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Technology Mission Statement - North Carolina Public … · Technology Mission Statement ......
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Technology Mission Statement
Create an environment where students and teachers will feel supported with 21st
Century tools, training, and leadership.
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Technology Plan Roster
District Leadership
• Derrick Jordan – Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services
Instructional Services Executive Directors
[George Gregor-Holt, Kelli Hulsey, Carrie Little, Keith Medlin]
Principals [Chris Poston, Kim Taylor, Mitch Stensland, Tracy Fowler, Mattie Smith, Beverly Browne, Martin
McDonald, Justin Bartholomew, Kaye Clark, Charles Aiken, Chris Blice, Janice Frazier, Dale Minge,
Bobby Dixon, Angie Brady-Andrew, Chad Morgan, Allison Buckner]
Media Specialists [Kathy Gaines, Sheila Harrell, Bonnie Angelacci, Mary Lee Moore, Susan Mayer, Melinda
Humphrey, Rose Pate, Amber Norman, Lynne Crankshaw, Betsy Kreutzberg, Debbie Minor, Martha
Swift, Cheri Klein, Nonya Brown-Chesney, Susan Hunnicutt, Kim Johnson, Lindsay Shore-Wright,
Jane Rogers]
K-8 Lead Technology Teachers [Autumn Oldham, Brian Shoup, Cheri Klein, Erin Denniston, Jenny Burris, Joseph Babyak, Justin
Sudol, Kathy Gaines, Lynne Crankshaw, Rachel Garnett, Susan Hunnicutt, Susan Mayer, Tori
Mazur]
High School Technology Facilitators [Ruby Jones, Leslie Jones, Beth Little, Bunnie Brewer]
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Strategic Priorities
Overview:
Chatham County Schools believes there are five components to a strong
instructional technology program that facilitate engaging, high quality, 21st Century
classrooms.
1. Curriculum Support – This includes curriculum driven technology support
and purchases. This also includes a focus on developing resources to
support classroom instruction that reinforces and structures the use of
technology resources across the curriculum.
2. Professional Development – Chatham County Schools shares the state’s
focus on providing rich face-to-face and online self-paced training. Providing
teachers and staff with on-demand professional development resources,
which can quickly be accessed, will support daily technology needs.
Standards
Curriculum Support
Professional Development
Fiscal Sustainability
Enterprise Management
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3. Fiscal Sustainability – Given the economic realities facing school
technology it is more important than ever that technology is purchased in a
flexible and strategic manner. Creating a fiscal sustainability model for
technology helps shape these decisions ensuring consistency in the
instructional technology infrastructure and device availability environment.
4. Enterprise Management – Technology Services needs to develop solid
practices for the standardization and management of infrastructure, and end-
user technology, while creating common procedures for the implementation
of technologies across schools to ensure easier transitions for new
technologies.
5. Standards – Common standards are at the core of providing engaging,
equitable, instructional technology resources help. They inform each of the
other components of a successful 21st Century Learning environment. This
includes providing regular reinforcement of standards and support for tasks
done infrequently.
Chatham County Schools began a 1:1 personal teaching and learning device
program six years ago with teachers and has expanded the program to include high
school students. This program is in its third year of implementation at all four high
schools. The transition to this high quality, and equally accessible, technology for
high school students means that the district needs to now focus on how to scaffold
information technology skills in grades K-8 so students are prepared for the
learning environment they will transition to when they reach high school.
Chatham County Schools recognizes and agrees with the state’s assessment that
“for all students to be future ready, they must possess equal opportunities for taking
full advantage of information and technology resources and tools, and must be
taught in a way that maximizes the effective use of these technologies.” To that
end, we have structured our technology plan around the same strategic priorities
set by the state of North Carolina.
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Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Strategic Priority 1: A Statewide Shared Services Model Essential Questions for Chatham County Schools
Current Status and Moving Forward… The Statewide Shared Services Model, referred to as S3M hereafter, aligns most
closely with our local fiscal sustainability and enterprise management priorities.
