Technology Professional Development Plan

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics

Marlboro Central School District

John Marallo
EDU 5303
Summer 2019
 Technology Professional Development Plan

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics

Marlboro Central School District

Table of Contents

Page 2 Background & Mission

Page 3 Technology Integration Into the Curriculum & The Instructional Environment

Page 5 Technology Access & Infrastructure

Page 6 Technology Professional Development

Page 9 Technology Literacy & Standards

Page 11 Technology Assessments

Page 13 Initiative Evaluation

Page 15 Cost Analysis

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 1

  
Background
The Marlboro Central School District began implementing a 1-to-1 Chromebook initiative in
Grades 6-12 starting in February 2017. As of February 2019, approximately 1,050 students in
Grades 6-12 have a district-issued Chromebook to use during school hours, and to take home
for the purpose of supporting academic endeavors outside of the school day.

Students in Grades 7-12 have either a Samsung Chromebook 2 or Samsung Chromebook 3,

while students in Grade 6 have an HP Chromebook 11 G5 EE. Starting in September 2019,
students in Grade 5 will each have access to an HP Chromebook 11 G5 EE, which will be
housed in carts located in homeroom classrooms. To help lay the foundation for technology
usage in the Marlboro Central School District and to help develop essential digital literacy and
keyboarding skills, a total of 275 Chromebooks of various models will be available for student
use through the reserving of 7 carts in Grades K-4. Additionally, each classroom in Grades K-2
has a set of 6 iPads to support the implementation of eSpark for literacy instruction support, for
a total of 108 iPads in those grade levels.

At the High School level, Mathematics teachers have complained that students being unable to
annotate directly on their device’s screen has hindered their ability to fully take advantage of
Chromebooks in their classrooms. It has been recognized that the ability to leverage
touchscreen features would be advantageous, particularly in Mathematics courses, where the
showing of computational work would otherwise be more cumbersome.

Mission
The purpose of a Touchscreen Chromebook initiative in the Marlboro Central School District in
Grades 9-12 is to provide students with a device that allows annotation directly on its screen.
This capability would allow students to mark up material provided by teachers digitally via
Google Classroom, and allow them to submit authentic work samples without the need for
submitting paper or for additional uploads.

It is also worth noting that the Board of Regents recently expressed their desire to transition
High School Regents Examinations to a Computer-Based format, similar to the English
Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments administered in Grades 3-8, in the future.
Touchscreen Chromebooks would allow students to fully take advantage of all tools made
available to them in an online testing environment.

This Touchscreen Chromebook initiative also reflects Goal #6 of the Marlboro Central School
District Board of Education that relates directly to STEM education:

Support the administrative and teaching communities in their efforts to further the
understanding and use of STEM technologies within the school district, and to enable
and inspire students to obtain the right skills and experiences to prepare them for
STEM-related academic and career paths (Marlboro Central School District Board of
Education Goals & Beliefs, 2018-2019).

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 2

  
Technology Integration Into the Curriculum & The Instructional Environment
With access to touchscreen Chromebooks, Mathematics teachers in Grades 9-12 will be able to
make use of digital platforms and programs that allow students to annotate electronic
documents directly on their device, submit their handwritten work digitally, and authentically
interact with digital platforms for the purpose of formative assessment.

Following are a variety of ways that touchscreen Chromebooks will enhance students’ learning
experiences in our High School Mathematics classrooms:

● More Intuitive Interaction with Graphing Calculator Emulator

Students currently have the ​WabbitEmu Graphing Calculator Emulator​ installed
on their district-issued Chromebooks. Mathematics teachers report student
difficulty in transferring skills in using this calculator to using a physical TI-84+
Silver Edition graphing calculator. Being able to interact with the WabbitEmu
graphing calculator using a touchscreen, instead of with a keyboard and mouse
will help create a more intuitive experience for students, helping them transfer
these skills more easily to the use of a physical graphing calculator in the
classroom and during Regents Examinations.
● Digital Submission of Handwritten Work
Most of our High School Mathematics teachers already provide access to class
materials digitally via Google Classroom. The use of a touchscreen Chromebook
will allow students to show their work in solving math problems directly on their
screen. The sharing of this work with teachers will now be possible digitally, as
opposed to the need for taking pictures of or scanning student work and
performing separate uploads. Apps such as ​Ziteboard​, can be used to facilitate
digital student collaboration and the creation of authentic products to
demonstrate understanding of content.
● Enhances Digital Student Collaboration
Through the use of digital platforms, such as ​Google Jamboard,​ students can
collaborate in the same digital space, and each can add their own handwritten
contributions to this space. Jamboard is available as part of the G-Suite of apps,
and is also available as a downloadable app in the Google Play Store.
● Enhances Formative Assessment Opportunities
While many of our teachers currently employ Google Forms as a means of digital
assessment, it is limited in terms of the modalities that can be used for inputting
student responses. Digital platforms like ​Formative​ and P ​ ear Deck​ allow for
teachers to administer formative assessment that solicits student input in the
form of handwritten work, annotations, and drawings. This allows students to
submit more authentic work that better represents their level of understanding,
and allows teachers to better gauge student comprehension to better inform their
classroom instruction.
● Increased Familiarity with Online Testing Environments
An increasing amount of states are employing digital environments for their state

