Sakinah Hunafa

Patrick Liner

Jamie Harris

FRIT 7232: Visual Leadership in Instructional Technology

Technology Plan Evaluation

September 10, 2016

Annotated list of Technology resources

1. Anderson, D.S.(1999) National Center for Technology Planning. (2001). Retrieved September
07, 2016, from http://www.nctp.com/
The National Center for Technology Planning (NCTP) is a clearinghouse for the exchange of
many types of information related to technology planning. This information may be: school
technology plans available for downloading online; technology planning aids (checklists,
brochures, sample planning forms, PR announcement forms); and/or electronic monographs
on timely, selected topics. The NCTP was created for those who: need help, seek fresh
ideas, or seek solutions to problems encountered with planning.

2. Anderson, D. S. (1999). Technology Planning: It's More than Computers. Retrieved

September 8, 2016, from http://www.nctp.com/articles/tpmore.pdf
This article is relevance to the project because it discusses ways of successful technology
planning. The author also discusses the technology planning process. The author discusses
the four steps in having a successful technology planning which are (building, sustaining,
revising, and updating existing planning documents. I think this article is helpful because it gives
us an idea on what a successful technology planning looks and it may also help us with grading
a technology plan.

3. Clarke County. Clarke County Technology Plan for 2010-2013. Retrieved September 4, 2016,
from http://ccsd.net/resources/technology-information-systems-services/ccsd_techplan.pdf.
This plan was useful to use as a cross-reference between other technology plans. I learned
quickly that technology plans are generally written for a three-year period. I also learned that not
all plans are updated regularly. This highlighted the importance of having a system in place to
ensure plans are put into practice and updated every three years.

4. Cobb County Schools Technology Plan

http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/instructionaltechnology/techplan/2012_2015_ccsd_district_
technology_plan.pdf
This resource was relative to our Technology Plan Evaluation project because it provided the
technology plan for one of the largest districts in our state. This resource provided a very
detailed and thorough breakdown of the entire district and the technology use over a three-year
span. By using this resource, we are able to see how one school district provides technology to
the staff, students, and stakeholders for such large service area. This plan also touches on
community involvement and funding for the entire district. This plan also included data
breakdowns for all aspects of the technology department for Cobb County Schools. The
information within this plan can be compared to other school district’s technology plans in order
to evaluate the thoroughness of other district’s plans.

5. Forsyth County. Forsyth Technology Planning for 2012-2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016,
from http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=825
I think this website is helpful because the team is able to view a sample of a technology plan
from a school district. We are also to compare this technology plan with other technology plans.
The team can analyze the technology plan.
6. Georgia Department of Education Technology Plan
https://www.gadoe.org/Technology-
Services/Documents/3%20Year%20Technology%20Strategy%20White%20Paper%20May%20
3%202013_webposted.pdf
This resource is relevant to our Technology Evaluation Plan project because it provides us with
the overall vision of the state of Georgia in regard to technology plans. This plan focuses on the
elements of initiatives for different groups of people including teachers and administrators,
students, parents, business and industry, and educational partners. This technology plan
provides a general overview and is not as detailed as individual school district plans.
This is important to read for Georgia educators when evaluating or creating technology plans
because we receive our overall vision for schools from the Georgia Department of Education.

7. Gwinnett County Schools Technology Plan

https://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/wcm/connect/f7343ec6-409b-4f2a-8ace-
e0bde9392c12/GCPSTechPlan2012-2015.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
This resource is relevant because it can be used as a comparison to the Cobb County Schools
Technology Plan listed above. Both school districts are two of the largest in the state of Georgia
and a comparison between both districts technology plans can serve beneficial when evaluating
other district’s technology plans. Gwinnett County also deal with the issue of servicing many
schools and numerous students and staff members. This plan is also very detailed and touches
on many of the same topics that the Cobb County Schools Technology Plan does. Although the
Gwinnett Plan is not as detailed as the Cobb County Technology Plan and does not include as
much data, it does emphasize community involvement, student and staff support, and funding
for technology within their schools.

