Fort Bend Independent School District: Long Range Technology Plan As it relates to the national standards This presentation will include: An overview of the need for a new technology standard at the local, state and national level. An overview of Fort Bend ISDs technology plan Key points as to how the district technology plan relates to that of the state and the nation. Summary A New Type of Student Digital Natives: Students who are considered native speakers of the language of computers, video games and the Internet. (Prensky, 2001) Outside the classroom, they are growing up in a multi-sensory, multimedia, computer-driven world which provides a clear, vivid presentation of information. (TEA, 7). The Requirements of E-Rate and the Demands of a National Standard. Schools and Libraries Programs of the Universal Service Fund (E-Rate) Requires schools to create a technology plan. In 2004, FBISD started a initiative to meet this need, written by a technology committee under Super Intendant Dr. Betty Baitland. The plan was designed based on the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology State and Local Plans Both the state and local plans for technology are organized into the following four categories: 1. Teaching and Learning 2. Educator Preparation and Development 3. Administration and Support Services 4. Infrastructure and Technology (TEA,2006) ( Baitland, 2007) Teaching and Learning integrate technology through the use of library media, tech application courses and web 2.0 tools constant evaluation and piloting new technology when applicable. Encourage students and teachers to use digital media whenever possible to enhance the learning experience. (Baitland, 2007) Educator Preparation and Development Properly train staff to integrate technology application TEKS into curriculum. Offer job embedded professional development opportunities. Create a standard for which teachers will have to meet specific professional development goals. (Baitland, 2007) Administration and Support Services Refine the way they deal with data Training both administrative and teaching staff to deal with new found data and information according to the updated PEIMS standards. Use the STaR chart to determine district wide need and implement support in those areas. (Baitland, 2007) Infrastructure and Technology Support infrastructure Periodically updating computer and network capabilities Offer continuous training for technical staff (Baitland, 2007) What are the goals for a good technology plan? 1. Based on school or districts educational vision and part of the overall improvement plan 2. Aims to improve student learning to help students become prepared for future careers. 3. All interested parties, students, educators, parents and community should support the plans initiative. 4. Professional development for staff should be provided and ongoing. periodically reviewed and updated 5. Periodically review and updated as needed. 6. Evaluation plan is set in place to see that the technology plan is achieving its desired goals. (November, 1998) Does it pass the test? In my opinion, both the local and state technology plans for Texas has some major issues. No clear budget No clear professional development No clear assessment Unclear and vague expectations New National Plan In 2010, President Barrack Obama and his department of Education drafted the National Educational Technology Plan otherwise called Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology Main Categories Include: Assessment Infrastructure Learning Productivity Teaching (Nagel, 2010) Key Points Longer School Days/Years Engaging and empowering personalized learning experiences Flexibility in academic schedules Learning via the internet Levering the power of technology to support continuous and life learning. Adopting practices in use by business to achieve goals and ready students for the work place. (Nagel, 2010) Reflections Technology plans, whether district, state or nationally designed should be set up to cover all the basic needs for a district. As our world progresses in a technological, education will need to change and reform to keep up. Fort Bend and Texas in general are going to need to do some evaluation soon to be sure that their technology plans are in line with that of the federal government. Works Cited Baitland, B. Dr., Design Input Group for Information Technology. ( ). Fort Bend ISD Technology Plan. Retrieved from Frotbendisd.com/technology/tech/cfm. Nagel, David. (November, 2010). National ed tech plan puts technology at the heart of the educational reform. The Journal. Retrieved on May 8, 2012 from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid= &ite mid=W5_Assignment1. November, Alan. (1998). Critical issue: developing a school or district technology plan. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved on May 8, 2012 from Prensky, M. (October, 2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon. University Press 9(5), retrieved on May 11 th, 2012 from%20digital%20immigrants%20-%20part1.pdf Texas Education Agency. (November, 2006). A report to the 80th texas legislature from the texas education agency. Texas education agency. Retrieved on May 11, 2012 from