S3M provides LEAs with an opportunity to leverage common services without
encumbering the full financial burden of both paying the initial setup and integration
costs, but also the ongoing support and maintenance costs in terms of both
personnel time and contractual fiscal obligations. At a high level, this provides
stability to the core technology services allowing Chatham County Schools, referred
to as CCS hereafter, to focus on aligning those technologies with curriculum
integration teams to ensure their substantive use with students.
One example of how Chatham County Schools intends to take advantage of the
S3M is in regards to our content filtering and firewall obligations. NC ITS has
provided an opportunity for us to take advantage of a no-cost alternative to our
current solution that provides not only equivalent functionality, but also some
improved management tools. This will allow CCS to realize a $42,000 annual
savings on licensing costs for the content filtering device alone. In terms of fiscal
• How will we leverage collaborative purchasing to pay substantially less for technology
services and platforms?
• How can a Statewide Shared Services Model assist in shifting primary support from infrastructure to instructional needs?
• How can a Statewide Shared Services Model enable increased infrastructure and
technology efficiency and sustainability?
• How can a Statewide Shared Services Model provide higher service reliability?
• How can a Statewide Shared Services Model facilitate more strategic budgeting models
for our LEA/Charter School?
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Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
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sustainability, this allows us to refocus that funding source on addressing equity of
access to computing technologies within CCS.
This overall shift from technology provider to service provider means CCS can
dedicate itself to the following initiatives:
1. Development of rich online professional development resources for the use
of technology.
2. Collaboration with curriculum development at the district level and school
level to advise and co-develop appropriate integrated technology curriculum
resources for schools.
3. Refocus technology staff on the standardization, documentation, and cross-
training of support that is required to ensure consistent support throughout
the district.
CCS recognizes the challenge with the S3M will be a loss of some control over the
daily configuration and management of hardware, which can create issues. For
example, should a partner provider lose service, we’re unable to provide regular
and detailed problem updates to our stakeholders and are at the mercy of another
organization’s ability to quickly fix the issue and provide timely updates. CCS does,
however, also recognize that as you lose some of that control you’re also losing the
other financial burdens that come along with it such as providing for Business
Continuity & Disaster Recovery services to be in place for those technologies. This
is, in fact, one area that CCS is weak that the S3M will address in addition to
helping standardize the services that are provided to teachers, students, and staff.
The acceptable risk associated with the S3M is that while temporarily this frees the
LEAs of some financial burden, it does leave questions about the long-term
sustainability model at the state. Where an LEA can often set its own strategic
financial and funding priorities, when the S3M is relied upon it has the potential to
create a situation where the state legislature, DPI, or ITS stop having the means to
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support the S3M which would immediately put the burden back on LEAs who have
shifted their funding priorities under the revised model the state has supplied. This
means that core services must be identified within the LEA which are accounted for
at all costs and a priority model is created and maintained within CCS that provides
contingency plans should funding realities change at the state level that affect the
S3M.
Core Connectivity & Data Services:
• Metro-Ethernet connectivity between the schools and the district office.
• Direct Internet Access connectivity between the district office using NCREN.
• Digital Telephone, Voice over IP, and Plain Old Telephone Systems (POTS)
to provide fixed location voice communication services.
• Wireless Voice communication for administrative and select itinerant staff
along with bus drivers and other key communication stakeholders that are
identified as programs evolve.
• Wireless Data connectivity for traveling personnel that require data as a part
of their jobs.
• AS/400 Financial Services Hardware and Data required for the operation of
payroll, budget, PO operation, and related fiscal/business systems including
HRMS.
• Wired and wireless networking systems within each administrative and
school location.
• Content Filtering & Firewall appliances and service.
These services are ones that will always need to receive fiscal priority from our LEA
regardless of which services in this list can be handled through the S3M so that any
changes in the S3M funding can quickly be re-addressed locally.
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Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
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Alignment to other plans and initiatives
Strategic Priority 1: A Statewide Shared Services Model
Chatham County Schools will utilize and align with the following initiatives/plans to
reach for the vision and complete the strategic priorities of our plan...
ACRE / CEDARS
Career and College Ready, Set, Go!
