Technology Profes

sional
Development Plan

Part I: Professional Development for Others

School Structure
Address: 18101 Alabama Highway 21
Sycamore, Alabama 35149
Administrators: Michelle Head,

Local School Technology Leader:

Jennifer Pounders
Certified Personnel: 18

Principal

Non-Certified Personnel: 5

Rosie Green, Guidance

Student Enrollment: 237

Counselor
Sycamore Elementary School is a small, Title I school located in rural Sycamore,
Alabama. The school serves students in grades kindergarten thru four. The campus also
houses a Head-Start facility for non-school aged children. Ms. Michelle Head is the only
supervisory administrator in this school. Due to education budget cuts and low student
enrollment she not only serves as the lone instructional leader, but she does not have a
school nurse and she shares both her Physical Education instructor and Title I Resource
Teacher with one or more other district schools. Ms. Head does not wallow in these
deficiencies but instead works harder to compensate for them for SES students.
I chose Sycamore Elementary as my subject for this project while I was
completing the initial phase of my residency requirements. Ms. Head and I were hired
into Talladega County Schools together in 2006 and for the first three years of my tenure
at Winterboro School Ms. Head served as my Assistant Principal. During this time she
earned my upmost respect by consistently being a consummate professional and showing
a tremendous amount of dedication, generosity, and compassion for WHS and its
students. She has since moved on to become the Principal of Sycamore Elementary and
upon arrival there to begin my shadowing activities it was apparent that she has shown
the same dedication and compassion at SES.

As the sole administrator at Sycamore, Ms. Head is extremely busy throughout

the day. While conversing with Ms. Head she stated that she was indeed lucky to have a
staff comprised of teachers that were not only gifted instructors but also illustrated a
genuine love of teaching and their students. However, if she had one thing that they
could improve upon it would have to be the integration of technology into their daily
instruction and activities. She also expressed that while she believes that staff should be
doing more with the available technology and resources within the building she did not
push the issue with staff because she felt that it was her responsibility as their
instructional leader to model these practices or provide them with proper training and
support. Ms. Head readily admits that she has plenty to learn in this arena but is willing
and eager to learn. I then offered to develop a plan for her to implement with her staff for
the forthcoming academic year. This plan would serve as the initial step in achieving her
long-range goal of daily and seamless integration of technology in all classes throughout
the instructional day.
Prior to the development of the Needs Assessment Survey the principal of the
organization detailed the equipment and resources that were readily available for staff to
utilize for daily instruction. These items included:

SMART and Promethean Interactive Boards (all classes)

SMART Slates

IPod Touches (twenty)

IPads (three IPad 1s and twenty IPad 2s)

Student desktop computers with Internet access (three to four in each classroom)

ELMO Document Cameras (ten)

Mobi Interactive Math Tablets (ten)

Computer Lab (one lab equipped with twenty-five to thirty computers with
Internet access)

Technology Needs Assessment: Survey and Results

The needs assessment portion of this plan was conducted via an emailed link to
the below listed Google Form (a copy of this survey and its results have been included in
this professional development plan or it may be accessed directly by visiting
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEttZFFNZTl5OTBFWGx6TTFVem1
mMWc6MQ#gid=0) Teachers then accessed the link, completed, and submitted the survey.

Thirteen of eighteen faculty members participated in the technology needs assessment

survey. Questions for the survey were strategically chosen to assess the areas of greatest
need and demand for the faculty of Sycamore Elementary.
Results of the survey yielded the following findings:

SES staff members believe that technology should be used in planning and
implementing daily lessons (31%) but there was very little time for mentoring
amongst technology savvy teachers and less experienced peers and there is no onsite Technology Specialist that could assist the teachers in designing lessons to
correlate with content objectives (45% expressed an urgent or critical need for
time and training; 47% requested additional assistance with aligning resources
with content objectives)

A majority of staff members expressed that they felt that mentoring one another
and sharing technological ideas and strategies with colleagues is important (53%)

They also stated that once a technology tool or resource was introduced that they
learned best independently rather than in a group (38%).

