What is Your Vision for Technology in CBRSD?

The Central Berkshire Regional School District Strategic Technology Plan Committee is composed of teachers, administrators, and School Committee members. We are working on the development of strategic plan that will help students, parents, and educators to take advantage of technology’s power to improve teaching and learning. We are currently working on a vision statement; a long-term aspiration for how technology will be used in the future to assist teaching and learning. We would appreciate your input. Please email rputnam@cbrsd.org with your ideas and links to resources so that they can be considered as we go about our work.

You may want to familiarize yourself with the guidelines for strategic plan development that can be accessed at http://www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/techplan/10-15guidelines.pdf or the resources available at the Educational Technology Advisory Council (ETAC) at http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe/sac/edtech/.

I think you may also find the Massachusetts STaR Chart (School Technology and Readiness Chart) an informative resource http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe/sac/edtech/?section=star . I am sure that there are other resources beyond those offered by the Massachusetts DESE. Please be sure to share any resources that might help us in our work.

Visit this blog to to keep track of our work. It is easy if you click on Follow at the top of this page.

Meeting Notes: March 5, 2012

STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PLAN COMMITTEE

March 5, 2012 MEETING NOTES

Kaitlyn Manns, Rick White, Hal Westwood, Leslie Blake-Davis, Melinda Gowdey,

Gary Stergis, Dave Lennon, Jared Shannon, Andrew Garcia, and Rob Putnam

Identifying the Issues Facing the Committee

The initial discussion touched on several issues that figure into the work of developing a strategic technology plan.

• The point was raised that our plan must address all of the aspects necessary to enabling and promoting the use of technology in CBRSD. We need a strategic plan to provide devices that have an adequate lifespan and to ensure adequate access through infrastructure, and bandwidth. While this is essential, these are preconditions to the work of helping teachers to deliver and enhance content. The difficult work is getting all staff to use the resources

effectively.

• Professional development was identified as an essential part of any strategic plan. The

development will have to be differentiated for the various levels of expertise that currently exist among staff. The point was raised that everyone has to be trained and that it can’t be optional. It was observed that many teachers are reluctant and wary of adopting technology in their classrooms and our plan will have to address those issues.

• Technology staffing is another issue that arose. CBRSD is a 241 square mile district with a thousand computers. The strategic plan must ensure that there are enough staff to keep it all running.

School Districts Getting Technology Right

Members offered examples of districts that are making good use of technology. It was suggested that examining these districts might offer ideas of what is possible.

Palm Beach County Schools http://www.palmbeachschools.org/

Dave Lennon suggested that members check it out. The IT department link is

http://www.palmbeachschools.org/it/ .

Burlington High School in Massachusetts http://bhs.bpsk12.org/pages/Burlington_High_School

Andy Garcia cited this school as being a nearby model of technology excellence. Rick Wagner shared a link http://www.edutopia.org/blog/transitioning-digital-textbook-organizing-andrew-marcinek written by the school’s technology director about the implementation of an iPad initiative. Andrew put

Rob in contact with the principal and he is exploring the possibility of a site visit.

A link to this blog has been posted on the CBRSD website.

There is now a link to this blog on the CBRSD website (www.cbrsd.org) under "Administration" => "Technology Plan" => "CBRSD Technology Committee Blog link".

Meeting Notes for February 15th, 2012

STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PLAN COMMITTEE

FEBRUARY 13, 2012 MEETING NOTES

ATTENDING:             Kaitlyn Manns, Rick White, Hal Westwood, Leslie Blake-Davis, Melinda Gowdey, and Rob Putnam

The group reviewed the current strategic plan.  Rick White explained that the template for the plan had been developed by former Assistant Superintendent Paul Swem and that he had been using the template, with minor revisions, for yearly submission to the DESE.  The group agreed that it was high time for a revision.

A picture, or rather an example is worth a thousand words but DESE refuses to share examples of what they consider to be exemplary strategic plans.  They provide guidelines but leave the development of the plan to each individual district. 

The group briefly reviewed the DESE guidelines http://www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/techplan/10-15guidelines.pdfand left with the understanding that they would give it a close read prior to the next meeting. I have attached plans submitted by our neighbors as examples of how other districts have approached this task.  Please share any plans you believe might serve as a good example or which have ideas or approaches that might benefit out district.

Committee members agreed to collect ideas from their building colleagues about where they see the role technology in education over the next several years.  That collection should include ideas about how to make better use of existing technology and promising technology as yet unavailable in CBRSD to improve teaching and learning.  This information will help us to develop a needs assessment.

It was agreed that Monday afternoons at 3:30 were a good meeting time.  The next three meetings are scheduled for March 5, March 19, and April 2.

Next Steps

•         Build an instrument to collect information on the technology and services currently available in the CBRSD, the degree to which they are being used, and the skill with which they are being used.

•         Build an instrument to collect information on the technology and services that could be used to improve teaching and learning.

•         Build an internet-based way of communicating the work of the committee to the CBRSD staff as well as soliciting direct participation from those not participating in the meetings.

•         Select appropriate assessments that could be used to determine the technology integration and the technology literacy of administration, staff, and students.