Race to the Top Local and State Scopes of Work AdvancED Accreditation Requirements
School Improvement Planning & Implementation
Online EOC & EOG Testing Implementation
Safe Schools Plans
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Statewide Shared Services Model Targets Year 1 Year 2 Yearly Evaluation
Expand Wireless Access Finish Wireless upgrades at all
locations.
Provide supplemental wireless
access to areas in schools
where there may still be
connectivity issues.
Yr. 1 – All schools with high-density
wireless connectivity.
Yr. 2 – Network maps and
operational installation of high
density wireless
Refocus operating costs by condensing
unnecessary services and equipment.
Deploy VMWare Virtualization
environment. Implement a
network shared storage system to
support data stewardship.
Complete migration of all
virtual-possible servers and
applications.
Transition school-based servers
and services into the centralized
virtual environment.
Facilitate a more strategic budgeting model
utilizing blended funding and reducing
isolated programmatic spending
Work with Instructional Services
Directors to identify areas where
we can eliminate duplicate
software / subscription services to
provide balanced inter-
departmental funding of
technology resources.
Evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of
each internally hosted
classroom technology (ex.
Scholastic Math Inventory) vs.
paying to have another vendor
host the service on our behalf.
Standards documentation
regarding the selection of specific
instructional technology spending
that identifies where isolated
programmatic spending was
reduced.
ACRE Benchmarking via ClassScape & other
online testing like IXL Math
Implement district-wide
benchmarking testing schedule.
Begin data-drive decision-making
training at the district level to
ensure that ISD Directors are
consistent in their understanding
of taking action on collected data.
Provide resources related to the
implementation of data-driven
decision-making in a train-the-
trainer model to ensure schools
receive information on how to
use the data they are collecting
from their benchmarking.
Training agenda, supporting
materials, and school-based
supporting documents (agenda +
sign-in sheets) to demonstrate
delivery of training.
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Strategic Priority 2: Universal Access to Personal
Teaching and Learning Devices Essential Questions for Chatham County Schools
Current Status and Moving Forward: Chatham County Schools currently supports personal teaching and learning
devices for all teachers and for all high school students. The roll-out of a 1:1
Student Laptop Program began five years ago and has been realized at all our high
schools for the past three years. A teacher 1:1 laptop program began seven years
ago and has been fully implemented for the past five years.
Students in grades K-8 currently do not have 1:1 access to a personal learning
device. We have, however, investigated various methods for the provision of this at
a variety of grade levels including iPad/tablet distribution for our lower elementary
grades and lower price-point MacBook Air devices for our middle grade students.
Chatham County Schools would like to see 1:1 personal computing access for all
students in grades 6 through 12. In our Elementary school grades we believe the
ideal setup is broad access to laptop / personal learning device carts blended with a
variety of in-classroom technologies providing students multiple technologies
through which they can explore content and gain mastery of the Common Core and
Essential Standards curriculum.
• What is universal access to personal teaching and learning devices?
• Why do our teachers, and students, need access to personal teaching and learning devices?
• How will we provide ample access to individual teaching and learning devices?
• What models can be used for implementing universal access to personal teaching and learning devices in our LEA?
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The model for growth and sustainability for technology is foundationally related to
standards. Our current personal device infrastructure is overwhelmingly Apple-
centric. Roughly 95% of all personal teaching and learning devices are Apple
products in the Apple MacBook & MacBook Pro product lines.
The standardization of Apple means that our growth plan includes looking at iPod
Touch, MacBook Air, & iPad deployments for our students in grades K-8. Chatham
County Schools previously evaluated an iPad implementation at the Margaret B.
Pollard Middle School, which opened in January 2011, but found that the district’s
ability to provide support and manage the devices was a barrier for adoption. This
barrier, however, has been overcome with our Casper Suite adoption for computer
and iOS device management.
The remaining hurdles to begin this type of implementation are funding, a clearly
expressed vision for curriculum integration, and a model for professional
development to support the devices. The enterprise management component,
which was lacking in 2010, has been found in our move to incorporate the Casper
Suite into our enterprise management application portfolio.
The best evidence that teachers and students need access to personal teaching
and learning devices has come from our High Schools where we have found that
teachers are collaborating more frequently within PLCs regarding student data.
