----

##  Successful K-12 Technology Planning: Ten Essential Elements. ERIC               Digest.                                                                      

Over the last 20 years, K-12 schools have spent millions of dollars             equipping their schools with the latest technologies, but often                 without a thoughtful plan of how their use would impact learning and            teaching. Computers, like other technologies when they were                     new--such as radio, television, motion pictures, and video--were                expected to substantially change education simply by making it more             exciting and interactive. 
But technology use is not about the                 hardware, Internet connections, and so on. What is important is how             the technology is integrated with the instructional program. The                guiding question technology leaders must keep in mind as they                   develop their plan is, "Are students using technology in ways that              deepen their understanding of academic content and advance their                knowledge of the world around them?" (When we use the                           word "technology," we refer to more than computers. Technology                  includes the whole array of new technologies including, video,                  digital cameras, handheld computers, cell phones, and other devices             still in development.) 
To ensure that technology dollars have an              impact on students, staff, and the community, districts and schools             must develop a thoughtful technology plan. Technology plans that                help districts and schools to use technology effectively include all            of the ten steps that follow. 
1. CREATE A VISION 
Vision is the              first step for technology planning. The district or school must have            a picture of what a technology-enhanced program will look like in               three to five years. Vision statements are compelling stories that              describe how students will be using the technology and how teachers             and other staff will be using it for data-driven decision making,               increased productivity, and planning. A vision also includes how the            learning environment will be enhanced to support technology                     use. 
2. INVOLVE ALL STAKEHOLDERS 
For any plan to be effective,              all stakeholders should have the opportunity to have an input into              the goals of the plan. Teachers, administrators, other employees,               parents, and the general community all have a stake in the                      educational outcomes of students. 
3. GATHER DATA 
You must                   understand where you are in order to plan for the future, so gather             as much data as possible about your present use: 
* Conduct an                 inventory to determine what equipment and software you presently                have and where it is located (labs, classrooms, library/media                   centers, and so on). 
* Determine the present level of use in your             classrooms. There are multiple ways to collect this information. One            is to survey staff and student use by asking about both their skill             levels and how teachers and students are using the technology.                  Develop your own survey or adapt one developed by another district.             There are also several online assessments including, enGauge,                   available at http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/. The enGauge framework               identifies six essential conditions critical to the effective use of            technology for student learning. Another resource is the Learning               with Technology Profile Tool, available at                                      http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profile.htm. This computer               program presents indicators of engaged learning and indicators of               technology. For each indicator there are three choices that                     educators can compare to their own practice. When finished,                     educators can view the results in a graphical format to help                    identify their strengths and weaknesses. 
* Gauge the progress your            school is making to improve student achievement. The Annenberg                  Foundation                                                                      http://www.annenberginstitute.org/accountability/toolbox/) has                  gathered together a set of Tools for Accountability to help. Each               drawer within the Toolbox offers descriptions, examples, and                    specific in-school experiences to guide the many members of a                   school's community. 
* Conduct site visits. It may be desirable to             visit schools that demonstrate compelling reasons for using                     technology. This is particularly important if your school uses                  computers mainly for word processing and drill and practice. If your            planning team has never seen student use of multimedia, digital                 video, or student web pages, it will be difficult for them to                   envision these uses. Visits can help to open one's mind to the                  possibilities. 
4. REVIEW THE RESEARCH 
Knowing what the research             says about the use of technology is important to guide your                     technology planning efforts. Research has found that some technology            use impacts student learning while others make no difference (Dwyer             1994; Butzin 2001). The research on technology's effectiveness is               divided into two areas: (1) learning with computers, using computers            as tutors (most often drill and practice) and (2) learning from                 computers, which is when the student uses the computer as a tool in             the learning process for communication, collaboration, research, or             publishing. 
A summary of the research (Kulik 1994; Butzin 2001;               Mann 1999) for both types of use finds that technology can impact               student learning when the following conditions are evident: 
*                 Students have easy access to the technology. 
* Technology is in               the classroom, where it can make a greater impact then when it is in            labs. 
* Ongoing teacher training is provided. 
* Reform of                   teaching practices is evident, with a balance between traditional               instruction, characterized by teacher lecture, and that of                      construction, characterized by the teacher serving as a guide and               facilitator. 
* The software is well matched with the teacher's                assessment of student needs and the objectives of instruction. 
5.             INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO THE CURRICULUM 
As the research                      demonstrates, technology impacts student learning when there is a               match between content standards and the technology being used.                  Teachers face six barriers to effectively integrating technology                with their curriculum: 
* Leadership. The lack of leadership is the            single biggest barrier to the use of technology. 
