Kimberly Crawford Week12,Step 9

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

Funding:

The funding for Spring ISD for technology comes from the E-rate system, and some grants. The new plan will have teachers applying for grants that involve technology.

Funding classroom technology is always a concern when discussing implementation of clickers, whiteboards and tablets, document cameras, and other technologies in the classroom. In fact, during many of our trainings we often ask participants what some of the biggest obstacles to implementing technology tools in their classrooms are, and an answer that never fails to come up is "money!".Funding education technology grants and funding sources seem to be a game of "hunt and find," and the fact of the matter is that most classroom teachers just don't have the luxury of enough time to do this.

Management:

The management solution would be for each school to have a technology facilitator. This would be the only job that the person would do. This is not a person that is both a teacher, and technology facilitator. A technology facilitator is somebody that needs to be in charge of technology at the school the whole day.

Technology:

The solution for technology would be for all the classroom to have working computers. This has been a problem at the school district. We have computers that do not have the software, and do not work.

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

Only with clear goals can educators be intelligent about how much they want to spend for what purpose and under what conditions." If there is a clear understanding of the purpose of and type of technology used, evaluating the impact is easier and more valuable. According to Hawkins, Panush, and Spielvogel (1996) and Byrom & Bingham (2001), school districts that successfully integrate technology show a clear and meaningful connection between technology and larger educational goals.

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

The strategies that were proposed for the technology plan would help the students implement technology in the school.

The school's vision of learning through technology also emphasizes the importance of all students having equitable access and use of technology—females, special-needs students, minority students, disadvantaged students, students at risk of educational failure, rural and inner-city students. All students need opportunities to use technology in meaningful, authentic tasks that develop higher-order thinking skills (Bowe,1990)

Bowe, F. G. (2000). Universal design in education: Teaching non-traditional students. Westport,CT: Bergen & Garvey.

Byrom, E., Bingham, M. (2001).Factors influencing the effective use of technology for teaching and learning: Lessons learned from SEIR*TEC Intensive Site Schools, 2nd edition.Greensboro,NC:SERVE.