Students are more engaged in the classroom, and have equitable opportunities to
create, investigate, and learn outside the classroom. The 1:1 Student Laptop
Program is a cornerstone of our teaching and learning, yearly schedule, and
student evaluation process. This has included teachers using laptops and
electronic testing methods during semester and end of year testing which provides
an authentic environment in which Chatham County Schools students are prepared
to become productive in the 21st Century workforce.
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Last year, CCS Technology Services developed a sustainable computing refresh
model that addresses the student laptops in grades K-8. This program, however,
requires greater funding than the state provides and cannot be sufficiently
supplemented locally to ensure year-to-year consistency.
It is imperative that this plan be revised to take into account different technologies
that will still support learning in our Apple-centric computing environment. The
costs to change from Apple to Windows or Linux based computing solutions would
be far greater than simply addressing the hardware changes. Chatham County
Schools has been Apple-centric for a quarter-century and teachers, students, and
families have adopted this technology which means the cost to re-train and equip
all stakeholders would far outstrip any imagined savings associated with a change
in core OS infrastructure. Likewise, we’ve not seen a model for computer
purchases that provide substantial savings over the pricing that we’re already
receiving as a part of our 1:1 Student Laptop lease program, or from our individual
purchases.
There are, however, a variety of devices that offer substantially lower investment in
capital to bring on board. For example, iPads are roughly half the price of a
traditional laptop. Another example is the iPod Touch device, which would be
appropriate for many lower grade implementations where students are native users
of devices in that form factor.
Another option that Chatham County Schools is entertaining is looking at how a
Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) program might work. We are aware that a few
North Carolina districts will be implementing such a program this year and we’re
interested in how they perform. This is in response to community feedback and
parent requests regarding students and technologies purchased for them at home
for use in the classroom.
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We anticipate that this will mean our network security infrastructure need to be
increased, but more importantly, that our teachers will need new kinds of
professional development to help them deal with facing a multitude of personal
learning devices ranging from laptops to smartphones and even e-Reader or tablet
devices. This shift in philosophy from a model where we have a narrow definition of
supported devices to one in which we facilitate creative use and implementation of
devices that are, in some cases, lead by student-experts is one that reflects the
new 21st Century classroom very well.
The two years covered in this plan are catalyst years for us that we hope will allow
for investigation of technology and models to prepare for our next push in creating
21st Century professionals and students who are prepared to be productive in a 21st
Century workforce.
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Alignment to other plans and initiatives
Strategic Priority 2: Universal Access to Personal Teaching and Learning Devices
Chatham County Schools will utilize and align with the following initiatives/plans to
reach for the vision and complete the strategic priorities of our plan...
Student 1:1 Student Laptop Plan
Race to the Top
LEA School Improvement Plans
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Universal Access to Personal Teaching and Learning Devices Targets Year 1 Year 2 Yearly Evaluation
Develop a minimum benchmark for school
technology access across the district.
Create standards documentation
framework with PTMAC.
Create a sub-committee to
review and fill in the standards
documentation to ensure
access.
Year 1 – Standards Document
created.
Year 2 – Review processes in
place for collection of key metric
data identified in standards
document.
Increase overall access to personal learning
devices.
Line item in County Capital Outlay
for refresh of non-leased
instructional computers.
Line item in County Capital
Outlay for refresh of non-leased
instructional computers.
AMTR Evaluation of increased
computer counts.
Implement professional development
promoting the use of personal learning
devices for both employees and students
Survey Faculty/Staff about topics
they’d be interested in learning.
Deliver train the trainer sessions
to ensure local training is
available on topics discovered
in year 1 survey.
Year 1 – Survey delivered.
Year 2 – Training model revisions
based on survey results.
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Strategic Priority 3: Access to Digital Teaching & Learning Resources,
Including Digital Textbooks
Current Status and Moving Forward: One of the most important aspects of a technology implementation is how the
physical devices are used to access teaching and learning resources that exist only
in electronic formats. The implementation is what separates a gadget or computer
from a teaching and learning device. In Chatham County Schools, digital teaching
and learning resources includes a wide variety of formats and media including:
• “Instructional” Software (eBook CD/DVDs, Thinking Maps, Riverdeep)
• Websites (Discovery Streaming Education, SchoolFusion Content Management System)
• Web Applications (Google Apps for Education, SkyDrive, Prezi)
• Support Tools (Easy Grade Pro, Interwrite Tablet Software, SMART Tools)
There is currently no consistent process for the evaluation, selection, and training in
the use of these resources. Likewise, the diverse fleet of computer, models, OS
versions, and hardware configurations creates challenges for the deployment of
common tools across the district.
