Section4

Section 4: Promotion of Curricula and Teaching That Integrate Technology
To prepare students for the future, schools must integrate technology into the curriculum. Students need to be proficient in the use of technology to gain access to online resources of information, to be able to use resources provided with some textbooks, to be able to problem solve/trouble shoot basic technical issues, and to be able to express and share their thoughts and talents through digital media. Teachers must become proficient in utilizing innovative resources to teach, remediate, and reinforce PASS skills, while encouraging higher order thinking skills such as creating, evaluating and analyzing information. With the transition to Common Core State Standards, higher order thinking skills will be addressed with more rigor. To accomplish this, administrators and teachers must participate in professional development that trains them to use the capabilities of technology as an essential instructional tool. This training should include developing skills that prepare students for the twenty-first century, such as information literacy, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. Technology should be used in every classroom to encourage inquiry-based learning so that students ultimately become intrinsically motivated and responsible for their own learning.

To successfully promote the integration of technology and curricula, the following items must be addressed:
 * Students, teachers, support staff, and administrators need reliable access to a variety of sources of information through LAN and wireless access points. All classrooms and support spaces within the school must be fully connected to the internet as well as district resources available on the network.
 * In addition to reliable network support, a systematic method for collaborating on curricular issues is needed to house and organize calendars, standards and objectives, lesson plans, instructional resources and assessment data. These systems are commonly referred to as Learning Management Systems.
 * Technical support will be provided by the Instructional Technology Coordinator in conjunction with other technically skilled teachers and personnel (i.e. STEP educators, library media specialists, CORE/SITE technicians).
 * The school district and individual school sites will purchase software necessary to meet the learning needs of all students.
 * Computer Science courses will be provided to help facilitate cross curricular learning and will encourage students to utilize technology to demonstrate learning.
 * Technology will be used to help facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents by enabling parents to monitor student progress (i.e. ParentConnect, School Center, PowerSchool, and district email).
 * The school district will continue to offer peer-taught or expert-led workshops and training that encourage teachers to employ technology as a tool to enhance student learning. Participants should gain strategies on how to integrate available technology into content areas. Workshops and training should be held periodically, where grade level/subject area teachers collaborate to create instructional lessons/units that integrate technology. These units would support the teaching of PASS as well as integrate digital citizenship into the curriculum and provide a transition to Common Core State Standards.
 * Each site, in conjunction with the school district, will offer training for students in basic instruction and use of computer software, internet applications, and digital citizenship. Participation in these trainings will give students the basic skills that are needed to be successful in a technology rich environment and aid in the implementation of technology integration in the classroom.
 * Each site will use digital video clips to supplement classroom instruction. Sources are available (such as Discovery Education Streaming, and prescreened YouTube & TeacherTube videos ) which align to particular content standards in most subjects. It would be beneficial for each classroom to have a video projector and speakers available to them for frequent use. With the availability of equipment, more multimedia resources could be used to support the varied learning styles of our students.
 * Assessment plays a crucial role in planning and monitoring effective instruction and learning. Technology is a perfect tool for frequent and meaningful assessment of student progress. Knowledge of a wide variety of tools (such as Edusoft, DIBELS, and Destination) will enable teachers to implement data-driven instruction.
 * Diagnostic prescriptive programs provide opportunities for extension or remediation of student learning. The key is the ability of the teacher to integrate the skills and objectives covered in the program with the regular classroom instruction.

With the ongoing advancement of technology, the committee members reviewed the implementation of 1 laptop computer device for each student. Policies were put into place that addressed the following: In the review, the Director of Instructional Technology suggested the following changes: The 1 laptop computer device for each student was a one year pilot project. The project was not continued for the 2011-2012 school year.
 * Guidelines for caring for devices in and out of the classroom.
 * Limitations of installing software and saving work on the device.
 * Policies for students taking the devices home.
 * Policies for storing the devices during the summer months.
 * Guidelines for offering or requiring insurance for each device.
 * Policies for continued access when a student does not have his/her assigned device.
 * Policies for tracking location of stolen devices.
 * Developing a parental permission form for students to receive devices which includes parent responsibility.
 * Policies for students taking the devices home requiring insurance should be changed and insurance should be provided by the district when needed. The goal is to ensure that every student can take advantage and save the district from security and management expenses.
 * Students should share the expense of insuring the devices, but the district needs to adopt a uniform insurance rate and provider to ensure standard operating procedure.
 * Students should be constantly and consistently coached in digital citizenship and encouraged to increase personal responsibility.

Technology improves student performance when the application directly supports the curriculum standards being assessed (CARET 2002). Research and evaluation show that technology can enable the development of critical thinking skills when students use technology presentation and communication tools to present, publish, and share results of projects (ISTE 2002). Commitment to technology infusion can translate to higher test scores. Schools that use technological tools to provide frequent corrective feedback to students motivates them to remain cognitively engaged. When technology is infused with thematic and interdisciplinary projects, students acquire some of the prerequisite skills required for workforce preparedness. Promoting the integration of technology and curriculum prepares life-long learners in a technology driven society.