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Running Head: EASYTECH IMPLEMENTATION 1
Lake Oconee Academy’s EasyTech Implementation
Melissa Snell
July 21, 2013
Dr. Jo Williamson
Fall 2012
EASYTECH IMPLEMENTATION
Setting/Context
Lake Oconee Academy is a public charter school located in Greene County. The
school is situated in a rural area with a school population of approximately 400 students.
During the 2013-2014 school year, it will serve students in grades Pre-K through eighth
grade. Class sizes range between twenty to twenty-two students, with teaching assistants
in each Pre-K and kindergarten class, and one per grade level in first, second, and third
grade. Eighty-one percent of the school’s population is Caucasian, followed by 8% African
American, and 10% other nationalities. Acceptance into this school is based on which zone
students are located in, as well the order in which they are picked in the school attendance
lottery. Is it is considered a great privilege to attend Lake Oconee Academy, and the waiting
lists are long for every grade.
The school is consistently recognized with the Platinum Award for Highest
Performance from the Governor’s Office for Student Achievement, with all students
meeting or exceeding state standards. In June of 2013, Lake Oconee Academy was awarded
with a half-million dollar grant to use for a virtual desktop system and four hundred
workstations. In July, the school purchased the EasyTech curriculum from Learning.com. In
order for this grant and curriculum purchase to be worthwhile, they must be implemented
successfully in the 2013-2014 school year, with the students and staff of Lake Oconee
Academy. Dr. Otho Tucker, CEO of Lake Oconee Academy, has given his permission for the
implementation of EasyTech at Lake Oconee Academy in the 2013-2014 school year, to be
the source of my Capstone project.
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Capstone Problem and Rationale
“The world is changing around us, yet as a system we have been very slow to react.
Our student’s realities in terms of the way they communicate and learn are very different
from our own” (Richardson, 2010, p. 6). The students of today have been coined the digital
natives, as they have grown up immersed in technology. Most teachers on the other hand,
are digital immigrants, struggling to learn and assimilate the new ways into their own life
and teaching pedagogy. It is very clear that what students will need to survive the job
market of the future will be drastically different from the past. In order to prepare students
appropriately for the global world ahead of them, teachers must rise to the challenge of
implementing technology into their own lives and classrooms.
“Expecting technology to be the answer is putting the cart before the horse.
Technology by itself will not get us where we want to go. It must be driven by teachers and
students using technology as a tool to perform at a higher level” (Creighton, 2003, p. 102).
Receiving four hundred workstations, a virtual desktop, and the EasyTech curriculum this
year at Lake Oconee Academy will be a wonderful addition to the school, but they will be
wasted resources if teachers and students are not taught how to use them effectively.
“Supporting technological change requires much more than instituting workshops; it
requires as well the creation of opportunities to practice and observe, and opportunities to
be coached and coach others” (Schlechty, 1997 as cited in Creighton, 2003, p. 89).
Training teachers in the area of technology is no different than any other skill they
must learn to become a skilled teacher. First, they must become confident with the
programs and begin to see practical and meaningful ways to use them to teach the required
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standards. In the early 1900’s educational psychologist Lev Semenovich Vygotsky
described a process of learning called scaffolding. In this process, a teacher builds on a
student’s current knowledge, providing assistance with harder skills, and gradually
removing their help, so that the child is eventually doing this skill independently (Robyler
& Doering, 2013). This is an excellent model for all learners, even adults, and it is especially
helpful in the area of technology.
Throughout the scaffolding process, modeling is an essential key. “People need to
see it. They need to see it done right at first” (Knight, 2007, p. 29). Modeling best practices
can be incredibly helpful in the beginning process of implementing new technology
programs. When teachers feel confident using new technology and tools, they will be able
to create and implement meaningful lessons for their students using technology. Teachers
need somewhere or someone to turn to when difficulties arise. They need someone that
will follow up on their progress and offer suggestions and help throughout the entire year.
Objectives
Improve typing skills for students
Improve productivity and Web 2.0 skills for students and teachers
Improve understanding of digital citizenship for students and teachers
Create curriculum map with focus areas and technology skills for each grade
Develop professional development plan for implementing EasyTech curriculum into
K-8 classrooms
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Deliverables
Give students and teachers Learning.com technology assessments in the beginning
of the year to determine strengths and weaknesses in the area of technology
(Appendix A, Appendix B).