This is something, however, that the Principals’ Technology Media and Technology
Advisory Council (PMTAC) would be ideally suited to address. The PMTAC was
formed during the 2010-11 school year and has only begun to form as a group.
• What are digital teaching and learning resources?
• What are digital textbooks?
• Why do teachers and students need access to digital teaching and learning resources?
• What are the benefits of digital textbooks?
• What are open educational resources and how can they be used?
• How can access to these resources be increased in Chatham County Schools?
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The PTMAC will continue to be one of the central IT governance structures within
Chatham County Schools in order to shape the strategic direction of technology
implementation.
One of the challenges facing the district is how to fund future traditional textbook
purchases and rollouts. Any time instructional materials change the costs with that
transition can be incredible because of the training, selection, and actual material
costs involved in the decision. CCS believes that digital textbooks only encompass
one option for the inclusion of digital reference materials.
The eTextbook movement seems to suggest immediately a 1-to-1 conversion of a
traditional print textbook into a digital format. This leads to questions of the efficacy
of such a conversion and how it affects students who have been trained in specific
reading comprehension strategies bound to print publications. Certainly, the re-
training of affected students and teachers would be a substantial component of any
digital textbook conversion. The real issue, however, is that this flat view of what a
digital textbook might be is too narrowly focused to take into account access via
digital learning devices to a wide variety of learning tools. In some cases, a digital
textbook may come from several sources and only be collected together as a part
of a curriculum framework website. This model is referred to as an “open source”
textbook. In other cases, a digital textbook may be a supplement to a physical
counterpart that contains specific examples while the digital components provides
supportive instructional strategies, practice, pre & post assessment activities as
well as a benchmarking component to evaluate student progress.
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It is more valuable to have in place evaluation methodologies that provide a
framework within which digital instructional support materials can be evaluated
based on their curricular purpose. Standardizing on specific software, websites,
web applications, and supporting tools creates a baseline from which schools can
plan and provide relevant instructional support for teachers.
The first step in this direction is to determine the instructional support for pre-
existing digital instructional resources. If tools are un-used or underused,
evaluating them will not have the payoff that evaluating better used and integrated
tools. Evaluation should be based on three main factors:
• Teacher perceived value – The value of the tool based on what they can do
with the student achievement data or performance enhancements they find
when using the digital resource.
• Instructional support – What resources exist to support the use of the
digital resource for teachers and is there a possibility to expand that support
while ensuring teacher use remains.
• Student success – Isolating the student success to a digital resource is
always incredibly difficult and we believe firmly that the success of students
is dependent upon high quality teachers. That said, continuous student
improvement while using the digital tool suggests that it is at least a
significant component in determining student success.
The development of this evaluation instrument can therefore be used as selection
criteria for existing digital resources and for future pilot tests that may lead to
purchases. Furthermore, the teacher perceived value and instructional support
scores suggest whether or not a tool has the appropriate access for teachers. This
metric can then be used to scale infrastructure, licensing, and training to ensure
that proven tools can be delivered to teachers and students.
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Alignment to other plans and initiatives
Strategic Priority 3: Access to Digital Teaching and Learning Resources, Including
Digital Textbooks
Chatham County Schools will utilize and align with the following initiatives/plans to
reach for the vision and complete the strategic priorities of our plan...
Student 1:1 Student Laptop Plan
Race to the Top
LEA School Improvement Plans
Development of Digital Resource Evaluation Instrument Principals Media and Technology Advisory Council
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Access to Digital Teaching and Learning Resources, Including Digital Textbooks Targets Year 1 Year 2 Yearly Evaluation
Develop a K-20 partnership with a Higher Ed.
Institution begin looking at our current digital
resources.
