confidence in both utilizing and troubleshooting technology in their instruction.

Funding

Most schools are looking for ways to fund everything to do with education, including technology. My plan addresses this issue, by having teachers and administrators seek grants that are specific to technology or write grants through the Education Foundation that are specific to technology. My plan also includes utilizing the grant writer that is employed with the district.

Management

Many teachers need to build their confidence in implementing technology into their instructions. Also not not only look at the TEKS that apply to their specific class, but to also look at the Technology Application TEKS and implement them (Guerrero, 2012). By hiring another Technology Integration Specialist, this would allow for more opportunities of one-on-one training and more opportunities for professional development.

2. How did the goals provide the measurable outcomes for future improvement?

When creating a S.M.A.R.T. goal, the M stands for measurable, “[w]hen you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal” (Top Achievement, 2011). The goals are written so that they each have data that will be collected, giving a concrete measurable outcome. This will allow for adjustments to be made as the data is collected and reviewed. The data also allows for someone's thoughts or opinions not to get in the way, and there to be physical proof.

3. How did the strategies defined to meet the proposed objectives?

I feel that for the technology plan we can look at strategies as Dick and Carey did; “[c]reating a strategy is not the same as actually developing your instructional materials. The purpose of creating the strategy before developing the materials themselves is to outline how the instructional activities will relate to the accomplishment of the objectives”. The purpose of writing my strategies for my technology plan, is to outline how the objectives will be meet. To have plan of action, not just good goals. Without a plan, the implementation would never take place. In my plan the strategies are there to guide and lead the implementation of the proposed objectives.


References:

Dick & Carey. Lesson 8 - Instructional Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/instrdes/lesson8.htm

M. Guerrero, NISD, Campus Technology Specialist, Personal Communication, April 11, 2012.

J. Moreland, NISD, Technology Integration Specialist, Personal Communication, April 6, 2012.

Top Achievement. 2011. Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals. Retrieved from http://topachievement.com/smart.html