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Using Technology in Missouri Schools
A Planning Guide
April 1994
Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
Robert E. Bartman, Commissioner of
Education
CONTENTS
FOREWARD
One of the goals of the Outstanding Schools Act
of 1993 is to expand the use of technology in Missouri's public schools. the new
law authorizes special grants to help school districts acquire new technology
for instruction and management. The new law also earmarks funds for professional
development activities (both at the state and local levels), an this provision
can be a major asset in supporting technology-related training for school
personnel.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education prepared this publication in an effort to assist school districts that
are in various stages of providing technology for students and staff. Our staff
used several sources in developing this guide -- school districts of all sizes,
consultants, and technical experts. We have tried to compile ideas and
suggestions that will help teachers and school district leaders develop
effective, long-range plans for using technology in all aspects and levels of
education.
This is not a "compliance manual." It
is intended to provide helpful ideas and resources, regardless of your school's
stage of development. Whether your district has one computer or one hundred, we
think you will be better able to meet your needs and keep pace with
fast-changing conditions if your district has a comprehensive technology plan.
Robert E. Bartman
Commissioner of Education
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Contents
ESSENTIALS OF
LONG-RANGE TECHNOLOGY PLANNING
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Involve all crucial "stakeholders"
in the planning process.
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Allow sufficient time to develop the initial
plan.
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Remember: Technology planning is an ongoing
process.
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Develop your goals before you develop your
action plan.
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Use internal and external data to make
adjustments in your plan.
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Develop action plans that will get you to
your strategic goals.
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manage your plan; don't just develop it.
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Collect data and monitor the progress of your
technology plan.
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Involve others in developing and promoting
your plan, including:
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Faculty
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Other school staff
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Parents
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Community leaders
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Students
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Contents
SELECT A
WELL-ROUNDED TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
The role of the committee is to identify a
philosophy and rationale for the technology plan, conduct district needs
assessments, create a technology blueprint, sell the plan and oversee progress.
The selection of a fully representative committee helps ensure the selling of
the final product and keeps lines of communications open. A strong technology
committee can effectively leverage action, mediate disputes and help build
consensus among members of the school faculty, administration and community.
The committee should represent the best expertise
in the district. Members should include administrators, teachers, support staff,
students, parents, board members and community/business leaders. If the district
or the technology committee lacks expertise in certain areas, the use of outside
consultants may be helpful.
Tips & Suggested Activities
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The technology committee should be a team of
decision makers with a broad range of experience.
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The technology committee should include
representatives of each building, grade level, content or program area, and
special-interest group.
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Contents
DETERMINE THE
DISTRICT'S MISSION STATEMENT
REGARDING TECHNOLOGY
The committee should be empowered to develop a
policy for dealing with technology in the district. It should receive training/inservice
in how technology can meet the changing needs of students and educators and help
the school district respond to societal expectations. Then, the committee can
identify the district's ideals and long-range goals in the form of a technology
mission statement. (This mission statement, of course, must be compatible with
the district's other existing mission statements.)
Tips & Suggested Activities
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Visit schools with successful technology
programs.
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Ask vendors, university-based technology
leaders and/or corporate specialists to present information to the committee
about emerging technologies and how such developments may affect teaching
and learning.
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Develop a rationale for change and a vision
for the future.
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The district's stated goals and outcomes
for technology must relate to and support desired curricular outcomes.
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Technology planning involves more than
reorganizing the curriculum and making plans to buy equipment.
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Contents
ACCESS THE
CURRENT STATUS OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE DISTRICT
The committee should form subcommittees or task
groups to document the "who, what, where and why" of technology as it
currently exists in the district. Analyze the school setting(s), learner
characteristics, school and community resources, and perceived needs (current
and future). Identify existing sources of information, and decide what data will
need to be collected.
Determine the key technological issues at hand.
Develop survey questions that will be submitted to teachers, administrators,
clerical staff, students and parents. Be sure to get input from all stakeholders
who will be using or affected by emerging technologies. The committee should
conduct individual and group interviews to question school staff (and others)
about current uses of technology, their attitudes about the potential for
improving students' performance with technology, and their recommendations for
implementing new technology.
