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Springfield Secondary Schools Technology Environment Survey Evaluation

Demographics:
Springfield Secondary Schools has an enrollment of 434 (6th-12th grades). With a population mix of 67% caucasian, 31% hispanic, 1 % Asian, and 1% from other races. Springfield is a rural, Title I school with very little economic presence within its community.

Administrative Filter:
-Policy
Behavioral - Islands Technology needs have been identified, but efforts to fill those needs have failed in the past. There has been a resurgence recently to implement newer technologies, but results still remain to be seen. Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent There is no official district wide technology policy set in place for ordering, implementing into curriculum, or evaluating with.

-Planning
Behavioral - Islands We have purchased random little technology components, but we fail to have an overall plan on how it will fit into a progressive curriculum in order to build on pre-learned concepts. Technology purchases are small and isolated to single teachers needs. Resource/Infrastructure - Islands Little actual planning exists and when it does it is be a project to project basis. -Budget Behavioral - Emergent There is no official Technology Budget within the Springfield school district. I have been able to use the Professional Development fund to purchase some technology components. Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent The fact that we do not have money set aside for educational technology purposes has been identified, but we still have no actual Technology Budget. -Administrative Information

Behavioral - Integrated Teachers are required to utilize the Power School program to take attendance and provide grades via the online gradebook. Power School also allows students to access their grades anywhere they have internet access. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated Each teacher was equipped with a new Lenovo PC with expectations that they will be able to utilize Power School, E-mail, and Microsoft Suite programs. There is currently 100% teacher usage among staff members utilizing the Lenovos.

Curricular Filter
-Electronic Information Behavioral - Emergent Staff members rarely rely on electronic information sources as it is very difficult to schedule one of the few outdated laptop carts into your classroom when needed. As a result, students rarely use electronic information to complete assignments. Staff members are not educated on how to incorporate technology into curriculum. Resource/Infrastructure - Islands Very few electronic information resources are available for teachers to incorporate into their daily lessons. When our current resources do make their way into the classrooms, they are often faulty and not in working order. -Assessment Behavioral - Emergent Almost all assessment takes place through paper and pencil format. Very few projects utilize online resources. The state standardized tests are really the only assessments that utilize technology. Resource/Infrastructure - Islands Some teachers are equipped with wireless clickers that respond to smart board assessments, but few staff members actually utilize this resource due to lack of knowledge and training with the smart board. -Curriculum Integration Behavioral - Emergent Very few teachers use technology within their curriculum, and when they do it is used in very primitive ways. No emphasis or incentive is given to incorporate technology into district curriculum. Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent

Technology class is the only time in which technology integration is emphasised. Students do not apply learned technology skills into other classes typically.

-Teacher Use Behavioral - Islands Teachers rarely incorporate technology into daily curriculum. Teachers do use technology to input grades, attendance, and to communicate with other staff members. Resource/Infrastructure - Islands Teachers have acces to one computer within their classroom. Some teachers have access to a smart board. A computer lab and mobile laptop cart (both outdated) are able to be reserved, but is very difficult to actually utilize these antiquated resources during the times that would be appropriate in class. -Student Use Behavioral - Emergent Beings that teachers rarely utilize technology within their curriculum, students rarely engage in technology components to complete learning activities. Students do utilize technology during Technology class during 6th grade. Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent Students do not have consistent access to updated technology resources within the school district.

Support Filter
-Stakeholder Involvement Behavioral - Integrated Advocacy for technology implementation has been very positive. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated Every subject level and grade level is represented in our newly formed Tech Committee. -Administrator Support Behavioral - Intelligent Communication has been postiive between the Tech Committee and the newly appointed administration of Springfield School District. Administration has provided verbal promises of placing an emphasis on newer technologies within all levels of the district. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated

Time has been given to the Tech Committee during Professional Development to begin outlining goals and policies.

l -Training Behavioral - Emergent No real training has been provided throughout the school year to help teachers implement technology into the classroom. Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent No training resources have yet to be granted. -Technical & Infrastructure Support Behavioral - Integrated Most staff members rely on our newly appointed Technology Coordinator. I help with most of the day to day operation within the Middle School. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated Springfield has outsourced a third party company to assist with technical needs of the district.

Connectivity Filter
-Local Area Networking Behavioral - Emergent Local area networking is primarily used for print sharing to library printers from computer lab. Resource/Infrastructure- Islands High speed networking is sporadically placed throughout the district. -District Area Networking Behavioral - Islands Limited and basic usage. Resource/Infrastructure- Islands Limited WAN throughout dedicated lines.

-Internet Access Behavioral - Islands Teachers assign internet usage activities very rarely, and when they do it is used for as a primitive research tool with web searches. Students access internet whenever given the opportunity, but lack the learned skills to use it to its fullest potential.

Resource/Infrastructure- Integrated High Speed networking is sporadically placed throughout the district. -Communication Systems Behavioral - Integrated Teachers utilize e-mail on a daily basis to communicate with fellow staff members and sometimes students parents. Power School program allows teachers to communicate grades to students wherever they have internet access. Resource/Infrastructure- Islands E-mail is provided to all staff member and utilized extensively. No students are given e-mail.

Innovation Filter -New Technologies


Behavioral - Islands Teachers have begun to request new technolgies district wide. Even aging teachers are becoming receptive to incorporating technology into daily lesson plans. Tech Committee is gaining ground within all levels of the district. Resource/Infrastructure- Islands The few technology resources that we do have are not currently used to their potential. It wil be important to show the administration that the staff is committed to being trained and incorporating any type of technology that is granted. -Comprehensive Technologies Behavioral - Emergent The technology within each classroom varies widely. Most rooms are limited to a single computer and overhead projector. Resource/Infrastructure- Emergent Underutilization of the current technology exists. Lack of training on devices leaves unused resources.

Conclusion:
I would currently place my school district on the Islands section of the Technology Maturity Model. This low placement on the scale does not come as a surprise to me because I have witnessed the lack of technology components within the curriculum of our schools. I am a first year Middle School Technology teacher within the district and I am in charge of teaching our first year secondary school students how to utilize technology. However, I rarely witness

upperclassmen secondary students within my district utilizing technology in any of their classes. Our lack of resources and educational technology training has been identified and is gaining importance in the eyes of our new administration. Although it has been a struggle to incorporate new technologies into my curriculum and my fellow staff members, I do see hope for the future. We have put together a Tech Committee who is committed to implementing as much educational technology into our district as possible. We have outlined plans for technology professional development and have leaned heavily on the advice of our newly appointed technology coordinator for implementation of new hardware district wide. We still do not have concrete technology policies set in place, but hopefully with this renewed energy towards technology within the classroom we can design policies that will carry us forward towards successful implementation.

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