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 3

 assessments. ​Desmos​ is a Mathematics-specific digital platform that is currently used
by twenty-four states to provide virtual scientific and graphing calculator capabilities on
their Mathematics assessments.

This touchscreen Chromebook initiative would be implemented as part of the natural

replacement of end-of-life devices that students receive beginning in Grade 6 per the following
timeline:

Class Timeline for Touchscreen Chromebook Distribution

Class of 2023 September 2019

Class of 2024 September 2020

Class of 2025 September 2021

Class of 2026 September 2022

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 4

  
Technology Access & Infrastructure
Over the past three years, the district’s Technology staff has worked to increase the capacity of
wireless networks in each of our three schools. These efforts have included an evaluation of
existing wireless access points, and consultation with an outside company to determine
configurations to maximize the effectiveness of our wireless networks. Currently, the secured
wireless network in Marlboro High School dedicated to district-owned devices handles
approximately 600 student Chromebooks with ease. Wireless infrastructure in each of our
schools is continually monitored, and projects to continue to increase the robustness of our
networks will be completed as part of a $19 million capital project approved by taxpayers in May
2019.

Equitable access to technology is essential for providing rich learning experiences to all
students. While the purpose of this Touchscreen Chromebook initiative is to increase the
usefulness of devices in High School Mathematics classrooms, the overarching goal of this
initiative is to ensure that all students have access to technology they will need for academic
success, not only throughout their school careers, but also in college and in the workforce.

Marlboro Central School District’s Touchscreen Initiative for High School Mathematics
specifically addresses Goal #4 of the Marlboro Central School District Board of Education that
relates directly to supporting all students:

Support a K-12 structure with program options at all levels that have the pathways and
supports which allow students to graduate with the most advanced degree possible, with
a rich array of courses on their transcript, and the highest GPA/class rank attainable for
each student (Marlboro Central School District Board of Education Goals & Beliefs,
2018-2019).

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 5

  
Technology Professional Development
The Marlboro Central School District employs a Technology Integration Specialist, who provides
technology professional development on a variety of digital applications and programs. To
ensure the success of this initiative, teachers will need professional development, including
opportunities to provide input, from its onset.

Following is a tentative timeline of professional development activities related to the

implementation of this initiative:

Timeframe Professional Development Stakeholders Involved

Activity

July 2019 App/Platform Brainstorming Session HS Mathematics Teachers

HS Administration
Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

July 2019/ Introduction to Touchscreen HS Mathematics Teachers

August 2019 Chromebooks HS Administration
Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

Aug. 28, 2019 Training Session for Parents & Incoming HS Freshmen & Parents
(Freshman Students HS Mathematics Teachers
Orientation) HS Administration
Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

Sept. 3, 2019 Continued App/Platform HS Mathematics Teachers

(Supt. Conf. Brainstorming Technology Integration Specialist
Day) Q&A Opportunity

Oct. 4, 2019 Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative HS Mathematics Teachers

(½ Day PD) Checkpoint #1 HS Administration
Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

Nov. 5, 2019 Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative HS Mathematics Teachers

(Supt. Conf. Checkpoint #2 HS Administration
Day) Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 6

 Mar. 13, 2020 Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative HS Mathematics Teachers
(Supt. Conf. Checkpoint #3 HS Administration
Day) Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

May 1, 2020 Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative HS Mathematics Teachers

(½ Day PD) Checkpoint #4 HS Administration
Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Asst. Supt. for Technology
Technology Integration Specialist

● App/Platform Brainstorming Session (4 hours during the summer)