* Access. One or             two computers or a weekly visit to a computer lab do not impact                 student learning. 
* Time. It takes time for teachers to review                software and figure out how it fits with their instructional                    program. 
* Cost. Schools often provide only minimal funds to                  purchase software. Teachers may not be willing to spend their own               money to purchase multiple copies of software. 
* Training. Apple              Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) research found that it takes training              for teachers to move from "How do I turn it on?" to where they                  comfortably and routinely integrate technology into their                       classroom. 
* Reform. Technology makes its greatest impact when                teachers use project-based learning practices to engage                         students. 
Student proficiency standards embedded with                         instructional projects can help teachers to know which technology               skills students need to demonstrate. The NETS project offers one                model (http://cnets.iste.org/index2.html). 
6. COMMIT TO                       PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
The plan must address the goals for                  professional development. Providing appropriate training is the key             to effective use. Research has demonstrated time and again that an              ongoing professional development program is required (Dwyer 1994;               Ringstaff et al. 1991; Ringstaff 2001). The most effective staff                development programs deliver to teachers when they need it, at their            school, and on their own equipment. One-time "spray and pray"                   workshops do not result in any change in teacher behavior. The ACOT             research found that teachers' growth goes through five stages:                  entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation, and invention. Even with            a strong professional development program, less than 50 percent of              teachers reach level three. 
The plan should also address the                  technology proficiencies that teachers will be expected to                      demonstrate. The NETS Project, mentioned earlier, can also be a                 source for teacher proficiency standards if your state or district              doesn't have them. 
7. ENSURE A SOUND INFRASTRUCTURE 
For                     technology to impact student learning, the technology plan must                 ensure that appropriate resources are in place to support and                   maintain networks and equipment. Technical support is also essential            so that all systems work 24/7. Techno-phobic teachers will quickly              give up on technology use when it doesn't work after they have spent            many hours learning about the software and planning                             technology-enhanced lessons. 
Setting single standards for                     software, hardware, networks, and video equipment is crucial. Doing             so will result in significant savings in staff development and                  support costs, including repairs, and will make it easier to upgrade            and support district licenses. Technical support may be a nightmare             otherwise, because incompatible systems can't "talk" to each                    other. 
8. ALLOCATE APPROPRIATE FUNDING AND BUDGET 
The plan                  should be in line with your district or school's financial                      resources. It should not promise more than the budget can                       deliver. 
There are two parts to a technology budget. A recommended            formula for the first portion is as follows: 40% of every dollar                allocated should be for hardware, 20% for software, 20% for                     professional development, and 20% for upgrades and additional needs             as teachers' expertise grows. If you spend all of the money on                  hardware, you will not see the return on student learning because               there will be no funds for professional development, upgrades, and              so on. These recommendations are not just for the first year, but               for anytime you budget or receive one-time grant dollars. 
Budget              separately for technical support expenses. Support must be available            24/7 so that teachers have confidence that the time they spend in               reviewing software and planning will not be lost when equipment and             networks fail to work. 
A thoughtful technology plan will not                  consider the purchase of more hardware and networks then the                    district can support with its technical support capacity. 
9. PLAN             FOR ONGOING MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 
The plan must address                   ongoing monitoring and assessment. Plan to collect data using                   rubrics, student artifacts, surveys and tests. Develop benchmarks               and timelines for all components of the plan. Some questions the                plan should address are: 
* Is the technology being used                       effectively? 
* What elements are missing? 
* What needs to be                added? 
The plan should address how the results of this assessment             will be communicated to all stakeholders. 
10. PREPARE FOR                     TOMORROW 
While planning for today, keep an eye on tomorrow by                 allowing for new and promising practices and technologies. Remember             back ten years ago when "www" didn't mean the World Wide Web, laptop            computers were big and called "luggables" by those who owned them,              and when 48 k and a 24-baud modem were fast? 
Would you have                   predicted back then the hardware, networks, and software you Have in            your schools now? Probably not. Ten years from now will computers               even Look like the computers we use now? How will Personal Digital              Assistants (PDAs) And other handhelds change the way we organize and            learn? And, finally will we All be totally wireless, able to                    communicate at anytime, anywhere? 
In preparation for the future,              set some funds aside to encourage teachers to try new applications              and determine what value, if any, these applications have for your              program before you purchase items only a techie could                           love. 
Technology can improve teaching and learning when a school              or district develops a plan that incorporates these essential                   elements and provides appropriate funding to make its vision a                  reality. REFERENCESButzin, Sarah M. (2001). Using                         instructional technology in transformed learning environments: An               evaluation of Project CHILD. "Journal of Research on Technology in              Education" 33 (4): 367-73. 