Throughout the process of collecting data and
conducting surveys, key issues to be considered by the committee should include:
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Board policy
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Funding
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Acquisition schedules and priorities
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Updating and maintenance of technology
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Potential applications for administration and
management
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Potential applications for curriculum and
instruction
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Equity
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Staff development and training
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Technology's place in the district's school
improvement plan
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Office automation needs
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Student information and records
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Personnel (Will technology plans and goals
require new staff?)
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Networking (within school buildings, among
buildings, outside the district)
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Contents
ANALYZE DATA TO
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
Look at what is happening now. In light of the
district's missions statement/vision, assess where the district wants to be.
Assess the availability of technologies not used currently in the district. Look
at the types of instruction in place now, what programs or methods are likely to
be "imported" in the future, and how technology could support
implementation of new programs.
Tips & Suggested Activities
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Review the existing uses of technology and
media resources within the district and the relationship of these resources
to the goals and objectives of the district's school improvement plan.
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Identify content areas and grade levels where
technology learner outcomes will be achieved. (What technology concepts
should be introduced, and where should they be introduced along the K-12
curriculum?)
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Identify specific areas where existing
technology and/or new technology and media resources could support, enhance
or expand the school improvement plan.
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Identify specific areas where technology is
sought by teachers and staff.
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Identify strengths and weaknesses of the
district's current uses of technology as well as potential opportunities or
threats that exist outside the district that could affect technology
planning and implementation.
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Contents
ESTABLISH
SHORT- AND LONG-RANGE GOALS
Compose, discuss and examine numerous goals;
scrutinize each for clarity of purpose, attainability, measurability,
appropriateness, and how it "fits" the district's mission statement.
In the process of developing and clarifying the goal statements, keep in mind
the potential implications that these goals may have on staff development
activities, funding, and the district's current infrastructure.
Tips & Suggested Activities
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Develop a list of specific objectives for
each goal.
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For each goal, determine how you will know
when it has been achieved.
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Look at possible barriers to each goal.
Brainstorm practical alternatives, and prioritize the goals accordingly.
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Develop a timeline for implementation, and
assign responsibility for achieving specific goals.
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Contents
DEVELOP A
TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
Creating a multi-year plan enables the committee
to revisit the goals and to reassess priorities. A long-term plan also conveys
the idea that technology requires more than a one-time influx of funding. The
district's mission statement, educational objectives and desired outcomes should
drive all purchasing decisions involving technology. The plan should be a
solutions-oriented document, not just a "shopping list" of equipment.
The action plan should address each building-level plan and cost estimates, the
implementation schedule, and the resources needed to carry out the technology
plan effectively. The plan should outline strategies and activities for
developing staff members' understanding of technology and their abilities to
apply it effectively. Finally, the action plan should specify how the impact of
technology will be evaluated.
Tips & Suggested Activities
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Address key issues such as equity, facility
needs, locations, security of equipment and data, staff development,
leadership and budgets for technology.
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Develop a road map describing where you want
to be in year one, year two, year three, etc.
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Consider compatibility issues when
considering hardware and software purchases.
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Provide for accountability. Who will carry
out various parts of the plan? How will you know or decide if technology is
having a measurable or positive impact on students and/or staff?
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Provide for communication about the goals and
progress of the technology plan. How and when will you communicate with
district personnel, school patrons and the community?
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Provide for the continuous review and
evaluation of the district's technology plan; be prepared to update and
change the plan as often as required to reflect changing conditions or
needs.
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Contents
IMPLEMENT AND
EVALUATE THE TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
Create ownership in the final product by
including all committee members in the formal presentation of the plan. By
increasing the number of people who are advocates for the plan, the change for
successful adoption is enhanced. Continually evaluate the effectiveness and
validity of the plan. Monitor the success of your methods and activities and
your progress toward the goals and objectives of the plan.
Tips & Suggested Activities
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Keep staff and the community informed and
enthusiastic about new technology. Promote ownership and commitment by
teachers as well as support from the school board, administration and
community.
