Gretel Patch EdTech 501 November 11, 2011

Technology Maturity Benchmark Evaluation

SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS: Yak and Yeti School serves 350 students from 40 countries in grades Preschool through Grade 12. It is an independent, co-educational school that was founded in the 1950s. It is governed by a nine-member board of directors and is accredited in the USA and UK. It uses an American curriculum with an international perspective. There is a large support staff that includes teachers of local culture, English language support, music, art, computers, theater, and physical education. The school has a long-standing after-school program that allows students to participate in several activities. The library houses over 23,000 volumes and a new multimedia building in being constructed. During the move, many resources will be updated and digital capability will be expanded. Internet access is available at 180 networked workstations across campus and limited wifi is also available to teachers and students. According to its own mission statement, the school seeks to inspire each student with a passion for learning, confidence to pursue their dreams, and skills to become compassionate global citizens and leaders (Source: school website). MATURITY MODEL BENCHMARKS: 1. Administrative a. Policy i. Behavioral: Island (Appropriate technology use is formalized, but is mostly ignored by many in the school) 1. Results were divided, with some choosing emergent, some islands, and one integrated. Inconsistency seems key in this area, as new technology has been introduced and supported, but not fully embraced by administrators and teachers. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (Formal policy exists, but is not comprehensive in nature or has not been approved by the governing body) 1. A new technology plan was written this year that is still being developed. It is much improved over what was in place before, and is meant as a three-year plan. The technology

committee is still shaping and crafting this document and will seek the boards final approval upon completion. b. Planning i. Behavioral: Island (Formal planning takes place, but is isolated to specific projects with some connection to other planning efforts) 1. Results leaned mostly to Island. Isolation is key here. There seems to be a disconnect between school-wide comprehensive planning and application by administrators and teachers. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (Comprehensive technology plan that receives informal review and some connection to planning efforts) 1. The current focus on the technology is a great improvement over past years, and this new plan is reviewed and developed during monthly technology committee meetings. c. Budget i. Behavioral: Integrated (Technology budgeting process with high priority; multiple budgets considered, but long-term budgeting is not) 1. The budget for technology (and many aspects of the school) is being revised as a new multimedia building is being designed and built. This new building will replace the current library and computer lab. As the school meets with architects and makes plans, there is a great opportunity to plan for the future. Appropriate wiring and capability must be included, and room for future technological growth is incorporated. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (Specific technology budget is provided in addition to line items in other budgets) 1. The technology committee is in the process of developing a detailed budget that will transition from a very large (but outdated) library to more online resources and educational material. It has provided an opportunity to start over, look at what is in place and what is needed, and build a budgetary plan accordingly. d. Administrative Information i. Behavioral: Integrated (Administrative systems are utilized by most of the staff members; some paperless systems are in place) 1. The schools website has recently been redesigned and is a huge improvement. Many links and documents are posted on the intranet. The weekly newsletter is sent via email to families if they choose, though many hard copies are still

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printed. The school calendar can easily be added to Google calendar. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Administrative systems are available to many administrators and staff) 1. While all teachers have access to computers and the Internet, not all support staff does. I dont think the school will ever go completely paperless for administrative purposes because there are too many bus drivers, gardeners, custodians, etc. who do not have computers skills or access to email.

2. Curricular a. Electronic Information i. Behavioral: Island (Students and staff are somewhat dependent upon information resources and utilize them often) 1. There was a strong consensus on this benchmark which shows that students and teachers are only somewhat dependent on electronic information. It is often a challenge to sift through all of the resources out there for direct curriculum enhancement. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Resources are beyond basic, but lack depth and are not available to all areas of the school) 1. There was a wide gap in responses on this one, ranging from emergent to intelligent. Its possible that resources are available but teachers either arent aware or dont use them. Perhaps outreach and training could be done to make teachers and students more aware of what electronic information is available. b. Assessment i. Behavioral: Island (Used by many of the staff and some of the students for the evaluation of work and self-assessment) 1. Many of the staff and some of the students are the key words here. In order to be considered Integrated, technology should be more of an essential part of the assessment process for students, teachers, and parents. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Some reporting and assessment tools are available, with a focus on traditional assessment measures) 1. Though some tools are available, traditional assessment measures are generally used. However, my fifth-grade son took his recent standardized tests all on the computer, but I think this was more the exception than the rule. Interestingly, full consensus was reached on this benchmark.

