Wiggins Sarah Technology Plan Evaluation

8/8/2019 Wiggins Sarah Technology Plan Evaluation

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FRIT 8132: Administration of Technology Resources

Technology PlanEvaluationFall 2009

Sarah WigginsNovember, 1, 2009


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Suggestions for improvement: After creating a section that lists the groupmembers that served, there should also be a section that details on what sectioneach of them worked.

Criteria 1 2 3 4NeedsAssessmentBreadth

A needsassessment is notprovided.

A needsassessment isreferenced, butonly coversone element of theschoolenvironment(equipment orstaff development,but notboth)

A needsassessment isreferenced withmore than oneelement analyzed,butcompletelyassessing staff,student, andcommunity needs.

The needsassessment iscomprehensive inbreadth, consistingof detailedinformation aboutstaffdevelopmentneeds andcompetencies,attitudinal surveys.

equipmentinventories, andschool and

districtcontext.

Suggestions for improvement: More detailed accounts of the needs assessmentneed to be stated. Currently one section of the plan states; Currently walkthroughs are being conducted at the school level to determine the level oftechnology integration occurring at each school. Considering this document wascreated during the 2008 2009 school year. Such data should now be available anda detailed itemized account of these needs should be stated in the plan.

Criteria 1 2 3 4NeedsAssessmentDepth

Broadgeneralizations aremade about whattheschool needs withnoreference to anassessment..

A needsassessment isreferenced, but theinstrumentis informal, briefand generallynot very specific.For example,a computer countis providedwith no specificityas to whereor how they areused.

A needsassessment isreference withwhat appears tobe some level ofdetail.However, theinstrument anddata are notprovided, andthere may be roomforadditional detail inthe collectionand analysis.

The assessment inany given area isdetailed andthorough. Theinstrumentis provided withgeneralizationsaboutthe data. Raw datamay be provided in

an appendix

Suggestions for improvement: The document repeatedly states that teachershave taken a survey, but the survey itself is not provided, not are the results. I cantestify as a teacher that we do indeed take an online survey every year showinghow much we use the technology; this data should be readily available. The current


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plan states that computers are in the building in various classrooms and availablefor check out, but again, there is not a detailed account of how the computers areused. By stating such specifics, it would help provide accountability to teachers toutilize the computers more often. The plan states that teachers have a wide varietyof software available and teachers within the county use the computers daily. Itwould be a benefit to have the teachers actually complete an assessment showing

how they are used. The instrument used to collect the data could be shared in theplan as well as the data collected to be more relevant.

Criteria 1 2 3 4NeedsAssessmentEquipment

No equipmentinventorywas provided.

An inventoryexists, but islimited tocomputers onlyanddoes not representvintage.

The inventorymoves beyondcomputersonly(phone, TV),butdoes not addressinfrastructureor vintage ofequipment.

A comprehensiveequipmentinventorywas provided,includingcomputers,infrastructure,access, ITV,telephone

and otherequipment.

Suggestions for improvement: The plan does a good job showing the currenttechnology that is available within Forsyth County Schools. The only area that is notmentioned is the phone system. Additionally, schools have some differences in theirpurchased equipment such as the fact that my school has a scanner in everyclassroom. I think it would be fair to note that schools often do purchase separateequipment through PTAs and other organizations.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Mission and/orVision

No clear missionand/orvision isarticulated.

Vision is skillbased only anddoes not addressthe largeroutcomes by theschool ordistrict.

Vision focuses onthetechnologyoutcomes andskirtsaround thelearning outcomeissue.

Vision iscomprehensivewhich dealswith large learningoutcomes ofstudents, nottechnologyoutcomes.The statementidentifies thelearningprocess skills andvalues.

Suggestions for improvement: Forsyth County Schools are mission minded andthe technology department operates within a visionary mindset. Due to theseaspects. The Vision section is well designed in the Technology Plan.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Goals andObjectives

General learninggoals are

Goals areequipment based

Goals are broadand

Goals are broadand


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not clear or areabsent.

instead of basedupon learningoutcomes.Objectives are notlinked to goals orare absent.

Objectives and/orgoals do notappear to bemeasurable orobtainable.

comprehensive butare notcompletely clear.The are linkedto objectives, butare not readily

obtainable ormeasurable.Goals are looselytied to thestate or districtdocuments.

comprehensive,addressingteaching andlearningneeds. The goalsare clear,

attainable,and measurable.Objectives aredelineated fromgoals, furtherdefining how theywill be met.