Establish contact with a professor
at a Higher Education Institution to
discuss our interests.
Survey Results from a
developed instrument that helps
us evaluate digital resources.
Survey Results
Begin investigation of digital replacements for
print resources where appropriate.
Textbook Review Committee to
include Technology Services
Review
Evaluate eBooks as possible
alternative to print-based books.
List of new access to digital
replacements for print inventory.
Incorporate procured resources such as NC
WiseOwl, NCLive, and other open
educational resources into curriculum guides.
Provide Professional
Development District-wide for
owned resources.
Survey teachers about which
resources they’re finding most
valuable and revise purchasing
based on feedback.
Percentage of teachers who have
received training and are using
available technology resources.
Provide professional development to
principals regarding the integration, use, and
procurement processes for digital resources
at their schools.
Build PTMAC Participation. Scoring Rubric for Principals
with regard to technology
components in their
walkthroughs. Technology
integration as a new component
of LEA required School
Improvement Planning process.
PTMAC Membership & Technology
incorporated directly into School
Improvement Plans.
Use the Principals’ Media and Technology
Advisory Council to help shape the transition
plan to more digital resources K-12.
Build PTMAC Participation. PTMAC will submit a
recommendation to the
Superintendent regarding
expanded use of digital
resources.
PTMAC Membership &
Superintendent recommendation
document.
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Strategic Priority 4: A Districtwide Model of Technology-Enabled
Professional Development
Current Status and Moving Forward: Districts across the country are facing the realities of severe budget constraints. In
most cases, this has meant a reduction in capacity for face-to-face training as staff
development budgets and departments are cut. This places an increased focus on
providing high quality technology-enabled professional development for all
employees.
This requires a number of skill set changes for our employees including the ability
to adapt learning styles to incorporate technology facilitated learning. In addition,
the development of online resources requires training in a variety of new tools like
Camtasia for screen-cast based tutorials, audacity for audio recording, iMovie for
producing movies of training sessions, and the use of cameras, mics and other
tools used in digital content creation.
• What skills are needed to transition to digital teaching and learning resources?
• How can these skills be delivered and sustained to our LEA teachers and
administrators?
• How do teachers, administrators, and staff work with colleagues to guide our LEA toward more effective uses of 21st Century tools for teaching, learning, and managing
instruction?
• How are teachers, administrators, and staff prepared to understand, implement, and
assess the span of skills and processes that students need to succeed in the 21st
Century?
• How are teachers, administrators, and staff prepared to apply 21st Century assessment systems to inform instruction and measure 21st Century knowledge, skills, performance,
and dispositions?
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In addition, a central warehouse for this professional development will need to be
created, maintained, and organized so that it becomes a singular destination for
employees. This will reduce the overall channel conflict that can occur when every
group of trainers is undertaking their own initiatives for the creation and delivery of
training.
The asynchronous training opportunities will also need to be supplemented by
distributed synchronous training models using a variety of tools like GoToMeeting,
TelePresence Systems like Lifesize/Polycom, and Skype in some cases. Every
teacher is issued a laptop computer, which makes Skype & GoToMeeting viable
tools to provide synchronous training. Employees will, however, need training and
support in the use of these tools because many do not currently use them in their
classrooms.
Finally, a blended learning approach can be taken for everything from meetings to
professional development. This model takes advantage of using Moodle or
WikiSpaces as a centralized asynchronous learning environment, which has
supplemental synchronous events via Skype or Tele-Presence tools. This model
provides the best of both worlds and gives ongoing support to adult learners who
may need access to a variety of formats to suit both their schedules and learning
styles.
At the heart of this effort will be reflective data-driven management of the
resources. Some strategies to ensure that these efforts are providing the return on
investment we hope are:
• Usage Tracking – The ability to see whether or not a resource or topic has
interest so that future tutorials or staff development sessions can be planned
based on actual interest rather than perceived interest.
• Surveying – Asking employees what topics and formats most interest them
to determine the most effective way to ensure that training is provided.
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• Accountability Model – The development of a process through which
employees are evaluated on their effective use of required training.
Essentially, how can we certify that training has been delivered, understood,
and was effective.
