Technology Plan Evaluation

Jamila Colbert, Shawn Davies, and Brittany Mikell

FRIT 7232

September 20, 2015

Task 2s Annotated List of Resources

Annotated Resources List:

1. Developing Effective Technology Plan (1992). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from

http://www.nctp.com/html/john_see.cfm

a. The document was developed initially in 1992 before later being republished by

the National Center for Technology Planning. The article is a guideline to

creating technology plans. It specifically explains all of the things that a good

technology plan has. Some of things that they suggest a good technology plan

has include; short term goals instead of long term goals, integration of

technology into the curriculum, and a focus on applications instead of

technology.

2. National Education Technology Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2015, from

http://tech.ed.gov/netp/

a. I like the fact that this website allows us to look at a National technology plan.

Within this plan, we get to see and read actual input from the government in

regards to technology. We are presented with their goals, their thoughts about

implementing technology with assessments, and a model learning plan. I like the

fact that it focus on Universal Design for Learning concepts.

3. National School District: Technology Master Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12,

2015, from http://nsd.us/district/plans/technology_plan.pdf

a. This document was created by the National School District as a guideline to

creating a technology plan. It focuses on the curriculum components,

professional development, infrastructure, hardware, technical support and

software, funding and budget, monitoring and evaluation, research based

 methods and strategies. The source seems to be well thought out and useful in

creating and technology plan.

4. Norton, S.K. (2013). Technology planning: designing the direction to get there.

Knowledge Quest, 42(1), 64.

a. What made me take interest in this article was the fact that it is written based on

the authors own experience with the technology plan writing process. She

mentions how important it is for school librarians to be included in the process

and how influential they can be. Sometimes, I am even guilty of it, I tend to

forget about how vital the librarian can be. The author provides us with some

very important, helpful tips throughout the article.

5. November, A. (1996). Critical Issue: Developing a School or District Technology Plan.

Retrieved September 9, 2015, from

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te300.htm

a. Even though this article is a little outdated, it is a very helpful resource. In this

article, it pinpoints the necessities to write an effective technology plan. It notes

how technology has changed and will continue to change how we educate our

students. It makes note of how and what all should be considered when creating

a plan; it also informs us of implementation pitfalls. This article is very

interesting.

6. Pryor, S. (2011, November 1). Educational technology plan template. Retrieved

September 13, 2015, from

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/rfp/ed616_technology_plan_template_2012_15.pd

f
 a. This document provides the reader with a template for a technology plan. This

template guides the reader or creator of a technology plan from beginning to end.

With this layout, readers are aware of what they should include in their

technology plan(s). It breaks it down step by step; this would be the ideal guide

for beginner technology plan writers.

7. Step 1: Technology Planning. (1997). Retrieved September 9, 2015, from

http://www.usac.org/sl/applicants/step01/default.aspx

a. For this website, I only focused on the Step 1: Technology planning section; the

rest was how to publish using this site. I like that this section starts off by talking

about the basics and then becomes specific in nature. It also has a section titled

What To Include which gives the minimum of what technology plans should

consist of. It also has an embedded pdf that presents questions to the readers to

consider when creating a technology plan.

8. Technology Planning: Recipe for Success (1994). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from

http://www.nctp.com/html/tp_recipe.cfm

a. The document was created by Larry S. Anderson, the founder of the National

Center for Technology Planning. This article gives a blueprint to what school

need to do in order to create a technology plan. They discuss things like

understanding what the phrase technology plan means. A lot of time many

schools think that technology plans are how schools are going to use

computers. However, its really the physical manifestation of a major planning

effort that focused on improving all segments of instruction, using technology in

a natural infusion process.

9. Technology Plans: It's more than computers (1999). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from

http://www.nctp.com/articles/tpmore.pdf

a. This is another document created by Larry S. Anderson of the National Center

for Technology Planning. This article discuss how important Technology

Planning is and that it should not be defined simply as working with computers.

It explains exactly what technology planning is and what it emcompasses

outside of simply using the computers for research projects.

10. Writing a Technology Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/primer/techplan.html

a. This website gives some basic insight on the basic necessities of a technology

plan. It also gives reasons for a school district in being interested in creating a

technology plan. For example, districts may receive a discount in internet prices

based on their technology plan. The website also allows you to input your own

components of the plan and create a plan.

