1. Develop strategies for funding.
Goal 1: Train campus staff to expand technology focus at school level.
SISD already provides the funding for staff development in all subject areas including technology. The district provides in-services and online learning programs for staff at no cost.
Goal 2: Use technology effectively to improve teaching and learning.
Funding to accomplish this goal is closely related with the budget needed to hire an technology instructional specialist and the purchase of new technology equipment mentioned in goals 3 and 4.
Goal 3: Provide new hardware to support students and staff in the teaching and learning process.
SISD receives e-Rate discounts, state and federal grants. All requests for technology funding must be tied to the school or district technology plan. At school level, we need to evaluate the budget currently allowed to be used for technology and obtain additional budget to get new equipment. We need to maximize funding from traditional sources including the state, federal and local budget, as well as identify alternative revenue streams. Some alternative Grant options available are in the U.S. Department of education (2010), the Technology Educational index (n.d.), TEA grants (2010), Grants for probeware (2012), among others.
Goal 4: District provides budget to have the personnel needed to implement a technology program on each campus.
Link elementary should request a technology instructional specialist for our campus to the school district. SISD will make a decision to hire an technology instructional specialist based on available budget to pay the salary and benefits according to the position.
Goal 5: School will provide the opportunities to request additional budget to meet technology needs.
The school grant committee will research and apply for technology grants throughout the year. This committee will need to be train in how to write grants and will require school budget for this purpose. These grants can be found in the U.S. Department of education (2010), the Technology Educational index (n.d.), TEA grants (2010), Grants for probeware (2012), among others.
2. Develop strategies for management plans.
Goal 1: Train campus staff to expand technology focus at school level.
Teacher attendance to workshops and in-services is monitored through Avatar Learning Platform which is the professional development management system used in SISD. Avatar is designed to enhance the process of getting results from any learning organization. You can group participants by roles and affiliations, set and administer access at multiple levels, upload professional learning content (or develop new content) and map categories of learning, course types, and credit units. With Avatar, you can develop custom learning plans for individuals or groups, providing the flexibility for staff to complete development courses at their own pace while meeting organizational goals. You can facilitate learning opportunities through a collaborative online community, where participants can share ideas and best practices. Simply assign roles within Avatar to give each participant the information they need. In a supervisor role, principals have the ability to monitor the professional development of their campus staff. With developer roles, staff can create catalog events and professional web-based training courses. As facilitators, they can print rosters, take attendance, manage walk-ins, etc. (Alchemy systems, 2012)
Goal 2: Use technology effectively to improve teaching and learning.
The technology specialist will be in charge of creating a technology plan, and supporting teachers implementing technology in their classrooms. He will report directly to the Campus principal. Administrators will review lesson plans with technology included and teacher digital portfolio created in Word press.com.
Goal 3: Provide new hardware to support students and staff in the teaching and learning process.
The technology liaison teacher will be in charge of creating inventory list and a budget for resources needed. The technology committee will be in charge of writing grants and distributing the budget to get new resources. Computer systems will be installed in classrooms and other equipment will be accessible to teachers after filling-out a request form. This equipment should be returned to technology liaison teacher.
Goal 4: District provides budget to have the personnel needed to implement a technology program on each campus.
The district and campus principal will manage the hiring process for the new technology specialist.
Goal 5: School will provide the opportunities to request additional budget to meet technology needs.
The school grant committee will be in charge of writing grants. Principal and administrators will approve the proposals previously. Monthly meetings will be required to follow-up the grant process.
3. Describe the required procedures for the proposed strategies.
Procedures for funding: In order to write proposals for grants and find extra funds for the technology program, we need to follow these steps and write a budget for the proposal:
STEPS IN THE FUNDING PROCESS | |
Steps | Questions to Consider |
Step 1: Identify a Need | - What is the problem? - How does my plan address the problem? |
Step 2: Identify Funding Sources | - Who should I approach for funding? - How do I obtain information about potential funders? |
Step 3: Develop Proposal | - What are the goals and objectives of the program? - How will the program be carried out? - How will I budget the program? - What type of proposal format should be used? (e.g., forms or letters) |
Step 4: Submit Proposal | - Am I consistent with the funder's application deadlines? - Am I sending the proposal to the appropriate contact? |
Step 5: Follow-up | - Was the proposal accepted? - If not, why? - Should I submit a revised proposal? |
(USDA, 2009)
Writing a budget for a grant proposal:
1. Check the Request for Proposals or grant guidelines for any budget information.
2. Familiarize yourself with the allowable and non-allowable budget items. This information should be included in the RFP or grant guidelines and it tells you the kinds of items you request grant funds to support.
3. Use real numbers. Check with vendors about costs.
4. Keep a running list of every cost that is associated with each activity, such as salaries, equipment, supplies, or consultant fees. You can add up these items to get an idea of how much funding you are going to need to implement your project.