Suggestions for improvement: The goals are specific and designed withmeasurable objectives and a timeline by which they are expecting to meet theneeds. The one area I feel could be improved would be a monitoring device thatdemonstrates that it is a work in progress, and shows the progress as it takes place.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Action Plans withTimelines,Responsibilitiesand Budget

An action planexists, buttimelines andresponsibilities arenonexistentor limited.Assessment is notmentioned. Theaction planis not curriculumbased.

The action plan isspecificallytied to the goalsandobjectives. Theidentified task,timeline,responsibility,funding, andassessment areincomplete and

severalelements aremissing.

The action plan isspecificallytied to the goalsand objectives.The identified task,timeline,responsibility,funding, andassessmentcomponents arethorough, but one

or moreelements aremissing.

The action plan isspecifically tied tothe goals andobjectives. Eachtaskidentifies a task,timeline, andresponsibility,funding, andassessment.

Suggestions for improvement: All components are clearly identified.

Criteria 1 2 3 4ProgramIntegration

Connection toother effortsis not mentionedthroughoutthe document.

The TUP mentionsotherefforts, but is notexplicit inconnection with

the otherefforts.

The TUP is looselycoupled tothe otherdocuments withneeds

and programchangesintegrated much ofthe time.

The TUP is tightlycoupled to theotherreform, curriculum,or accountability

documents withthe approach fully

integrated.

Suggestions for improvement: This is one of the larger areas in whichimprovement is needed. Forsyth County Schools have many programs that areworking and functioning. However, within the school system there are times theright hand doesnt know what the left hand is doing. By taking the time to clearly


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define how the Technology Plan supports or enhances other programs; moreconnections can be made in all areas. Additionally, as noted before, by creatingsuch integration the stake holders (mainly the teachers) can be more involved incarrying out the Technology Plan.

Criteria 1 2 3 4CurriculumIntegration

The plan focusesupontechnologyoutcomes andskill based goals,and doesnot address how itcanenhance thecurriculum.

The plan mentionscurriculumintegration andenhancement,but lacks detail.

The planspecificallyidentifieshow the curriculumcan beenhanced by theuse oftechnology withdetail. Atechnology-richenvironment isdescribed, but

strategies forenhanced teachingare notexploredthoroughly.

The planspecificallyidentifies howtechnologyenhances thecurriculum,and what a studentusing thetechnology may doin such anenvironment. Theplan addresses

strategies ofteaching andlearning thatcan be enhancedas a result oftechnologyintegration.

Suggestions for improvement: Again, through providing a more specific anddetailed account of how technology can be used to enhance the curriculum,teachers would be able to support the plan better. The plan should have anappendix section with a chart that shows what software programs can be used withvarious lessons. Understandably, all lessons and software cannot and does not haveto be illustrated, but this would be a wonderful asset for teachers who struggle tointegrate technology with teaching. For example, one of the programs we currentlyhave installed is PIXIE. During science teachers can use this to allow students toillustrate the parts of a cell by drawing them and labeling them, and then using theirvoice to narrate the use of each part. At the same time, PIXIE is a perfect tool forELA in the lower grades as students can draw and journal their weekend events tobuild sentence writing. Another source that is available for all teachers is a programcalled ANGEL. ANGEL works similar to WebCT in the fact that assignments can beposted, email is available for communication and even chat rooms can becomeavailable. Although these are available, it would be an improvement to actuallyillustrate how these can be used within a classroom to integrate the technology.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Evaluation No formal

evaluation isdescribed.

An evaluationprocess isdescribed, but lacksdetail andcomprehensiveness.It doesnot refer to learning

An evaluationprocess andinstrument isdescribed indetail, but lackscompletecomprehensiveness.

An evaluationprocess andinstrumentare described indetail, and iscomprehensive innature.


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outcomes. The link togoals and objectivesis notapparent.

Assessmentis timely, and tiedto the objectives.

Suggestions for improvement: Each goal and objective are clearly defined and

accompanied by different evaluation methods. An improvement that could be madewould again be an area that demonstrates this is a work in progress and keeps thestakeholder (teachers, parents, and community) aware of the progress being made.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Multi-yearPlanning

A timeline is notmentioned

The plan onlycovers oneacademic year orproject.

The plan coversmore than oneyear, but is shortterm in nature.with no referenceto on-goingplanning and

support.

The plan is multi-year andreferencesmulti-year funding,support, and

planningactivities.