The Technology Integration Specialist will have digital platforms and programs to
demonstrate for the High School Mathematics teachers that can take advantage
of touchscreen Chromebooks. Teachers will also be given opportunities to share
ideas they have for the use of touchscreen Chromebooks in their classrooms.
Potential pitfalls will also be discussed, with an accompanying dialogue and
exploration of ways to avoid and/or mitigate those pitfalls. The Technology
Integration Specialist will also discuss the S​ AMR Model for Educational
Technology Integration​ as a means for helping teachers understand their current
technology integration efforts and how they can push their own thinking forward.
Continued support will be available on an as-needed basis for each of these
teachers throughout the 2019-2020 school year.
● Introduction to Touchscreen Chromebooks (4 hours during the summer)
A touchscreen Chromebook will be made available for each High School
Mathematics teacher to use. The Technology Integration Specialist will design
learning activities that the teachers can engage in as a student to familiarize
them with what their students will experience in their classrooms. Time will also
be allotted for teachers to explore digital platforms and programs from the
teacher's viewpoint, and to discuss and engage in classroom setup, if necessary.
● Training Session for Parents & Students (1 hour during Freshman Orientation)
The Marlboro Central School District has an existing presentation that has been
used during the Chromebook Orientation Meetings that all current parents and
students in Grades 6-12 attended. This presentation will be modified to include
the advantages specific to touchscreen Chromebooks. This presentation will
also address the following:
● Proper care of Chormebooks
● Filtering of student Internet use
● School personnel to contact when troubleshooting is needed
● Purchasing of recommended insurance
● Ramifications for inappropriate Chromebook usage
● 24-hour monitoring of student Chromebook usage via GoGuardian

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 7

 ● Other relevant provisions of the Marlboro Central School District
Acceptable Use Policy for Technology Use
● Continued App/Platform Brainstorming/Q&A Opportunity (2 hours during Opening Day)
The Technology Integration Specialist will be available for High School
Mathematics teachers, should they have questions regarding specific digital
platforms and programs, or if they want time to explore others. Support for the
setup of students and classes in digital platforms and programs will also be
provided.
● Four Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative Checkpoints (3 hours each during professional
development opportunities throughout the 2019-2020 school year)
Checking in with our High School Mathematics teachers beyond the initial
distribution of touchscreen Chromebooks will be essential not only for providing
support to ensure the initiative’s success, but also for gauging the effectiveness
and success of the initiative. Prior to each checkpoint meeting, teachers will be
asked to bring either one way they have used touchscreen Chromebooks in their
classroom, or an idea they plan to try prior to the next checkpoint meeting.
Discussion of successes and struggles will also be encouraged, with an
accompanying dialogue and exploration of ways to further capitalize on
successes and to manage any struggles.

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 8

  
Technology Literacy & Standards
It is essential that any technology initiative be rooted in standards that measure knowledge and
proficiencies that students should possess as a result of the initiative. Marlboro Central School
District’s Touchscreen Initiative for High School Mathematics addresses many of the standards
set forth by the International Society for Technology in Education.

ISTE has developed standards for students in their use of technology. According to ISTE, the
purpose of these standards are for “students [to] use digital tools to connect with learners from a
variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual
understanding and learning.”

ISTE Student Standards

Standard Number Descriptor

2b Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behaviors when

using technology, including social interactions online or when using
networked devices.

2d Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and

security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their
navigation online.

4b Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design
process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

5b Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to
analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate
problem-solving and decision-making.

6a Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the
desired objectives of their creation or communication.

7a Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of

backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden
mutual understanding and learning.

7b Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including

peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems
from multiple viewpoints.

ISTE has also developed standards for educators in their use of technology as part of
classroom instruction. According to ISTE, the purpose of these standards are meant to serve
as a​ “​road map to helping students become empowered learners. These standards will deepen
practice, promote collaboration with peers, challenge educators to rethink traditional approaches
and prepare students to drive their own learning.”

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 9

 ISTE Educator Standards
Standard Number Descriptor

1a Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical

approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their
effectiveness.

2b Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content

and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students.

2c Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation

and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.

3b Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical

examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media
fluency.

4a Dedicate planning time to collaborate with colleagues to create authentic

learning experiences that leverage technology.

4b Collaborate and co-learn with students to discover and use new digital
resources and diagnose and troubleshoot technology issues.

5b Design authentic learning activities that align with content area

standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep
learning.

6a Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals

and outcomes in both independent and group settings.

6b Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital

platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.

7b Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and

summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide
timely feedback to students and inform instruction.

