Winthrop Public Schools

 

District Technology Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

2008 – 2011

 

 

 

 

July 1, 2008
Table of Contents

 

 

Winthrop School, Community and Parental Involvement....................................................... 3

Vision ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Technology Planning Committee............................................................................................ 4

......................................... Statement of Economic Status..................................................... 4

Goals....................................................................................................................................... 5

Necessary Technology........................................................................................................            6

Equipment .............................................................................................................................. 5

Adult and Community Education......................................................................................... 7

Strategies for Improving Academic Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness...................... 8

Integration of Technology ....................................................................................................... 8

Supporting Resources and Professional Development......................................................... 8

Steps to Increase Accessibility............................................................................................... 9

Promotion of Curricula and Teaching Strategies that Integrate Technology.......................... 9

Innovative Delivery Strategies................................................................................................. 10

Accountability Measures  ....................................................................................................... 10

 

Appendix A   ........................................................................................................................... 11

Appendix B   ........................................................................................................................... 20

 

Budget

Year 1 (2008-2009)          ....................................................................................................... 22

Year 2 (2009-2010)          ....................................................................................................... 23

Year 3 (2010-2011)          ....................................................................................................... 24

 

Educational Technology Foundations for Educators.............................................................. 25

Winthrop Community and Parental Involvement

 

Technology is used to communicate with the Winthrop Community in the following ways:

 

·           E-mail is used to communicate with both students and parents regarding academics and upcoming events.

·           Homework hotline is available for students and parents to access by phone.

·           Internet (Winthrop Public School's web site) is used to post announcements, forms, Winthrop Board of Education meeting agendas and minutes, calendars and any other pertinent information.

·           PowerSchool is a web based Student Information System that allows parents access to their child's grades, attendance records, discipline records and daily school bulletin.

·           All schools are equipped phones and with Centrex and voice mail to insure communication with parents.

·           Periodic newsletters are mailed to parents.

 

School District Vision for Technology

 

Winthrop Public School defines technology as current and emerging enabling electronic tools such as equipment, programs, communications, networks, and related systems that empower the learner and/or educator to access, manage, process, interpret and communicate information. Technology use will be governed by these guiding ideas:

 

·           Technology is an essential tool for all students to achieve the Learning Results, and as such, every student has equal access and opportunity to use it to support individual and district learning goals.

·           Technology planning is not just about equipment; it's about how and why people will use technology to make informed decisions to enhance student learning. Technology planning is dovetailed with all other school and district planning.

·           The community plays an integral role in planning for and using technology to support learning.

·           Technology provides a means for sharing data and resources for making informed

decisions to support quality teaching and learning.

·           Technology requires training to use it effectively and requires professional

development to use it thoughtfully. Technology will always require support.

·           The evidence of effective use of technology is its integration into curriculum,

instruction and assessment as a means to improve student performance.

 

Technology Planning Committee.

 

Ike Dyer                                                                                                        School Board Member

Danielle Doucette                                                                                           High School Teacher

Sally Stone                                                                                                  Middle School Teacher

Lisa Gilman                                                                                                 Middle School Teacher

Amy Deshane                                                                                             Middle School Teacher

Scott Eldridge                                                                                                     Special Education

Marcia Lusczki                                                                                            Grade School Teacher

Cathy Merrill                                                                                                 Grade School Teacher

Kimberly S. Morin                                                               K-12 Integrative Technology Specialist

 

 

 

Statement of Economic Status:

 

Winthrop public schools have an E-rate level of 60%. The Free and reduced lunch level is currently at 23.5%. One factor that impacts our revenues is the lack of space within the town limits to build new housing. Winthrop has a high number of families that are nearing retirement. Their children no longer attend our school system, and therefore we are seeing a decrease in state funding based on our student enrollment. With no place to build homes, new families with children are not able to move to the community as people are keeping their homes. We will continue the decline in enrollment, which will cause an increasing funds shortage to operate the school system over the next several years.

 

Goals

 

The tools and skills students will use in each content area are listed in the Needs Assessment section, but not limited to just these skills. Students use the technology-learning guide, outlined in Appendix A, as a way to become life-long technology learners and users

 

Each Student will:

 

1.       Demonstrate and advocate for the legal and ethical behaviors among peers, family, and community regarding the use of technology and information.

