Staff is referring to - two school board members, a representative teacher from each school discipline,

two parents (likely those active in PTA), a local business owner and the technology manager.

In creating this technology plan, keep in mind I am not a full time teacher and I am merely
speculating the ways technology plans are developed and administered. As written in the course text,
... providing solutions for problems that are not fully understood is an imperfect, if not impossible way
of operating. (Pg. 19)
That being said, the first suggestion I have for improvement would be for the administrative
staff to attend professional development (a simple one hour course possible given through PowerPoint)
about their leadership skills. Commitment from teachers, staff, or parents will only come if there is a
sense on their part that the administrative leadership is committed to a plan. (Pg. 20) The
administrative staff will hold the most power when selecting technology so they must be able to explain
their goals and lead their pupils if technology implementation is to be successful. Once the
administration staff is confident in their leadership abilities (assessed via self-assessment at the end of
the professional development course) a new technology plan may commence.
To determine what the technology plan will cover, a staff meeting will be held which will discuss
the goals of the district, teachers, support staff, and parents. The staff that will be asked to attend the
meeting include, two school board members, a representative teacher from each school discipline, two
parents (likely those active in PTA), a local business owner and the technology manager. The focus of
school should not be to score well on tests; it should encompass skills needed to succeed in the outside
world. Utilizing the knowledge of teachers, parents and business owners will allow a wide range of goals.
These people will be asked to contemplate two or more goals they would like to see implemented. As
technology director, I will supervise the discussions and guide the staff in selecting plausible and
effective goals. Goals will likely include, the preparation of students to participate in a technology-
oriented society, enhancing learning and teaching using technology tools as well as providing
technology-based curriculum. The essence of a comprehensive plan links individual needs and
Staff is referring to - two school board members, a representative teacher from each school discipline,
two parents (likely those active in PTA), a local business owner and the technology manager.

objectives to overall institutional goals. (pg. 19) The creation of these comprehensive goals will
encourage collaboration by the staff involved. This is a major flaw in the current system at DuBois. The
technology plan is implemented in a very top down manner. The superintendent determines the course
management system, the number of computers, the curriculum goals as well as their objectives. I have
no doubt that the superintendent has a vast amount of experience and knowledge however; I feel it
would benefit the school district greatly by employing the minds of others. This knowledge and feeling
of contribution will increase staff commitment and collaboration. Giving staff the feeling that they have
control over technology instruction will garner fantastic results.
One the goals and objectives can be discussed and agreed upon, a redesign of the overall
technology plan must be implemented. The model for planning outlined in Figure 2.3 is ideal for Dubois.
In an effort to combat their current program, DuBois must first incorporate external environmental
scanning. Sometimes school personnel fail to connect their classrooms with the outside world. This
overview of the environment will ensure the staff is on the right track. In addition to understanding
societal and community values, environmental scanning is critical for comprehending changes in
technology. (pg. 21) Incorporating the communitys culture and values will realign DuBois and its staff
with what learning should really encompass. The goals discussed and evaluated during the first staff
meeting will provide guidance so that staff can effectively incorporate technology. As the text states,
The model requires a good deal of information gathering and idea sharing, which may be done formally
through committees as well as informally through ad hoc discussions, observations, visits, and reading
the literature. (pg. 21) During this planning model, the administrator will provide the necessary
leadership to guide collaboration and commitment. As with any planning process, it is continuous and
ever changing. Because of this, there must be numerous formal and informal evaluations completed
over a period of time, these committees and staff meeting can take away from a schools budget for new
technology however, it is necessary to ensure the commitment and collaborative use of technology.
Staff is referring to - two school board members, a representative teacher from each school discipline,
two parents (likely those active in PTA), a local business owner and the technology manager.