Suggestions for improvement: The plan is a 3 year plan and the funding andevaluations are laid out for the three years.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Standards No equipment

and/orsoftware standardsarementioned in thedocumentbeyond brandnames.

Equipmentstandards arementioned, butlimited in theirspecificity.

Equipmentstandards arespecific but limitedto a narrowscope.

Equipmentstandards arespecific,comprehensive,and a process ismentioned as tohow they will be

employed.

Suggestions for improvement: Although the standards are mentioned within theAccess to Technology section of the plan, there is no broad analysis of thestandards. The current explanation states that the schools are equipped withmodern computers. Such a section could be placed in the appendix since it wouldbe a list of information and not necessarily fit with the narrative within this section.Additionally, a chart in the appendix could demonstrate the process in which theequipment is employed. For instance, within our school, we have 9 rolling carts thathouse 10 lap top computers. When a teacher uses these laptops, the standardpractice is to submit the standards on which the teacher will be working with, and

provide the activity that will be completed. Then the teacher uses our Outlookcalendar to check out the laptops. It is possible that each school is different as tothe process to be used, but such things could be noted instead of writing a narrowdescription.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Funding Funding resources Funding is Specific funding Specific funding


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Alternatives are notmentioned.

mentioned, butprimarily focusesuponbudgeting orspecific sitefunding and does

not addressother incomingfundingrequired toimplement theplan.

sources aredescribed but arelimited totraditional sourceswithoutspecific budget

figures.

sources aredescribedincluding currentand future fundingsources. Includingthe reallocation

andemployment ofresources &attached budgetfigures.

Suggestions for improvement: Each goal that is stated in the plan isaccompanied by a detailed analysis of the funding required to meet the goal.

Criteria 1 2 3 4School Pilot

Projects(Research andDevelopment)

No R&D projects

arementioned orplanned aspart of the project.

R&D efforts are

mentioned,but lack detail. Notimeline,assessment, orscalability ismentioned.

Specific R&D

efforts aredescribed, butscalabilty is notarticulated;timelines andmeasurements arementioned,but are notspecific.

Specific R&D

efforts aredescribed,with implicationsfor future work(scalability)articulated. TheR&Defforts have atimeline andmeasurable

Suggestions for improvement: This is not mentioned at all, but this may be dueto the fact that prior to the writing of this document there was a huge purchase with

SPLOST funds, and currently the budget is more in a maintenance mode. This isreflected in the funding section that consistently says pending availability offunds, and the strategy section that repeats the statement maintain current

Criteria 1 2 3 4EducationalResearch

No educationalresearch ismentioned as partof theproject.

Educationalresearch ismentioned, butonly in thebroadest sense.

Specificeducationalresearch ismentioned, but noconnectionsare made to theefforts in the

school.

Specificeducationalresearch ismentioned, andconnections aremade to the effortsin schools.

Suggestions for improvement: In light of the fact that Forsyth County Schoolshas recently purchased such a large amount of technology, I think it would bebeneficial to the Technology Plan to demonstrate the impact that this technology ishaving on learning. Baseline data is available through CRCTs and AYP data, andsuch information could be added to the document using an appendix section thatupdates the progress that students are making using technology. Additionally,


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various schools use specific programs on which to focus their staff development.Data could be collected prior to the instruction, and continued research could bedone throughout the implementation of the technology.

Criteria 1 2 3 4

Model ClassroomConfigurations

No classroom orschoolconfigurations aredescribed.

Classroomconfigurations arementioned, butlack detail. (i.e.there will be threecomputersand a printer ineach room)..

Classroomconfigurations aredescribed in detail,but may berestrictive in natureas theOnly right way.Usually onlyone type ofconfiguration isdescribed.

Classroom andschoolconfigurationsare specificallydescribed, withlinksto teaching andlearning outcomes.They are providedas possiblesolutions toparticularproblems, but are

not prescriptive innature.

Suggestions for improvement: The description provided currently is Everyclassroom in the district has four modern computers connected to the Internet. Eachpermanent classroom is outfitted with an interactive whiteboard, mountedprojector, and sound system. The plan needs to provide how classrooms can usethese items to meet the standards within the classroom. Again, it would be difficultto list all items, but providing such information to teachers would be beneficial sothat this plan is a usable plan by the teachers, and not just a plan that sits idle onthe website. This chart could be used for the Program Integration, CurriculumIntegration, and Model Classroom Configurations.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Facilities(Electricity,Security, etc.)

Facilities issuesare notmentioned.

Facilities issuesarementioned, butlack the detailto build into anaction plan.