Task 2s Rubric Assignment

1- 2- 3- 4- Pts
Does not meet approaching the Meets the standard exceeds the
the standard standard standard
 Goals The goals of the The goals of the The goals of the The goals of the __/4
plan are not plan are stated and plan are clearly plan are clearly
clearly stated a purpose is stated and a clear stated and a clear
and a clear established. The purpose is purpose is
purpose is not goals focus on established. The established. The
established. The enhancing the goals focus on goals focus on
goals do not curriculum and enhancing the enhancing the
focus on applications. curriculum and curriculum and
enhancing the applications as applications as
curriculum and opposed to the opposed to the
applications but technology itself. technology itself.
is rather focused The goal of the
on the plan is based off
technology of research.
itself.

Professional The plan is not The plan is The plan is tied to The plan is tied __/4
Development tied to staff somewhat tied to staff development to staff
development staff development plans and give development
plans and do not plans and give opportunity for plans and give
give opportunity opportunity for staff to learn the opportunity for
for staff to learn staff to learn the necessary staff to learn the
the necessary some information information to necessary
information to to use the properly use the information to
properly use the material. material. properly use the
material. material. The
staff
development is
ongoing and
consistently
available, not
just during the
initial training
period.

Available The plan does The plan The plan The plan __/4
Services not incorporate incorporates some incorporates a incorporates a
services to be amount of reasonable amount substantial
available to all services to be of services to be amount of
necessary available to all available to all services to be
stakeholders. necessary necessary available to all
stakeholders. stakeholders. necessary
stakeholders.
Stakeholders
have a wide
variety of
available
resources to
choose from.
Accessibility The plan does The plan allows The plan allows The plan allows __/4
of tech not allow technology technology technology
resources technology resources to be resources to be resources to be
resources to be available to all readily available to easily and
readily available stakeholders. all stakeholders. readily available
to all to all
stakeholders. stakeholders.
Stakeholders
have a wide
variety of
opportunities and
ways to access
the resources.

Budget The plan is not The plan is The plan is The plan is __/4
developed to be somewhat developed to be a developed to be
a part of the developed to be a part of the daily a part of the
daily cost of part of the daily cost of doing daily cost of
doing business. cost of doing business. doing business
business. and has budgeted
a reasonable
portion to the
development and
sustainability of
continuous
technology
growth.

Ongoing The plan does The plan focuses The plan focuses The plan focuses __/4
Evaluation not focus on a on a vision. It is on a clear vision. on a vision. It is
vision. It is a not a short term It is not a short not a short term
short term plan. plan, but rather a term plan, but plan, but rather a
clear and rather a clear and clear and
descriptive long descriptive long descriptive long
term plan. term plan. term plan. The
plan gives way
to opportunities
for continuous
evaluation and
altering.

Total __/24
 Task 3s Evaluation Assignment

This rubric was completed using Forsyth countys technology plan; it can be found at this url:

http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/cms/lib3/ga01000373/centricity/domain/33/2012-2015techplanforweb.pdf.

1- 2- 3- 4- Pts
Does not meet approaching the Meets the exceeds the
the standard standard standard standard

Goals The goals of the The goals of the The goals of the The goals of the 3.5/4
plan are not plan are stated plan are clearly plan are clearly
clearly stated and a purpose is stated and a clear stated and a
and a clear established. The purpose is clear purpose is
purpose is not goals focus on established. The established.
established. enhancing the goals focus on The goals focus
The goals do curriculum and enhancing the on enhancing
 not focus on applications. curriculum and the curriculum
enhancing the applications as and applications
curriculum and opposed to the as opposed to
applications but technology itself. the technology
is rather focused itself. The goal
on the of the plan is
technology based off of
itself. research.

Professional The plan is not The plan is The plan is tied to The plan is tied 4/4
Development tied to staff somewhat tied to staff development to staff
development staff plans and give development
plans and do not development opportunity for plans and give
give plans and give staff to learn the opportunity for
opportunity for opportunity for necessary staff to learn the
staff to learn the staff to learn the information to necessary
necessary some information properly use the information to
information to to use the material. properly use the
properly use the material. material. The
material. staff
development is
ongoing and
consistently
available, not
just during the
initial training
period.

