E-Rate and VVISD Technology Plan

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National Education Technology Plan

The National Educational Technology Plan builds on the foundation of using technology in order to compete in the global economy.  The plan has calls for a transformation of our use of technology. There are five areas of the plan that are targeted:  Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure and Productivity.  In respect to learning, the plan calls for us to teach not only what the student needs to learn but also how we can use technology to match what they learn.  Learning needs to be a continuous and lifelong process.  Students have access to technology daily and we must use this technology in their learning process.  We must have a universal design for learning and provide multiple methods of opportunity and means of engagement.  The model of learning supports student centered learning with the use of technology tools.  These tools give the students’ greater flexibility and more access to resources to make better connections to learning.  Learning with technology allows students to go beyond the traditional classroom setting where the teacher would provide what the student needed to learn.  In respect to teaching, the plan calls for all educators to use technology to connect teaching.  Educators must have the proper training and skills set into place in order to be able to communicate with their students.  A problem that is occurring today is that not all educators are comfortable with technology and do not know how to use it.  Many school districts do not have the adequate technology for budgetary reasons, and therefore the teachers do not receive the proper training. 

School or District Technology Plan

The Valley View ISD Technology Plan is to provide a coordinated, multi-year blueprint for the development of technology within the community.  The plan has been developed to provide a consistent focus for developing and supporting technology, establish priorities for implementing various technologies, promote the efficient and effective use of district resources, and develop a framework for decision-making related to technology.  Funds have been allocated for the continual professional development of staff in technology on a monthly basis which will be coordinated by the Director of Technology.  Valley View has a yearly inventory on the equipment and services to ensure that proper maintenance and upgrades are done in order to ensure student learning.  Since 95% of the school is low income, the district qualifies for the 90% e-rate discount on all connectivity and telecommunications.  This allows for the continual upkeep of the infrastructure for the district.  The district provides needs assessments to identify the objectives of the instructional technology plan and makes recommendations as needed to improve on those needs.  The district technology plan will be reviewed annually to ensure that the project is on track. A team of administrators, teachers and librarians will be in charge of the review and responsible for making the appropriate recommendations to the stakeholders.   The plan will be updated and revised as changes arise or if the status changes on any areas of the plan.  There are several methods in place to ensure the success of the implementations for all areas of the technology plan.

Technology Assessments

I believe that assessment surveys such as the Star are very important in determining how technology literate our educators and students are.  It provides an insight into what needs to be done by the school district to better prepare and plan for instruction.  The assessments are not only used for one area of technology, they serve as an overview of how Educators are using technology in the classroom.  Educators must meet certain standards so that they can then utilize their knowledge and skills and effectively teach our students.  For example, educators who want to incorporate technology into their lesson plan must understand what the best tool is for delivering that lesson.  Without proper knowledge and skills, they would not be able to effectively communicate with the students.  Students are assessed as well they are assessed in the level of skill and how well they use technology to meet their needs.  It is very important to know at what skill and knowledge level students are, so that the Educators accommodate the instruction for maximum learning and participation from the students.  The cons on the assessments are that they may not always be accurate.  There may be times when the teachers or administrators do not have time to fill out the surveys.  Although they are mandated by the state, they may be overlooked or just forgotten thus providing false data.  The pros are that it can be used by school district to determine the needs of the students and teachers and make appropriate recommendations for support.

Web Conference January 25, 2012 EDLD 5306

I attended a web conference today January 25, 2012 for Concepts of Educational Technology course.  We discussed several topics including the Degree, Internship, Internship handbook, Comprehensive Examination Summative Final Report and web conferences.  Went over courses and which rotation we may get.  Discussed the textbooks that we needed and also talked about the Tk20 system and what it is going to be used for.  Reviewed requirements for the internship over the course of the 18 months and how to choose your site mentor as well.   Mrs. Borel discussed the accreditations that the degree plan has to offer and how we can also get certification in either EC-12 Technology Applications or Principal Certification.  The handbook as of today is going to be revised since there have been some modifications made to it, and we also need to find out if we are exempt from taking the GRE for the program.  Provided Mrs. Borel with our gmail account so that we could have access to the class website.