2.+District+Technology+Training+Plan

District Technology Training Plan

**District Technology Training Plan ** Wildwood School District Cape May County, NJ  2013-2014

Robert Penrose EDTC 640 Summer 2013

toc = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =**The District **=

Wildwood School District is located in the Cape May County New Jersey. The district makes up the central portion of the Wildwoods situated between the school districts of Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood. The District is made up of three schools Glenwood Ave. Elementary, Wildwood Middle School, and Wildwood High School. These three schools are actively involved in sharing resources within the district. The total student enrollment for all three districts is around 830 students as of 2012. The average annual spending per student is $26,571 (U.S. department of education, 2013). The school district has a high Hispanic enrollment and a large percentage of those enrolled are ESL students. Currently Glenwood Ave. Elementary has the highest enrollment with 429 students of which 74 are white, 75 black, and 278 Hispanic (National center for education statistics, 2011-2012). According to the New Jersey Department of Education District Factor Groups classification, a measure of the socioeconomic status of a district, Wildwood Schools are classified within the lowest level of 8 factor groups with a rating of A (U.S. Department of education, 2004). Of the students enrolled 50 – 80% qualify for free or reduced lunch, the lowest in the state. Because of the demographic information available it is apparent that most students experience little ability to use technology at home. Most students only have the opportunity to use technology through access to school resources and networks. In addition the high amount of ESL students means that classes that are not bi-lingual can place an increased burden on students that do not speak English at home.  The current district needs are being driven largely by the necessity for upgrading our systems so that they are satisfactory for the administration of the PARCC assessments when they become live in 2014-2015. Because of this the district has been updating its bandwidth from the current 100 MB/s to 300 MB/s in order to properly deliver the exam. We currently have 6 mobile computer work stations for the district. All district media centers contain 22 desktop work stations. Our technology purchasing goals aims to include three desktop workstations in each classroom by the end of the year (Wildwood school district, 2013). All classrooms in the district contain a Smart board or Mimeo system. As a result of a recently received grant Glenwood Ave. Elementary recently received 50 iPads for use in classrooms and workstations.  Another element of technology integration is the recent installment of PowerSchool software in 2011across all schools in the district. Teachers are able to use this system to record student grades and attendance. The system also provides a way for all school staff to receive notifications and announcements.

=**The Problems **=

 While the school district’s technology resources are modest many teachers lack an understanding on how to use basic elements of technology. The range of needs among teachers is very wide. Some don't know how to use the most basic excel spreadsheet and others know all of the intricacies of how to use formulas with excel, etc. A lot of the differences is related to age or how much they've been required to use technology in their jobs. When some teachers lack an understanding of how technology is used in the day to day activities of the district this negatively impacts their ability to stay appraised of announcements or complete required data logging and administrative functions.  A major problem and a direct cause of many other problems is the lack of a dedicated technology coach or mentor. Training has been presented in periodic single day sessions. Most of this training comes in the form of the Educational Technology Training Center (ETTC), a federal grant funded by the Federal Goals 2000 program. This program supplies technology and training focused on cater to common core curriculum standards for the state of New Jersey (NJ department of education, 2012). Some additional training in math and science instruction is done by two university professors who act as consultants for the district. In interviews with staff they reported that the sessions were interesting, but that one single day training just “doesn’t stick”. Methods learned in training rarely survive the transfer from training room to classroom. This is in line with current research. In Sutton, 2011 a recent report on the perceptions of teachers towards technology training it was found that one of the biggest barriers to integration was lack of support after a training session. In a post study survey many teachers stated that “Participants in this study perceived a disconnect between their technology training and the rest of their teacher preparation program. Over and over again, they remarked that the program had made a big push for them to incorporate technology into their classroom presentations, lesson plans, and internship experiences, but paradoxically they perceived a lack of emphasis on technology training outside the one required technology course”. While teachers at wildwood schools have received training, much of it has proven to be ineffective in creating real change in instructional methods.