While a majority of faculty members acknowledged that integrating technology

into daily lessons and instruction is important and does increase student
engagement and motivation (53%), they also expressed apprehension about
allowing their elementary students utilize the Internet as a resource (53%).

They were afraid that students may visit inappropriate sites (53%) and were split
on the question of whether or not more discipline problems resulted from using
technological resources (39% believe that more discipline problems do not arise
and 43% believe that more discipline problems do arise).

Lastly, the survey results illustrated that staff members were fearful about
undertaking this endeavor. They stated that they believed that their students were
more knowledgeable with using technology than they (61%), technology is a
great tool but is often unreliable (53%), and that even if trained properly trained
on using equipment, locating strategies, and designing lessons technology
probably would not change their fundamental methods of instruction or improve
their ability to teach (46%).

I designed the Sycamore Elementary Technology Professional Development Plan for

staff based on these findings. All certified staff members (including Lead Technology
Teacher), the administrator, Reading Coach, and Guidance Counselor should participate
in implementing and monitoring this plan for the following reasons:

Certified Staff: education/training, mentoring, collaboration,

troubleshooting, and

Administrator: supervision and instructional leadership,

education/training, support of staff, and monitoring of plan

Reading Coach and Lead Technology Teacher: education/training,

designing and modeling lessons using technology, locating technological
strategies and resources, monitoring the implementation of the plan,
supporting staff

Guidance Counselor: education/training, monitoring of plan, supporting

staff

My goal is to develop a professional development plan for SES that: recognizes the
financial and scheduling constraints of the organization, encourages and provides
opportunities for collegial mentoring, and cultivates professional and personal confidence
and competency with respect to technology integration into daily lessons and instruction.
Professional Development Program Design
Goal: All Sycamore Elementary students, teachers, and administrators will use
technology effectively as an integrated tool for teaching, leading, and learning to foster a
broad range of educational opportunities and experiences.
Objectives:

Encourage the use of technology to provide learning that is relevant and authentic
for all participants

Enhance learning and teaching through the use of technology in accordance with
the course curriculum

Provide and encourage opportunities for mentoring and collegial support groups
that enable educators to become and remain proficient in the use of technology to
improve learning.

Provide all participants with current technology to improve learning.

The aforementioned goals and objectives were formulated to support the individual goals
and requests of certified staff (as expressed via the Needs Assessment Survey), Sycamore
Elementary School technology goals (as expressed by the 2011-2012 Continuous
Improvement Plan), the Talladega County Board Education, and State of Alabama
technological goals (as expressed via respective technology plans and initiatives). This is
a school-based professional development plan that includes teacher skill development
programs, collegial support groups, and teacher leadership.
During my employment with Talladega County Schools I have had the
opportunity to develop and conduct professional development sessions for district
employees entitled Web Tools for Dummies, Riding the 21st Century Rainbow, and
Infinite IPad Uses in Your Classroom. I have also attended professional development
sessions sponsored by the Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) and have since been
deemed qualified to conduct training sessions for teachers and other aspiring ALEX
trainers in the areas of web tools, group projection tools, professional social networking,
ALEX navigation, and incorporating video into the classroom. Due to the financial and
time constraints placed upon Ms. Head and Sycamore Elementary I have volunteered to
assist her and her team with planning, implementing, and locating additional free
resources to support this professional development plan. Therefore the funding for this
plan will come from:
A. Monies designated for the purchase of technology and technological resources in
the schools Continuous Improvement Plan
B. Talladega County-wide initiatives funded by the district (i.e. The 21st Century
Learners Initiative)

All professional development activities, with the exception of those designated otherwise
by Talladega County, will take place at the school during in-service days and/or during
faculty meetings. Also, I will be fulfilling the role of Trainer or Consultant as listed
in the activities below.
Orientation Phase
Facilitator of Activity
Administrator and
Consultant

Administrator and
Consultant

Activity
Formation of School Technology
Team
(Comprised of administrator,
Resource Teacher, Lead Technology
Teacher, and at least one
technologically savvy teacher per
grade level)
Orientation and Introduction of
School Technology Team

School Technology
Team

Orientation of staff

Trainer/Consultant

Purpose/focus of professional
development
Training schedule (topics,
dates, locations, etc.)
*Mentoring/support groups
Teacher responsibilities/
Administrator expectations
Initial Training of Staff

Why Use Web Tools?