• Outcomes Evaluation – Polling to see how provided professional
development is being implemented. This can include topical evaluations
such as the number of teachers who use a particular instructional strategy
that was provided or subject based such as looking at if there’s an increase
in the usage of an electronic tool like Discovery Education after training has
been delivered.
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Alignment to other plans and initiatives
Strategic Priority 4: A Districtwide Model of Technology-Enabled Professional
Development.
Chatham County Schools will utilize and align with the following initiatives/plans to
reach for the vision and complete the strategic priorities of our plan...
Video Conferencing (Synchronous & Asynchronous solutions)
LEA School Improvement Plans
Common Core & Essential Standards District Curriculum Development
Curriculum Mapping
Moodle & WikiSpaces
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Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
A Districtwide Model of Technology-enabled Professional Development Targets Year 1 Year 2 Yearly Evaluation
Consolidate online asynchronous training in a
single location.
Technology & Media Governance
Groups along with Instructional
Services identify the location and
begin a pilot to test how it works.
Promotion as a pilot to gauge
teacher feedback.
Migrate all asynchronous
training materials to the
centralized location selected in
year 1. Promotion to teachers
as a single destination for
training.
Year 1 – Select single location and
set up initial pilot.
Year 2 – Migration of content
completed.
Prepare School-based technology leaders to
support technology-enabled professional
development methods.
Ensure school-based technology
personnel and curriculum support
leaders have had face-to-face
training covering the use of
synchronous and asynchronous
tools.
First full year of widespread
technology facilitated
professional development in
asynchronous and synchronous
environments.
Year 1 – Sign in sheets & CEUs
issued.
Year 2 – Usage tracking statistics
for online training.
Train the Trainers in the use of digital content
creation and online instructional design
practices to ensure high quality internally
created resources are available.
Train trainers on the synchronous
tools like Skype & Lifesize so they
can begin immediate use of those
tools.
Train trainers on asynchronous
tools like Moodle, WikiSpaces,
for hosting and Camtasia for
content creation.
Year 1 – Trainers will use
synchronous training tools at least
once.
Year 2 – Trainers will develop at
least one asynchronous training
module for hosting within
WikiSpaces or Moodle.
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Last Updated: 4/2/2012
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Strategic Priority 5: 21st Century Leadership for All School and District
Leaders
Current Status and Moving Forward: The Principals’ Media & Technology Advisory Council, referred to as PMTAC
henceforth, was created in the Spring of 2011 to provide Principals an opportunity
to shape a 21st Century vision for schools. The original charge was to provide a
governance structure that provided Principals an opportunity for:
• Professional Development – Providing principals with direct professional
development skills on everything from leading technology change in schools
to how to use a SMART Board.
• Centralized Updates – A way to not only disseminate news and events
within both the Media & Technology programs, but also to have discussions
related to media and technology issues.
• Governance & Guidance – Provide a standardized way to receive
feedback, input, and guidance on what schools are most needing in terms of
technology and media program support.
• Are Principals and Central Office leaders prepared to lead and create a vision for 21st
Century Education?
• Are mechanisms in place for school leaders to create 21st Century learning cultures?
• Are professional growth programs/opportunities available to prepare teachers and
administrators to lead 21st Century learning environments?
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Last Updated: 4/2/2012
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
The issue with this is that we currently don’t have ways to solicit and incorporate
student voices in the governance discussion of technology & media education. The
Executive Director of Technology & Media Education meets with the following
groups on a monthly basis:
• Instructional Services Directors – The monthly instructional services
division meetings provide an opportunity to collaborate about instructional
technology challenges at a district-wide level.
• Principals – PMTAC
• K-8 Lead Technology Teachers – Teachers who also wear the hat of
instructional technology specialist within their schools that serve any grade
K-8.
• High School Tech Facilitators – All High Schools have a full-time Tech
Facilitator that acts as a collaborator, trainer, and instructional specialist for
all things technology related.
• Media Coordinators – Each school has a full time media coordinator
through which technology and media projects are often coordinated. These
are also the frontline advocates for technology and information skills in
schools serving any grade K-8.