=**The Needs **=

Over the course of an hour I had an interview with Josepha MacNamara, the district technology coordinator. While Ms. MacNamara is the curriculum coordinator she also deals with issues related to technology, for instance the updates needed to administer the PARCC assessments. Before serving as curriculum coordinator Ms. MacNamara served as fourth grade teacher so she is familiar with needs both from a teaching and an administrative point of view. In the interview the director summed up the problem stating “I think they need assistance to truly integrate technology into their instructional methods and to demonstrate to students how they can use these platforms to help them learn and demonstrate their learning” (MacNamara, 2013). From this interview, district technology reports, and on site observations a list of needs can be generated as following.
 * **<span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 21.3333px;">Problem ** ||  **<span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 21.3333px;">Need **  ||
 * <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Because of the large gap in understanding of technology amongst the staff it is necessary to bring all staff up to an acceptable level of basic technology use. All of these technologies have been deemed essential for staff both instructional and administrative to complete their jobs. Training in this area will increase communication within the district community. || <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Basic training on school technology resources for administrative staff and teachers. ||
 * <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Training on integrating technology into lessons. This training will cover a much wider area of technology use in the classroom and require a more advanced level of technological understanding. Training based on needs, subject, and grade level. || <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In order to provide our staff with the tools needed to provide a 21st century learning environment for their pupils, formal training for teachers is required. ||
 * <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A support structure/mentor program to provide teachers with continuing assistance when introducing new technology elements within the classroom. This structure will be created through peer support as well as contact with a mentor. The first year will focus on selecting candidates and developing leadership. || <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Without ongoing support teachers are highly unlikely to continue to integrate lessons learned in training into their curriculum. Teachers need support from their administration as well as their peers. This program can be used to support targeted district needs training as well as the ETTC training provided for Core Curriculum Content Standards. ||
 * <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Training on the effective use of ipads in the elementary school. Ipads are an extremely versatile tool when used properly. This training aims to maximize their effectiveness. || <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The ipad workstations represent a major asset in the district’s technology resources. However, without proper training the devices may not be used effectively or in the areas where they are needed most. ||
 * <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Staff members trained in each school to evaluate effective software. || <span style="color: #000091; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">When purchasing textbooks the correlating software needs to be considered. It is necessary to have trained staff to make informed software purchasing decisions. Teachers should be able to identify software that is most effective for our ESL learners in each subject. ||

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These needs are to enhance and focus on specific target areas that are either missing, unavailable or otherwise understated by the federal training program ETTC program.

=**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 21.3333px;">The Audience **=

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">As co workers at this school we all know that the audience for this training program is at best, unskilled in integrating technology. At our elementary school a younger ESL teacher is often pulled out of class to spend time for support and maintenance of our ipads and other technology. A lot of our staff ability is based on age and how much they have been asked to use technology in other applications. This situation cannot continue with teachers being taken out of class to assist other staff. We need to develop our training program to put all of school staff on the same footing. This program also needs to recognize those that are making efforts to both integrate technology and to assist others in doing so. For this reason we have set a required technology education package for the whole of our staff, teachers and administrators. Setting minimum requirements ensures that the day to day technology needs of our district continue unhindered. For those that wish to continue their training, specifically teaching staff, we have created an incentivized basic level package focusing on integration in the classroom. For those that are already showing ability for leadership we will be selecting a few to take part in a mentor training program, one that will focus on group work and the hallmark of the professional, self learning. The above mentioned teachers as well as library staff are ideal candidates for this program. It is a strong recommendation that the school principals and the district superintendant attend at least some of the training sessions. It is in their interests to understand what is being done in their schools so that they can actively and effectively provide support to these programs.