Basic ALEX Navigation

Duration of
Activity/Frequency
Maximum of two meetings
one to two hours in length

Purpose of Activity
School Improvement

Introductionone email or
announcement to staff
Orientationone meeting
one to two hours in length
One meetingtwo hours in
length

School Improvement

One training sessionthree

hours in length to be
conducted during August inservice training

Technology
Development for
Increasing Student
Engagement

School Improvement

*Mentoring and support groups will be comprised of the designated lead technology
teacher for each grade level and three to four teachers possessing varied levels of
enthusiasm, ability levels, and personalities.

Integration Phase
During this phase, teachers will be expected to research and utilize at least one piece of
technology (iPod, IPad, ELMO Document Camera, SMART Board, Mobi, etc.) or
technological resource in a new way each month. Use of this technology or resource
should be noted in lesson plans and all teachers must provide evidence of technological
integration in the form of student products and/or a recorded lesson to be shared with the
staff.
Facilitator of Activity

Activity

School Technology
Team

Mentoring and Collaborative

Sharing

Trainer/Consultant

School Technology
Team

Mentors designated by the School

Technology Team will meet at least
one time each week informally during
lunch or more formally during a
common planning time to discuss
tools and/or resources they are
utilizing in their classrooms at that
time.
Teams should collaborate, share
success and failures, assist in
troubleshooting problems, and
provide support for one another
during this process.
Training Session #2
IPads on the Classroom: Apps and
Applications for Teachers and
Students
Progress Monitoring Meetings
Members of the Technology Team will
meet bi-weekly to provide feedback
with regards to current trainings,
teacher morale and progress, and
other mentoring activities. The team
will also utilize this time to
brainstorm strategies and suggest
tools and technology that mentors and
lead teachers can recommend to
collaborative support group members.

Duration of
Activity/Frequency
Weekly for the duration of
the school year/Varied
Lengths

Purpose of Activity

One training sessionone

to two hours in length
during October or
November
Bi-weekly meetingsone
hour in length throughout
the course of the academic
year

Technology
Development for
Increasing Student
Engagement
Improvement of the
Teaching Profession

Technology
Development for
Increasing Student
Engagement

Trainer/Consultant

Training Session #3
Project Based Learning: Aligning
Content Objectives with Real World
Applications

One Training Session

two to three hours in length
during January in-service

Technology
Development for
Increasing Student
Engagement

Refinement Phase
Facilitator of Activity

Activity

Staff

PBL/ Technology Lesson

Development
During this phase, teachers are
expected to design project based
learning lessons or lessons that
include the integrate technology in at
least two content areas and provide
evidence in the form of student
products or a recorded video of the
process.
Training Session #4
New & Improved Really Cool Tools

Trainer/Consultant

School Technology
Team and Staff

Sycamore Elementary Technology

Open House and Showcase
During the last PTO meeting of the
year, all SES teachers that received
training and participated in
professional development activities
should display student products or
demonstrate the use of a technological
tool or resource in an open house
format for parents and visitors. Goals
of this showcase are to recognize the
efforts of SES teachers and promote
stakeholder and community relations.

