Next Steps

• Utilize resources and training from netSmartz.org and NetSmartzKids.org
• Schedule B Technology Lead teachers and librarians work with parents and teachers
• Information presented to PTO or at laptop parent meetings
• Links to information on web site

Next Steps

• Provide teachers with awareness of high quality teaching and learning with technology:
  • Workshop and conference opportunities for teachers interested piloting and sharing with other teachers
  • Local and CBEA workshops - particularly around using technology to differentiate instruction
  • Sharing of articles and web sites
  • Highlighting best practices in monthly technology reports to the school board
  • Occasional t eam meetings with Director of Student Planning and Learning Options to share technology use among team
  • Using the expertise of classroom teachers such as those working on degrees in library science and instructional technology
• Provide teachers time with technology support to develop technology based units and/or assessments around learning results
  • Technology teachers, librarians technology lead teachers and director of student planning and learning options work with teachers using a coaching style of professional development. (Section 12 - Professional Development)
  • Technology staff is available to construct web based research units based on content provided by teachers.
  • Librarians work with students and teachers to incorporate technology into the research process.
• Use ATM technology at the high school to expand student and teacher learning opportunities including direct and synchronous learning experiences with off site resources, professional development experiences for teachers, and use of ATM equipment for in-school teaching when not being used for distance purposes.
• Continue work with All-Tech to ensure that all staff understands how current software.
• Use technology based options when those options best meet individual learning needs (i.e. Plato, online courses)
• Pilot the use of web based classes to provide support for technology integration.

Funds for substitutes and/or summer pay and course, conference and workshop reimbursement

Software and web based options

Next Steps

Curriculum specific software

• Content teams working with the Assistant Superintendent determine appropriate curriculum specific software.
• Librarians, director of student planning and learning options, technology teachers and technology lead teachers provide recommendations for high quality curriculum-based web sites. See Section 7 - Integration - Concentration #2
• Director of Student Planning and Learning Options and technology staff provides:
  • Criteria for evaluating curriculum specific software and web sites
  • Reviews of curriculum specific software and web sites
  • Guidelines for using curriculum specific software and web sites
  • Training, where necessary on use of selected curriculum specific software and web sites
• Time for teachers to integrate software into standards based curriculum.
• Work with administrators on budgeting for curriculum specific software.
• Continue to document the use of software and curriculum based web sites on the school web site aligning technology use with learning results.
• Continue Local Assessment System documentation on the web site.

K-2 Use of Technology to Support Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

• The K-2 study group above researches best practices for K-2 use of technology and makes recommendations.

Distance, distributed, and web based learning

• Assistant superintendent, director of student planning and learning options, high school administration and teacher leaders investigate web based courses for high school students. See Section 7 - Integration - Concentration #2
• Work with high school staff and administration to determine the value of creating a high school schedule that makes use of the ATM room and distributed learning more feasible.
• High School librarian and Director of Student Planning and Learning Options assist teachers in using the ATM facility for courses, units of study, and collaborative teaching with other schools
• Through the high school Student Centered Team, various options are communicated to high school guidance, administration, and teachers.
• Pilot use of web based courses by students (05-06, 06-07)
• Pilot at least one web based course taught by a Falmouth High School teacher using free Moodle server software (by 07-08)
• Continue to expand use of web based software such as PLATO and Agile Mind software

District budget (technology, professional development, personnel)

Next Steps

• Continue to work with teachers in grades 3 through 10 to develop web based research investigations similar to the Maine Studies and Bellingham Online Research Investigations.
• Use the common language based on Jamie McKenzie's research cycle
• Use TurnItIn.com at the high school level to provide students tools to improve their abilities to synthesize information and create original written documents based on research.
• See also:
  • Professional Development
  • Promotion of Various Curricula and Teaching Strategies that Integrate Technology

Next Steps

• Continue course on "Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction"
• Work with All-Tech to ensure that special education staff can use technology to support universally designed teaching practices.
• Continue subscription to TurnItIn.com and support for its use at the high school.
• Continue and expand use of NWEA assessments providing teachers with immediate data on student performance levels
• Provide more professional learning opportunities for using PowerSchool to access student data.