<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">

=**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 21.3333px;">Objectives **=

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> The objectives of this one year plan are three fold. The first goal will be to require a basic level of technology use amongst all staff. Training the entire staff on the fundamentals of technology use is needed to keep our district at state standards. This training will focus on teaching both administrative and computer based facets of district technology use. The training will take place four times a year beginning before the start of classes in September with the final lesson taking place at the conclusion of the school year. Components of this course may include the school AUP policy and its stipulations, how to use school e-mail accounts, using projectors and whiteboards,as well as using Google docs. Teachers will be judged not by their ability but by their progress. Teachers will set personal training goals that will be followed up throughout the year. Because it cannot be assumed that new as well as veteran staff are familiar with these essential technologies and because there have been difficulties in the past regarding these issues, this will a mandated training for all staff. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The second goal will to increase the integration of technology use into the class curriculum at our school. This goal encompasses being able to make use of a vast array of internet resources, teaching students proper etiquette and safety in internet use. Integration also means making the best use of available software and hardware already present at our school. The training will be non-mandatory but incentivized. Allocation of resources and funds will be affected by participation in this program. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The third objective will be teacher support. Recent studies on technology integration have shown that the biggest obstacles to technology integration are lack of support for teachers and the belief that integration increases time spent in lesson planning. Achieving these training objectives without overburdening teacher planning or preparation time over that for which they would normally budget for their classes is a top priority. In addition these studies have shown that without support throughout the year integration falters. We must provide a constant support network that encourages teachers from the administrative level. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">

=**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Content **=

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The above needs will be broken down further into separate training courses and strands. These training courses will be divided into three levels, required, basic, and advanced as seen below. à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Smart board setup/ basic features à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">PowerSchool strand classroom à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">PowerSchool strand admin. à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AUP and school network and technology policies || à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Integrating student research skills à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Smart notebook à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">IPad strand: à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Web strand: à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Making effective classroom presentations à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Web safety and cyberbullying || à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Software evaluation à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Website creation à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Use of audio and video for classrooms à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Flipped classrooms à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">21st century learner: Skills students need à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Effective mentoring practices ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Levels of Training ||
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Required Package ** || **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Basic integration ** || **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Advanced ** ||
 * à <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Google strand:
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mail
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Calendar
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">docs
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">best practices
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">applications
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">special needs
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Effective use of internet applications and resources by subject area
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Blogs for classroom use
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Wikis for classroom use

//<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Groupings //

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The groupings represent need and content not difficulty of material. Because of the wide ranges of integration it is necessary to create three groupings of training, one for all staff, one for interested teachers, and one for teachers already skilled that may wish to take part in the mentor program. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> The first grouping, required will be mandated training for all staff and teachers. These elements have been deemed essential by administrators and staff for inter-district communication and functioning. All staff will be required to take these courses. The only difference being separate strands for teachers and administrators using PowerSchool. The method of instruction for this grouping will be mostly instructor driven. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The second grouping is for basic levels of integration of technology in the classroom specifically. The basic group will target teachers interested in educational technology but with a limited understanding of its use in the classroom. Hands on, practical experience will be the main methods of instruction in this group. Students will take part in activities and learn how to use the technology tools. These training sessions will be open to all teachers and be optional, albeit with certain incentives described later. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The advanced group will target those teachers who are already comfortable with using technology in their classrooms and are interested in taking up technology leadership positions within the district. The goals will be to increase both their practical knowledge as well as theory. Participants in this group may apply to become a technology mentor for other staff in the school.

=//<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Description of Courses //=