 

2.      Use the appropriate technology tools and resources for managing and communicating personal/professional information.

 

3.      Make informed choices among technology systems, resources and services.

 

4.      Efficiently use online resources to meet the needs for research, publications, communications, and productivity.

 

5.      Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem-­solving, and decision-making in content learning.

 

6.      Collaborate with others to use technology to compile, synthesize, produce and disseminate information and other creative works.

 

7.      Evaluate online options for learning, including distance education, for lifelong    learning.

 

Each Educator will:

1.      Demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts.

2.      Plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.

3.      Implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning.

4.      Apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies.

5.      Use technology to enhance student productivity and instructor professional practice.

6.      Understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice.

7.      Have the capacity to align technology instruction with each other and the state Parameters for Essential Instruction, NETS, and the needs of each student throughout the school district.

·              Share common understanding, and knowledge of related skills of the best teaching and learning practices, which support the learning of technology and the high achievement of all students.

·              Engage in continuous self-development about teaching and learning with technology, share effective strategies, and teach and learn from each other.

Needs Assessment

 

The current network provides Internet access within all three buildings, including all classrooms and computer labs. This access is via a T1 connection in Winthrop Grade School over a Linux/Samba server with an Apple/Windows client. The grade school also includes a computer lab with 18 PC's and an LCD projector and at least one student and one teacher PC in every classroom, grades 3 - 5. Pods of three student computers exist in all classrooms grades Pre K – 2. The grade school also houses a Linux thin client lab with 24 computers and a mobile lab with 24 iBooks. Winthrop Public School has adopted a Centrex phone system throughout the district to assist with teacher parent communication through the use of voice mail.

 

Winthrop Middle School participates in the Maine Learning Technology Initiative where one-to-one computing is available for all 7th and 8th grade students and teachers. A computer lab, equipped with 20 PC's, is available to 6th grade students and teachers. In addition, four mobile labs are available to 6th grade students and teachers. Each cart contains 24 computers.

 

 Winthrop High School is equipped with Internet access through Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and houses a Windows 2003 Server Client solution. The high school also houses the district Student Information System (SIS) which is a web based solution deployed from a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. Parents and students are provided with login and password information to access grades through a web portal.  

 

With the ease of access to, and wealth of information available on the internet, it is Winthrop Public School’s priority to educate students on Internet safety and cyberethics. In order to achieve our goals as a district, students will be introduced to computers in the Pre Kindergarten program. From Pre K to grade 2, students develop basic computer skills through discovery using programs such a KidPix and Paint. Keyboarding begins in grade 3 using KTouch, an open source software. In addition, grades 3 – 8 follow iSafe curriculum guide for Internet safety and cyberethics. Students participate in online activities addressing issues such as sharing information, netiquette, cyberbulling, plagiarism, and social networking. Grades 9 – 12 integrates cyberethics in to core disciplines by addressing plagiarism, ecommerce, bias and validity of information online, and social networking as a form of communication.

 

All disciplines, grades 3-12 integrate technology as a tool for research. This is achieved through WebQuests, data analysys, research, and multimedia design. In addition, grades 6-12 use video as a form of communication for public service announcements and general film production. Moodle, course management software, is used by teachers grades 6 -12 as a tool for communication and supplemental online learning in the form of Wikis, Blogs, and forums. It is the general philosophy of Winthrop Public Schools to introduce technology to our students as a means of becoming life long learners.

 

Each teacher receives a copy of the Technology Plan and has access to it online. The approved plan is presented at a faculty meeting and all revisions are presented in each subsequent year. Technology training is developed throughout the year based on a needs assessment surveys and the acquisition of new or upgraded software. North West Evaluation Association (NWEA) testing is conducted online in the Fall and Spring. Faculty members are given a workshop day to evaluate student assessments and identify deficits in curriculum based on test results. Core curriculum maps for Math, English, Science and Social Studies are recorded in Techpaths electronic curriculum-mapping database. Specials and Unified Arts (music, art, physical education) and elective course are entered into diary maps. Teachers utilize early release and workshops days to revise core curriculum and diary maps and to analyze curriculum with colleagues both horizontally (same grade level) and vertically (same discipline). All curriculum units reference standards addressed in Maine’s Parameters for Learning, NETS, and classroom assessments