Use the technology assessment results to create a plan of implementation and
determine focus areas for teachers and each grade level.
Provide training on EasyTech in pre-planning and throughout the year in small
groups and one-on-one, to teachers in grades K-8.
Create a scaffolding process of implementation by teaching the teachers appropriate
ways to implement the EasyTech Program in their classroom, modeling ways of
using the program, being available to assist teachers in the classroom as they try out
the program, and being a resource for questions and problems as teachers use the
program on their own.
Create Screencasts and handouts on EasyTech procedures for teachers to use as a
resource as needed. Screencasts and handouts will be saved to a common place,
where all teachers can download at any point in time.
Create surveys to use throughout the process of implementation to get quick input
from the students and teachers (Appendix C, Appendix D, Appendix E).
PSC Standards
Standard 1: Visionary Leadership: Coach demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and
dispositions to inspire and lead the development and implementation of a shared vision
for the effective use of technology to promote excellence and support transformational
change throughout Lake Oconee Academy.
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o Element 1.2: Coach facilitates the design, development, implementation,
communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans.
o Element 1.4: Coach researches, recommends, and implements strategies for
initiating and sustaining technology innovations for managing the change process
in schools.
Standard 2: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment: Coach assists teachers in using
technology effectively for assessing student learning, differentiation instruction, and
providing rigorous, relevant, and engaging learning experiences for all students.
o Element 2.1: Coach teachers in modeling and facilitating the design and
implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences aligned with
student content standards and student technology standards
o Element 2.2 Coach teachers by modeling and facilitating the use of research-
based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students.
o Element 2.3: Coach models and facilitates the use of digital tools and resources
to engage students in authentic learning experiences.
o Element 2.4: Coach models and facilitates the effective use of digital tools and
resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills, processes, and
mental habits of mind.
o Element 2.6: Coach models and facilitates the effective use of research-based
best practices in instructional design when designing and developing digital tools,
resources, and technology enhanced learning experiences.
Standard 3: Digital Learning Environment: Coach demonstrates the knowledge skills
and dispositions to create, support, and manage effective digital learning environments.
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o Element 3.1: Coach models and facilitates effective classroom managements and
collaborative learning strategies to maximize teacher and student use of digital
tools and resources.
o Element 3.2: Coach effectively manages digital tools and resources within the
context of student learning experiences.
o Element 3.3 Coach develops, models, and facilitates the use of online and
blended learning, digital content, and learning networks to support and extend
student learning and expand opportunities and choices for professional learning
for teachers and administrators.
o Element 3.6: Coach collaborates with teachers and administrators to select and
evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility
with the school technology infrastructure.
Standard 4: Digital Citizenship & Responsibility: Coach demonstrates the knowledge,
skills, and dispositions to model and promote digital citizenship and responsibility.
o Element 4.1: Coach models and promotes strategies for achieving equitable
access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all
students and teachers.
o Element 4.2: Coach models and facilitates the safe, healthy, legal, and ethical
uses of digital information and technologies.
Standard 5: Coach demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to conduct
needs assessments, develop technology-based professional learning programs, and design
and implement regular and rigorous program evaluations to assess effectiveness and
impact on student learning.
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o Element 5.1: Coach conducts need assessments to determine school-wide,
faculty, grade-level, and subject area strengths and weaknesses to inform the
content and delivery of technology-based professional learning programs.
o Element 5.2: Coach develops and implements technology-based professional
learning that aligns to state and national professional learning standards,
integrates technology to support face-to-face and online components, models
principles of adult learning, and promotes best practices in teaching, learning and
assessment.
o Element 5.3: Coach designs and implements program evaluations to determine
the overall effectiveness of professional learning on deepening teacher content
knowledge, improving teacher pedagogical skill and/or increasing student
learning.