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> i. Teachers: Will be taught how to use the tool to record and interpret data. Also how PowerSchool can be used for communication. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ii. Admin.: Administrators will be taughtPowerSchool from an administrative point of view. Interdepartmental communication and data collection and analysis will be more prominently featured. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> i. Best practices: Basic features of an iPad and how it can be used in classes of all grade levels. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ii. Applications: Teachers will discover and explore subject area applications on the iPad for use in their classrooms. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> iii. Special needs: Teachers will examine the unique benefits of using the iPad for students with special needs. Teachers will also learn how to select appropriate software for their students’ needs. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> i. Effective use of internet applications: Teachers will research and discover effective online resources by subject area for use in class lessons. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ii. Blogs for classroom use: Teachers will learn how to use blogs a both a communication tool and a means of displaying student learning. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> iii. Wikis for classroom use: The use of wikis to support teamwork, learning, research, and collaboration skills for students.
 * 1) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Required courses
 * 2) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Google strand __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- This workshop will focus on teaching users the basics of word processing, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint as used on Google’s cloud based applications
 * 3) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Smart board __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – Teachers will be shown how to connect the smart board to the computer, orient the pen, and use the basic features like highlighter, pen, and eraser.
 * 4) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">PowerSchool Strand __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> –
 * 1) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AUP Course __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">– Designed to educate all teachers and staff about the contents of the school AUP policy for teachers and students.
 * 2) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Basic courses
 * 3) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Integrating student research skills __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">– Teachers of all levels will be taught how to encourage and teach good online research skills to students in their classes allowing students to safely and effectively make use of network resources in all classes.
 * 4) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Smart notebook __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – Teachers will be taught how to make interactive presentations using smart notebook software.
 * 5) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">IPad Strand __
 * 1) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Web strand __
 * 1) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Making effective classroom presentations __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – Teachers will be introduced to more advanced features of presentation software as well as proper methods of structuring a presentation for learning.
 * 2) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Web safety and cyberbullying __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">– Techniques for keeping students safe when using the net as well as issues concerning cyberbullying identification and prevention.
 * 3) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Advanced
 * 4) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Software evaluation __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">-Identifying proper software along a variety of conditions and be able to make recommendations for school use. A specific focus of this will be selecting appropriate ESL software for each subject. Examples of appropriate ESL software will contain narration as well as text to allow students time to comprehend instructions. Another example would be the diversity of characterizations depicted within the software, a reflection of our students
 * 5) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Website creation __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – Teachers will be taught how to create websites for use as a communication tool within the school community. Software use will primarily consist of CMS and not HTML.
 * 6) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Use of audio and video for classrooms __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – How to effectively make videos both for classroom instruction and as a learning tool as well as relevant software applications.
 * 7) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Flipped classrooms __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – Flipped classrooms as well as other innovative class formats will be explored.
 * 8) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">21st century learner: Skills students need __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">– The ability to identify and describe the needs students according to NET l <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">S
 * 9) __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Effective mentoring practices __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> – How to use knowledge and skills to encourage colleagues to use technology in the classroom. Attendees will explore roles in technology leadership.

=**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 21.3333px;">Schedule **=
 * **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Level ** ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Aug **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Sept **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Oct **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Nov **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Dec **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Jan **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Feb **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Mar **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Apr **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">May **  ||  **<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Jun **  ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Required **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Package ** || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">R1 pre ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">R2 post ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Basic integration ** ||  || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B1 || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B2 || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B3 ||   || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B4 || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B5 ||   || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B6 ||   ||   ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Advanced **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mentor ** || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A1 || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A2 ||  || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A3 ||   || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A4 ||   || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A5 ||   ||   || <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A6 ||

l //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Required Package // l //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Basic integration – Weekly meetings 2 hours. Participants register for the workshop ahead of time with the technology coordinator’s office. Once registered participants must attend all classes for that workshop or they will not receive credit. // l //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Advanced mentor program – Six five hour training sessions throughout the school year with an additional bi-weekly update meeting lasting about an hour. Information about these lessons is listed in the following sections. //
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">R1 – An eight hour pre opening instruction on all of the elements of the required package delivered by the technology coordinator.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">R2 – A four hour reflection on the year. Summarizing of use and forecast of technology needs for the coming school year.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B1 – Last week in August to September 30th - Integrating student research skills–
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B2: Oct - Smart notebook
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B3: Nov-Dec - iPad Strand
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B4: Jan - Web safety and cyber bullying
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B5: Feb-Mar - Making effective classroom presentations
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B6: Apr-Jun - Web strand
 * //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">See below for detailed lesson plans on the mentor program. //

=**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Instructional Strategies **=