8. Instructional Technology. (2015). Retrieved September 10, 2016, from

http://www.gadoe.org/Technology-Services/Instructional-Technology/Pages/default.aspx
This website discusses important information about Instructional Technology. First the website
talks about Georgia vision for the Instructional Technology, training team members, technology
inventory, and under the system technology planning it give a sample of the technology plan
rubric. This website is relevant because it can give the team background knowledge about our
project and provide a great sample of the technology plan rubric. The website provides a
template of the rubric and a sample of a technology plan rubric.

9. Norton, S. K. (2013, September/October). Technology Planning Designing the Direction to

get there. Knowledge Quest, 2(1), 64-69. Retrieved September 11, 2016, from
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b5499ec3-f4ee-47db-be8a-
14182a5a976e@sessionmgr4010&vid=0&hid=4208 This journal article discusses the
importance of technology plans in schools and how school librarians can help to execute the
plan in question.
It mentions the necessity of community stake in creating and applying a successful business
plan. It further elaborates on what it means to establish the goals, objectives, strategies and
professional development of the plan. This is extremely useful as guiding questions are infused
 into the article. These questions help the devisers and assessors of technology plans to focus
on what the true goals and intentions are.

10. Overview of technology plans. (2012). In S. Wang (Ed.), Technology Integration and
Foundations for Effective Leadership (pp. 71-85). This book provides extensive information on
the creation, analysis and implementation of technology plans in schools. It breaks down the
steps needed to create the plan with specific lists and examples. It is extremely useful for
anyone in the process of creating a plan for their school or even analyzing a technology plan in
current implementation.

11. Using Systems Thinking to Leverage Technology for School Improvement: Lessons Learned
from Award-Winning Secondary Schools/Districts.
Levin, B. B., & Schrum, L. (2013). Using Systems Thinking to Leverage Technology for School
Improvement: Lessons Learned from Award-Winning Secondary Schools/Districts. Journal Of
Research On Technology In Education (International Society For Technology In Education),
46(1), 29-51.
This resource provides a case study in which school districts used the integration of technology
for school improvement. This study includes information covering all aspects of technology
plans and implementation. Although this is not a technology plan itself, this resource provides
crucial information about community involvement, funding, school culture, teacher and student
support, curriculum, vision, and professional development. This study covers all the elements
necessary to create the best technology plan possible for a school district.

12. Vanderlinde, R., & Braak, J. V. (2013, January). Technology planning in schools: An
integrated research based model. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(1), E14-E17.
doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01321.x.
This journal article offers a valuable breakdown of the technology planning process and an
assessment of the finished product. It offers a holistic model, a diagram that reviews all
important information at a glance. It was created solely to assist teachers and technology
professionals in the creation and implementation of the plans.
It takes into account the roles of all involved such as the school team, teachers, instructional
technology specialists and more. It demonstrates how certain aspects of the technology plan
are in continuous change based on updated evaluations on a frequent basis to assess
successful use of the plan in schools. A great resource!