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Consider employing a part- or full-time
technology director - perhaps a faculty members who is respected throughout
the school community and who has a fair amount of expertise in the use of
technology.
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Consider going through a
request-for-proposals (RFP) or bidding process to select a single vendor for
equipment and related services. Make sure potential vendors understand your
district's needs and the differences between business and educational
applications. Get references about prospective vendors from other schools.
Be sure that the specifications in your RFP include all potential costs;
equipment/hardware, software and software licenses, cables, wiring,
installation, product upgrades, product warranties, service and maintenance,
telephone support and training.
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Acquire technology incrementally and
integrate it gradually into the curriculum.
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Set up pilot sites for the first-year
implementation phase. Begin by giving the technology resources to the
teachers who are most eager to make an investment in using them. Offer
incentives to teachers who offer exemplary models. Based on experiences
gained in the pilot or initial stage, add other schools/programs.
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Develop a deliberate training schedule that
allows teachers time to explore and investigate the technology.
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Establish a "buddy teachers" or
"buddy school" system to encourage staff to share ideas,
frustrations and successful practices.
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Continue to develop and expand
technology-related training efforts. Customize training activities to match
the needs, inclinations, schedules and experience levels of participating
staff members.
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Emphasize technology awareness and expertise
when hiring new staff.
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Whenever the district plans to submit bond
issue proposals to voters, consider including some amount of money for
technology in the proposal.
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Continually review, revise and expand the
technology plan. Conduct both summative evaluation (Should a program be
continued or terminated?) and formative evaluation (Does a current program
or activity need to be adjusted or redirected?). At the very least, review
the plan annually and prior to any major purchase of hardware or software.
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Modify parts of the plan -- or the entire
plan -- when evaluation data indicate that there is a need to redirect or
redeploy available resources to meet desired instructional goals or
implementation timelines.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Using Technology
in Missouri Schools
Planning Update
An Effective Technology Plan: (check the items in your
plan!)
Is based on meeting curricular, vocational,
administrative and community needs, including:
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student resources/research in core subjects
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students engaged in multidisciplinary and authentic tasks
utilizing technology
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vocational support and "real world" skills
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attendance/meals/financial record keeping
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class schedules
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cost effective technologies that can be used by persons
with varying abilities
Involves key stakeholders in the planning process,
including:
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students
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faculty and staff, representing a cross section of grade
levels, disciplines, and special programs/services
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administrators
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parents
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board members
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community/business leaders
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technology consultant
Considers all instructional/administrative technologies,
such as:
Provides easy and equitable access for all persons,
including:
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during and after regular school day
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libraries, laboratories and individual classrooms
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individuals with special adaptive needs
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community members
Addresses areas of change, such as:
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employing technology coordinator(s) – curricular and
technical staff
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upgrading software, computers, local and wide-area
networks
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allowing for exchanging data among diverse
formats/platforms
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planning for future technologies (distance learning
opportunities; wireless phones)
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increasing connectivity/network bandwidth
Addresses linkages/partnerships with others, like:
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other school districts
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libraries or museums
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higher education
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local businesses
Provides opportunities for staff and student training in
technology use, and might include:
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staff release time
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stipends for review of software programs
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lab assistants or "help desk" assistance
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attendance at workshops and conferences
Is a measurable plan (i.e., How will you know if the
technology is helpful?)
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increased student achievement
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varied teacher strategies
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incorporated into curriculum
Addresses using technology to deliver professional
development for staff and/or community members, such as:
Accommodates a variety of funding options, for example:
Includes an acceptable use policy for all users.
Addresses local reform efforts, including:
Meets requirements for e-rate discounts, such as:
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technology inventory and assessment (of hardware and
items eligible for discounts)
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itemization of requested eligible service(s)
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procedures/requirements for compliance
Contains ongoing planning, implementation, and evaluation
processes.
For more information about technology planning, please contact
the Instructional Technology section of the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education at 573/751-8247 or send e-mail to instrtech@mail.dese.state.mo.us
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