Technology Program Administrator Report

Birmingham Falls Elementary School

Prepared by: Jenna Jenkins

FRIT 7739
Summary:

Birmingham Falls Elementary School continues to educate teachers and students on technology

tools and make progress towards personalized learning. Data collected through observations and

interviews showed that all teachers use technology in their classrooms, but the level of

technology use varies. The tech coach and METI collaborate with teachers to educate students on

technology tools and Digital Citizenship. The technology specialist works hard to keep all

hardware, software, and network up and running. They all play an important part in the success

of the school. The mission and vision statement of Birmingham Falls are clearly stated and at the

center of teaching. The most important technology resources are the IPad and laptop carts as well

as the apps and software available on them. They are used daily to support student learning and

success. Improvements can be made through additional professional development so teachers can

learn how to use all of the technology resources to their full potential. I also think teachers

should provide more opportunities for students to collaborate and use technology to build

knowledge.

Organizational Chart:
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Methods:

To collect data, the tech coach, Michelle, and I observed teachers throughout the school to

determine the level of technology usage on any given day. Michelle showed me how to complete

the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) for each teacher that we observed. The TIM includes

five characteristics of meaningful learning environments as well as five levels of technology

integration. Together they create a matrix of 25 cells. (Appendix A) I also collected data through

interviews with the tech coach, METI, technology specialist, and a teacher. (Appendix B) I also

obtained information from the school and county websites.

Center Context and Goals:

History: Birmingham Falls Elementary School opened in 2009 and is located in North Fulton

County, within the city of Milton, Georgia. It is a leading educational institute with high

achieving students and an active parent community. Parents are quick to donate classroom

supplies whenever it’s needed and they love to volunteer in classrooms and help at school events.

Birmingham Falls currently has laptop carts for each classroom in third, forth, and fifth grades.

Each laptop cart includes 14 laptops and headphones. Those classrooms also have 3-5 desktop

computers. Kindergarten through second grade classrooms have iPad carts with 10 iPads as well

as 5 desktop computers.

Mission: Building the Foundation of Excellence for all Students.

Vision Statement:
The Birmingham Falls Elementary Community envisions a school of excellence that…

 Supports and challenges students and staff to reach their full potential.

 Fosters a safe and friendly school environment.

 Provides exceptional instruction and strives to increase student achievement.

 Integrates technology to prepare students for current and future challenges.

 Promotes cooperation between school, home, and community.

 Inspires students to be independent thinkers, collaborative team members, and passionate

life-long learners.

Fulton County has committed to creating a Personalized Learning environment for all students.

There are 7 pillars of Personalized Learning and each school had to choose 3 to focus on this

year. Birmingham Falls Elementary chose to focus on Varied Strategies, Choice and Voice, and

Just in Time Direct Instruction.

“Personalized Learning means the students gets what they need when they need it, and teachers

have the tools they need to be successful. At Fulton County Schools, we believe this is key to

meeting our goals”.

The stakeholders are administration, teachers, school personnel, students, parents, and

community partners. The Principal and Assistant Principal are the decision makers for all

technology purchases for the school. The Administrative Assistant worked with tech coach to

organize device roll out and set up. She also communicated which grade levels get which

devices.
Current status of the center: With the help on the iTeach coach and the METI he school is trying

to implement technology in a way that’s meaningful for students and to promote personalized

learning. We have the technology but we aren’t using it meaningfully.

Center Activities:

Technology is used daily in each classroom, however, the level of use varies. Teachers that

would like to increase the use of technology in their classrooms can schedule a time to meet with

the tech coach to help generate ideas on how to do so. The first meeting is for the tech coach and

teacher to co-plan a lesson or series of lessons that use technology to help personalize learning.

They also will complete a 1 on 1 training of the device or tool being introduced to the students.

After planning cooperatively, teacher and coach will work together to teach a lesson on how to

use the device or tool. Another option is to have the tech coach model using the device. The

coach demonstrates the use of technology to personalize learning while the teacher and students

actively observe. Trainings are completed in classrooms, online, and/or in the media center.

Schoolwide: The tech coach provides personalized learning support by working with PLC teams

and administration teams to strategically align daily practice with the overall vision for

technology integration and personalized learning. She also provides professional development on

technology devices and tools focusing on specific tools for grade levels. Currently, kindergarten,

first, and second grades are using iPads to upload assignments to their digital portfolios on the

Seesaw app. Seesaw allows students to show what they are learning in the classroom and

connects to parents at home. Third, forth, and fifth grade teachers and students are learning how

to use various Office 365 tools to create presentations, collaborate, and complete activities

through digital resources rather than with paper and pen.

Evaluation:

After reviewing the data collected, it is evident that Birmingham Falls is taking the steps

necessary to meet its goals. The tech coach, METI, and technology specialist communicate

frequently about technology uses and needs for the school. They are all knowledgeable and

support teachers and students in many ways. The technology specialist makes sure all computers,

software, and the internet are working correctly. The METI teaches lessons on Digital

Citizenship to help students use the internet responsibly. She can also check out additional

technology resources to students as needed. The tech coach provides training for teachers and

students on various tools that support personalized learning and allow students to demonstrate

their knowledge and creativity. Teachers use technology daily to teach lessons and provide

opportunities for students to create products using technology tools. The school has a variety of

technology devices such as smart boards, document cameras, iPads, laptops, desktop computers,

video cameras, and playaways. Students take a keyboarding class as a specials area rotation to

help them become more fluent with typing. They also complete assessments on the computers

such as WriteScore, Fastbridge, and IOWA to give them experience with online testing. This is

important since students will complete the Georgia Milestones Assessment online in the spring.

Recommendations:

Birmingham Falls Elementary has the resources it needs to meet its goals. Teachers are working

with the tech coach to help increase their level of technology use and engage students. They are

learning about new tech tools that support Personalized Learning through Varied Strategies,

Choice and Voice, and Co-Planning Learning. Teachers can also try some of the following tips

for continued improvement:

 Move toward using technology to build knowledge. Use Symbaloo, Thinklink, Padlet, or

even a Safari Montage playlist to curate some resources and let students get started.

 Design lessons in a way that allows students to develop a plan and monitor their progress

throughout. Consider using Office 365 and have students chart and monitor their

reading/math goals using Excel or OneNote

 Try flipping the classroom. Technology can be used for much more than skill and drill.

 Try Skype in the classroom, virtual field trips, or authentic pictures and videos to connect

learning to the real world

 Design lessons that allow students to discover, learn new material, or apply their learning

to a task

 Design lesson that allow students to work with peers to accomplish a task. Partner and

group activities increase knowledge base and build conflict resolution skills.
Appendix A:

Technology Integration Matrix

Appendix B:

Tech Coach, METI, and Technology Supervisor Interview Questions:

What are your main responsibilities?

What is your biggest challenge?

What area do teachers need most support with?

How often do you communicate with teachers?

How often do you communicate/meet with the tech coach, METI, and tech supervisor?

What technology resources are available to students?

What technology resources are available to teachers?

Do you offer any lessons on technology to students?

Do you offer any professional development to teachers?

Teacher Interview Questions:

How often do you use technology in your classroom?

What technology devices do you use in your classroom?

What software/ apps do students use most frequently?

What is your biggest challenge with technology in your classroom?

Who do you contact for technology support?

Do you think teachers & students are aware of all the technology resources available at our

school?

What technology tool would you like to learn more about?