These continuous meeting will result in a guideline for everyday activities. This guideline will be
summarized by me into a written plan. Administrators, teachers and staff follow this guideline and
accumulate information on how well the objectives of the plan are being implemented. (pg. 20) In
essence, the implementation of this written plan will serve as a sort of continuous evaluation. A formal
evaluation plan may be implemented as well. (Such as the one discussed earlier in the semester). These
evaluations will be taken into consideration quarterly if necessary annually at a minimum by the staff
involved in goal making. By allowing teachers, parents and others in a school to participate, those
responsible for planning become more knowledgeable about the alternative courses of action and
applications that a district might support. (Pg. 21)
The effects of such a technology plan may also have to consider gender and equity issues. I
know a few teachers who believe in utilizing BYOD systems instead of the school shouldering the costs
of technology. This has many advantages however many problems such as students not being able to
afford their own device keeps the school system from incorporating such a program. Any technology
used during the school day must be available to the students who do not have such devices in their
homes. This may mean after school technology availability. This cost must be taken into consideration
when discussing goals and objectives. The current system used by DuBois to provide students access to
technology outside of the classroom seems sufficient.
Thus far, my suggestions can be completed without an overhaul of database management
systems. This will work for a few years where teachers and community members are able to observe
wanted changes in technology in the school system. However, there will come a time in the very near
future where data driven decisions will need to be made. The school system receives an in-depth
breakdown of students abilities of state tests, however with the current system, only the school board
assesses those results. More meetings between the staff will need to be completed in order to evaluate
Staff is referring to - two school board members, a representative teacher from each school discipline,
two parents (likely those active in PTA), a local business owner and the technology manager.

school curricula aside from student tests scores. A more comprehensive database management system
must be put in place. The figure 5.3 on page 71 would be ideal once the staff chose appropriate goals
and an effective written plan. I would need to collaborate with the technology manager in order to
determine the necessary criteria needed to implement such a program. I am aware this may be
financially unreasonable, in that event, I would ask teachers to provide written feedback and complete
surveys based on their individual classrooms that assess student achievement and problem solving skills
beyond test scores.
One major change I would like to see implemented in the school district is collaboration
between all teachers. Although technical assistance, support, and databases may be provided centrally
at the school district level, ultimately the success of the data-driven decision-making process will rest on
the ability of individuals in the schools to effect changes in classrooms and offices. (pg. 72) I think there
is miscommunication when constructing curriculum. I believe curriculum would be better managed if all
teachers collaborated and created curriculum across multiple subjects. This cross-curriculum would
enhance students understanding of each subject and answer the question when will I ever use this?
It is highly desirable, if not critical, for administrators and teachers in the schools to share their
knowledge, expertise, and experiences with others across the district. (pg. 72)
As with the data management systems, any software updates would first be discussed in a staff
meeting. This way, community members, parents and teachers could all assist the administration when
selecting software. The actual evaluation of the software would follow a general evaluation form (for
examples click here) This actual evaluation form that would be implemented would need to be decided
upon during a staff meeting. As far as the way media is presented, available facilities and the distance-
learning program, DuBois is on par with my thoughts of a school district. At this time, I do not think it is
necessary to implement change.
Staff is referring to - two school board members, a representative teacher from each school discipline,
two parents (likely those active in PTA), a local business owner and the technology manager.

The last change I would like to see in DuBois schools is the way professional development is
done. I believe a big factor in the mediocrity of teacher development is their lack of commitment and
collaboration. Often times it seems teachers find the programs to be a waste of time in which they do
not learn much. However, having the staff involvement that I wrote about would greatly ease poor
attitudes. One major change would be to have teachers from the same school district teach each other.
There would be no complaints that the information does not apply, there would be less eye rolling and
the teachers could apply the information directly in their classrooms. Planning a professional
development program should be integrated with other planning activities and should relate to the
objectives that a district hopes to achieve. (pg. 226) Once the staff has determined their goal, the
planning objectives must consist of technology planning, conducting a needs analysis, designing and
implementing an effective professional development program, providing incentives and a thorough
evaluation and review. Utilizing a variety of techniques to teach professional development will make
the course more successful, for example, hands-on activities, one-on-one coaching and in-house
trainers. Planning professional development requires a long-term commitment that aims to upgrade
technical skills gradually and continually rather than on a short-term or one-shot basis. (pg. 226)
The key to getting teachers and the selected staff to participate in the technology overhaul goes
back to the administrative staff. The example set when a school leader participates in professional
development or when he or she begins to use some new technology is extremely powerful. (pg. 218)
Getting the staff involved in decisions will increase the sense of significance. If this is not enough of an
incentive, I believe the school could provide other incentives to garner the results necessary to this
overhaul. Through this plan, a sense of collaboration, commitment, and continuity will ensure school
district success.