Technology Plan Rubric 1

Rating scale 1-3 3-4 5-6

Goals The goals are not stated
clearly to show the vision of
the district and the goal for all
students is unclear.
Professional There is no clear plan for the
Development professional development of
teachers in the district.
Collaboration of teachers in
the district is minimally
planned for. Evidence of goals
and activities to support
teachers and technology
assistance is limited.
Accessibility There is little to no
of accommodation built into the
Technology technology plan for vision and
Resources hearing impaired amongst
others.
Telecommun Information regarding
ication hardware, software and any
services, telecommunication services is
hardware, limited. Information regarding
software, etc. use of the technology and it’s
purpose in the school is
vague.
Budget Funding sources are missing
or incomplete. Information
regarding funds for technology
use is vague.
Ongoing There is little to no evidence
Evaluation that the current technology
plan is being evaluated on an
ongoing basis. Some
evidence is provided to
support curriculum integration.
Plan is outdated by 2-3 years.
Technology Plan Evaluation Rubric for Cobb County Schools
http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/instructionaltechnology/techplan/2012_2015_ccsd_district_technology_plan.pdf
The goals are stated clearly but
lack a detailed explanation of
the district vision or student
goals.
There is a clear plan for the
professional development of
teachers in the district.
Collaboration between teachers
is planned by the district.
Resources to support teachers
and technology are provided
through the district.
Adequate accommodations are
built into the technology plan for
vision and hearing impaired
students amongst others with
disabilities. Technology is
readily available for all teachers
and students in the schools.
Information regarding hardware,
software, and
telecommunications is provided.
Information regarding use of
technology in school is limited.
General funding for technology
is provided. Specific sources of
funding are limited.
The technology plan is being
evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Evidence is provided to support
curriculum integration. The
current plan is still active for 1-2
more years.
The goals are stated clearly with a
detailed explanation of the district
vision. The goal for all students is
defined with explanation.
There is a detailed plan for the
professional development of teachers
in the district. Collaboration between
teachers is planned by the district. All
of the resources to support teachers
and technology are provided through
the district.
All of the accommodations are built
into the technology plan for vision and
hearing impaired students amongst
others with disabilities. Technology is
readily available for all teachers and
students in the schools.
All of the Information regarding
hardware, software, and
telecommunications is provided.
Information regarding the use of
technology and it’s purpose is very
detailed in the report.
All of the funding for technology is
provided. All of the sources for funding
is provided.
The technology plan is being evaluated
monthly. Evidence is provided to
support all curriculum integration. The
current plan is still active for 6 months
- 1 year.
Rating Scale 1-2
Goals The goals are not stated clearly to
show the vision of the district and
the goal for all students is unclear.
Professional There is no clear plan for the
Development professional development of
teachers in the district.
Collaboration of teachers in the
district is minimally planned for.
Evidence of goals and activities to
support teachers and technology
assistance is limited.
Accessibility There is little to no
of accommodation built into the
Technology technology plan for vision and
Resources hearing impaired amongst others
and technology is not available for
all teachers and students in the
schools.
Telecommuni Information regarding hardware,
cation software and any
services, telecommunication services is
hardware, limited. Information regarding use
software, etc. of the technology and it’s purpose
in the school is vague.
Budget Funding sources are missing or
incomplete. Information regarding
funds for technology use is vague.
Ongoing There is little to no evidence that
Evaluation the current technology plan is
being evaluated on an ongoing
basis. Some evidence is provided
to support curriculum integration.
Plan is outdated by 2-3 years.
Ratings Breakdown and Explanation
Goals Rating given: 5
3-4
The goals are stated clearly but
lack a detailed explanation of
the district vision or student
goals.
There is a clear plan for the
professional development of
teachers in the district.
Collaboration between teachers
is planned by the district.
Resources to support teachers
and technology are provided
through the district.
Adequate accommodations are
built into the technology plan for
vision and hearing impaired
students amongst others with
disabilities. Technology is
readily available for all teachers
and students in the schools.
Information regarding hardware,
software, and
telecommunications is provided.
Information regarding use of
technology in school is limited.
General funding for technology
is provided. Specific sources of
funding are limited.
The technology plan is being
evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Evidence is provided to support
curriculum integration. The
current plan is still active for 1-2
more years.
5-6
The goals are stated clearly with
a detailed explanation of the
district vision. The goal for all
students is defined with
explanation.
There is a detailed plan for the
professional development of
teachers in the district.
Collaboration between teachers
is planned by the district. All of
the resources to support
teachers and technology are
provided through the district.
All of the accommodations are
built into the technology plan for
vision and hearing impaired
students amongst others with
disabilities. Technology is
readily available for all teachers
and students in the schools.
All of the Information regarding
hardware, software, and
telecommunications is provided.
Information regarding the use of
technology and it’s purpose is
very detailed in the report.
All of the funding for technology
is provided. All of the sources
for funding is provided.
The technology plan is being
evaluated monthly. Evidence is
provided to support all
curriculum integration. The
current plan is still active for 6
months - 1 year.