c. Curriculum Integration i. Behavioral: Island (Curriculum is somewhat dependent on technology and used in multiple ways) 1. Teachers try to implement technology to enhance their curriculum, but its a challenge. For example, in math the school is restructuring their curriculum and taking the best of the best from several curriculum models. It takes time, which teachers dont really have, to sort through what is available online and figure a way to apply it to what they are currently teaching. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Technology related resources are available for some curricular areas) 1. Publishers and curriculum developers need to streamline their resources and make more available online. This would make it easier for teachers to consistently sift through and find what is applicable. For example, reading and math are easier subjects to find support activities online. Sometimes areas like social studies, science, language, physical education, and music take a little more digging. d. Teacher Use i. Behavioral: Island (Regular use by teachers, but not integrated into daily work) 1. This is an area of great disconnect. The teachers have available resources, as explained below, but they are not consistently using them in daily work. Some do a great job at this, others not so much. More training and support, as discussed later, would help. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (Most teachers have access to appropriate technology in their work area) 1. Teachers have the access they need. Every classroom has PC workstations for the teacher and teaching assistant. In addition, last year all teachers received a MacBook. They have the resources. e. Student Use i. Behavioral: Island (Students use technology often, but in limited ways) 1. Students generally use technology in basic ways, though the addition of a MacBook cart last year for K-5 has helped this. For teachers who choose to utilize it, some students are branching out and using more creativity in their projects. However, the cart is largely underutilized and use is

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inconsistent. I find this very hard to believe, as having this cart is such a great advantage and much could be done with it. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (Most students have consistent and regular access to appropriate technologies) 1. Due to the construction of a new multimedia building, the current computer lab has been dismantled this year and 2-3 computers were distributed to each class. Students also have weekly computer instruction. A reduced price was offered locally to students for the purchase of MacBooks. Laptops are not required but are optional. The cost is still very expensive, so not all students have them.

3. Support a. Stakeholder Involvement i. Behavioral: Island (Many of the groups are aware of the planning and implementation procedure, but few are engaged in the process) 1. This school does a great job of disseminating information but stakeholder engagement is limited. Part of this is due to geographic conditions. Many families live very far away from school, and traffic is slow and congested, so this often limits participation. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Many of the groups are represented in the planning and implementation process) 1. The school board is a good mix of parents, professionals, and community leaders from several international backgrounds. I dont know how hands-on they are or how aware they are of the schools technological needs. I do know that the technology committee will submit a technology budget to them soon for their approval, with details on why such equipment is requested. b. Administrative Support i. Behavioral: Island (Peripheral involvement by the administration in planning, practice, and implementation) 1. Like noted below, time is scarce. Administration has good motives and intentions, but they are spread very thin. Teachers carry much of the weight and it is up to each individual teacher how much or little he/she will use technology in his/her classroom. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Little formal administration, time and support allocated to the planning and implementation process)

1. One of the challenges of working in a small international school is that teachers and administrators wear many hats. There are fewer of them to do the work. They are all very busy and involved with various projects and committees. Therefore, there is limited formal support and time allocated to planning and implementation. c. Training i. Behavioral: Emergent (Few staff members participate in technology training activities) 1. This is an area of frustration among some teachers. There has not been enough training provided for the use of new technology introduced. For example, every classroom now has a Smart Board but few teachers really know how to use them well. They received no initial training. Teachers now have MacBooks but many of them are new Mac users and didnt receive much training. As a result, great tools are often underutilized. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (On-going formal training provided by limited personnel) 1. Lack of training is a real concern and is being addressed the best it can given the circumstances. Recently, teachers have received some Smart Board instruction by another teacher. An effort is being made to help teachers not feel so alone and overwhelmed by the new tools they have been given. d. Technical and Infrastructure Support i. Behavioral: Emergent (Few staff utilize formal and informal support) 1. I think this is due to teachers being spread very thin. I think most teachers either figure it out themselves, ask a colleague, or give up and move on to something else. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Limited formal technical assistance, usually a mentor, teacher, consultant, etc.) 1. Fortunately, there are several teachers who are naturally very knowledgeable and are great resources to others who are struggling a bit. Interestingly, one person marked this as Intelligent, which indicates full-time personnel are available to address all technical needs. So, theres a bit of a disconnect here. Perhaps more outreach from the technology team could help. 4. Connectivity a. Local Area Networking i. Behavioral: Island (Staff and students use available networks often, but use is unsophisticated and limited)