 

 

 

 

 

Equipment:

 

Adult Ed

Computers Pentium IV 3.0 - 800.................................................................................... 11

Printers............................................................................................................................. 5

 

High School

Computers

Pentium IV 1.8 - 2.4................................................................................................ 15

Pentium D Dual Core 3.0 GHz.............................................................................. 40

Printers......................................................................................................................... 10

LCD Projectors............................................................................................................. 5

SmartBoards................................................................................................................ 4

Mobile Lab w/24 Computers......................................................................................... 1

Scanners...................................................................................................................... 3

MacBooks for all faculty................................................................................................ 33

 

 

Grade School

Computers Pentium IV 1.4 - PIV 2.8............................................................................. 143

Printers.......................................................................................................................... 14

iBook G3........................................................................................................................ 30
Scanners....................................................................................................................... 2

LCD Projectors............................................................................................................. 2

                                          2

 

Middle School

Computers Pentium PIV 2.8......................................................................................... 26    

Printers.......................................................................................................................... 7

MLTI iBooks................................................................................................................... 147

6th Grade iBooks........................................................................................................... 60

Scanners....................................................................................................................... 2

LCD Projectors............................................................................................................. 3

Smart Board.................................................................................................................. 1

 

Business/Performance Software:

Spreadsheets

Database

Keyboarding

Word Processing

Society/Career

Electronic Communication

Productivity Tools/Multimedia Presentation

Organizational/Brainstorming

Publishing

Digital Editing

Drafting

 

Adult and Community Education:

 

The Monmouth/Winthrop Adult & Community Education will continue to use the computer lab in the High School for Adult Education academic courses. A small computer lab also exists within the Adult Education building. In conjunction with the Maine Department of Labor, Adult Education students use a career counseling program called Choices, Plato, an online curriculum, and Resume Writing. Also, ITV students use the lab for accessing UMA accounts and BlackBoard.

 

The office staff uses phone and e-mail as a means of communication as well as the Internet for research and for posting our course listings. Each adult education site in the state with an Adult Basic Education Grant is also required to use the state MAEMIS system to report electronically to the Maine Department of Education. In addition to the state mandated use of MAEMIS, we are also tracking enrichment courses and rely less on the archive of paper documents.

 

We also have a contract with University of Maine to run four classrooms with ITV classes during the fall, spring and summer-session 1. Of these rooms we have one class Monday to Friday from 1:00-3:45 p.m. available, and then four additional classrooms available from 4:00-6:45 p.m. and 7:00-9:45 p.m. ITV courses are offered in both the adult ed classrooms and in the high school classrooms. Students may also access courses at Winthrop High School through the ATM system.

 

Strategies for Improving Academic Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness

 

NCLB and E-rate funds will be directed in part for staff development and for teacher training to learn the skills needed to successfully integrate technology into the classroom. It is our goal to provide each teacher with a minimum of one workshop per year based on technology integration and the acquisition of 21 Century skills.  The computers in the classroom and learning laboratories will support this training.

 

Each school has an Ed Tech III specifically hired to support technology. These staff members assist with technology integration, computer repair and professional development. The district also employs a Technology Coordinator who oversees curriculum, purchasing, professional development and equipment repair.

 

Integration of Technology with Curricula, Instruction and Assessment

 

The assessment process involves two levels, the first being students and the second, the assessment of the teachers.

·                     Each school has a computer lab with an educational technician III to assist teachers with using the equipment and software, and integrating technology into the curricula. The Technology Coordinator is also available to assist teachers and students with technology integration. Technology benchmarks for the district are based on the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) as outlined in appendix A. All students are required to take keyboarding and a computer applications course in grades 6, 7 and 8. Students reach a level of computer proficiency at grade 8 and continue to improve upon their skills at the high school level. Students are assessed in the form of e-portfolio at the grades of 5, 8 and 11 based on criteria outlined in a rubric.