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 10

  
Technology Assessments
Marlboro Central School District’s Touchscreen Initiative for High School Mathematics will allow
teachers to use a variety of digital platforms and programs for both formative and summative
assessment. These platforms and programs include, but are not limited to the following:

● Delta Math
○ DeltaMath allows teachers to create free online accounts and assign their
students automatically-graded, interactive problems from a long list of modules
sorted by level – from middle school Common-Core-aligned math to AP Calculus.
Teachers can assign as many problems as they want, pick a due date, determine
how many consecutive correct answers are required to finish the assignment,
view students’ scores, and see where they might have struggled. As each
problem type generates hundreds of variations, students can’t copy each other
(​Chalkbeat 2015​).
● Kahoot
○ Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform, free for teachers of awesome and
classroom superheroes. Play, learn, have fun and celebrate together (​What is
Kahoot!?​)
● Quizizz
○ Quizizz allows teachers to conduct student-paced formative assessments in a fun
and engaging way for students of all ages (​Quizizz Help Center​).
● Google Forms
○ With Google Forms, student understanding can be quickly assessed with
automatic and manual grading tools. Specify correct answers, points, and give
feedback for correct and incorrect responses. Identify frequently missed
questions that need further review in the response summary. (​G-Suite Learning
Center​)
● Pear Deck
○ Pear Deck Slides is very similar to a slide show, like PowerPoint or Google
Slides. But instead of just static, informational sides, you get to make Interactive
Slides that let every student participate in your questions or prompts right from
their own devices. When you present your Deck, you get a unique Join Code for
students to join your presentation from their phone or computer (​Pear Deck
Knowledge Base​)
● Edpuzzle
○ Edpuzzle unlocks the power of videos through simple editing tools and dazzling
student data. The process is simple - find a video, add questions and assign it to
a class. Watch as they progress and hold them accountable on their learning
journey (​About Edpuzzle​).
● eDoctrina
○ The Marlboro Central School District purchases an annual subscription to
eDoctrina for the purpose of facilitating formative assessment, including the
incorporation of online testing environments that mimic those seen on the NYS

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 11

 English Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments administered in Grades
3-8.
○ eDoctrina is a web-based K-12 education software that helps educators: (1)
prioritize state standards, (2) create curriculum maps and standards-based
lesson/unit plans, (3) build standards-based paper and online assessments, (4)
print answer sheets, (5) scan assessment results (no more hand-correcting!), (6)
quickly pin-point students who are falling behind and what standards/skills they
are having trouble with, (7) manage school/district SMART goals, (8) track
student-centered goals (RTI and IEP) and (9) manage teacher observations.
(​eDoctrina Frequently Asked Questions​).
● Formative
○ Formative is a web-app for classrooms that allows teachers to give live
assignments to students and allows for instant teaching adjustments
(​goformative.com​).
● Quizlet Live
○ Quizlet Live is an engaging in-class game where students work in teams to
correctly match terms and definitions. The first team to match all terms and
definitions correctly in a row wins the game (​Quizlet Live Teacher Quick-Start
Guide​).

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 12

  
Initiative Evaluation
Evaluating the effectiveness of any initiative is essential to ensure that resources are being used
in the best possible manner. It is also necessary for determining successes that should be
replicated in future initiative efforts, as well as areas of need that require attention. Marlboro
Central School District’s Touchscreen Initiative for High School Mathematics will be evaluated
by stakeholders using a three-pronged approach, as follows:

Students
Students will be surveyed using Google Forms to determine how touchscreen Chromebooks
affect their learning in high school-level Mathematics courses. Some questions that may be
included on the student survey include the following:

● How has your touchscreen Chromebook made learning Mathematics different than when
you were in Middle School?
● What specific programs has your teacher used so far this year that uses your
touchscreen Chromebook?
● How do you feel about submitting handwritten work digitally, instead of on paper?
● What suggestions do you have for the Marlboro Central School District to best use
touchscreen Chromebooks to meet your learning needs in Mathematics?

Teachers
Students will be surveyed using Google Forms to determine how touchscreen Chromebooks
affect their teaching of high school-level Mathematics courses. Some questions that may be
included on the teacher survey include the following:

● How has the availability of touchscreen Chromebooks for your students changed your
teaching methods?
● What specific programs have you used so far this year that uses touchscreen
Chromebooks?
● What successes have you experienced in using touchscreen Chromebooks with your
students?
● What challenges have you experienced in using touchscreen Chromebooks with your
students?
● What suggestions do you have for the Marlboro Central School District for providing
continued professional development to allow you to maximize the use of touchscreen
Chromebooks in your classroom?