Next Steps

• Continue to customize PowerSchool, the district-wide student information system in order to provide access to a wide range of student performance data.
• Continue and expand use of NWEA assessments providing teachers with immediate data on student performance levels
• Teacher content teams, with support from the assistant superintendent and director of student planning and learning options continue to develop technology based assessments(electronic portfolios, products demonstrating student learning using technology)
• Continue to update the website to communicate our Comprehensive Local Assessment System to all stakeholders. This includes essential outcomes, benchmarks, sample work, common assessments, Maine Learning Results, and references to how and where technology supports the Comprehensive Local Assessment System.
• Provide training on using Microsoft Excel to analyze data.
• District provides professional development on data-driven instruction.

Next Steps

• Computer teachers, classroom teachers, and building administrators monitor the advantages and disadvantages of a separate computer class for teaching computer skills to students - grades 3 through 6.
• Teach keyboarding in grades 3 through 5, and possibly grade 6
• Offer technology clinics for students and staff during study hall periods to focus on particular technology skills.
• Install keyboarding software on student laptops where needed
• Using a curriculum based common assessment, assess student technology skills by the end of each grades 4, 6, 8 and 10. For example, this assessment might be an inquiry-based research project in social studies resulting in a web-site or Hyperstudio presentation.
  • Review technology expectations for student technology skills at grades 4, 6, 8, and 10
  • Provide a rubric for the technology aspects of the above assessments.
• Provide instruction (course offering, summer academy experience) for high school students whose technology skills do not meet standards.
• Investigate the pros and cons of requiring students to demonstrate a minimum set of technology skills in order to graduate.
• Expand student iTeams at the high school and middle school to teach technology skills to peers and staff.

Next Steps

• See step one of 10 - Steps to provide accessibility

See Section 10

Continue to purchase Microsoft Office for new computers (until Open Office for Mac OS X becomes an easily used alternative)

Pen drives

See Section 4 - Necessary Technology

and All-Tech recommendations

District technology budget
Community -tech user fee
FEF

All-Tech assisted grants

Next Steps

• See steps outlined in Section 12 - Professional development

Next Steps (ongoing unless otherwise stated)

• See Section 12 - Professional development for specific descriptions of ongoing and proposed technology professional development initiatives
• Design authentic training so that teachers immediately use technology professional development experiences in the classroom
• Offer professional learning time for teachers to develop lessons, units, and assessments that use technology to transform the learning process
• Offer choices of technology training that address different needs, interests and ability levels
• Combine technology professional development with other district needs for professional development
• Use students to assist staff, teachers, and parents in use of technology
• Offer professional development in the use of technology to support the process of research and synthesis and communication of learnings
• Offer professional development in the use of technology to differentiate instruction
• Communicate on a regular basis technology professional development opportunities - coaching, workshops on-site, workshops in the greater Portland area, CD and web based opportunities, conferences, grant opportunities

Next Steps

• Use technology where applicable to gather and/or process data on how time is used in the district
• Use Internet resources to research models that have worked in other districts
• Customize PowerSchool to work with schedules that are created to best support student learning
• Offer web based course options to students (allowing more options and avoiding scheduling conflicts).

First 3 can be done with existing technology personnel resources.

Online courseware, funds for training teacher(s) to teach online, consortium membership fee.

Next Steps

• Encourage use of the Community Resources Directory by:
  • Publicizing in the community
  • Informing teachers of specific resources in the directory
  • Sharing ways the directory is being used
  • Requesting teachers to enter a short summary of learnings from out-of-district professional development experiences
• Continue to:
  • Maximize use of technologies such as the web and email to communicate with the community
  • Use web based surveys to gather community perceptions of Falmouth schools
  • Communicate use of technology in our schools via the web, principal's notes, and technology fairs (both web and school based)
  • Inform the town of resources available for afternoon, evening, and summer courses
  • Provide the ATM room for community use.
  • Train secretarial staff to update web pages to communicate out and receive information from the community.
• Collaborate with Falmouth Community Programs to:
  • Bring parents up to speed in order to help support students at home
  • Investigate combining resources to train multiple audiences such as parents/teacher training or parent/student training
  • Provide technology facilities for community use.
• Use volunteers effectively to support our use of technology