Technology: A Plan for This Generation of Elementary Stakeholders

Stakeholders

Jamie Parker, Rosebud Elementary School
Loganville, Georgia

The GAETC 2008 conference was fantastic. There were so many classes to choose from.  I was often conflicted as to what to attend especially when two classes I was interested in were being taught at the same time. The vendor’s area was excellent and the presenters were top notch, each bringing some unique perspective to technology and learning.

While one can get caught up in the grandeur of such a fine and well run event, ultimately what really makes the difference is what we bring back to our schools that will impact our students learning and comprehension. As a technology coordinator, my job is to make technology accessible to our students and allow the seamless integration of technology and learning. Our district also has the same goal Technology integration is included in each schools year end evaluation.

What really struck me upon returning was how am I going to facilitate technology and learning to help it to be a seamless integration? This was one of the big themes of the conference. Each facilitator alluded to this during their presentations.

What I came up with is a comprehensive and practical technology plan for our school. It incorporates many of the ideals that I learned at GAETC, the big one being integration. It is a spiraling plan, meaning that it builds upon itself from grade level to grade level.  With each passing year, more proficiency is expected from our students.

Below is our plan for Rosebud Elementary School in Loganville, Georgia:

Plan BlueprintRosebud Technology Implementation Plan

Rosebud is committed to excellence in technology training for all staff as well as the effective implementation of our technology resources for our students. A team approach will be taken in order to help our students use technology to excel in their AKS (Academic Knowledge and Skills) goals. Each grade level will have specific goals that they will be trying to achieve.

Student Goals by Grade Level:

Kindergarten: Focus is on computer proficiency and creativity in order to help improve the understanding of all AKS areas

  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs a minimum of 4 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classrooms.
  • Improvement of logging in time will be a key in the effectiveness of their lab time. Teachers will track their log in times (class enters at x time and they are all logged in at x time). The goal will be to improve the initial time of logging in by 95% and that the students will be able to log in without assistance.
  • By May, students will be able to create art in KidPix. They will use the art tools, add text, and draw/add pictures, and manipulate text/pictures

1st Grade: Focus is on developing proficiency in computer basics (logging in, mouse use, right click, etc) in addition to supporting the AKS through the use of various pieces of software

  • Students will be able to log into computers without assistance.
  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs a minimum of 4 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classroom
  • Create a slide show using Power Point. They should be able to use art tools, add text draw/add pictures, add digital photos of themselves/objects

2nd Grade: Focus is on expanding the use of the Microsoft Office and developing age appropriate typing skills while working on lessons supporting the AKS

  • Publish a Word document (brochure, newsletter, etc.) They will be able to add and format text, add/manipulate pictures.
  • Learn 2 Type software will be used to improve typing proficiency
  • Create a slide show in Power Point including hyper links
  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs a minimum of 4 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classroom

3rd Grade: Focus will be a continuation of improving typing skills and introducing new programs to help support the AKS.

  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs a minimum of 4 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classroom
  • Learn 2Type will be used to continue to improve typing skills
  • Create documents in Word that include adding tables, backgrounds , pictures, and Smart Art
  • Introduce Timez Attack program to improve multiplication skills
  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs a minimum of 4 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classroom

4th Grade:    Focus will be on increased proficiency in Office and typing in support of AKS related goals and assignments.

  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs or use lap top carts a minimum of 5 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classroom
  • Excel will be introduced in support of Math AKS.
  • Timez Attack will continue to be used to improve multiplication skills
  • Word will be used to create reports with the integrations of Smart Art, bulleting, and numbered lists
  • Learn 2 Type will continue to be used

5th Grade: Focus on tying together all aspects of computer proficiency including using 3 different office programs

  • Success Maker will be used. Each teacher will bring their class to the labs or use lap top carts a minimum of 5 times each nine weeks to work on Success Maker. Teachers will also be implementing Success Maker in their classroom
  • Excel will be used to enter data/sort arrange date
  • Power Point will be used in support of AKS related lessons including the integration of animation, transitions, sound and links to websites
  • Word will be used to create mailing lists to send a flyer advertising a company they wish to start incorporating headers/footers
  • Students will be involved in the morning announcement broadcasts
  • Timez Attack will be used for remediation of students who are still not proficient in their multiplication facts

Teacher/Staff Development:

A menu of courses to be offered will be created in order to help teachers become more proficient in technological areas that are related to their jobs.

  • Required courses will be given the last Tuesday of each month from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m.
  • Optional courses will be offered during planning periods, before school and on workdays
  • Teacher/Staff empowerment will be focused on
  • Instructional handouts on how to use IGPRO, Elements, etc will be put on the shared drive
  • Staff survey will be conducted mid-year and at the end of the year to determine needs, successes and areas of improvement

In addition to the above plan, Success Maker is now a weekly event for each classroom. Each teacher rotates a minimum of one time per week for thirty minutes using Success Maker.

Tech Team Committee

How do these plans support teaching and learning?  How do they support the areas we have identified as our weakest areas academically?

Our goals will focus on support of instruction and learning in the following:

  • research and writing process
  • vocabulary across content areas
  • numbers and operations
  • measurement

The committee will work on helping encourage the use of available resources including digital cameras and projectors. The will assist in helping to implement the technology implementation plan on their grade level, discussing progress in these areas at Grade Level meetings and communicating needs to the  LSTC so that customized instruction can take place.

Community and Parent Involvement

A comprehensive website will keep up with the current happenings at Rosebud. Community members will have access to current events via the website as well as the weekly Comet Connection newsletter that is emailed out to parents and community members. Access will also be available to most of the content pages with extensive links on nearly every class offered at Rosebud.

The GAETC Conference helped me to solidify my ideas and come up a plan for my school that meets the needs of all of our stakeholders. From my initial plan to the final draft, the ideas learned about seamless integration of technology and learning permeate Rosebud Elementary School’s technology plan. This plan will enable our students to embrace the challenges and opportunities afforded to them given the technological advances that our world is now embracing.

 

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