Technology: Katy ISD constantly promotes the ongoing use of implementing technology in classroom by the teaching, learning, and commitment to providing students with the skills to succeed in the 21st century. Katy ISD’s mission statement promotes leadership “in educational excellence, together with family and community, provides unparalleled learning experiences designed to prepare and inspire each student to live an honorable, fulfilling life...to create the future” (Long-Range Technology Plan, 2011). The current technology plan is focuses on improving technology through implementing a variety of new technology tools, providing professional development, and to provide students with different hands-on opportunities by using different technology applications. The primary focus for Katy ISD's technology plan is to provide teachers with different professional development activities. This will help teachers learn how to use the different tools available effectively and efficiently. It will also provide teachers with the necessary skills on how to integrate technology into the classroom. The purpose of the technology plan is to find different ways to better serve the students by implementing technology
Funding: Katy ISD funding for technology is broken down into four categories; teaching and learning, educator preparation and development budget, administrative and support budget, and infrastructure for technology (Long-Range Technology Plan, 2011). Katy ISD utilizes eRate to help fund the different technology and professional development needs. Katy ISD also utilizes grants, partnerships, and donations as another form of funding to help support the different needs within the district. Katy ISD currently has full-time grant writing team to pursue additional resources relating to technology (Gillman, 2012).
Management: Management issues are resolved by having qualified personnel to evaluate the needs, installs, and manage the technology. The plan involves hiring a technology specialist for every campus to help teachers’ with different technology needs, provide students with technology lessons monthly in the computer lab, and to provide different professional development activities for teachers. Katy ISD human resources and administrators will manage the hiring of the technology facilitators and makes sure they are fulfilling the duties of their position. Also, the current technology resources are managed by Katy ISD’s technology department (Gilman, 2012).
2. How did the goals provide the measurable outcomes for future improvement?
Katy ISD goals created for the technology plan are all
aligned with the standards set by the US government, state, and school
district. All of the goals are assessed and measured by classroom walk-throughs,
teacher observations, surveys, interviews, and the completion of the STaR chart
(Gillman, 2012). All of the information gathered is closely analyzed to find
the strengths and weaknesses of each goal. Than Katy ISD will use the goals as a
guide of what needs to be measured. The information should be shared with
others to make revisions and improvements for the future (Frazier
& Bailey, 2004). This is an ongoing process that is
constantly being looked at.
3. How did the strategies defined to meet the proposed objectives?
Every strategy is broken down into the necessary steps to meet the objectives implemented into the goal. Each objective needs to be classified under wither, technology, funding, or management. There categories serve as a primary in respect of achieving these objectives. This relates because in order to evaluate if teachers are effectively integrating technology into the classroom walk throughs as strategies. Dick and Carey (2006) believe that strategies need to be used to develop the instruction, and to set criteria to evaluate the materials and to make the necessary revisions. This is kept in mind when establishing the appropriate learning opportunities.
Long-Range Technology Plan. (2011). Retrieved January 30, 2012, from Katy ISD:
Gillman, H.
(2012, Feburary 10). Technology Teacher. (A. Peabody, Interviewer)
Technology in Education. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?
a=o&d=113454356
Dick & Carey (2001) Designing and Conducting Instructional Strategies. Retrieved (2012, April 16)
from https://www.courses.psu.edu/trdev/trdev518_bow100/D_C10present/tsld001.htm
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteThe planning process and the process of making necessary revisions can be quite time consuming for educators and instructional designers. What processes would you develop to ensure that educators and instructional design specialists have the time and resources to enhance their strategies? For me, our strategies change quite often (without notice) but time available to plan/revise continues to dwindle.
Mike
Mike,
DeleteRight, that is the tricky part. It is all about having the time to do so. Right now their strategy is to utilze the time at the staff meeting and professional devlopment day to provide teachers with different resources to enhance their straegies.
Having a technolgoy specialist on every campus would be so awesome for both the students and the teachers. There would be so many great benefits to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree! It would benefit the entire campus and I believe every school should have one.
ReplyDeleteI think in addition to walk-throughs, evaluations and the STaR Chart, schools should use student portfolios as a means to measure effective use of technology in the classroom. Students should collect samples of projects created using technology and present their portfolios as a requirement of advancing to the next level. This would provide evidence that technology use is being taught in the clasroom.
ReplyDelete