Facilities issuesare identifiedand articulated,but solutionsand suggestionslack detail orclarity.

Specific facilityissues areidentifiedand addressed,with recommended

solutions,budgets, andresponsibilities.

Suggestions for improvement: Within the appendix, there are specific

documents that mention expectations for use by faculty, staff, and students. TheseAppropriate Use Policies mention not only Internet safety, but also everyday usesof the equipment, and security issues such as hacking, Internet use, personalusernames and password protection, email security, and supervision of technology.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Maintenance andSupport

No maintenanceand

Support plans arementioned,

Support plans arementioned

Specific supportplans are


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support areprovided.

but do not havethe detail orclarity toimplement.

with clarity anddetail, but donot take intoconsiderationlongtermissues.

articulated. Thisincluded theprocess forspecific supportissuesand on-going

equipmentreplacement, staffdevelopment, and

repair.Suggestions for improvement: The steps for maintenance and support arearticulated within the Employee Acceptable Use Guidelines.

Criteria 1 2 3 4SoftwareAgreements(site licensing,etc.)

No softwareagreementsor policy ismentioned.

Softwareagreements andpolicy arementioned, but the

specific policiesare notarticulated in theplan.

Specific softwarepolicy isarticulated, but isnot tied to the

needs of the site.

Specific softwarepolicy is articulatedwith plans toaccommodate

software needs atthe site.

Suggestions for improvement: Each goal demonstrates the need to use thesoftware as a strategy for the specific goal. In addition the cost of the license isincluded in the funding section as well as the department that would be financiallyresponsible for the payment f the license.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Copyright andAcceptable UsePolicy

No copy right oracceptable usepolicy isdescribed.

Copyright andacceptable useare mentioned, butspecificpolicies are notarticulated inthe plan.

Copyright andacceptable usepolicies arearticulated in thedocument withsamples available.

Suggestions for improvement: The appendix provides a section for each of theseas stated within the policies of Forsyth County Board of Education.

Criteria 1 2 3 4

Gifts andDisposal No policy isprovided forthe disposal andreceiving of gifts ofequipment andservices

Policy is provided,but is notclear orarticulated.

Specific policy isarticulatedregarding disposaland gifts, butis not tied to thestandards.

Specific policy isarticulatedregarding movingand disposal ofequipment. Giftacceptance is tied

directly tostandards.

Suggestions for improvement: There is a policy for this within the Forsyth


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County Schools located in the Board Policies. This section could be attached withinthe appendix as the Copyright and Acceptable Use Policies were.

Criteria 1 2 3 4Staff

Development

Staff development

is notmentioned in thedocument.

Staff development

ismentioned, but isnot clearlyarticulated as tohow it will beaccomplished, orevaluated.

Staff development

isarticulated, but islimited tosingle modalitiesand is notclearly provided forwithresources.

Staff development

is addressedeither in the actionplan or in aseparate section. Itincluded multiplestrategies,incentives andresources.

Suggestions for improvement: This is articulated within its own section.

The Forsyth County ThreeYear Technology Plan is overall a good plan. The areas in which it islacking are the specifics. Being a teacher within the county, I am well aware of the countless hours weare trained on using the technology, and I think the county could do a better job demonstrating how thetechnology is actually used within the schools. Additionally, by extending the document to have asection that shows how the technology can be used, it can help teachers to use the plan and executequality lessons to help support the goals and objectives of the Technology Plan as well as their ownstandards within the classroom. This would help the criteria of Program Integration, CurriculumIntegration, Standards, and Model Classrooms. I think this document could be so much more powerfulif it was a working document. On a regular basis, there should be a section that provides for theprogress we have made in meeting each of the goals. The surveys that are given, and the progressmade academically can be provided, and would be useful in seeing where we need to continue to work,

and where we are doing a good job.

As stated before, I was unaware that such a plan exists. After reading the plan, I realize that theteachers are a crucial part to meeting the plans objectives. In order for this to be an effective document,it is necessary for the technology department to make the teachers aware of this plan. Our systemcurrently became an IE2 county. By making this change, it has required so much more documentationand data collection. We are already in the midst of doing many of the things expected of us, but if theeducators were more informed, it may be easier to streamline some of the work we are required to do.The students of Forsyth County are progressing and growing through the technology. All in all the planthat has been laid out by Forsyth County Schools is a true picture of the amount of technology providedand used by the county to help enhance the education of the students.

Wiggins Sarah Technology Plan Evaluation

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