Joy Schwartz - Beaumont ISD, West Brook HS

Week 10 Step 7 - Design the Formative Evaluation of Technology Plan

1.  How do your proposed strategies (Week 8 Step 6) meet the required standards as your Week 6 Step 4 stated?

My first strategy is one that is already in place: Beaumont ISD applies for an E-rate grant for technology funding each year.  This is a great way for school districts to provide technology and services to their schools and students.  This grant was created by the FCC to provide schools and libraries affordable access to advanced telecommunication services.  Discounts ranging from 20% to 90% are awarded to districts for telecommunication services, internet access, internal connections and basic maintenance of internal connections. (TPESC, 2012) The Long Range plan for technology states that “all leaders will develop, implement, budget for and monitor a dynamic technology plan to meet the needs of a changing workforce and economy.” (Long-range Technology Plan, 2012)  This first strategy would fall under that long range standard.  By seeking additional funding, the district leaders are indeed making sure the district has the financial means to provide a technology rich curriculum for their students.  

Another strategy included the district utilizing several software packages (Prologic’s TEAMS, Eduphoria, and CSCOPE) for management purposes.  These are used by teachers, administrators, and business personnel. Within the Long Range plan for technology it is stated that leaders should expect and plan appropriate technology use throughout the teaching and learning process as well as throughout administration.  (Long-range Technology Plan, 2012)  Our administrators are using pieces of these packages for walk-throughs and evaluations.  I definitely feel they are taking the lead and modeling for us ways to incorporate the software into the management aspect of education.  These packages also help teachers and leaders with the LRTP standard of using data effectively and appropriately in decision making.  With Eduphoria, for example, we can scan and monitor assessments, and show improvement and growth in students’ academics, or use it to show just the opposite and help plan a probation or intervention to assist the individual students even more.

             The first goal is incorporate technology as an integral part of education.To reach this goal, objective 1.1 has been established.  It states that in 3 years student graduating from BISD will demonstrate knowledge needed to direct their continued pursuit of knowledge in digital world of information.  The district has budgeted $503, 214.00 for this objective.  One strategy to reach this goal is to have students use technology in inquiry standards-based lessons that require collaboration and higher-level thinking skills. This falls under the long-range plan category of teaching and learning, and correspond with the No Child Left Behind correlates 1, 2, 3, 4a, and 7.  The LRPT Correlates are EP04, EP05, TL04, TL06, TL07, TL08.

The second goal is to provide staff development for all in the use of appropriate emerging technologies and their integration as a natural part of education.  To reach this goal, objective 2.1 states: Plan staff development activities to meet expectations for technology proficiencies for educators.  The district has budgeted $532,106.00 for this objective.  This falls under the LRPT Educator Preparation and Development category, E-rate correlate ER02, and NCLB correlates 1, 2, 3, 4a, and 4b.  A strategy to reach this goal is provide ongoing sustained professional development for teachers, principals, administrators, and school library media personnel to further the effective use of technology in the classroom or library media center.  The LRPT correlates for this strategy are: EP05, EP09, TL07.

The third and last goal is for the district to establish the human and technical infrastructure to encourage communication and to improve access to data and educational resources.  The objective established related to the goal is the district will secure adequate funding for maintaining state-of-the art technology resources for all BISD facilities.  The district has budgeted $2, 672,381.00 for this objective.  This falls under the LRPT category of infrastructure for technology, E-rate correlate ER01, and NCLB Correlates 5, 6, 8 , and 12.  To reach this goal the district will have each campus allocate a percent of their local budget to technology needs, including professional development.  The LRPT correlates for this strategy are: EP01, I01, I04, I06, I07.

         2.  Review the reading materials in Technology domain to propose using other standards which are not adopted by your studied school. Explain why those new standards should be considered for your studied school. 

I would say that these standards (LRTP standards) are not being fully met: 

“ All learners:

 • have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources and services for

 individualized instruction 24/7.

 • use information and communication technologies to collaborate, construct

 knowledge and provide solutions to real-world problems.

 • use research based strategies in all subject areas to improve academic

 achievement.

Unfortunately within our district not all schools have the same educational materials, nor do our students have services for individualize instruction 24/7.  Not all teachers are providing a technology rich curriculum, nor are they providing situations for students to experience a technology rich curriculum.  Also, most teachers are NOT providing opportunities for students to communicate in a variety of methods.  We are basically a Title 1 district and it’s important for educators to give our students tools so that they can compete with others in this world.  It’s so very important that we provide a means to perhaps break a cycle of poverty, and move behind obstacles that may have held back students’ family members.  

References:

BEAUMONT ISD Technology Plan for E-Rate Year 13. (2010-2013).  Beaumont Independent School District, Beaumont, Texas.

CSCOPE.  (2012).  Retrieved on March 19, 2012 from http://www.cscope.us/.

Eduphoria! (2012).  School Objects.  Retrieved on March 19, 2012 from http://www.eduphoria.net/default.aspx.

E-rate. (2012).  E-rate Information.  Retrieved on February 27, 2012 from http://www.mecnet.net/erate.cfm.

Long-Range Plan for Technology. (2006-2020). Retrieved on February 27, 2012 from  http://www.tea.state.tx.us/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147494561&libID=2147494558.

Prologic Technology Systems, Inc. (2012). TEAMS.  Retrieved on March 19, 2012, from http://www.ptsteams.com/.

TPESC. (2012). E-rate. Retrieved on March 19, 2012, from: http://tpesc.esc12.net/erate/default.html.