Standard 6: Coach demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to engage in
continuous learning, reflect on professional practice, and engage in appropriate field
experiences.
o Element 6.1: Coach demonstrates continual growth in knowledge and skills of
current and emerging technologies and apply them to improve personal
productivity and professional practice.
o Element 6.2: Coach regularly evaluates and reflects on his/her professional
practice and dispositions to improve and strengthen their ability to effectively
model and facilitate technology-enhances learning experiences.
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o Element 6.3: Coach engages in appropriate field experiences to synthesize and
apply the content and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified
in these standards.
Project Description
A. Narrative
EasyTech, a technology curriculum developed by Learning.com will be implemented
throughout the kindergarten through eighth grade classes at Lake Oconee Academy. This
curriculum developed by Learning.com includes keyboarding, digital citizenship, Web 2.0 tools,
and Microsoft Program tutorials. Teachers and students will be given a pre-test created by
Learning.com in the beginning of the year to determine their strengths and weaknesses in the
area of technology (Appendix A, Appendix B). Students will be given a survey to share their
likes and dislikes when it comes to technology (Appendix D, Appendix E). Teachers will be
given a survey to determine their immediate needs and areas that they feel they need assistance I
(Appendix C). Using this information, as well as state standards, the Instructional Technologist
will work with each grade level to set technology goals for the 2013-2014 school year.
Training will happen throughout the year in a scaffolding manner. A bulk of these
trainings will transpire in grade-level meetings. In these sessions, the Instructional Technologist
will guide the teachers on pedagogically appropriate approaches for their classrooms using the
EasyTech curriculum. This will lead to modeling best practices within the classroom, integrating
the curriculum and encouraging teachers to attempt the approaches on their own. Throughout this
process, the Instructional Technologist will be available to help and provide assistance whenever
needed. Screencast tutorials and downloadable handouts with basic troubleshooting techniques
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and other helpful information will be created. This information will be available at any given
time on Lake Oconee Academy’s virtual desktop.
Surveys will be given quarterly to students and staff using the curriculum (Appendix F,
Appendix G). These surveys will help drive any changes that need to be made. At the end of the
year, final assessments will be given to the students and teachers (Appendix A, Appendix B).
These assessments will be compared to the pre-assessments and the results will be studied and
analyzed so that conclusions can be made. The results of the eighth grade assessments will be
sent to the county and state.
B. Timeline
Date Task
June 2013 EasyTech Program was researched and bought for the 2013-2014 year.
August 1, 2013 EasyTech Training for all Staff Members during pre-planning.
August 2013 Give pre-assessments and first survey to teachers and students.Create any needed screencasts and handouts.
September 2013 Work with teachers on creating technology goals for each grade level.Create any needed screencasts and handouts.
September – April
2013
Train teachers, model best practices in classrooms, and assist teachers in using the curriculum in their classrooms.Give surveys in August, December, and March.Create any needed screencasts and handouts.
May 2013 Give post-assessments and final surveys to students and teachers.Study results and draw conclusions.Meet with teachers in grade level groups to discuss results.Reflect on results and decide on changes that need to be made for the
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following year.Send the 8th grade assessments to the county and state.
C. Resources
Resource How it will be secured
1. EasyTech Curriculum and assessments Already purchased by the school and accessible beginning July 15th, 2013. This includes a one-day training seminar for all teachers, which will be held on 8/1/2013.
2. Computers and Internet access The grant delivering 400 workstations and a virtual desktop for all will be in place by August 19th, 2013. The server and broadband are sufficient to handle the new stations.
3. Surveys Surveys will be created with Google Documents.
4. Screencasts and handouts ScreenCast and Jing accounts will be utilized to create screencasts. Word or Google Documents will be used to create the handouts.
5. Permission Permission has been granted by the CEO of Lake Oconee Academy.
Evaluation Plan
Formative and summative evaluation will be ongoing throughout the implementation.
The results of surveys and assessments will drive future trainings. Teachers and students will be
observed throughout the process, and successes as well as failures will be noted. At the
conclusion of the year, final assessments will be compared to the beginning assessments, to note
areas of growth, and any areas of continued weaknesses. The Instructional Technologist will
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meet with each grade level to share the findings and discuss outcomes and possible changes to
make for the following year.
References
Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin
Press.
Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.
Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Roblyer, M. & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Boston:
Pearson.
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