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Instructional strategy will vary according to the training group. The required training group will mostly use instructor centered instruction. Because all staff and all teachers at all levels will be mandated to take these courses their instruction must be as fast and efficient as possible. The ability for hands on use of computers will be restricted by the large numbers of staff attending the training. Instruction may be delivered by the trainer through the use of a projector and PowerPoint slides. Appropriate step by step guides, PowerPoint slides, and handouts will also be made available for teachersduring and after training. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Participants in the basic level of training will receive a blended form of learning with trainees using and searching for information at home and on the internet. A typical training session in this group would begin with an instructor introduction or demonstration followed by a hands on activity. Teachers will actively research and create using wikis, blogs, presentation software, and iPads. The goals will be to convey practical teaching approaches to the teachers in ways that can be then transferred directly to the classroom. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> At the advanced level, methods of delivery will be decentralized and in small groups. Staff and teachers in this group will receive some instruction but will be the primary drivers of training content and direction through discussion and collaboration. An example training session would focus around creating learning goals and then actively pursuing knowledge and how it can be incorporated into k-12 learning. For instance the group could decide to learn and review a new learning management software (LMS) and decide its efficacy for use in the school.

=**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 18.6667px;">Sample workshop **=

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> The listing of plans below is for a sample five day workshop for the technology mentor program training sessions. Much of the training involves breakout sessions and setting personal learning objectives. This workshop will be spaced out over a period of six months and represent the first phase of the mentor program. The dates, session number, and workshop title are listed at the beginning of each plan.

= **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Materials ** =

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;">The following are example training forms on Google drive as well as an example training PowerPoint on the evaluation of software programs. The PowerPoint is meant to serve as a checklist for criteria that should be considered when selecting software. The following link is to the online form that all participants of the required training course will fill out in response to their training. This will link to an online spreadsheet that will make collating large numbers of responses to varying topics easy and efficient.

//<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Training Form //

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The following is a link to the questionnaire for participants of the required course to submit. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">[]

= **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Field Test ** =

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;">The training session will be first review with the principles of the schools. There are elements of this training such as creating a district technology vision and setting a technology agenda that will need to be approved before hand. In addition they may have some suggestions as to how to improve the leadership of the teachers and their views on the type of function the mentor program could play. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;">Information contained in the mentor training program could be revised according to principal and superintendant suggestions. I addition the training for A1, A2, and A3 will be reviewed with other district trainers and consultants. Feedback from these peers will be an essential part of ensuring that all of the needed elements are included in the topics

= **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Evaluations ** =

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Evaluations for the required training courses will be done by providing an evaluation for each participant. This form will contain a rating of each topic covered. Participants will be able to rate each topic on a scale from 1 to 5 and be able to provide written feedback both on the individual topics and on the required training session in general. The questionnaire is an effective way of evaluation for the required group because of the anticipated high number of participants. Using the questionnaire will allow the trainer to ask direct questions and be able to quickly assess feedback provided in the form. In addition the forms can be used to guide the direction of the net years training and to serve as a record of participation. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The strands and workshops of the basic training group will be measured in two ways. The first will be a group evaluation of products created in the training itself. Because the training will feature hands on learning, the products created will be an important tool for review and revision. Feedback on each participants work will be given at the end of each presentation and at the conclusion of the training. In addition, at the conclusion of each workshop each participant will be given a review for to evaluate their opinions on how the training contributed to their overall learning. After each workshops the participants will be given a time period of one to three months in which to implement the training into their classroom. The technology coordinator will be invited to attend one of these classes and/ or view a class product resulting from the implementation of practices learned in training. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The first part mentor/advanced training level will receive evaluation similar to that of the basic level. The participant will be given peer feedback on their opinions and findings as well as a final questionnaire at the end of the training workshop. Because of the more long term goals involved, the final elements of the workshop will be given an evaluation based on the completion of tasks. For instance, the goals set by the participants for their own personal development will be self evaluated at the end of the year. The production of working products such as a technology agenda and vision will also be part of the comparative success of the mentor program in the first year.