Duration of
Activity/Frequency
Ongoing during the
Spring semester

Purpose of Activity
Technology Development
for Increasing Student
Engagement
&
School Improvement

One Training
Sessionat least one
hour in length

Technology Development
for Increasing Student
Engagement

One PTO Meeting

Nighttwo to three
hours in length

School Improvement,
Improvement of the
Teaching Profession, and
Technology Development
for Increasing Student
Engagement

Evaluation
The administrator and/or the Local School Technology Leader should conduct
formative assessments at the conclusion of each mentoring and/or training session to

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gauge the success and failures of those activities and to gain more insight into the
attitudes, feelings, and opinions of staff members throughout the process. These
results should be used to adjust program goals and strategies for forthcoming
trainings and activities. These assessments could be conducted informal through
debriefing conversations at the conclusion of activities or more formally via print or
digital surveys.
The administrator should perform a summative evaluation of the professional
development activities at the conclusion of the academic year. Ms. Head stated that
before teachers are released for the summer she sits down with each teacher
individually and has a reflective conversation regarding their professional and
personal opinions of their performance and the academic year as a whole. She also
utilizes this time to address issues of concern and formulate goals and identify
potential areas of growth for the upcoming year. Adhering to reflective nature of this
conference, I developed the following questions that could also be discussed during
this conference.

About how many hours of professional development have you received this
year/About how many trainings have you attended to support your integration of
technology into your classroom?

Describe at least one success or area of growth that you have experienced as a
result of these professional development/training sessions?

Describe at least one difficulty that you have encountered or area of weakness that
you have identified as a result of these professional development/training
sessions?

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Do you feel as if you were adequately supported and/or prepared during this
process?

Looking forward, identify at least three technological tools, strategies, or

resources that you would like to suggest for forthcoming professional
development opportunities?

If the administrator feels as if staff would be uncomfortable offering negative

feedback or criticisms of the professional development activities, he/she may opt to have
the Local School Technology Leader conduct the surveys/reflective conversations with
peers or have staff members anonymously submit the surveys. Other privacy
considerations include paper based or online-based surveys for staff. If faculty members
express apprehension or reluctance to offer criticism, a digitally submitted survey would
be the best solution to obtain the most accurate feedback. Digital surveying provides
anonymity for staff members and creates an environment that fosters honesty and candor.
The administrator should then utilize this data to refine and/or expand upon the activities
of the previous year and plan activities for the forthcoming year. Findings of the
assessment of the previous year of professional development activities should be
compiled, distributed, and reported to staff prior to beginning the next phase of
professional development activities and trainings. The reporting of findings could be
conducted digitally over the summer break via an email, posted to school professional
workspace (private staff wiki or Moodle page), or via a handout or graphic presented
during in-service training prior to beginning new activities and school term. The
supervising administrator should review this data with staff members and explain how

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this information influenced and/or guided the formation of the new professional
development plan.
Part II: Continuous Improvement for Self
Assessment of Instructional Leadership Continuum
Standard
Standard 1: Planning for Continuous
Improvement
Standard 2: Teaching and Learning

Standard 3: Human Resources

Development
Standard 4: Diversity
Standard 5: Community and
Stakeholder Relationships
Standard 6: Technology
Standard 7: Management of a Learning
Organization

Standard 8: Ethics

Section
1A

Performance/Ability/Knowledge
Pre-Service Leadership

1B
1C
2A
2B
2C
3A

Pre-Service Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership
Developing Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership

3B
3C
4A
4B
5A

Pre-Service Leadership
Developing Leadership
Collaborative Leadership
Developing Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership

5B
6A
6B
6C
7A

Collaborative Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership
Accomplished Leadership
Developing Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership

7B
7C
7D
8A
8B

Pre-Service Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership
Pre-Service Leadership
Developing Leadership
Developing Leadership

Areas of Improvement
As a mere aspiring educational administrator and current classroom teacher, I fell
into the pre-service leadership category in most of the standards; therefore, there are lots

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of areas in which I must improve and grow. The areas that I have chosen to begin this
process are Planning for Continuous Improvement, Community and Stakeholder
Relations, and Management of a Learning Organization. These standards were chosen
because I believe that they will be crucial to my efficiency and survival in my formative
administrative years. The supplementary components of these standards are essential to
leading and ensuring the success of a learning organization and communicating the goals,
mission, and vision of the school with all stakeholders and community partners.
Each of these standards is broken down into smaller complimentary units. The
specific sub-standards that I have chosen for my personal professional growth are:

Standard 1: Planning for Continuous Improvement (1B)This component of

Standard 1 calls for instructional leaders to Plan effectively for school
improvement; uses critical thinking and problem-solving techniques; collects,
analyzes, and interprets data; allocates resources ("Alabama continuum for,"
2011).

