Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

Technology Program Administrator

Gadsden Elementary School
Savannah, Georgia

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

Part A

I.

Executive Summary

This report is meant to detail the functions of Gadsdens Media Center, including
organization, mission, goals, center activities, and overall evaluation. This report will be
concerned only with these specific items programs, and resources, and accolades located
within Gadsden Elementary school,
Gadsden itself located in the inner-city of downtown Savannah, Georgia. It has just
been rebuilt from the ground up, which has allowed various technology such as
Promethean Boards and mounted projectors to be installed in each room. Other
technology that is available that only in each room but also the media center include
document cameras, Apple TVs, iPads, Chromebooks, Neo twos, and a variety of software
as well as digital books. Though many COWS and Chromebook carts are around the
school, they all originate and are inventoried by the Media Center.
Gadsden currently services two main public housing complexes, and since a more
blended curriculum has been used, data indicates a positive increase in standardized state
scores. Due to the fact that demographics consist of lower-income bracket (100% free
lunch); Title 1 funds have been used to invest in technology and resources to help close
the learning gap). This consists of CCGPS aligned software programs, as hardware such
as iPads, Chrome Books, and Neos. These are inventoried and supported by the Library
Media Specialist.

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

II.

Organizational Chart

The chart below shows the SCCPSS Technology Organizations breakdown. Though
it is not listed, individual School Media Specialists are located under the Library Media
cTechnology Coach. Also, seven Instructional Technology Coaches service all of the
schools in the district, thus many are able to make it to a school a limited amount of time
per month. This leaves much of the technology issues and ongoing trouble-shooting to
fall on the schools (in this case Gadsden) Media Specialist.
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System
Technology Organizational Chart

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

School
Superintendent
Thomas
Lockamy
Chief of Data &
Accountability
David Feliciano

IT Admin
Secretary
Program
Manager
Instructional
Technology
Instructional
Technology
Coaches
(seven)

Manager of
Web Services

Web
Programmer

Executive
Secretary
Director
Network and
Engineering
Services

Manager IT
Project Services

Manager
Customer
Service &
Quality
Assurance

Library Media
Technology
Services Coach

Helpdesk Tech
(five)

District Media &

IT Support
Assistant

Field
Technicians
(nine)

Network
Engineer (five)

Jr. Engineer
(four)

Infrastructure
Technician (two
and a half)

III.

Methods

The main methodology utilized to gather information consisted of interviews with

Wanda Holman (Gadsdens Media Specialist/School Technology Specialist TPA), Mr.
Gary Osuch (Vice Principal and primary person who purchases most of the various
technology within the school), teacher and stake holder surveys taken, as well as analysis
of various technology inventory reports including usage as well as the most current media
center needs analysis and budget.

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

IV.

Center Context and Goals

Gadsdens Media Center serves as the heart of the schools print and
instructional technology resources. As a Title 1 school, we have access to funding
which allows us to have state of the art technology and resources. It is up to the
media center to provide support and proper integration into current curriculum across
all grade levels within the school. Below is the exact mission and goals set forward
by Gadsdens Media Center. Both the mission and goal revolve around the main
overarching use and implementation of a blended curriculum utilizing both district
and schoolwide programs and technology aligned with the Common Core Georgia
Performance Standards. It is the responsibility of the Media Specialist and
Instructional Coach to provide ongoing training and support of resources for
successful and effective use for student success. Further utilization, support, and
funding of the media center has also been provided by a variety of stakeholders such
as administration, teachers, community businesses, and volunteers.
Mission:
The mission of this schools library and media program is to collaborate with teachers
and others to provide appropriate resources and meaningful learning experiences for
students; to advocate reading improvement; and to foster an interest in literature and
technology.
Goals:
The main goal of the library and media center staff is to Make the Connection
between the school library and academic achievement. In order to achieve this goal
we will:

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

Promote student interest in reading.

Promote and utilize technological resources and fluency.

Promote appreciation of literature.

Provide appropriate collections and resources to support and enrich the school
curriculum.

Support district, state and national standards.

Provide an attractive and supportive environment for students and faculty

Wanda Holman, who is the Media Specialist at Gadsden handles not only the library,
but also Gadsdens technology. She has an Ed.S degree in Instructional Technology and
started originally as a teacher. She has a variety of responsibilities that go beyond the
sphere of just print items, which is a common misconception by many today. Due to the
extensive amount of hardware and software at this site, Mrs. Holman is tasked with
organizing, inventorying, dispersing, as well as supporting much of the hardware within
the school. These include Grades K-5 iPads for each class, Chromebooks also for first
through fifth grades, COWS, digital cameras, Promethean Board and projectors, and
various other pieces of technology and hardware.
Professional development is vital, as Gadsden has adopted Compass and various other
computer programs that are monitored by the district, and are to be utilized by teachers
and students on a daily basis. As the schools Library Media Specialist, organizing
training, as well as collaborating with teachers to create and utilize properly aligned
presentations or online/interactive presentations that help support current state curriculum
and standards is done on a regular basis by Mrs. Holman.

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

V.

Center Activities

The media center at Gadsden serves this school with a multitude of activities as well
as services. Main activities besides the dealing of checking out books, and normal library
procedures, includes area for a collaboration and group work, as well as meeting places
for 21st-century, Junior achievement, and love mentor tutoring. The library is open every
day from 8:30 until dismissal at 3:30.
The Media Center also has a large area with a Promethean for collaborative and whole
group lessons. These are used regularly by both Mrs. Holman when teaching about
information fluency, or by other teachers who want to be able to pool resources in the
media center itself. Also, and dad since media center, we have a teacher resource room
where teachers are able to check out various manipulatives and resources for classroom
use, as well as the normal laminating imprinter areas. Since Gadsden is so technology
rich, the media center has a large computer area that is used for Compass Learning (since
its used every day at our site) and various online modules teachers may want to utilize if
our computer lab is busy.
Gadsdens Media Center also houses our Parent Center that offers various support and
classes to parents on how to help their child succeed. This also includes parent classes
and hands-on activities.

VI.

Evaluation

Reviewing Gadsden to media center, it seems to be achieving all the go

set forth as stated above. Resources are available for both teachers and
students, students are able to have a welcoming atmosphere to do their
research as well as check out books and other items such as periodicals. I

Technology Program Administrator: FRIT 7739

talked with Mrs. Holman, and we both agree though that the media center
can be utilized better than how it currently is. We both believe it needs to be
more accessible throughout the day for classes as well as teachers. Also,
inviting more stakeholders in the community is a goal Mrs. Holman would
like to achieve. This maybe include authors for example, to do real laugh or
to talk about their experiences. Digital storytelling and various genres of the
month might also be popular to bring in more students as well as teachers.
The goal is to increase collaboration between teachers and this media
specialist in media center. This can only be done by changing the viewsThat
others in the school may have about what the media center is and its function
overall. This in itselft is breaking away from the normal stereotype of what a
media center is. Since we are striving to be a blended curriculum school,
Mrs. Holman is trying to make the library the center of not only books but
technology as well, include an independent used by students whether alone
or in small group activities.
Overall, the media center at Gadsden is doing incredible job with the students and the
staff. As time continues, or resources are being added, it can continue to achieve a fully
blended technological curriculum that will give our students the resources they need to
succeed in a 21st century school.