Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Edward Tedder
Http://www.edwardtedder.weebly.com
Grand Canyon University
EDU-225
July 5, 2015

Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Introduction
According to John Dewey, If we teach todays students as we taught
yesterdays, we rob them of tomorrow (As cited in Kaiser& Wisniewski,
2012, pg. 145). In the past teachers used tools such as hard bound books,
chalk boards, and hand written lecture notes to facilitate learning.
Communication was also an arduous task facilitated by hand written notes
sent home with their students or letters sent through the postal service.
Furthermore, assessment and documentation of a students progress was
both time consuming and inefficient. Trying to accomplish all of these tasks
made the job of teaching students, time consuming, exhausting and a times
nearly impossible. In the present day technology has changed and enhanced
the way teachers communicate with their students and parents, facilitate
learning, differentiate education and assess student learning. There are pros
and cons to every new advance in education, however, at this juncture one
may conclude that technology is shining a light down the dark hallway of the
past and lighting the way to a future of new and exciting possibilities.

Section One: Mission and Vision Statement

Vision Statement:

To incorporate both technology and time tested teaching strategies to

encourage and educate high school students, therefore enabling them to
establish the technological skills, confidence, knowledge, and drive they will
need to be successful in their future educational and vocational endeavors.
Mission Statement:
By using time tested traditional teaching styles and incorporating new
technology, teachers will successfully be able to identify and accommodate
different learning styles therefore, creating an inclusive and diversified
classroom experience for students. Furthermore instructors will strive to
create a healthy personal and professional relationship with both students
and colleagues, in order to strengthen the educational bonds between all
teachers and students in the school. By incorporating technology to enhance
communication, and collaboration between the students, faculty, and
parents the goal is to establish a strong network of support for students,
while enhancing overall clarity of purpose. In order to give students the skills
they will need in the growing technologically based work force teachers will
incorporate and facilitate the use of new and emerging software and
hardware, when appropriate, to enhance both learning and assessment.
Additionally, students and instructors will learn to use technology
appropriately, and in a fashion which exemplifies integrity, honesty, and
respect for each other while establishing a safe and effective learning
environment.

Section Two: Communications Plan

In a day and age when teachers, students, and parents have an
increasing demand on their time and energy, finding a way to communicate
effectively with students and parents is an arduous task for teachers to
accomplish. In days of old teachers would send notes home with students,
or write letters and send them through the postal service, these methods of
communication were time consuming and unreliable. Teachers now have email, online grade books and class websites to streamline communication
and make communication between teachers, students, and parents more
effective.
Email:
Using email to communicate with students and parents has become
commonplace for teachers. Almost everyone has an email account and many
school districts give teachers access to email through the school servers.
Email opens up the opportunity for two way discussions between the teacher
and the parents which is necessary for the success of the student (Zieger &
Tan, 2012). Even though some personal and behavioral issues are better
discussed in person email is a good general purpose tool for communication.
Online gradebook:
Online grade books are a great tool with which students and their
parents can stay connected to what is going on in the classroom, and the

students progress in the class. Having an online gradebook gives parents

and students the opportunity to evaluate strengths and weaknesses and
identify problems a student might be having in order to make necessary
adjustments. Online grade books also give the instructor the ability to share
his or her thoughts and comments on any problems that might arise. Online
grade books are a step in the right direction and a good way to expand
communication from the classroom to the home.
Class websites:
The advent of the internet has given teachers the ability to build and
maintain class websites. A class website opens the doors to communication
by allowing teachers and students to post blogs, make podcasts, write virtual
book reports, and share their classroom experiences with their parents and
family in a real time way, therefore creating a family oriented interactive
learning experience.
Understanding and embracing new ways of communication is a big
part of bringing technology and literacy together in a productive efficient and
informative way. Email, online grade books and class websites are three
ways teachers can facilitate communication through the use of technology.
Technology is a vehicle which can and will transform classroom
communication and open doors that were closed for too long.
Section Three: Integrating Instructional Technology

