Maximizing Your Technology Plan for Effective Implementation

1. Planning into PracticeResources for Planning, Implementing and Integrating Instructional Technology Is Your Technology Plan All That It Can Be?

2. Introductions • Regional Technology in Education Consortium serving the SE states, PR, and the US Virgin Islands • Jeff Sun, partner consultant for SEIR*TEC and author of Planning into Practice • jsun@sun-associates.com

3. Objectives • To understand what constitutes an effective technology plan • To make the connection between planning and implementation • To review the alignment of key strategic plan elements

4. Skeletal Plan Format

5. Overview of Technology Plan Elements • Executive Summary • Vision • Current Status • Goals and Objectives • Curriculum Integration • Professional Development • Administration • Infrastructure • Other? • Infrastructure Design • Staffing • Action Plan (follows goals and objectives) • Budget • Evaluation Plan

6. Key Questions for Technology Planners • Why are we here? • To write the plan! • Why are we writing the plan? • To get money! • Why do we want to get money? • To do stuff! • Why do we want this stuff?

7. To improve teaching and learning!

8. Focus on Curriculum • Technology is of little value if not linked with your curriculum and curriculum goals. • Curriculum, not the technology itself, must drive your planning process

9. “Non-motivational” Purposes • ‘cause someone told me I had to • to get the “e-rate money” • ‘cause everyone else has one These purposes only succeed in creating the document (maybe)...not in creating a plan that truly benefits learners!

10. The Role of Stakeholders • The planning committee should be composed of your stakeholders • Who are the stakeholders in your school or district? • Teachers • Students • Parents • Community Members • Process People

11. Establishing Vision • Vision establishes the purpose of the plan, and more importantly, the purpose behind bringing technology into your schools. • Guides the planning process • Firmly establishes the value you place upon technology

12. Creating Goals • Goals are statements of particular ways in which you intend to actualize your vision. • Goals break down the vision into manageable (and measurable) pieces. • Most plans have groups of goals around various elements of the vision...

13. Types of Goals • Curriculum Integration • Professional Development • Administration • Community Involvement and other areas that are critically important to your vision

14. Goals lead to Activities • Goals are the higher order, categorical, objectives you intend to achieve • Activities are the various things you will do to achieve those goals. • Activities are smaller than goals • Most goals will be supported by many activities • Activities are organized into action plans

15. Action Plans • The action plan organizes your activities • First by goal group -- e.g., curriculum, professional development, etc. • Second by year -- e.g., year one action plan, year two, and so on • The reader of your action plan should be able to see your plan unfold element by element, year by year.

16. To review...

17. The Action Plan Template • The template is a handy way of checking to see if you’ve considered all of the “angles” for your planned actions • Actions have consequences. Have you thought about how this action fits into your bigger picture plan?

18. Evaluation • A good technology plan provides a logical framework for the evaluation of your technology implementation. • Goals show you what you are looking for • Progress towards fulfillment of goals and objectives can be measured • Activities can be recorded

19. Show me the money • How will you fund your plan? • The plan itself is just a plan, not necessarily a request for funding • One of your major tasks after completing the initial plan will be to find funding for the various activities • Funding will need to come from many different sources...

20. Funding Inputs and Planning Outputs

21. On-going Planning • Planning doesn’t end with the creation of the plan • The planning committee should continue to meet • To review • To evaluate • To update • To publicize and lobby

22. Group Activities • Brainstorm to create a vision statement • Identify core values • Create a vision statement • Write a professional development/curriculum goal • Create an action plan for that goal

23. Summary • A strong educational technology plan is rooted in a strong vision for technology’s role in education • This role needs to be centered around the anticipated and desired student impacts • Keep the overall emphasis of the plan focused on curriculum • You must show the linkages between technology and your curriculum

24. Eventually, evaluation will become the emphasis of your district’s technology efforts. • Take the time to write a strong evaluation component for your plan • Planning is an on-going process • Your plan should be a living document • A sound technology plan is the basis for all technology funding requests

25. For More Information • On-line resources (including this presentation) • www.sun-associates.com/resources/stuff.html • Email or Call • jsun@sun-associates.com • 978.449.0200