Parents
Parents will be surveyed using Google Forms to determine how touchscreen Chromebooks
affect their perception of their child’s learning of Mathematics. Some questions that may be
included on the parent survey include the following:

● How has the touchscreen Chromebook affected your child’s work completion and study

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 13

 habits while at home?
● What aspects of the touchscreen Chromebook do you feel have been advantageous in
terms of your child’s learning needs?
● What aspects of the touchscreen Chromebook have caused you concern in terms of
your child’s learning needs?
● What suggestions do you have for the Marlboro Central School District to best use
touchscreen Chromebooks to meet your child’s learning needs in Mathematics?

It will be essential to monitor the progress of this initiative, and to use the results of the student,
teacher, and parent surveys to inform its continued implementation. Adjustments may need to
be made depending on the survey results and observed behaviors in actual classrooms.
Fostering a culture that promotes open lines of communication among all stakeholders will be
important for the success of Marlboro Central School District’s Touchscreen Initiative for High
School Mathematics.

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 14

  
Cost Analysis
The chart below details the various costs of Marlboro Central School District’s Touchscreen
Initiative for High School Mathematics, and is broken down into the three components:
equipment, digital platforms and programs, and professional development for stakeholders. It is
important to note that the costs associated with this initiative must be permanently incorporated
into the annual school district budget, as all costs will be incurred on an annual basis.

Equipment Cost
Qty Item Cost Per Unit Total Cost
HP Touchscreen Chromebook 11
160 G6 EE $329.00 $52,640.00
"White Glove" Service Provided by
160 CDG-W $15.01 $2,401.60
8 Tech Tub2 $248.75 $1,990.00
USB Type C Charger for HP
50 Chromebook 11 G6 EE $25.99 $1,299.50
Total Equipment Cost $58,331.10

The “White Glove” service provided by CDG-W installs GoGuardian on all devices, and enrolls
them in our device management system. The Tech Tubs will be purchased one for each
Mathematics classroom and will provide a charging station for students who neglect to bring
their devices to school charged. The fifty chargers will be available for student purchase
through the School Counseling Office in cases where they lose their charger or it becomes
damaged.

Digital Platform & Program Cost

Annual Cost Per Annual License
Quantity Digital Platform/Program Teacher Cost
8 Kahoot! Pro Subscription $36.00 $288.00
8 Quizlet Teacher Subscription $35.99 $287.92
Pear Deck Individual Premium
8 Subscription $149.99 $1,199.92
Edpuzzle Pro School Subscription $780.00
eDoctrina Assessment Bundle $9,320.00
8 Formative Team Subscription $204.00 $1,632.00

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 15

 Total Digital Platform & Program Cost $13,507.84
The digital platforms and programs included in the chart above reflect those included in the
Technology Integration Into the Curriculum & The Instructional Environment​ section of
this plan, located on pages three and four. While free accounts are available for Kahoot!,
Quizlet, Edpuzzle, and Formative, the paid accounts allow for features including decreased ads
viewed by students, increased options for teachers in terms of adding content to quizzes and
question sets, and unlimited question sets, among others.

It is important to note that as the initial year of this initiative progresses, teachers may find other
digital platforms and programs they feel are beneficial for use in their classrooms. The amount
of $13,507.84 reflects no additional funds budgeted to purchase any other subscriptions for the
2019-2020 school year. It may be advantageous to include an additional $5,000-$10,000 to
allow for additional subscriptions as teachers discover new tools.

Professional Development Cost

Hourly Salary for
Technology
# of Integration
Hours Professional Development Activity Specialist Total Cost
July App/Platform Brainstorming
6 Session $39.11 $234.66
July/August Introduction to
6 Touchscreen Chromebooks $39.11 $234.66
Freshman Orientation Touchscreen
3 Chromebook Training $39.11 $117.33
Continued App/Platform
2 Brainstorming/Q&A Opportunity $39.11 $78.22
Four Touchscreen Chromebook
8 Initiative Checkpoint Meetings $39.11 $312.88
Additional Platform/Program-Specific
10 Trainings Outside of School Day $39.11 $391.10
Total Professional Development
Cost $1,368.85

Technology-related professional development will be provided by the district’s Technology

Integration Specialist, who is a full-time teacher within the district. The numbers of hours in the
chart above reflect the customary two hours of preparation time for all sessions, in addition to

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 16

the actual workshop times for those taking place in July and August, and those outside of the
school day.

Overall Cost Breakdown

Initiative Component Component Cost
Device Cost $58,331.10
Digital Platform & Program Cost $13,507.84
Professional Development Cost $1,368.85
Total Initiative Cost $71,838.94

It is important to note that additional costs may arise depending on the progress of the initiative,
and that additional funds should be budgeted to account for unforeseen needs.

Touchscreen Chromebook Initiative for High School Mathematics 17