Standard 5: Community and Stakeholder Relations (5B)This section of

Standard 5 address the ability of school administrators to Identify the unique
characteristics of the community to create and sustain mutually supportive schoolcommunity relations ("Alabama continuum for," 2011).

Standard 7: Management of a Learning Organization (7B)For me, this standard

is the one that piques my interest the most. This standard deals with managing
financial resources to accomplish school goals and priorities ("Alabama
continuum for," 2011)

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Personal Goals for Improvement and Timeline

I recognize that becoming an instructional leader will require tremendous amounts
of growth and flexibility in both the professional and personal spheres of my life. As a
wife and only child I believe that my family deserves the same dedication and time that I
allocate for my career and this is an extremely hard balance to achieve. Accordingly, I
have set the following personal goals for myself:

Designate at least one Saturday per month to spend time with my family doing
something enjoyable. While I have been pursuing this degree I am ashamed to
admit that I have gone for time periods as long as two months without physically
spending time with my mom and dad. As this program comes to a conclusion, I
have vowed to dedicate more time to my family and doing things that I enjoy such
as reading, biking, and going to spas.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences in the Educational Leadership program

and it has reignited my drive to reach new heights in my career. So, after
completing this program I would like to continue my education and obtain my
Educational Specialists certification or National Board Certification within the
next two years. I plan to investigate the admissions procedures and apply for one
of these programs within the next six months to a year.

Plan for Professional Growth

Join a professional leadership organization and become an active member. When

I complete this degree program, I plan to join the Council for Leaders in Alabama
Schools (CLAS) to become more informed and involved with educational issues

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within the state of Alabama. I also plan to attend conferences to receive further
instructional leadership education and training and to develop professional
contacts and relationships with other educational leaders throughout the state.
Timelinesix months

At this point I am unsure if I will apply for administrative jobs for the upcoming
academic year. Therefore, I plan to address my areas of weakness with regards to
planning for continuous improvement and managing the financial resources of a
learning organization by volunteering to serve in a leadership capacity on my
schools Continuous Improvement Plan and Budget committees. Over the past
six years I have served on both committees but I did not play an integral role and
often did not know, or care to know, about the procedures or inner workings of
these extremely complex panels. A majority of the schools within my district are
in some phase of School Improvement as designated by No Child Left Behind
legislation. Therefore, if I am to apply for administrative positions for the 20132014 academic term, serving in a leadership capacity within these committees will
give me firsthand and embedded experience with tasks that are vital to the
survival of a learning organization. I also plan to ask my administrator if he/she
would allow me to sit in/shadow situations that involve budgeting or the CIP for
our school. Timelineone year

My district is located in rural, central Alabama and most of our schools are
located within a ten to fifteen mile radius of one another. Therefore, the ability to
locate and form relationships is a very competitive and complex process. During
my tenure in Talladega County Schools, I have sought and secured sponsorships

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from business partners for athletic teams and extracurricular clubs but I know that
establishing and maintaining a mutually beneficial partnership for a school will be
a totally different tasks. Hence my goal in this area is to locate and develop at
least on business partnership for my school and secure at least one form of
sponsorship with that organization. Timelineone year

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References

Glickman, C. D., Go instructional leadership: A developmental approach. (8 ed.).

Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.rdon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2010).
Supervision and
State of Alabama, Department of Education. (2011). Alabama continuum for
instructional leader development. Retrieved from Enthused Learning, LLC
website: http://alex.state.al.us/leadership/standards.html

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