Technology has changed the face of education with the introduction of

computer based learning and the internet in the classroom. School, back in
the day, was a little boring and predictable, however, with the advent of sites
like readwritethink.org, vocabulary.com and zunal.com, learning has become
interactive and exciting for both the students and teachers.
Read Write Think.org:
At read write think they strive to give educators, parents, and after
school professionals the quality tools they need to instruct children in
reading and language arts in a very reliable, accessible, and most
importantly free web based program (readwritethink.org, nd). By using
interactive games, that you can download on either an I- Phone or android
app., Students learn about creating poetry, the intricacies of writing a story,
or how to structure their thoughts to create a word picture. Teachers and
after school professionals will have no problem incorporating this website
into their classroom and after school activities.
Vocabulary.com:
Vocabulary.com uses a game based platform and uses sophisticated
algorithms to help students learn more effectively. This enables students to
gain vocabulary growth all while playing a fun and exciting game which
keeps and posts high scores so students can compete against each other.
While testing the platform it was immediately clear that Vocabulary.com is
easy to use, reliable, legally accessible and available to students and

teachers alike. Students will have fun while expanding their vocabulary
which is a winning game plan for both the student and the teacher.
Zunal.com:
Zunal.com is a web quest site that has many topics and resources,
produced by many different authors. The Life and Times of William
Shakespeare is a web quest Authored by Caroline Tanner (nd), which gives
students a look at Shakespearian life and gives teachers a template,
complete with websites questions and even a game, with which to pique
student interest and give their students a better understanding of
Shakespeare. The web quest is easy to use, very reliable, free, and is a great
resource for teachers and students alike.
It is important to note that even though there are many resources that
are available to both students and teachers, on the internet, not all of them
are safe or cost affective. However, with a little time and patience teachers
can find safe and inexpensive internet tools which will enhance and guide
their classroom learning environment.
Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology
Whether a student is an auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learner it is an
instructors job to find the best way to facilitate the learning process for their
students. Technology should not be the only way teachers strive to
differentiate instruction however, technology can be a valuable tool in the

ongoing effort to effectively teach each individual student. Although it may

be tempting to use technology exclusively to differentiate education it is
important to remember that there are many time tested methods that are at
a teachers disposal and instructors should strive to use the tools that are
most productive for each individual learner.
Using an interactive whiteboard can be an effective way to teach a
variety of students with a variety of learning styles. According to Robert J.
Marzano, in an article entitled Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards (2009),
having the ability to use graphics and other visuals such as video clips and
pictures, can increase learning by sixteen percent over classrooms without
smart board technology. Other technologies such as Voxpop, a voiced based
learning system where a student or teacher can create a voice based
message board, and interactives spelling bee, which stimulates a kinesthetic
learner, can help students with different learning styles excel in the
classroom.
The biggest benefit of differentiating education using technology is the
ability of teachers to accommodate a variety of learning styles without
feeling the need to clone themselves in order to do so. Some of the
drawbacks are lack of technology in the classroom and lack of training for
the teachers. Even though technology does not solve all of the challenges of
differentiating education it is important that teachers use every tool
available to meet the diverse needs of their students.
Section Five: Technology to Support Assessment

Assessing student competency, collecting that data and

analyzing the data in order to use it effectively has been, in the past, both
time consuming and exhausting. However, according to Salpeter, teachers
cannot deny that collecting, managing, analyzing, and learning from a wide
variety of data is an important part of K-12 education (As cited in Haertel,
Means & Penuel, 2007). Formative and summative assessments are an
effective way to gather data on your students progress and can be
differentiated by understanding their scope, weight, and purpose. A
formative assessments purpose is to facilitate the process of learning
therefore it has a limited scope and weighs little or not at all on a students
final grade. A summative assessments purpose is to assess the amount of
information the student has learned, therefore it has a wide scope, and
weighs heavily on the students overall final grade. Technologies such as,
Survey Monkey, MimioVote, and PollDaddy allow teachers to accurately
assess, their students, manage and analyze the data and adjust their lesson
plans to maximize their time and effort.
For many years teachers have spent hours creating quizzes and
tests, standing at the copy machine waiting for them to print, then manually
inputting the scores into a grade book, now teachers can create a quiz, have
their students take the quiz and within minutes have the results, therefore,
giving the teacher more time to examine the data and establish a diversified
lesson plan. Another advantage of using technology for formative and

summative assessments is the ability to save the information for future

reference.
A major pro of using assessment technology is, the ability of
technology to save teachers time and effort. Because computers can
automatically grade tests and quizzes, compile the results and post those
results directly to a teachers grade book, teachers spend less time doing
paperwork. And more time teaching their students. A major con of using
technology for assessment is cost. Many school districts are running in the
red and barely able to purchase the bare necessities, purchasing the needed
hardware, software, and the training needed to use the software effectively
is just not in the budget.
When asked if assessment should be done using only technology,
it is this writers belief that, even though technology will save teachers time
and energy when it comes to assessment, it should not be the only means of
assessment. Because all students learn differently, according to the theory of
multiple intelligences, it would be a mistake to assume that all students
should be assessed in the same manner.
It is important that teachers and students understand the
importance of connecting technology to the ISTE standards. According to the
ISTE standards teachers are required to develop a variety of formative and
summative assessments and use the resulting data to help them better
teach their students. In order to accomplish this task it will be imperative
that instructors use technology to both create assessments and compile the

data in an efficient and organized manner. Students also can benefit from
technology when it comes to the ISTE standards. Students are required to
collect and analyze data in order to identify and make informed decisions. In
the past this would be an arduous task using books and taking notes,
however using the internet finding, extracting and synthesizing information
has become much more efficient. Both students and teachers can utilize the
benefits of technology to meet ISTE standards.