= **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Summative Evaluation ** =

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The success of the training program as a whole will be done in two stages. The first involves staff setting technology goals at the beginning of the year. These results will be collated and revisited in the final end of the year required technology meeting. Participants will fill out an evaluation on whether or not they have reached their goals and if the technology training program had any role in helping them achieve those objectives. Considering the fact that there is currently no training program of this kind in Wildwood School District it is expected that all of the basic programs such as office, and Power school will achieve a level of competence in use that has not been seen in previous months. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The second stage will consist of a review of the number of teachers attending training sessions under the basic group. This will be coupled with the technology administrators personal observations of their class invites and products, mentioned earlier, presented by the teachers. The collection of these materials and observations into a portfolio will serve as a technology benchmark from year to year and demonstrate the changes in technology use. For example blogs, digital media, smart board presentations, etc. can be collected by subject and grade level and used to showcase technology change. If competence and usage increases over time this will in turn be demonstrated both in the number and quality of items contained in each teachers portfolio.

= **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;">Budget ** = = **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Conclusion ** =
 * <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Item (period of 1 yr.) || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Cost ||
 * **<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Instructor time estimated at 120 hours at $40/hr ** || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">$4,800 ||
 * **<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Practice software subscriptions ** || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Budget of $300 ||
 * **<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Stipend for teachers attending basic and advanced programs ** || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Budget $8,000 ||
 * **<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Printing/copying ** || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">$200 ||
 * **<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Coffee/ doughnuts ** || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">$150 ||
 * **<span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Video recorder for training sessions ** || <span style="color: #33339a; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">$200 ||

<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot LEARN, UNLEARN AND RELEARN"  --- Alvin Toffler <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Training is not what it was. In the past “training” suggested something concrete, permanent, and tangible. Today training is an evolution, a constant update of learning and unlearning, adapting and readapting. Training is not a static process, it must be built into our work and lifestyle, and we need to take a leadership role in our own development. The training outlined for Wildwood School District attempts to solve the required needs of the school while providing flexible opportunities for those staff to develop in ways that are most suitable to their needs. That is the first half. The second half is the challenge of creating individuals who are prepare to take responsibility, to be example of learning and unlearning. These individuals do not have to be the young, those staff fresh out of university born with an LCD screen in their pocket. These leaders can also be our veteran staff, brave enough to unlearn methods so that they can build new structures and pedagogies in their place. This will be our greatest challenge, not sitting idly waiting to be “trained”, but creating a community of educators dedicated to bringing the best of what the new century has to offer to our children. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Cited Kopcha, T. J. (2012). Teachers' Perceptions of the Barriers to Technology Integration and Practices with Technology under Situated Professional Development. //Computers & Education//, //59//(4), 1109-1121. MacNamara, J. (2013, June 18). Interview by RL Penrose [Wildwood school district]. District technology plan. National center for education statistics. US department of education, (2011-2012). //School directory information//. Retrieved from website: http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3417940&ID=341794001770 NJ department of education. NJ department of education, (2012). //Ettc course list//. Retrieved from website: [] Richard, V. (2007). Technology Incentives: Motivating Teachers to Attend Professional Development Training. //Learning & Leading With Technology//, //35//(2), 24-27. Starr, L. (2011, November 14). Technology training programs that work. //Education world//, Retrieved from [] Sutton, S. R. (2011). The Preservice Technology Training Experiences of Novice Teachers. //Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education//, //28//(1), 39-47. U.S. Department of education. U.S. Department of education, Wildwood school district. (2013). //Taxpayers guide to education spending//. Retrieved from website: [] U.S. Department of education. U.S. Department of education, Wildwood school district. (2004). //Nj department of education district factor groups//. Retrieved from website: http://www.state.nj.us/education/finance/sf/dfg.shtml Wildwood school district. Department of education, Office of curriculum and instruction. (2013). //Three-year local school district/ charter school technology plan july 1, 2013 through june 30, 2016//

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