The Danbury ISD Long Range Technology Plan has been developed in order to formalize and document a set of guiding principles for development of technology instructional programs and teaching strategies, technology training of staff, students and community members, acquisitions of hardware and software, utilization of outside resources within the arena of educational technology for the next three years. The following aims were developed and used to formulate the goals, objectives, and benchmarks for this District Technology Plan: maximize the potential of technology to improve student achievement, enrich the curriculum with technology integrated lessons, prepare students for a changing technological society, empower teachers to utilize technology as an effective tool to transform teaching and learning. All staff members need to: increase their basic “hands on” operation associated with technology use, understand the “mechanics” of technology well enough to be adventurous, innovative, confident and experimental, collaborate with one another and students in learning the technology operations, improve effectiveness of instruction with the assistance of technology tools. In order to improve learning through the use of technology, ongoing staff training, curriculum development, additional software, and commitment from staff members, students, parents, and the community will be needed. As part of curriculum development, staff members need opportunities to discover and/or develop alternative, authentic performance tasks in all subject areas that include technology components and to work with teachers of other grade levels to improve articulation of technology skills across grade levels. In order to meet changing curricular requirements, the district will need relevant instructional software, including upgrades for current applications. To elicit the cooperation and commitment of staff members, students, parents, and the community to improve student learning through technology, periodic surveys will be administered to assess changing technology needs. A comprehensive needs assessment utilizing teacher/student surveys, interviews, inventories and StaR Chart will be conducted to analyze the current status of technology in the district and determine future needs. Items analyzed included: infrastructure, hardware, software, programs, courses, student and faculty achievement, technology resources, staff development, and technical support. Student achievement will be measured through TAKS scores, standard testing, benchmark testing, attendance, high school completion, percentage of students retained at grade level, and grade point averages. Surveys, interviews, and results from STaR charts will be used to measure teacher progress in integration of technology. Evaluation results will be used to revise the plan for the following year and adjust the timeline for implementation if necessary.
The plan stresses the importance of ongoing and sustained staff development in the integration of technology into the curriculum for teachers, principals, administrators, and school library media personnel to further the effective use of technology in the classroom or library media center. Curriculum and Instruction will continue to build the Information Management System that will provide stakeholders information on student performance and align the curriculum vertically and horizontally. It also is consistent with the recommendations for LEAs as defined by the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology in the areas of Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Administration and Support Services, and Infrastructure for Technology, as well as the e-rate applications guidelines, and other state standards, such as Technology Applications Standards for Beginning Teachers. The technology will be used to collect data and to analyze it to best serve each student’s individual needs.
Technology promotes creativity, provides opportunities for real world learning experiences, stimulates life-long learning and enhances the overall competencies necessary to meet like’s challenges. The teaching and learning environment of Danbury ISD is a setting, which has been created to pursue our educational objectives. The Technology Plan will encourage problem-solving, exploration and learning in the classroom; provide student-centered learning; provide access to technology for all students and staff; provide for both current and future needs; restructure the learning environment; encourage communication; complement current key teaching strategies; and implement a comprehensive information system.
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