Conclusion
Teaching todays youth has a profound effect on the future of not only
our country but the global community. Therefore, educators should use every
tool available to them to increase student success. Technology is increasing
and expanding the way teachers communicate, integrate, differentiate and
assess in todays classrooms. Teaching strategies of the past, although still
useful and relevant, are being overshadowed by the benefits that technology
has to offer. No one knows what the future holds however, one can speculate
that teachers will become more dependent on technology to meet the
increasing demand on their time and to meet ISTE standards. Every method
of instruction has pros and cons and technology is no different, therefore, it
is up to the wisdom of todays teachers to choose and incorporate the most
effective instructional tools, with which their students can excel and
contribute in a positive way to the global community.

Reflection Essay
Before embarking on this part of my educational journey, just a short
seven weeks ago, I was both apprehensive and a little bit scared. I
understood that if I were to step into a high school classroom and be able to
teach effectively I would have to be able to not only understand instructional
technology, but also be able to implement it in my daily lesson plans. My
apprehension and fear came from the fact that I was not in any way prepared
for this upcoming challenge. While creating and refining this document I
realized that I am capable of using technology both in my future classroom
and my school district to collaborate and communicate effectively with
parent, students, and colleagues. Furthermore, I now have the base with
which to use technology in order to differentiate educational lessons,
therefore, giving me the ability to teach a diversified student body.
Creating this document was the most challenging accomplishment of
my academic journey to this point, with the exclusion of calculus. I would like
to say that one part or another was either easier or harder but they were all
equally challenging for me due to my lack of knowledge and prior

experience. Just when I thought that I could take a breath and relax there
was another challenge that was as hard if not harder for me than the one I
had just completed.
Becoming a teacher is my passion, and I understand that there will be
challenges along the way and I embrace those challenges and look forward
to the new and exciting changes they will make in my life. In order to be
good at something dare I say great at something you must first conquer your
fears and lay waste to your doubts. By facing your challenges head on and
coming through the other side victorious, you will eventually replace your
doubts and fears with confidence and ability. In the last seven weeks I have
battled my own fears and insecurities and have come through the fray with
the confidence and ability to use technology to enhance and transform the
lives of my future students.

References
Haertel, g. d., means, b., & penuel, w. (2007). Technology Tools for Collecting, Managing, and
Using Assessment Data to Inform Instruction and Improve Achievement. Yearbook Of
The National Society For The Study Of Education (Wiley-Blackwell), 106(2), 103-132.
doi:10.1111/j.1744-7984.2007.00117.x
http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=ehh&AN=27744018&site=eds-live&scope=site
ISTE STANDARDS, STUDENTS. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/istestandards/standards-for-students
ISTE STANDARDS, TEACHERS. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/istestandards/standards-for-teachers
Kaiser, C. M., & Wisniewski, M. A. (2012). Enhancing Student Learning and Engagement Using
Student Response Systems. Social Studies Research & Practice, 7(3), 137-149.

http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=ehh&AN=90529456&site=eds-live&scope=site
Marzano, R. J. (2009). Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Educational Leadership, 67(3),
80-82. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=45003402&site=eds-live&scope=site
Read Write Think, (nd). Retrieved from www.readwritethink.org
Tanner, C. (nd). Retrieved from zunal.com/webquest.php?w=68364
Zieger, L. B., & Tan, J. (2012). Improving Parent Involvement in Secondary Schools
through Communication Technology. Journal Of Literacy & Technology, 13(2),
30-54.
http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=ehh&AN=93514203&site=eds-live&scope=site

References
***Please see note above in red text about references.
Alan, R. (year). Title of the Article. Title of the Journal should be in italics,
volume number
should be in italics (issue number), page numbers only.
Barley, L. (2010). Technology Integration in the Third Grade Classroom.
Journal of Technology
Integration, 8 (9), 67-90.
Causey, B., Geff, I., & Iceman, M. (2012). The Intelligence of Students who
use Technology.

Journal of Technology in Science, 2 (5), 89-101.