Darien Technology Budget Darien Technology Budget

2009-20102009-2010

IntroductionIntroduction

In 2004-05, the Board of Education and In 2004-05, the Board of Education and Darien Community made a commitment to Darien Community made a commitment to providing technology tools to its teachers providing technology tools to its teachers and students.and students.

Administrators and staff made a Administrators and staff made a commitment to use technology to improve commitment to use technology to improve educational programming for all students.educational programming for all students.

Both fulfilled their commitments and gains Both fulfilled their commitments and gains were made in the quality of education in were made in the quality of education in Darien as a result. Darien as a result.

What benefits have grown from What benefits have grown from technology implementation?technology implementation?

More efficient, effective lesson/unit More efficient, effective lesson/unit planning/presentation by teachers;planning/presentation by teachers;

Rich, challenging, engaging Rich, challenging, engaging instruction for students;instruction for students;

Facilitated assessment and Facilitated assessment and differentiation of instruction;differentiation of instruction;

Enhanced communication for all in Enhanced communication for all in the education community. the education community.

Teacher Plans & PresentationsTeacher Plans & Presentations

Lesson/unit plans are saved, Lesson/unit plans are saved, revisited, revised, and shared;revisited, revised, and shared;

High quality resources are integrated High quality resources are integrated into lessons (simulations, e-visits, into lessons (simulations, e-visits, primary docs);primary docs);

Instructional time is maximized by Instructional time is maximized by facilitating transitions from lesson to facilitating transitions from lesson to lesson/day to day providing more lesson/day to day providing more time with students.time with students.

Fifth Grade ScheduleFifth Grade Schedule

This SmartNotebook This SmartNotebook page shows the page shows the schedule for a day schedule for a day in a 5in a 5thth grade class. grade class.

The links on the right The links on the right connect to other connect to other notebooks that notebooks that contain specific contain specific lessons.lessons.

Teachers can move Teachers can move quickly and easily quickly and easily from lesson to from lesson to lesson.lesson.

Math Notebook - NetworksMath Notebook - NetworksHere is a colorful activity and a real world sample that appear in the Math Network notebook and make the lesson more engaging and challenging.

The teacher can email the notebook to students who missed the lesson.

The notebook can be saved and updated next year saving planning time and effort.

Link To Homework BlogLink To Homework Blog

Parents and students can access the teacher’s blog from home with detailed information about homework, due dates and helpful resources.

Better Learning for StudentsBetter Learning for Students

Learning facilitated by quality Learning facilitated by quality resources in teacher presentations;resources in teacher presentations;

Broader access to technology for Broader access to technology for research and work presentation;research and work presentation;

Broader access to software to meet Broader access to software to meet their individual needs;their individual needs;

More time with the teacher (savings More time with the teacher (savings from better transitions).from better transitions).

Students surveyed their friends about their favorite video games. They loaded the data into an Excel spreadsheet and created this pie graph. This tool was not readily available to Darien students before the introduction of technology.

Primary teachers can assign interactive tasks like this one to reinforce specific skills with individual students. The program will automatically assign other similar tasks if a child shows the need for more practice. Students in grades 3-5 will have a similar program available next year but need new computers to use it.

Assessment & InterventionAssessment & Intervention

Additional resources are available to Additional resources are available to measure student progress in real time.measure student progress in real time.

Timely measures give better information Timely measures give better information for lesson design.for lesson design.

The capacity to provide interventions to The capacity to provide interventions to meet students’ individual learning needs meet students’ individual learning needs has been increased.has been increased.

There is better monitoring of student There is better monitoring of student progress over time.progress over time.

Enhanced CommunicationEnhanced Communication

Technology provides:Technology provides: Systems for teachers to regularly share Systems for teachers to regularly share

and discuss their work;and discuss their work; Software to expand access to professional Software to expand access to professional

development (webinars, podcasts);development (webinars, podcasts); Daily communication with students and Daily communication with students and

parents about instruction through email, parents about instruction through email, blogs, and websites;blogs, and websites;

Facilitated communication across the Facilitated communication across the country and the world.country and the world.

This is a screen shot from Professional Development On This is a screen shot from Professional Development On Demand. A tech specialist demonstrates and talks the teacher Demand. A tech specialist demonstrates and talks the teacher through the process for assigning assessments to students through the process for assigning assessments to students using the Destination Reading Program. Teachers can access using the Destination Reading Program. Teachers can access podcasts like this one any time and any place when they need podcasts like this one any time and any place when they need help with a task. It saves time and money on training.help with a task. It saves time and money on training.

Teachers use wikis to share information with one another Teachers use wikis to share information with one another about particular content areas. This Social Studies Wiki gives about particular content areas. This Social Studies Wiki gives teachers access to curriculum, sample units of study, and on teachers access to curriculum, sample units of study, and on line resources. It also provides an easy means for line resources. It also provides an easy means for communicating with one another.communicating with one another.