Professional Development
Accessibility of Technology Resources
Telecommunication services,
hardware, software, etc.
Budget
Ongoing Evaluation
Recommendations for potential improvement of technology plan
Goals: The plan did a great job in stating the goals. The goals were presented in a organized way and it was easy for
readers to follow. Our recommendation is to relocate the goals to the beginning of section two in the plan. We feel this will
give the plan a better flow.
Professional Development: The plan does an excellent job in stating all of the online professional development. The
Explanation: The goals are stated clearly with a detailed explanation of the
district vision. The goal for all students is defined with explanation. The plan
include the district, parents,community,students,internet safety,administrators,
and teachers goal.
Rating given: 5
Explanation: The plan gives a detailed explanation in the professional
development section. The plan gives an explanation of each online PL and
provide a graph to display how many staff participate in the PL. The graph also
states how many participate earn PLU.
Rating given: 4
Explanation: The plan mentions that technology is readily available for teachers
and students with teachers having a computer each and a network linked printer
in their classrooms. Special Student services adopted assistive technology
software to provide greater accessibility to students with disabilities.
Rating given: 4
Explanation: All staff members are given school cellphones as well as the usual
landline phone to increase communication in the schools. Discovery Education
Streaming for educational videos, Cobb Virtual library with access to several
online educational resources, SkillsTutor, Atomic Learning and Cobb Virtual
Academy are several examples of excellent uses of the software in the
technology plan. With over 53,000 workstations in the school, hardware is
available when needed for student use of the wide array of software options in
Cobb County. Some hardware mentioned is outdated such as the mention of
Blackberry phones for instructors and administration.
Rating given: 6
Explanation: Detailed funding sources are found throughout the technology plan.
Specific costs are associated with instructional use goals/additional technology.
These goals include the exact source of funding including use of funds through
the general fund, Title 1, Title IID, Title III, and SPLOST Tax revenue.
Rating given:2
Explanation: This plan does a good job of explaining how the technology plan will
receive ongoing evaluations thought the use of weekly, monthly, and yearly
meetings from technology staff with school administrators, teachers, and
community members. The plan is outdated and no longer in service. This plan
was current up to June 30, 2015. This is the plan that Cobb county has listed
and additional searches do not offer a current plan. The plan is receiving a low
score because the plan is outdated.
plan explain each professional development offer to the staff. Our recommendation would be to include a list of the
programs that are offer to the staff along with how many participate in PL and how many earn PLUs.

Accessibility of Technology Resources: The plan does a great job of detailing the overall accessibility of their
technology resources. It goes into detail about their computer, printer, internet availability and more. Our only
recommendation is that the plan includes information about the current reality with implementing a 1 to 1 program for
netbooks or Ipads in the classrooms for regular student use. We also noticed the county has a program that provides
greater accessibility for students with needs. However, it didn’t state which needs were met through the program. This
would help in showing that the technology is accessible for all needs.

Telecommunication services, hardware, software, etc.: The plan does an excellent job of detailing the current reality
for the telecommunication and the plan for the future. It uses graphs to show how purchased software is being utilized by
students and teachers to further support the use of the software in Cobb County. Our only recommendation is that the
county looks into more updated technology for the cell phone use. Teachers may have difficulty using newer apps among
other useful educational and communication advances such as video calling with older technology.

Budget: This technology plan does an outstanding job of explaining the budget needed to maintain the district's
technology needs and to add additional technology to the classrooms. This plan breaks that information down through
instructional use goals for the district. These goals include the technology that should be used, the cost, and source of
funding to pay for that cost. The sources of funding are very detailed and transparent. After evaluating the budget and
funding of the Cobb County School Technology Plan, we would like to see more community sponsorship involvement in
regard to funding. All technology funding is paid for through the general fund, Title 1, Title IID, Title III, or SPLOST tax
revenue. Forming a partnership with some community businesses could help elevate some of the federal and tax money
needed to continue operating.

Ongoing Evaluation:
Cobb County does a good job of explaining how this plan will be evaluated and held accountable through the use of
multiple meetings involving the technology department and district team members. This approach would allow everyone
to stay informed of what is happening in the district in regard to the technology department and allow an ongoing
evaluation of the technology plan to occur. Unfortunately, the Cobb County technology plan became out of date on June
30, 2015. Cobb County did a great job creating a plan that address the major components needed on a district-wide
technology plan. Our only recommendation is to post and share an up to date, active technology plan for the public to
see.