If you’ve ever wanted to start a business or project what’s the first step in your process? A business cannot be successful without a plan of action. Schools are failing because they lack proper planning. Often the administration wears many hats, when their skills are limited. Instead of trying to juggle everything, administrators need to recruit dedicated individuals. As shown in the reading, instead of trying to keep things enclosed in the school, technology committees should branch out to families, the community and local businesses. By coming together to brainstorm how to better service the students, we give the students tools which will help them succeed in life.
Michigan’s 2010 Educational Technology Plan is right on track. They realized that it’s not enough to have committee meetings and produce a well written document. They didn’t just stop at writing a plan; they went further and included the actions it would take to see progress after each goal. My district’s plan looked nice but were not clarified or implemented correctly. Teachers didn’t have anything concrete which they could reference. Although I was pleased with the description of the plan and the goals seem simple enough, I questioned can they be obtained?
METP is sequential and well thought out. Step one provides students with the material needed for technology. Through the use of the material students can obtain goal two: increase academic achievement. So that educators can assist students, goal three will keep teachers trained. After teachers are equipped they move to step four and include parents and community. Goal five will document transformation and provide data to back-up findings.
Goal four is especially important because without the collaboration of the community and parents the plan cannot run at full capacity. Students are only in school eight hours per day so they must have a way to keep technological training going during non-school hours. This will help them see the connection between school and their lifestyle. At home, parents welcome the technology but don’t have the supplies or knowledge to benefit their child. Through the help of our PTO my district began distributing refurbished computers to households. The computers were contributions from local businesses who believed in our plan.
With Michigan’s 2010 Educational Technology Plan students are the focal point which is how it should be.
Thanks for adding the personal dimension about the district refurbishing older computers for families. I appreciated the effort. Someone at the state proposed something like this a few years back, but they wanted the schools to distribute them. It wasn't workable, but we pointed them in the direction of a couple of schools. It didn't go anywhere. It really takes the commitment of the entire community to make that kind of a program work. Hats off!
ReplyDeleteTiffany,
ReplyDeleteI to feel that the METP is a great document. The one problem is that without proper funding it is simply a dream. The state has laid out a plan to immerse its students in technology but leaves little to back it up with money to fund this plan. With multiple cuts in the educational budget I wonder if money will ever be available to implement this plan properly. I can say that I have a couple friends who were laid off this past year because of budget cuts and if I found out their school was going to use the extra money to buy a couple computers rather than hire them back I don't think this is the proper way to implement the METP. Remember computers don't TEACH, they only provide resources for information.
I do however really like that your community is becoming involved in this technology plan! I think it is great that they are trying to put computers in a students home for around the clock web access.