WESTONKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS TECHNOLOGY PLAN

2016-2019

In 2013, Westonka School Board approved a new technology plan to further the district’s commitment to increasing student learning and engagement and ensuring that all Westonka students are college and career ready by the time they graduate from high school. Goals

1. Support the district’s Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model, which includes the use of formative assessments, collaboration tools and personalized intervention/extension opportunities

2. Use technology to transition from print to digital curriculum 3. Provide students academic experiences to master 21st century skills

2016-2019 edge21 technology plan In the first three years of edge21, much progress was made in the five key areas of the plan: infrastructure, standardized management systems and devices, user experience, technology support and instruction. Strategies for the 2016-2019 technology plan reflect the changing landscape of the world’s information. The skills required of students are vastly different than a decade or two ago. Today’s educators must adapt to how students approach technology and what they expect from their school experience. The mission of the 2016-2019 edge21 technology plan is to engage, to empower and to enhance.

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students in their learning by using technology in deeper and more

personal ways

parents, by providing easy access to student information,

and teachers, by equipping them with proven instructional tools and effective

professional development

technology support through a newly-revised organized support model

and implementation of new tech support tools

2016-2019 WESTONKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDGE21 TECHNOLOGY PLAN DELIVERABLES Infrastructure Infrastructure provides the foundation for successful teaching and learning by supporting network attached devices and enabling universal access to educational applications, data and services.

Standardized Management Systems & Devices Standardizing the procurement, asset management, configuration, deployment and replacement of technology and technology management systems, which will increase operational and instructional productivity.

User Experience A reliable and efficient user experience is a goal of the school district. Providing effective technology access, support and communication to staff, students and parents will allow the district to provide greater opportunities for student learning and more effective communication about student academic progress.

Technology Support Technology is essential to all functions of a school district. A centrally-planned, locally-executed and efficient technology support structure is critical for successful day-to-day operations.

Instruction Our instructional model will continue to evolve from a teacher-centric to a student-centric model in which student learning is personalized and adapts to students’ needs. Technology will be a critical component to support this student-centric instructional model.

• Procure and set up

VMWare and server backups

• Procure Firewall for redundancy and review policies

• Integrate content filter redundancy

• Continue implementation of IDAuto Centralized Account Management

• Implement telephone conference call capabilities

• Implement continuous improvement process to review wireless hardware, management tools and operations

• Increase district wireless capabilities

• Procure and replace original network Extreme switches and upgrade district switches code

• Develop hardware replacement plan for classroom SMARTBoards and projectors

• Create standard technology guidelines for classroom and offices

• Improve Asset Management systems data and import process to support data accuracy and integrity

• Research benefits of monitoring software and make recommendations for consideration by building sites

• Research options for food service payments and make recommendation for district administration

Staff

• Set up annual timeline and deliverables for setting up technology for the coming school year

• Develop single sign-on for all apps and network activities

• Develop a Westonka app to access Google, Skyward, Schoology, Bloomboard

• Conduct annual staff survey on technology integration and tech support

• Continue to build the Edge21 web page as a districtwide teacher resource page

• Create a single district calendar system across all building sites and departments and develop protocol to use and create calendar invites and sharing calendars

• Develop a framework that articulates the use of core technology tools across the district

• Train staff on core components of identified core instructional technology tools. Move staff from “literacy” to “fluency”

• Develop a recommendation on how to train building non-teaching staff on technology applications that are needed for them to be successful in their jobs

• Increase the use of Mobile Device Management (MDM) to provide greater classroom support (app deployment, device management and support)

• Develop Google file labeling protocol

• Develop a recommendation for a consistent communication tool for coaches/co-curricular advisors

Students

• Develop plan to support students with locating and accessing their username and password

• Determine scope of WiFi on buses and what devices can access

• Revise current student digital citizenship program at Grandview Middle School and Mound Westonka High School

• Conduct annual student survey on digital tools, curriculum and learning with devices

Parents

• Streamline access to different websites

• Create/update reference guide and screencast to make payments through Skyward Parent Access

• Research options to provide free/reduced cost WiFi to families in need and make recommendation for district administration

• Starting with the 2016-2017 school year, Skyward becomes the primary parent communication tool

• Create parent guidelines for searching for information on school-related topics

• Reconfigure elementary

technology support to accommodate increased use of technology applications in classrooms

• Research options for a district technology ticket support system and make recommendation for district implementation

• Increase IT-related communications to staff on current issues, trends and tools

• Adjust IT support across buildings to adapt to current technology needs

• Create a committee, represented by instructional technology and IT staff, to collaborate, create a common technology vision and direction and provide staff efficient and effective support

• Develop a technology support framework document with roles and expectations to more effectively support technology in the classrooms and buildings

• Implement activity based

professional development designed around the INTEL 21st Century Learning Design

• Implement a multi-leveled professional development model for staff that provides pathways/leveling for teachers to be able to progress through professional development opportunities based on their level of proficiency

• Revise the curriculum review cycle with an emphasis on digital materials

• Set specific digital adoption goals and align it with technology integration goals/support to ensure effective integration

• Embed digital citizenship through all levels of the district

• Identify core digital tools and products that can be used to assist students with applying 21st century skills within their learning

• Set expectations for teachers and develop professional development on embedding 21st century skills into instruction and measuring student proficiency of applying 21st century skills to their learning

• Develop a content filtering protocol for access requests to websites that are blocked by the district’s filter

• Develop framework and criteria to purchase subscriptions and instructional tools