District Technology Plan

The vision statement for Duncanville ISD states that they are committed to providing engaging comprehensive technology—infused curriculum to maximize student performance, and extensive system of timely and relevant professional development, robust efficient administrative systems, adequate and timely instructional and technical support, and access to appropriate technological tools and resources to modeling life-long learning and the effective use of technology at all levels.    The district has developed five basic goals to ensure that this vision is achieved. 

Goal 1: All students in DISD will experience a relevant, highly engaging, technology-infused educational experience

to maximize learning and achievement for life beyond school.

Goal 2: All Duncanville ISD staff will model continuous learning by developing, possessing, and demonstrating

technology competencies appropriate for their position in order to perform their duties at optimal levels to

accomplish goal 1.

Goal 3: Duncanville ISD will provide a nurturing climate that facilitates the mental, physical, and emotional healthand development of students within an environment free from violence and disruption.

Goal 4: The schools exist to serve the community, and partnering with the community in the development of goals,

policies, and setting tone will serve the best interest of all students. Parents and taxpayers should be viewed as our

primary external customers.

Goal 5: DISD will integrate technology into fabric of what we do so that we are more efficient and effective and

“innovatively” use technology to better teach our students and save money.

Each of these goals is further defined through objectives to meet the specific goal.  The district has also developed strategies with timeline and responsible individual to ensure that the various objectives under each goal are met.

DISD has lots of opportunities for their educator to meet goals one and two.  DISD rewards teachers who want to learn more about technology and use it to impact students’ success through a program called FOCAL Points.  FOCAL Points I is an online course of study to prepare and ensure that all newly hired educators have the needed technology skills for the district.  FOCAL Points II is additional training and implementation of technology infused lesson , educator are rewarded with more technology for their classroom.

Teachers are trained yearly on accepted practices of technology usage to ensure the success of goal 3.  Teachers are encouraged to use technology to communicate not only with parents but on a more global level to enrich the learning opportunities of the students.

All the classrooms, labs, libraries and administrative areas in the entire district have network and internet connectivity.  Our campus just went wireless last year.  The goal is to have the whole district wireless.

The Campus STaR chart is use to measure overall effectiveness and progress of the technology plan.

LoTI to measure teachers’ acceptance, use and integration of technology.   The district also survey students about their use of technology in school work. In addition to these evaluation methods Duncanville ISD will also utilize other methods of evaluation such as:

Measuring staff participation in technology/curriculum integration training.

Teacher integration and use of technology through FOCALPoints records.

Technical support case and project records

Technical support satisfaction survey at the close of each case

Inventory records

District Technology Applications TEKS assessments

DISD is a district that wants to ensure that its graduates are ready for the 21^st century.  They push their educators to empower students to take ownership in their learning. The use of technology is encourage and expected in this district.

National Educational Technology Plan

The National Educational Technology Plan called “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology” was finalized on November 9, 2010.   This plan calls for implementing advanced technologies we all use daily not only in our personal lives but our professional lives to transform education system.  The belief is that this implementation would improve student learning, accelerate and scale up the adoption of effective practices and use data and information for continuous improvement (NETP).    The underlying purpose of this plan is to raise the population of college graduates and to close the achievement gap so that all students graduate from high school ready to succeed in college or a career (NETP).

NETP has five goals basic goals to achieve.  Each of the goals has recommendation for states, districts, the federal government, and other stakeholders.  Each goal addresses one of five essential components of learning powered by technology:  learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity (NETP).

 This plan calls for engaging and empowering learning experiences for all learners.  Studies have shown that if we make the learning experiences more relevant to our students’ lives that they are more engaged in the learning process.  The plan also calls for teachers to reflect on  what and how they teach to ensure that it is  matching what the learners need to know, how they learn, where and when they will learn, and who needs to learn (NRTP).  