Dwyer, David. (1994). Apple classrooms             of tomorrow: What we've learned. "Educational Leadership" 51 (7):               4-10. (EJ 508 281) 
Dwyer, D.C., C. Ringstaff, & J.H.                          Sandholtz. (1991). Changes in teachers' beliefs and practices in                technology-rich classrooms. "Educational Leadership" 48 (8):                    45-52. (EJ 425 608) 
Kulik, J.A. (1994). Meta-analytic studies on              computer-based instruction in E. Baker and H. O'Neil, eds.,                     Technology assessment in education and training. Hillsdale, NJ:                 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 
Mann, D., C. Shakeshaft, J. Becker,              and R. Kottkamp. (1999). "Achievement gains from a statewide                    comprehensive instructional technology program." Charleston: West               Virginia State Department of Education. (ED 429 575) 
Ringstaff,               C. (Forthcoming November 2001). The learning return on your                     educational technology investment: A survey of recent research                  findings. WestEd. Available online                                              http://www.westedrtec.org. 
OTHER SUGGESTED RESOURCES 
* Apple                Classrooms of                                                                   Tomorrow (ACOT)                                                                 (http://www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/library.html) 
*           ACOT was a research and development collaboration among public                  schools, 

universities, research agencies, and Apple Computer,               Inc. Initiated in 1985, ACOT began its work in seven classrooms that            represented a cross-section of Americas elementary and secondary                schools. Its goal was to study how the routine use of technology by             teachers and students might change teaching and learning. 
* Apple             Technology Planning Guide (http://www.apple.com/education/planning/)            The Planning Guide is a tool designed to assist you in creating and             implementing a technology integration plan for your school or                   district. 
* Project CHILD (http://www.ifsi.org/child.htm)  A                  computer-integrated instructional system for grades K-5. Project                CHILD enables elementary schools to effectively use technology along            with best teaching practices. he focus is on reading, language arts,            and mathematics. 
* Technology Planning                                        Toolkit 

(http://www.wested.org/tie/techplan) 
* Provides                   rubrics, checklists, and other guides for planning technology                   implementation. Where appropriate, links are provided to other sites            that offer models of best practice, example plans, and additional               tools and resources to support a more informed technology planning              program. 
* The Guiding Questions for Technology                               Planning (http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/guidewww/gqhome.htm)                   Designed to help begin a technology planning process, select a                  planning model, and move the process forward. It is considered most             useful when it is used within a larger planning process and not                 simply as an add-on or one-time discussion. 
* West Virginia's                 Basic Skills/Computer Education                                                 program (http://www.mff.org/edtech/projects.taf?_function=detail&               Content_uid1=151) This study examines West Virginia's long-running              Basic Skills/Computer Education program and its positive impact on              students' standardized test scores. West Virginia has had                       across-the-board increases in statewide assessment scores in all                basic skills areas, and their NAEP (National Assessment of                      Educational Progress) scores have risen. 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Harvey            Barnett is a Senior Research Associate in the Technology in                     Education program at WestEd. He has served as a consultant to state             departments of education for technology planning and policy issues.             He has also served as principal of Stevens Creek School in                      Cupertino, California, one of the first Apple Classroom of                      Tomorrow (ACOT) project schools in partnership with Apple Computer              Inc., and as Director of Technology for the Cupertino School                    District. (E-mail: [email protected]) 
----- 
ERIC Digests are in            the public domain and may be freely reproduced and                              disseminated. 
----- 
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information &                     Technology, Syracuse University, 621 Skytop Road, Suite 160,                    Syracuse, NY 13244-5290; 800-464-9107; 315-443-3640 ; Fax:                      315-443-5448; e-mail: [email protected]; URL:                                 http://www.ericit.org. 
----- 
This publication is funded in part             with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under                  contract number ED-99-CO-0005. The content of this publication does             not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department            of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products,              or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. Please               visit the Education Department's Web site at http://www.ed.gov               **Title:** Successful K-12 Technology Planning: Ten Essential Elements. ERIC               Digest.                                                                      **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology, Syracuse University,            621 Skytop Rd., Suite 160, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290. Tel:                        315-443-3640; Tel: 800-464-9107 (Toll Free); Fax: 315-443-5448;                 e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://ericit.org/ithome.                 **Descriptors:**  Computer Uses in Education, Curriculum Development, Educational                Finance,  Educational Planning,  Educational Technology,  Elementary            Secondary Education, Professional Development, Strategic Planning            **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests,  Technology Integration,  Technology Plans                     
###
[Return to ERIC Digest Search Page]