5. Keep track of the calculations that you use to come up with specific dollar amounts for line items.
6. Check with your school district’s business office or human resources department if you are going to include salaries and/or benefits for current employees -or if you plan to hire new employees for the project.
7. Round off your numbers instead of using dollas and cents. Most funders prefer to give award totals that do not include cents.
8. Ask someone else to review your budget before you submit it. (Ward, 2012)
Even though each grant has its own procedures and rules, there are eight basic components to creating a solid proposal package: (1) the proposal summary; (2) introduction of organization; (3) the problem statement (or needs assessment); (4) project objectives; (5) project methods or design; (6) project evaluation; (7) future funding; and (8) the project budget (CFDA, 2012).
Procedures to get E-Rate discounts: In order to receive E-Rate discounts, schools and libraries must competitively bid all eligible services on the SLD website and after a minimum of 28 days, select the most cost effective proposal. E-Rate discounts are then requested by applying to the SLD and if discounts are approved, they are provided to schools and libraries via directly discounted bills, or reimbursement process after services have been provided. (TPESC, n.d.)
Procedures to get TEA Grants: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers both state and federal grants that support a variety of programs to benefit public education. Depending on their funding source and purpose, these grants are available either on a formula entitlement basis to public school districts and open enrollment charter schools or on a competitive discretionary basis to public school districts, open enrollment charter schools, education service centers, colleges and universities, and private and public nonprofit organizations (TEA, 2010).
The Agency announces funding opportunities for competitive discretionary grants through a letter that briefly describes the program to be funded, the program requirements, and the procedures for downloading a complete copy of the Request for Application (RFA) or for applying through TEA's eGrants system. In addition to the announcement letter and the online posting, TEA publishes a notice in the Texas Register announcing all opportunities for competitive discretionary grants through the Agency. This state periodical is published every Friday and can be found in most public libraries and education service centers, many colleges or universities, or by mail subscription from the Office of the Secretary of State in Austin (TEA, 2012).
Some grants are available directly from the federal government and are not administered through TEA. Comprehensive information on federal grants can be found in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), published by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and updated with loose-leaf additions (TEA, 2010).
Grants.gov: In order to apply for a grant, you and/or your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process. The registration process for an Organization or an Individual can take between three to five business days or as long as four weeks if all steps are not completed in a timely manner. Provided below is an overview of the process to apply for grant opportunities.
Step 1: Download a Grant application package: Downloading a grant application package allows you to complete it offline and route it through your organization for review before submitting.
Step 2: Complete the Grant Application package step: Complete the grant application offline. Save changes to your application as you go, Grants.gov does not automatically save changes. The package cannot be submitted until all required fields have been completed.
Step 3: Submit the completed Grant application package. The application package will automatically be uploaded to Grants.gov. A confirmation screen will appear once the submission is complete. A Grants.gov tracking number will be provided at the bottom of this screen, as well as the official date and time of the submission.
Step 4: Track the status of a submitted Grant application package. You can identify your application by:
- CFDA Number
- Funding Opportunity Number
- Competition ID
- Grants.gov Tracking Number (Grant.gov, n.d.)
Procedures for management plan:
The campus principal will request hiring an instructional technology specialist (ITS) to the district. They will decide if is a feasible option or not according to their budget. The district will post new position in their website and start accepting applications. Candidates will be called for interview. The new employee paperwork will be processed through human resources. The ITS should report to the Campus principal. He/she should focus on the integration and application of technology in course curriculum, the school, and linking this with available online resources. His/her responsibilities are:
1. Train and assist staff and students in the use of technology, responding to help desk requests in a timely manner.
2. Organize a technology committee on campus for teachers’ support and be part of the grant committee for technology grants.
3. Troubleshoot building problems thoroughly before forwarding to district technicians, including checking for hardware errors or damage, confirming that software is properly installed and updated, and checking cable connections to the hardware and in the wiring closets.
4. Perform routine maintenance on building hardware as directed by the district technology department, including but not limited to, cleaning of dirt and dust, hardware maintenance procedures, and reimaging computers.
5. Maintain an inventory listing of all technology hardware and software in the building, sharing that with the district technology office for inclusion in the district databases and for fixed assets reporting.
6. Assist with the maintenance of school databases, particularly those with student accounts, including e-directory and curricular software.
7. Coordinate the use of equipment and labs in the building.
8. Assist building with all technology purchases or donations, and with ordering of supplies needed for building technology, including ink/toner and media.
9. Share solutions with technology staff and others through training and clear documentation within appropriate security constraints.
10. Maintain an organized system of clearly communicated documentation for processes related to the position.
11. Maintain a high standard of ethics, abiding by all district policies, and respecting confidential information encountered in the course of the position.
