Technology Improvement Plan

Ebony Dixon

EDIT*760*D1 Instructional Tech Leadership - 24/SP

April 23, 2024

 Education is one of the main driving forces for society across the globe. As society

evolves so does the need for education. In the past, many school leaders and stakeholders

focused on academic knowledge regarding education. However, with the rapid advancement of

education, they now prioritize the development of critical thinking, communication,

collaboration, creativity, and digital literacy skills. This change is a result of the increased use of

technology and its advancements in the 21st century. Technology has changed the way students

learn and educators teach in the last century. It has allowed for greater access to information,

promotes collaboration, and enhances learning.

Throughout the last few weeks, I have been collecting data regarding how technology is

utilized and implemented within the organization. Research data was collected through my

personal experience, interviews with other teachers, administrators, the media specialist, and the

technology specialist for the building. While conducting my research I noticed that there were

some concerns within my organization regarding The International Society for Technology in

Education (ISTE) standards and technology. There were four overarching areas of concern that I

found when conducting my research.

Many teachers are not aware of The International Society for Technology in Education

(ISTE) standards. The ISTE standards guide educators in using technology to create high-impact,

sustainable and scalable learning experiences for all students. It also outlines how educators

should design, facilitate, and analyze activities and environments that leverage technology to

improve student learning. Leaders should create rich learning environments while leading the

knowledge and behaviors required to make learning possible. There is an unequal amount of

concern for a variety of technology needed for students. Within an organization no one

technology should be superior to another. All students learn differently, and many educators
have varying abilities relating to technology. Therefore, there needs to be a variety of engaging

and innovative technologies utilized within the classroom that effectively improves learning

within students.

There is no allocated time to explore new and innovative technologies. The positive

effects of technology within the classroom have become evident over the last century. Educators

should be given time to explore technologies to determine how they can benefit the needs of

students. As well as determining which technology can assist in differentiating lessons. Most

importantly time should be set aside so they can explore and learn the technologies. The

inconsistency of the digital infrastructure is another issue that was discovered when conducting

research. Digital infrastructure is the physical and software-based infrastructure necessary to

disperse digital goods, products, and services within a network. Many technologies rely on the

internet be able to function properly. The internet is one of the driving forces within an

institution because it allows for everyone to be connected. Therefore, without a stable and

reliable internet the overall learning environment of students would be compromised. It will also

affect the productivity of educators and staff.

ISTE Standards

There has been research that shows how technology positively affects learning and

teaching within organizations. Teachers are constantly tasked with making sure to incorporate

technology into their lessons to promote learning and engagement. The ISTE standards were

created to articulate how to implement technology in classrooms and schools. They help guide

everyone that is. However, this cannot be done if teachers are not aware what the ISTE standards

are. The survey distributed to teachers asked if they were familiar with the ISTE standards. They
replied that they were not. If a school is going to succeed everyone involved in the educational

process needs to be aware of the ISTE standards.

One step that can be taken is to set up trainings and professional developments for

teachers. The district can work with ISTE representatives to create a professional learning

program for teachers. This program should be tailored to the needs of the district. The

professional developments should be during a time that allows teachers to collaborate with others

so that they can discuss how they are using technology to promote learning in their classrooms.

There are self-paced courses that teachers can take on their own time that does not take away

from their planning time. These self-paced classes are between two and five hours long and

range between $25- $65. This would be a great opportunity for teachers to be educated on the

ISTE standards and how to implement technology effectively. However, there is also an

instructor led course that schools can set up for groups of teachers. It is referred to as the ISTE-

U and it is a private cohort for organizations that is offered at a discounted rate. Studies have

shown that teachers become comfortable with their own colleagues and tend to get off track.

Another step that can be taken is to allow teachers to attend ISTE events and conferences outside

other schools. At these conferences, teachers rethink learning activities with technology while

collaborating with others.

Lack of variety for technology devices

Within an institution there should be a variety of technologies used to promote learning

and to encourage engagement among students. The data from the survey collected shows that the

primary technology focus is on iPads. Every student within the school has one from child

development to fifth grade. They are used throughout the day to complete a variety of tasks.

However, there are other technologies that can be beneficial to students and teachers as well that
are overlooked. One option to correct this issue is by having multiple devices within a classroom

allows for students at different levels to function at different paces.