What do we stand to lose?What do we stand to lose?

Less engaging and challenging daily lessonsLess engaging and challenging daily lessons Fewer tools for students to use in their work, Fewer tools for students to use in their work,

research and presentationsresearch and presentations Reduced capacity of teachers to assess students Reduced capacity of teachers to assess students

and assign appropriate interventionsand assign appropriate interventions Time lost copying missed work and recreating Time lost copying missed work and recreating

visualsvisuals Reduced opportunities for teacher collaboration Reduced opportunities for teacher collaboration

and trainingand training Reduced parental access to classroom instructionReduced parental access to classroom instruction

Key Items in theKey Items in theTech Budget 2009-2010Tech Budget 2009-2010

Completes items left over from the Completes items left over from the 2006-09 technology plan 2006-09 technology plan

Begins a technology replacement Begins a technology replacement programprogram

Addresses special education Addresses special education technology needstechnology needs

Budget 2009-2010 - OriginalBudget 2009-2010 - OriginalSiteSite ItemItem QuantityQuantity Unit CostUnit Cost Total CostTotal Cost

DHSDHS Tablet PCsTablet PCs 100100 $ 1,300$ 1,300 $130,000$130,000

4 K-5 4 K-5 SchoolsSchools

K Pres. Sys.K Pres. Sys. 1616 $ 4,000$ 4,000 $ 64,000$ 64,000

Music Pres SysMusic Pres Sys 44 $ 4,000$ 4,000 $ 16,000$ 16,000

Student PCsStudent PCs 9090 $ 500$ 500 $ 45,000$ 45,000

Wireless SystemsWireless Systems 44 $14,000$14,000 $ 56,000$ 56,000

Sp. Ed.Sp. Ed. Student PCsStudent PCs 5050 $ 700$ 700 $ 35,000$ 35,000

LaptopsLaptops 1515 $1,000$1,000 $ 15,000$ 15,000

Adaptive TechAdaptive Tech $ 19,000$ 19,000

Sub Total 09-10Sub Total 09-10 $380,000$380,000

Revised BudgetRevised Budget

Recognizing the sensitive budget Recognizing the sensitive budget climate, the technology team revised climate, the technology team revised the budget to reflect those items that the budget to reflect those items that are essential to maintain the gains are essential to maintain the gains that have been made in teaching and that have been made in teaching and learning as a result of the technology learning as a result of the technology implementation. implementation.

Budget ReductionsBudget Reductions

Postpone music presentation and K-5 Postpone music presentation and K-5 wireless systems.wireless systems.

Defer 50 Tablet PCs until next year.Defer 50 Tablet PCs until next year. Use alternate system for 3-5 Use alternate system for 3-5

computers with a $9,000 reduction.computers with a $9,000 reduction. Defer replacement of 10 special ed Defer replacement of 10 special ed

computers.computers. Postpone $17,000 of alternative Postpone $17,000 of alternative

technology.technology.

Budget 2009-2010 - RevisedBudget 2009-2010 - RevisedSiteSite ItemItem QuantityQuantity Total CostTotal Cost

DHSDHS Tablet PCsTablet PCs 5050 $ 65,000 $ 65,000

4 K-5 4 K-5 SchoolsSchools

K Pres. Sys.K Pres. Sys. 1616 $ 64,000$ 64,000

Student PCsStudent PCs 9090 $ 36,000$ 36,000

Sp. Ed.Sp. Ed. Student PCsStudent PCs 4040 $ 28,000$ 28,000

LaptopsLaptops 77 $ 7,000$ 7,000

Adaptive TechAdaptive Tech $ 10,000$ 10,000

Sub Total 09-10Sub Total 09-10 $210,000$210,000

The revisions reduce the total budget by $170,000.

The Key DecisionThe Key Decision

We believe that Darien staff have We believe that Darien staff have implemented technology in ways implemented technology in ways that significantly improved teaching that significantly improved teaching and learning for Darien students.and learning for Darien students.

Adoption of the revised technology Adoption of the revised technology budget will allow those budget will allow those improvements to continue.improvements to continue.

Further cuts threaten the integrity of Further cuts threaten the integrity of the program.the program.

Technology DemonstrationTechnology Demonstration

To illustrate how technology has To illustrate how technology has changed how the educational changed how the educational community functions, middle school community functions, middle school students, with Luke Forshaw, K-12 students, with Luke Forshaw, K-12 Instructional Technology Specialist Instructional Technology Specialist created a video with comments from created a video with comments from students, staff, and parents. Enjoy! students, staff, and parents. Enjoy!

We thank you for your continued support of the

technology program!