12. Other duties as assigned by supervisor.
References
Alchemy systems (2012). Avatar professional development management system. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://www.alchemysystems.com/products/avatar/approach/
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance(CFDA) (2012). Writing grants. Retrieved from March 15, 2012 from https://www.cfda.gov/?static=grants&s=generalinfo&mode=list&tab=list&tabmode=list
Grants.gov (n.d.). What is a grant?. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://www.grants.gov/aboutgrants/grants.jsp
TEA (2010). TEA Grant process. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=8304&menu_id=951
Technology grant news (n.d.) Educational technology grants. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://technologygrantnews.com/grant-index-by-type/educational-technology-grants.html
TPESC (n.d.) What is e-Rate?. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://tpesc.esc12.net/erate/default.html
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ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to explore your ideas a little more by asking...
If the district already provides in-service training, why do you still consider this a need great enough to hire an instructional technologist? While the Avatar Learning sounds great for documentation, where is the evidence that "trained teachers" are applying what they learn in the classroom? I hear a lot about "data-driven decision-making" and "best practices" and yet the nitty gritty of how to move from where we are to these standards is always absent. I am starting to wonder if they are just ideals due to the glaring lack of transitional support.
"More research is needed on the effects of DDDM on instruction, student achievement, and other outcomes; how the focus on state test results affects the validity of those tests; and the quality of data being examined, the analyses educators are undertaking, and the decisions they are making.(Marsh, 2006)"
Marsh, J., Pane and Hamilton. Making sense of data-driven decision making in education: Evidence from Recent RAND Research. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2006. http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP170.
Allison,
DeleteThanks for asking. I mentioned that we do not need extra funding for staff development because it has been provided and if we hire an instructional technologist, we would have these trainings for free, but even though the district provides in-services in all areas, technology trainings have been planned only for the summer, and many teachers mentioned that the presenter goes too fast and they cannot understand. I have been there and the teachers next to me are asking me constantly: where are we? Where should we click? Where did she go? How did you do it? What do I do?. I think these in-services are too advanced for many teachers. We used to have more trainings before budget cuts; there were IT teachers on each campus and they had different courses at different levels for everyone in the district. Now that we just have trainings during the summer, teachers just go to get the technology hours they need, but they are not using that information in the classroom. Many teachers need one-on-one trainings because their learning process is slower than other teachers. As you mentioned, Avatar is a great system to register and have documentation, but there is not follow-up on campus for technology trainings. Administrators follow-up teachers when they need us to apply a specific training they recommend us to go, for example our principal wants us to implement PEAK strategies and he is sending teachers to get trained constantly, but I have not seen this with technology trainings. Some teachers use what they know and can do like power point presentations, and visiting web sites, but they really need someone to support them in how to integrate technology effectively in the curriculum and meet the standards.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteI found a great staff development opportunity over the summer, so I've been telling everyone I can find about it. Denton ISD is hosting TIA (Technology Integration Academy) this summer. It's only 35 dollars per teacher. You can find all of the info about it at http://www.dentonisd.org/51210727153512820/site/default.asp?
Excellent Kayla!! Thanks for the information. I will share this with other teachers.
DeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteI agree that Instructional Technology Specialists are needed especially since technololgy is blooming in our schools. My superintendent is doing all he can to find the funds to hire Specialists in my district. Do you think your district will make that possible in the near future?
I think they will. After the budget cuts, the district has begun a budgeting process that includes seeking input and support from the entire Spring ISD community as we address this problem. The district and each campus have been working to ensure effective and efficient utilization and/or compliance of systems and resources in order to support the learning organization. It is a long process, but we will make it possible.
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of the Avatar Learning Platform. “Students in online courses exhibit higher achievement when a course strongly emphasizes online interaction; when students actively participate in online discussions, higher order thinking is enhanced.” ( How long has this system been used and does it seem to be effective and non-evasive to the teachers dealing with the professional development system?
ReplyDeleteMissett, T. C., Reed, C. B., Scot, T. P., Callahan, C. M., & Slade, M. (2010). Describing Learning in An Advanced Online Case-Based Course in Environmental Science. Journal Of Advanced Academics, 22(1), 10-50.
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Robb,
DeleteMy district has always used Avatar since I started working there (4 yrs ago). They did an update 2 yrs ago and it has been very effective and helpful to find the staff development that we need depending on the topic, subject area, dates and even seats available. Also, it keeps records and certificates of all the sessions we attended for documentation.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteThanks for discussing that Avatar Learning System. I like how you can pick from the courses they provide or develop your own in addition to all the other features. Additionally, it has the ability to delivery training on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting. What has been your personal experience with this system? Have you participated in both types of delivery methods and if so which did you prefer and why?
Overview: Alchemy Systems. (2012). Retrieved on March 21, 2012 from the Alchemy Systems website at http://www.alchemysystems.com/products/overview/
Norma,
ReplyDeleteI have had a good experience with Avatar. After the last update (2 yrs ago approximately), it has been more organized. The courses are very easy to find according to the subject, instructor or date. The registered course information can be synchronized with your calendar and it sends alerts about upcoming classes through e-mail. I have always participated in a group setting, so I cannot really tell you the difference, but I am pretty sure the one-on-one is very helpful for teachers who learn easier this way.