Digital textbooks are another device that can be used within the classroom that can

promote learning. Many digital textbooks include homework, self-assessments, or built-in

quizzes along with the content. This can be beneficial to teachers because it can take the

workload away from them. Teachers can use the resources that are available and modify them to

differentiate learning for students. It should also be noted that digital textbooks are more

affordable than traditional books. Meaning that districts can use money saved from textbooks

and put it towards other technologies students can use in the classroom. They also allow for

interactive, innovative, and fun learning. Laptops are other devices that a focus should be on

within schools. Teachers use laptops to create lessons, conduct normal classroom activities,

communicate with others and other tasks. Laptops should be updated and serviced frequently like

iPads. When inventorying devices laptops should be accounted for, and they should be updated

on a regular basis to ensure that they function properly (Parr & Ward 2011). There should be

some available for students and other staff as well. Districts should allow students opportunities

to choose their learning devices especially if it improves their learning. Schools and districts

should also focus on interactive whiteboards. They are used to display important curriculum for

students. They are used to enhance learning by displaying games and videos. Many schools are

using outdated interactive whiteboards because they are not being considered when thinking

about technology devices. To fix this, there should be someone from the technology department

that visits schools and assists with the inventory of technology. Their duties should also include

updating and researching new technology devices for students and teachers. Promethean and

Vibe are the two leading interactive whiteboards for classrooms. Instead of the district choosing
a board for teachers, they should allow teachers the opportunity to try them out. Meaning, they

should set aside a time for teachers to interact with the boards to determine which one they

prefer, and teachers should vote on their favorite. This allows teachers to be involved in the

decision making as well.

Insufficient amount of time to explore technology.

The importance of combining education and technology has been evident over the last

century. However, some teachers are not given the opportunity to explore new technologies

before they are used in the classroom. Nor are they given the choice to choose the technology in

their classroom. We must help to bring teachers into this new era of education by giving them the

choice of what technology to use with their students and time to explore them (Wolpert-Gawron,

2012).

One way is by providing teachers with ongoing professional development and support.

Professional developments during school hours, or over the course of the summer, teachers

should be allotted time to explore new technologies and collaborate with other teachers who are

familiar with the technology. By having these professional developments teachers can write

down a list of questions they have about the technology. They can also list the pros and cons of it

as well. That way teachers are not exploring the new technology while trying to teach lessons in

the classroom. While exploring the technology teachers should also consider the function of the

technology and how students will respond to it. Another step to solve this issue is by allowing

teachers to attend technology conferences. There is an annual conference held in Texas by the

Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA). It is a member-based organization devoted to

eliminating the barriers in education and making learning possible for every student. TCEA also

offers many low-cost, self-paced online courses. Some of the courses include digital tools,
learning management systems, and devices to name a

few.

Unreliable digital infrastructure

The concern for unreliable digital infrastructure is a major concern throughout the school

based on the data that has been collected. Students and teachers need access to high-speed

internet to interact with digital resources, for communication and collaboration, and to create

content. Not all districts have internal school switches with sufficient bandwidth to accommodate

effectively all students using devices at once. One of the first steps that should be taken is to

conduct internet speed testing within the school. Doing this will allow the proper individuals to

determine what the speed of the internet is. This will help identify where help is needed most.

Broadband connectivity testing should also be conducted to see what barriers there are that are

hindering the broadband within the school.

Something else that can be done is to consider satellite internet as an additional option to

schools. Satellite internet can be added to schools to supplement their digital infrastructure to

ensure that teachers and students continue to be connected without interruption. This would be

extremely beneficial to rural areas like the one that I currently work in. There is a new company

called Starlink that is a satellite internet service. It uses thousands of small low earth orbit

satellites that ensure faster speeds, rather than larger satellites that are farther. According to

studies it is a great option for rural areas. Also, it is faster and has lower latency than regular

satellite internet which makes it as good as broadband. There are already schools around the US

that are using Starlink in rural areas. According to the website, it costs about $500 a month for a

fixed broadband site. That can get costly considering how many schools there are in the district.

However, there is federal funding that the district can apply for that can assist with the cost.
 Conclusion

This technology plan was created to address the concerns found with an organization. If

these concerns are not addressed the academic progress of students will be negatively impacted.

These concerns also affect the development of effective teachers. Technology has been the

driving force of education over the last century. With that being said, leaders, teachers, and

coaches need continuous training to ensure that technology is being incorporated into the

learning process in an effective manner. All technologies need to be considered in the learning

process to meet the needs of students. Leaders should ensure that teachers have professional

developments where they can learn about new innovative technology and collaborate with other

teachers. Most importantly, the technology team from the district and stakeholders should ensure

proper measures are taken so that there is robust reliable internet in every school.
 Reference

Parr, J. M., & Ward, L. (2011). The Teacher’s Laptop as a Hub for Learning in the Classroom.

Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 44(1), 53–73.

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2012, June 28). Teachers and tech use: It’s time! Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tech-use-classroom-necessity-heather-wolpert-gawron