1. A few marked this benchmark as Integrated and one marked it as Intelligent, so I think this shows that a lot depends on how the teacher is using the technology. Some may use it in more sophisticated ways, like video and voice. Others may use it very basically. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (High-speed networking with access to all working environments) 1. For a school located in a developing country with limited resources, it does a remarkable job with networking. Connectivity will improve as local capacity continues to change. b. District Area Networking (WAN) i. Behavioral: Integrated (Staff use is limited to data, but is extensive and sophisticated) 1. Development of the school website has really brought the school community together. It is a great way to share information, pictures, videos, and events. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (District area networking infrastructure with dedicated, high-speed lines; several data services are available) 1. This school is independent of any other school, but it has its own intranet system that is used as well as possible. Longterm planning and restructuring is needed to expand network capabilities for future growth, as connectivity is currently overloaded. c. Internet Access i. Behavioral: Island (Many staff and students use the Internet frequently, and curriculum integration is limited) 1. This is another area of disconnect. Teachers have Internet capability but dont integrate it enough into their curriculum. Im not sure what the answer is, but this issue should be looked at and discussed further. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent (Direct Internet access to all locations) 1. Teachers and students have direct access to the Internet. Its simply a matter of linking its use to curriculum. d. Communication Systems i. Behavioral: Integrated (E-mail is used frequently to form administrative and learning activities) 1. Email is used heavily and relied upon as a means of communication. Like mentioned before, not all staff has

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access to computers or email, so not all information can be communicated electronically. Overall, the school does well in this area. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated (E-mail is available to all staff and many students) 1. Staff and many students have access to school email, though I dont know how much students rely upon this tool. There doesnt appear to be a shared drive, which would facilitate more group projects and collaboration. For example, I volunteer to teach an iMovie after-school class. It takes so much time to load each Flip to each MacBook so that the students can work. This could be avoided with a shared drive the students could access.

5. Innovation a. New Technologies i. Behavioral: Island (New technologies are accepted by many staff members, although opportunities for experimentation are limited) 1. Staff members welcome the new technology for the most part, but dont always have a chance to experiment with them. The Smart Board is the perfect example of this. The technology director/teacher wasnt given a Smart Board for use in his classes, so he has had limited opportunity to experiment with and master this tool. ii. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (New technologies readily accepted by many staff with little implementation) 1. Despite their best intentions, teachers often dont utilize the new technology as much as they could or hoped they would. More training and support could help this area. b. Comprehensive Technologies i. Behavioral: Integrated (Technology is fairly comprehensive, but lacks more advanced techniques) 1. Teachers and students would benefit from using more advanced techniques like video conferencing, Skype, voice recognition, and similar programs. Students could read out loud using voice recognition and then edit their papers. Virtual pen pals could be fostered via video conferencing. The possibilities are endless. 2. Resource/Infrastructure: Island (Available technology utilization is limited to one or two types of technology for most staff and students)

a. I question whether current capability would allow students and teachers to use more advanced technologies, as it requires bandwidth and memory. Perhaps upon completion of the new building, more advanced tools will be utilized. FINAL SUMMARY: For this assignment, I chose to highlight my children's school. I currently serve on the technology committee as the parent representative. I sent a survey to a small sampling of administrators, teachers, and technology committee members. I received enough responses to give me a good starting point for benchmark designation. Since I am not a teacher or administrator, my perspective and experience is very limited, but I tried to base my ratings on my own observations and the responses I received to the survey. I found many responses reflected the needs, job, and exposure of the responder. Within the five organizational filters there were 19 categories. For behavior, I rate the school as in the Islands stage, as it scored 12/19. For resource/infrastructure, I rate the school as in the Islands stage, as it scored 10/19. However, the Integrated stage was a close runner up with 8/19. The only two Emergent stages were found in behavior within training and technical/infrastructure support. The only Intelligent stage was found in Internet access resource/infrastructure. My overall technology maturity benchmark rating for this school is: Islands According to the Maturity Model and Stages of Technology, the Islands stage characterized by these attributes: Regular use of computers at one or more grade levels and program levels at each school within the Institution on a regularly scheduled basis Formal plans, policies and procedures exist to facilitate the optimal use of technology in both instructional and administrative areas throughout the Institution Institution sponsored and school sponsored training is available Technology has budgetary visibility at the Institutional level and school/program level The instructional delivery system is somewhat dependent on technology I feel this school is doing a remarkable job and has many resources available, especially considering the challenges faced in this country. With more training, support, and outreach, the teachers and students would gain confidence and better utilize these tools in their daily learning environments.