Available The plan does The plan The plan The plan 4/4
Services not incorporate incorporates incorporates a incorporates a
services to be some amount of reasonable substantial
available to all services to be amount of amount of
necessary available to all services to be services to be
stakeholders. necessary available to all available to all
stakeholders. necessary necessary
stakeholders. stakeholders.
Stakeholders
have a wide
variety of
available
resources to
choose from.

Accessibility The plan does The plan allows The plan allows The plan allows 4/4
of technology not allow technology technology technology
resources technology resources to be resources to be resources to be
resources to be available to all readily available easily and
readily available stakeholders. to all readily
to all stakeholders. available to all
stakeholders. stakeholders.
 Stakeholders
have a wide
variety of
opportunities
and ways to
access the
resources.

Budget The plan is not The plan is The plan is The plan is 4/4
developed to be somewhat developed to be a developed to be
a part of the developed to be a part of the daily a part of the
daily cost of part of the daily cost of doing daily cost of
doing business. cost of doing business. doing business
business. and has
budgeted a
reasonable
portion to the
development
and
sustainability of
continuous
technology
growth.

Ongoing The plan does The plan focuses The plan focuses The plan 4/4
Evaluation not focus on a on a vision. It is on a clear vision. focuses on a
vision. It is a not a short term It is not a short vision. It is not
short term plan. plan, but rather a term plan, but a short term
clear and rather a clear and plan, but rather
descriptive long descriptive long a clear and
term plan. term plan. descriptive long
term plan. The
plan gives way
to opportunities
for continuous
evaluation and
altering.

Total 23.5/24

Explanations for Ratings:

Goals: For this area, we gave the countys technology plan a 3.5 out of 4. The area lacked

researched data. We liked the fact that they talked about strategic planning goals and delivering

rigorous academic courses. In this section they also included an online learning continuum.
They included the description of each facet of the the continuum; however, if they would have

used some research data to back up their decision in using the continuum it would have been

better.

Professional Development: This area received a 4 out of 4. In the countys technology plan, it

mentioned how continual observations were used to determine the level of technology

integration and to assist administrators or stakeholders in making better decisions about

professional development. This shows that the process is continuous, up-to-date, and

differentiated for the educators.

Available Services: Based on the districts plan, we rated their available services a 4 out of 4

on our rubric. The plan explains in detail all of the resources that are available to the stakeholder

in and outside of the classrooms. The plan explains what is readily available not only to the

teachers and students, but to the parents and community as well. The plan guides you through

serivce used throughout the learning process from; instruction and learning, to assessment, to

grade evaluations. All individuals involved understand the services that are at their disposal.

Accessibility of Services: Based on the districts plan, we rated their accessibility of services a

4 out of 4 on our rubric. The plan explains not only resources available to all involved, it also

explains where the resources are available. The plan does a good job of incorporating the

accessibility of the service into its explanation of the services, making it easier for stakeholders

to connect the accessibility to the availability of each service that is discussed.

Budget: Based on the districts plan, we rated their budget a 4 out of 4 on our rubric. The plan

clearly breaks down the funding source and amount for specific categories within their

technology plan. The budget allocation is displayed in a way in which all stakeholders would
understanding where, how and why the funds are being spent on specific areas. The budget

plan also clearly states who is responsible for each portion of the budget implementation.

Ongoing Evaluation: Based on the districts plan, we rated their ongoing evaluation a 4 out of

4. Within the same table as the budget and funding, the district clearly states their evaluation

method for each implemented strategy and benchmark. The evaluation plan is also clearly

stated for all stakeholders to understand and apply.

Recommendations for Revisions:

1. I liked the fact that the county included an online learning continuum; however, it would

have been better if they would have explained or given some valid research points about

this learning continuum as well as why they think is it beneficial for their county.

2. In the Mission section of the countys technology plan, it would have been good to

include a hyperlink to the National Educational Technology standards.

3. The county should have made note somewhere before their Goals, Benchmarks, and

Strategies table about how it would be beneficial focus on the funding source and

amount column in the chart because it relates to the countys budget.

4. I would explain in detail how each of the goals will directly improve curriculum and

career readiness of students (preferably in the table that explains the strategies,

benchmarks, and goals), based on the research that you hyperlinked to the plan in

recommendation #1