 

·                     Teachers and administrators set goals and assess progress toward those goals. All teachers must have a minimum of one goal involving technology integration. In addition, the faculty survey, "Educational Foundations for Technology in Educators" (Attachment B), will be completed by teachers and submitted to building administrators with their professional goals. Survey results will be collected and compiled by the District Technology Integration Specialist and the resulting data will be used to determine the areas of need. The technology department will provide training to support these goals based on survey results and give input to the building administrator about the teacher's progress. The building administrator, with input from the Technology Coordinator, will do the actual assessment of the teacher's achievement of his/her goal(s).

Supporting Resources and Professional Development

It is the plan of the school district to use the programs offered through MLTI, ED2GO, Cyberlearning, and the University of Maine System to develop the skills required by teachers to integrate interoperability of educational components into the classroom. Funds from NCLB will be directed to support this training.

 

The District Technology Team will develop and provide training based on the needs identified through faculty surveys. Workshop days will be dedicated for faculty training in technology. Training will include Rapid Web Design training for faculty web page development, designing and assessing digital portfolios, ATM instructor training, and Student Information Software training for support staff, teachers and parents. Training modules will continue to be offered after school to further assist faculty with their technology needs and goals. This will support the staff development and integration of technology in teacher's curricula and instruction.

 

Steps to Increase Accessibility

 

The equipment listed is at various stages of operational capabilities. All classrooms have access to the Internet. The district primary platform will continue to be PC. We will continue to participate in the MLTI and will retain Laptops for our 7" and 8" grade students over the next two years. All students in grades 4 - 12 have Network accounts and are required to connect to the school network. This privilege allows the students accessibility to equipment, a personal directory, and Internet. Our standard software package is Microsoft Office product. We use this package at all levels in our instructional process. At the middle school (7 & 8) grade we use AppleWorks as part of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative. As the students move to the secondary level, they will go back to the Microsoft package. We will also have open source office suites, such as OpenOffice, available to students to allow those students without Microsoft Office to complete assignments at home when necessary. This will eliminate platform compatibility issues between software. This software will also be available K-6 as we migrate toward a complete open sources solution in various areas of Winthrop Grade School and Winthrop Middle School. Teachers have the freedom to use software that they purchase for individual learning goals. This plan provides equipment, software and training to teachers over a three year period that supports teachers' and students' efforts to develop the skills to meet the Parameters for Essential Instruction. The equipment not only includes software, computers, and communication but also supports students' learning in audio and video production. It provides the educator with the ability to have on demand video based educational tools.

 

 

Promotion of Various Curricula and Teaching Strategies that Integrate Technology

 

Computer Education: Students - Students will gain skills, confidence and interest in the use of computer technology. As they receive instruction in all areas of the curriculum, they will concurrently learn the skills delineated in Appendix A. As students move from the introduction to mastery levels of the technology skills, they will be learning to use the following tools to meet the Parameters for Essential Instruction. Each tool is associated with a specific Learning Result and supports the students' learning experiences. Technology is an across-the-curriculum learning tool; therefore, students' learning results will differ based on the content area of instruction.

 

Computer Education: Teachers - Educators will set goals to move toward technology integration in all content areas. Teachers will be surveyed about their technology needs (training, hardware, etc.). The results from this survey will determine the training offered and equipment necessary to achieve their goals. In addition, teachers will receive training and to master technology skills necessary to reach the goals as outlined in Appendix B. The strategic goal is to provide the necessary tools for all teachers to easily integrate technology into their curriculum. This will give teachers the skills needed to support student learning and achieve the Parameters for Essential Instruction.

 

Innovative Delivery Strategies

Students have the opportunity to receive courses, not offered by the Winthrop School System, through Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). These courses provide real time contact with the instruction through TCP/IP and television. Students use e-mail, Web Logs and an on line course management system to deliver assignments to the instructor. The instructor has the ability to project his/her computer screen onto the TV, as well as the use of a document CAM and VHR. Web Logs are also used in the regular classroom to communicate with students in other states or countries.

All high school classes are equipped with ability to broadcast video through our VOIP media retrieval system.

FirstClass e-mail software allows teachers to post information questions to a bulletin board and create a "drop box" folder. Students have the ability to post responses to the bulletin board or drop assignments into the public folder.