This provides a broad representation of school cultures from the district level
through school administration and down to the granularity of teachers. It does not,
however, incorporate the student voice in the governance of technology. In effect,
this excludes the most central stakeholder group in the district. By including
students in the governance structure of technology the district can help focus
professional development and look at what is effective through the eyes of the
group most directly accountable for taking advantage of what a collaborative 21st
Century learning environment has to offer.
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Last Updated: 4/2/2012
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Alignment to other plans and initiatives
Strategic Priority 5: 21st Century Leadership for All Principals and District Leaders
Chatham County Schools will utilize and align with the following initiatives/plans to
reach for the vision and complete the strategic priorities of our plan...
Video Conferencing (Synchronous & Asynchronous solutions)
LEA School Improvement Plans
Common Core & Essential Standards District Curriculum Development Principals Media and Technology Advisory Council
School Media and Technology Advisory Councils
Data Warehousing & Dashboard from SAS
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Last Updated: 4/2/2012
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
21st Century Leadership for All Principals and District Leaders Targets Year 1 Year 2 Yearly Evaluation
Create a vision of 21st Century education that
can be implemented in Chatham County
Schools.
Build PTMAC Participation Outline the specific 21st Century
skillsets required of all teachers
to be successful 21st Century
Professionals.
Year 1 – PTMAC Participation.
Year 2 – Skillset Document.
Provide School Administrator focused
professional development at Administrative
Meetings and through the PMTAC.
Survey Principals to discover
topics that are most relevant to
their experience that will provide a
benefit for leading in a 21st
Century school setting.
Provide short and specific
Principal Media & Technology
professional development as a
component at each
Administrative Team Meeting.
Year 1 – Survey Results
Year 2 – Training Agendas
Add a Student-centric governance structure
and group for technology & media education
in Chatham County Schools.
Survey Students about technology
in Chatham County Schools to
gauge interest and attitudes
related to technology.
Convene quarterly student-
centric governance group.
Year 1 – Survey Results.
Year 2 – Sign In Sheets & Agendas
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Last Updated: 4/2/2012
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Appendix B: Policies and Procedures
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Policy, Procedure, & Guidelines Implementation Chart
Policies, Procedures, & Guidelines LEA Policy Code or
Procedure
LEA Adoption,
Implementation
or Revision
Date REQUIRED POLICIES:
Materials Selection Policy Policy 3200
Procedure 3200
11/26/2007
Disposal of Equipment / Replacement of Obsolete
Equipment
Policy 6560 9/14/2009
Hardware and Software Procurement Policy 3220 11/26/2007
Copyright Policy Policy 3230-7330 7/9/2007
Acceptable Use Policy Policy 3225-7320
Regulation 3225-7320
7/9/2007
Equipment/Materials Donation Policy Policy 5010 8/6/2007
Data Privacy Policy Policy 3225-7320 7/9/2007
Inventory Control Policy Policy 8351 12/10/2007
Access to Services Policy Policy 4001 8/26/2006
Student Discipline and Liability Policy Policy 4300 8/8/2011
Remote Access Policy Policy 7325 8/28/2006
Virus Protection Policy Policy 7325 8/28/2006
NC WISE ID & Password Workstation Policy Regulation 3225-7320 7/9/2007
Security Awareness Policy Policy 3220 11/26/2007
Network Security Policy Policy 3220 11/26/2007
Advertising and Commercialism Policy Policy 5240 8/6/2007
Internet Safety (CIPA) Policy 3225-7320 7/9/2007
Bullying & Harassment Policy 1710-4021-7230 1/14/2011
CCS Technology Plan 2012-2014
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Last Updated: 4/2/2012
Chatham County Schools Technology Plan
Technology Plan 2012-2014
Policies, Procedures, & Guidelines LEA Policy Code or
Procedure
LEA Adoption,
Implementation
or Revision
Date
SUPPLEMENTARY PROCEDURES & GUIDELINES:
Hardware and Software Deployment Policy 3220 11/26/2007
Outdated Resources Policy 3200 11/26/2007
Disaster Recovery Policy 3220 11/26/2007
Assessment Policy 3410 12/5/2011
Web Page Development Policy 3227-7322 7/9/2011