Assessments are one way to ensure that teachers are teaching appropriate content and meeting the needs of their students.  NETP would requires new and better ways to measure what “matters, diagnose strengths and weaknesses in the course of learning when there is still time to improve student performance, and involve multiple stakeholders in the process of designing, conducting, and using assessment”(NETP).

An essential component of this plan is a comprehensive infrastructure for learning that provides every student, educator, and level of our education system with the resources they need when and where they are needed.

As I read to the plan, I wondered how all these goals would be implemented due to budget issues.   The national government is having trouble balancing the budget and is talking about raising the debt ceiling once again.  The state government is cutting its budget.  Teachers are losing jobs.  My main concern is where we get the money for the infrastructure to support these goals.

National Education Technology Plan 2010 | U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/executive-summary

Technology Assessments

People of the 21^st century would not accept a doctor who was not up on the latest technology.   Most people today want phones with all the latest technical advancements.  Just as most 21^st century professionals must embrace the changes that come with technology so should teachers.  (Ertmer & Leftwich, 2010).    Professionals of the 21^st century are using different tools to make their jobs more highly efficient.  Teachers must adjust their thinking of what it means to teach 21^st century students to incorporate technology. 

One way to do this is for teacher to assess their knowledge and skills in the area of technology.  One expectation that all teachers should have for themselves is to have basic technology skills.  This will assist teachers in better preparing students to be technologically capable citizens.  This skill is an expectation from NETS-T for educators (ISTE,2008).  One way for teachers to know if they have these needed skills is through assessments.  Assessments will allow teachers to know what areas they are strong and what areas they need further growth.  Teachers should evaluate this information and develop goals for themselves that will ensure that they are equipped to incorporate technology in a way to ensure student success. Teachers should not worry if they are not proficiency in many areas technically.  According to Mary Burns’ (2002) article teachers’ self-assessments of their skills and their classroom practices did not show any statistically significant relationships between proficiency with technology and an increase in learner-centered practices (Studies have shown that a learner –center class environment is best for student achievement)in the classroom.  Teacher should look at these assessments as goals they need to achieve and not measurements of their teaching abilities.

The pros of such assessments are that teachers will learn areas they need to develop.  They will also learn areas they are strong and could offer assistance to others.   The only con I could see in assessing one’s skills is for the teacher to remember that is a growth tool and not to look at the assessment as though he/she is a failure.

Teachers should also assess their students’ technology skills.  This will assist teacher in planning lesson and ensuring that all students are ready for the 21^st century.

Burns, Mary (2002).  From Compliance to Commitment:  Technology as as Catalyst for Communities of Learning.  Phi Delta Kappan, December Issue, 295-300.

Ertmer, Peggy & Ottenbreit-Leftwich (2010). Teacher Technology Change:  How Knowledge, Confidence, Beliefs &Culture Intersect.  Journal of Research and Technology in Education, Vol 42 No 3, pp 255-284.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National educational technology

standards for teachers (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR: Author.

Web Conference

Although technology may make many aspects of our life “easier” it can cause us frustration along the way.   I have embarked upon a new journey in my life.   In addition to being a mother of four, wife and sixth grade math/science teacher, I have started on another masters’ degree in technology.   This is proving to be a challenge for me.  I am not very technical “smart”. 

I was unable to personally attend the schedule web conference due to my lack of technical skills but thank God my professor made it available to students like me.  The knowledge and the information that was given during the web session were very valuable to me.  It gave me a better understanding of how to complete this week’s assignment (which was driving me nuts).  I spent so much time trying to figure out how to post my URL to the site that I was at the end of my rope.  The web session made so clear what I was doing wrong and what I needed to do.  I would not have been able to complete the assignment without this information.   The professor was very encouraging and patient with those in attendance.

This week’s conference made me realize that just like a class you would go sit in weekly and get your questions answer, that you are able to do the same with an online class.  You are not just thrown in the deep water without a life saver.  You must just reach out and seek answers and assistance.  I better understand the value of the weekly web sessions and would highly recommend them.