Katy ISD- Ashley Peabody

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


The strategies I proposed for Week 8, Step 6  are based off of the standards created from Week 6, Step 4. Strategies are created are listed below:

"GOAL 1: Engage students by integrating technology into all aspects of the curriculum and learning

environments (classrooms, libraries, homes and communities).

Standard TF-II:  Educational technology facilitators plan, design, and model effective learning
environments and multiple experiences supported by technology. Educational technology
facilitators:
      A. Design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners (ISTE, 2011).

• Funding:
• Balance the budget set aside for technology in order to provide students and teachers with the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom
• Grant teams research and write grants relating to training teachers on how to effectively implement different types of technology into the classroom.
• Pair schools with their sister school to trade different technology ideas.
• Research different types of paid and free training.
• Research different tools to implement technology in students home and in the community.
• Purchase different technology to implement technology into the home, libraries, homes, and community. This would include computers, computer programs, smart boards, and other various tools.
• Management Plan:
• Implement a variety of different software and technology tools such as: audio software, videosoftware, graphic software, and web design. Provide teachers with the necessary training on how to use each program.
• Provide educators with the knowledge, skills, and classroom strategies to integrate and
  emerge technology into teaching.
• Require teachers to attend 12 hours of technology training every school year.
• Administrators oversee the implication of technology into the classroom on their campus.
• Research different ways to utilize technology at every students home. If students do not have access to computers, provide students with other options.

GOAL 2: Provide a technology specialist on every campus to help teachers and students with  different technology needs.

Standard TF-II: Educational technology facilitators plan, design, and model effective learning environments and multiple experiences supported by technology. Educational technology facilitators:

        B. Assist teachers as they apply current research on teaching and learning with  
        technology when planning learning environments and experiences (ISTE, 2011).

• Funding:
• Utilize grants to help fund the hiring of a technology specialist on every campus.
• Manage the budget and set aside additional funds to hire
• Management Plan:
• Interview qualified candidates.
• Hire a technology specialist for every campus.
• The technology specialist will document all training given to teachers and when helping students.
• The specialist will monitor the usage of technology being used in the classroom by looking at teachers lesson plans and observing teachers teach. 

GOAL 3: Provide funding for a high-performance infrastructure.

Standard TF-V: Educational technology facilitators apply technology to enhance and improve
personal productivity and professional practice. Educational technology facilitators:

     B.  Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.

• Funding:
• Determine the total allotment given for the Technology Budget in order to purchasing technology and maintaining a high-performance infrastructure.
• Utilize partnerships with different companies to receive additional funding for technology.
• Apply for grants.
• Utilize e-rate.
• Management Plan:
• Utilize grant writing teams at the district level to secure additional funding to implement and maintain technology.
• Assemble an efficient grant writing team.
• Research and apply for different grants on the campus and district level."

Every strategy listed above is based off of the individual needs of Katy ISD. Each need was identified by interviewing teachers and administrators, looking at surveys, and results from the STaR chart. The current  long term technology plan was also taken into consideration to determine the needs of the district. The strategies help determine different ways to master the goals and standards. The end goal is to meet the current needs of the district in order to improve. The strategies meet the requirements of the standards because they ensure that teachers  utilize a variety of different options while meeting the needs of the students.  (Texas Education Agency, 2010).


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.

After consulting with several administrators and teachers I realized that Katy ISD does not require schools to implement the ISTE Technology Facilitation Standards and the NETS . After looking at the ISTE, I  did noticed that Katy ISD does use the basic principles outlined in the technology facilitation standards, but the do not require teachers or schools to identify which standards they are implementing (Basically what I am trying to say is the Katy ISD touches on some of the main concepts, but does not implement these specific standards). By implementing the ISTE and NETS into schools will bring huge advantages to teachers and students. The purpose of these standards is to provide the "necessary conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning" (ISTE, 2011). By implementing the standards will make teachers more aware of what technology they are implementing and in what ways. This will encourage teachers to use different standards when planning, teaching, implementing, and assessing students. The nets are very important to implement into the school distinct because technology has become apart of everyday life and the way we now learn. "The NETS set a standard of excellence and best practices in learning, teaching, and leading with technology in education. The benefits of using the NETS include:
 

•	Improving higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity
•	Preparing students for their future in a competitive global job market
•	Designing student-centered, project-based, and online learning environments
•	Guiding systemic change in our schools to create digital places of learning
•	Inspiring digital age professional models for working, collaborating, and decision making" (ISTE.NETS, 2011).

The purpose of creating a long term technology plan is to prepare students for the 21st century (Texas Education Agency, 2010). By Katy ISD implementing these new standards as a part of there curriculum and planning will enhance the current technology being used by teachers, and will ultimately benefit the students!


References

ISTE. (2011). The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T). Retrieved April 2,  2012,
from: http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-T_Standards.sflb.ashx

Texas Education Agency, (2010, March). Long Range Plan for Technology 2010 Progress Report(LRPT) . Retrieved from Texas Education Agency: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665

ISTE.NETS, (2011). The National Educational Technology Standards. Retrived April 2, 2012, from:  http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx