Technology Professional Development Plan

for the Implementation and Support of Wissahickon School District

eClassrooms and MacBook Carts

Dianne P. Krause
GRIT 687: Technology and the Administrator
April 22, 2009
 Table of Contents

 Abstract page 3

 Needs Assessment
• Current Conditions page 4

• Need page 6

 Project Plan page 9

• Goal 1: Hire an ITS page 9

• Goal 2: Needs Assessment and

Professional Development Plan page 9
• Goal 3: Peer Coaching Model page 10

• Goal 4: Identify Lead Technology Teachers page 11

• Goal 5: Online Support page 11

 Monitoring and Local Evaluation page 12

 Partnerships and Local Support page 13

 Budget Narrative & Sustainability page 14

 Conclusion page 16

 Works Cited page 17

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 Abstract

With the addition of an Instructional Technology Specialist and in collaboration with the current

nine staff developers, this project strives to develop a strong professional development plan for the

smooth implementation and continued support of the art of teaching in a classroom of today - fully

equipped with an interactive whiteboard, projector, speakers, and student access to MacBook laptops and

other peripherals like digital cameras, printers, scanners, video cameras, etc. In addition to a variety of

technology-focused workshops, in-service days, after-school workshops and the summer institute, the

professional development plan will consist of a peer-coaching model that will focus on technology

integration and the evolution of teaching and learning. The two Instructional Technology Specialists will

work with the staff developers to enhance their technology skills as well as strengthen their knowledge

base in the strategies needed to coach teachers in the effective infusion of technology. The staff

developers will then partner with the teachers to develop lessons, units and projects that effectively utilize

the new tools and resources available to them and their students. In addition, this plan will give teachers

the opportunities they need to learn how to evolve into better educators and transform their teaching to

better serve the needs of the students of today.

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 Needs Assessment

Current Conditions

The past two years have been alive with change and innovation in the area of Instructional Technology in

the Wissahickon School District. In February of 2007, the newly hired Director of Technology formed the District

Technology Planning Committee consisting of staff, students, parents and community members. The goal of the

committee was to create a vision and action plan for bringing technology back up to speed as a tool usable in

classrooms and offices throughout the district. The committee realized that the needs of the learner have indeed

changed over the years and Wissahickon School District needed to develop a technology infrastructure that supports

these 21st century learning skills. In addition, the district needed to build a “Learning Infrastructure” in the

classrooms to support 21st century learning. This Learning Infrastructure would need to be comprised of the

technology tools and resources to support teaching and learning in the classroom. Although this committee has

since been dissolved, the plans it made have not.

Since then, there has been an influx of technology on all fronts. Each faculty member currently has a

MacBook laptop for his or her professional and personal use, complete with the iLife, iWork, Office software suites

and many other applications. There are several new administrative and instructional systems such as the library

database system (Destiny), student information and grading system (Sapphire), cafeteria system (NutriKids),

transportation system, course management system (Moodle), substitute scheduling system (AESOP), new district

website, a Professional Learning Network (Ning), and other new applications and web resources. Each school in

the district is now equipped with carts containing 30 MacBooks each - 2 at each elementary level (3 at one school),

15 at the middle school, and 14 at the high school – 13 funded by the PA Classrooms for the Future (CFF) Grant. In

addition to the 13 1:1 classrooms at the high school, there are three other pilot 1:1 classrooms – in third, fifth and

sixth grades. The high school and middle school still contain centralized computer labs in the library, music and art

areas and those machines (mostly PCs) have been updated regularly.

Individual classroom technology has also started to see a turn towards a more digital and multi-sensory

model. For the past two school years, teachers have written proposals to have their classrooms equipped as

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"eClassrooms". According to WSD's definition, an eClassroom is a classroom equipped with a SMARTBoard

interactive whiteboard with projector and speakers, still and video digital cameras, a printer/scanner/copier, and of

course, the teacher's MacBook. Currently the district has 140 eClassroom spaces, including all the elementary and

high school libraries. The plan for 2009-2010 is to convert all the remaining "core" subject areas into eClassrooms,

including all elementary grade-level teachers, and at the secondary level, all teachers of English, Math, Social

Studies and Science. There will also be 10 additional eClassrooms up for proposal for special area teachers. Then

finally, in the 2010-2011 school year, there will be SMARTboards hanging in each instructional space in the

district. The district’s Strategic Plan states that student computer access will also increase until there is at least a

1:3 ratio at the elementary level, 1:2 at the middle school level and 1:1 at the high school, where the students will

take the computers home with them.

In-service days devoted to technology, summer institute offerings and after school workshops throughout

the school year are where the majority of technology professional development occurs. When the MacBooks were

introduced in the fall of 2008, all teachers attended a 6-hour “Meet your Mac” session where they learned the basics

of using a Macintosh computer and how to make the transition from being a PC user easily. All new eClassroom

teachers have attended one-day trainings that provides an overview of how to use the hardware of the board,

demonstration and exploration of the SMART Notebook Software, and discussions on how to use this new

audiovisual digital environment in teaching and learning. In-service days devoted to technology have been “pick

your workshop” types of days with a variety of offerings taught by teacherss, staff developers, and administrators.

The workshops and trainings always have great feedback and the teachers learn the basics. However, they are "one-

day shot" types of trainings, and some teachers walk away overwhelmed with all that was taught in such a short

time period.

For the past seven years, teachers in Wissahickon have had the opportunity to work with staff developers

for many things: lesson planning, project development, discipline and behavior strategies, assessment design, and

so forth. Not until the past two years have the staff developers been truly integrating technology into their

strategies and daily meetings with teachers. Although several of the staff developers are very tech savvy, others

aren’t, which results in much inequity as far as how much technology staff development is occurring on a one-to-

one basis. To aid in this, the district hired an Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) who also serves as the

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Classrooms for the Future coach. The ITS works directly with the teachers but because there are over 400 teachers

in the district, does not have the time or resources to delve into regular daily planning with them or accurately give

them feedback on the technology integration they are attempting with their students. Therefore, I believe that the

teachers have not been given the continued coaching needed to understand what their new digital classrooms can do

for their classes and their students.

Need

All this new equipment and access is tremendous, but there has naturally developed a need for staff

development on the use of the eClassrooms, MacBooks, applications and web resources with students. Most

teachers are embracing these tools and want to learn more about how to best use them effectively in their classes.

No doubt, there are a lot of great things already going on in WSD with iMovie, Comic Life, VoiceThread, Ning,

Wikispaces, Blogger, Moodle, and so forth. Some teachers are really starting to understand how the use of

technology in their teaching can transform their students’ learning. However, there are still teachers who don't see

the need for such tools and don't understand that incorporating digital media and technology into their classes is

what the students need and expect. As Picciano states, “Many teachers are not convinced of the benefits of using

computer technology. Some teachers feel threatened and see it as impersonal and an infringement” (240).

Wissahickon surely has a few educators who feel that way about technology.

Up until next school year, eClassroom teachers have been a select group. Most of the teachers who

submitted proposals are considered to also be good with technology and have become school leaders in technology

integration. Now, starting in September, almost all the teachers will be eClassroom teachers. As in any district,

our faculty has a wide range of abilities with technology, but they will be expected to teach with the new

SMARTboards hanging in their classrooms. In addition, they will have more access to MacBook laptops for their

students to use. They classrooms in the Wissahickon School District are finally being equipped for the students of

today.

However, without a strong support and training structure, the equipment may go unused or

used improperly. Without the proper training, teachers will simply digitize their current lessons and instead of

lecturing from an old Elmo overhead projector, they will lecture with notes projected on an expensive screen. If the

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district really wants to get the most bang for their buck and transform the teaching and learning that is taking place

within the classrooms, then the teachers need to be shown how to use the equipment and resources correctly, and

not only that, to design lessons, units and projects that reflect understanding of how the tools can best be used in

their subject areas. It is well known that using multi-media in teaching can transform dull, boring lectures into

engaging and interesting discussions about the curricula. But, do all the teachers know that? Opportunities must

exist for the teachers to learn new methodologies and strategies for teaching to the students of today.

Professional development should not be served up in “one-shot” workshops or quick fixes as they have

been in the past. A national study conducted by Sheingold and Hadley in 1990 recommends that “there should be

ample support and time for teachers to not only learn how to use the technology but also to plan carefully for its use

in the classroom. This may even require fundamental changes in the way teachers teach.” (Picciano 241). Picciano

also states “educators have observed that the natural evolution of technology is such that it changes the nature of

teaching” (240). But why change the nature of teaching at all? some may ask. Plain and simple – our educational

system as it stands today is not successfully preparing our youth for life after high school. A collaboration of the

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, and the Society

for Human Resources Management conducted an “in-depth study of the corporate perspective on the readiness of

new entrants into the U.S. workforce by level of educational attainment” (Report 2). This study’s report shocking

shows that “High School Graduates are:

o “Deficient” in the basic knowledge and skills of Writing in English, Mathematics, and Reading
Comprehension,
o “Deficient” in Written Communications and Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, both of which may be
dependent on basic knowledge and skills,
o “Deficient” in Professionalism/ Work Ethic
o “Adequate” in three “very important” applied skills: Information Technology Application, Diversity, and
Teamwork/Collaboration. “ (Report 11).

Common sense suggests that something needs to change. Although there are some teachers at Wissahickon

breaking out of the mold of traditional teaching methods, the majority of them are still teaching the way they were

taught. Although it is clear that change is needed, I believe a true support structure is not yet in place to sufficiently

transform the teaching and learning that is occurring in the Wissahickon School District.

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 Teachers need to be continually supported and taught not only how to properly use the tools and software,

but also how to evaluate and reflect on the way they deliver content and teach their curriculum. They need to be

given the data, research, and resources to help them learn better ways of teaching and best practices in project-

based and authentic learning. And above all, they need to be provided with an understanding, supportive, and

helpful technology staff development coach to guide them through the transition and evolution of their teaching and

their students’ learning.

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 Project Plan

This project strives to support the teachers with the new equipment, tools, and resources available to them

and their students and to also give them opportunities to learn how to change the way they teach to better suit the

students of today. I hope to develop a strong professional development plan for the smooth implementation and

continued support of the art of teaching in a classroom fully equipped with an interactive whiteboard, projector,

speakers, and access to MacBook laptops and other peripherals like digital cameras, printers, scanners, video

cameras, etc.

Goal 1: Hire an Instructional Technology Specialist

I would begin by hiring an additional Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) so that there will be two -

one working at the elementary level and one at the secondary level. The new hire will work closely with the

current ITS on programs, trainings, resources, and so forth. Then together, they will collaborate with the nine staff

developers in the district. Although the ITS will also work with the teachers, the staff developers are the ones who

have vast knowledge of the different curricula, experience with peer coaching and are better suited to work with

teachers on a daily basis. With the help of the ITS, the staff developers will begin to learn which technology tools

and resources are best to use when and how to use them correctly with different subject areas and grade levels.

Goal 2: Needs Assessment & Professional Development Plan Design

Together with the Director of Technology and the Curriculum department, the two Instructional Technology

Specialists will put together a plan for technology professional development for the upcoming school year. Before

the plan is created, however, a survey will need to be designed to assess the current technology expertise of the

faculty. This survey should include questions pertaining to basic computer skills, specific applications, comfort

level of integrating technology with students, and individual learning styles and needs. From there, a committee

should be formed to put the actual Technology Staff Development Plan in place. The committee should consist of

teachers, administrators and students so that all viewpoints can be represented. The student members could give

valuable insight on what their generation already knows about the tools and resources and could provide feedback

on how they learn best.

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 Although the actual plan will be put together after the new hire is in place and the assessment is conducted,

the current ITS and Technology Director already have a sketch of what the professional development should look

like. Since it is better to offer teachers “a variety of activities that take place over an extended period of time to

allow participants to practice and experiment” (Picciano 245), this plan provides many professional development

opportunities to teachers on a range of topics concerning the use of the new tools and equipment: MacBooks,

software, web resources, Moodle, SMART Boards, etc. In addition to basic "how-to" workshops, there will be

sessions about project-based learning, authentic learning, differentiation with technology, inquiry-based learning,

problem solving with technology and so forth. These workshops, conducted by the ITS, staff developers and

teachers, will be offered during school hours, after school, during in-service days, recorded on video, and through

an online interactive environment such as Elluminate.

Goal 3: Peer Coaching Model

The most important element of this plan is the implementation of a professional coaching model that will

be served by the current nine staff developers in the district. “School-based coaching helps educators envision a

world where professional development means showing and not telling; where teachers can learn and improve their

practice in a reflective, supportive setting, and where coaches serve as liaisons between research and practice,

bringing the latest findings to where they are most needed-the classroom” (Russo). Although past practice has been

that the Curriculum department oversees the staff developers and their activities, I propose that the staff developers

meet with the two Instructional Technology Specialists at least twice a month to share, collaborate, and learn. The

goal is to provide the current nine staff developers with consistent training and support so that they can be well

versed in the technologies supported by the district as well as successful coaching methodologies. They should

receive ongoing support in the following areas: basic use of MacBook applications and popular web resources as

listed in the eToolBox (http://etoolbox.wikispaces.com), effective integration strategies for the supported resources,

current and successful technology coaching methods, literacy and learning in the 21st century, project-based and

constructivist learning, new software and applications relevant to teaching. All in all, the staff developers need to

be brought up to date and learn enough to feel confident in coaching teachers how to use and design lessons with

the tools and resources. Two of the resources that will be used in staff development will be the ISTE NETS

Standards for Students (www.iste.org/NETS/) and the Framework for 21st Century Learning

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(www.21stcenturyskills.org).

If the ITS teach the staff developers, and the staff developers teach the teachers, who teaches the ITS? This

plan also consists of funding to allow for the ITS and staff developers to attend workshops, training sessions and

conferences to expand their knowledge of the technologies available today and how to best use them in education.

Teachers will also be encouraged to attend. Anyone who attends such conferences and trainings will be expected

to share what they learned so that all the staff developers and ITS can learn from the experience of the one who

attended.

Goal 4: Identify Lead Technology Teachers

There have already been several teachers at Wissahickon who have “bubbled up” and have proven to be

very good teachers with technology. It is this plan’s goal to identify these teachers and to recognize and reward

them in their endeavors. These teachers will also be called upon to help train and lead workshops in the

technologies and best practices that they have employed in their daily instruction. In my opinion, although the ITS

and staff developers are knowledgeable in methodologies and strategies, it is the teachers who are the true experts

in their fields. If we can tap the knowledge of our best teachers, we could very well create a teacher technology-

mentoring program and offer regular demonstrations of best practices. Wissahickon recently hosted an “Open

Space Technology” in-service day during which the teachers formed the groups, chose the topics, and set the

agendas themselves. The feedback from this in-service day was overwhelmingly positive and suggestions were

made to make it even better. The teachers want to, and should, learn from each other.

Goal 5: Online Support

This plan also calls for the continuation of the use and expansion of all of Wissahickon’s online resources.

The district website, Moodle, eToolBox and Ning will be continually updated and expanded. The use of the Ning

for sharing materials and lessons will be encouraged. Experience with my own Personal Learning Network (PLN)

through Twitter, blogs, and wikis has shown that the more teachers start to share resources and see others doing so,

the more open they are to sharing. WSD’s Ning environment has yet to break out of the mold of "what's mine is

mine" but I think with a bit more encouragement and coaching from the staff developers and ITS, teachers may be

more confident and willing to share their resources and lessons. This plan strives to educate teachers in the concept

of Personal Learning Networks and their value in their roles as educators today. In addition, building up a collegial

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learning environment and a database of lessons, projects, units and resources would prove to be valuable for years

to come.

Monitoring and Local Evaluation

Evaluation of this plan must begin with the teachers directly affected by the professional development

workshops, training, and instructional coaching. Surveys should be given at the end of training sessions for

feedback and suggestions for improvement. Periodic input (3 times a year) about staff developers is also important,

and interviews and surveys should be conducted with teachers by the Instructional Technology Specialists and/or

the Principals. Survey and interview results would be used to modify, transform and change the way trainings and

coaching interactions are conducted. Teachers will also be encouraged to suggest new types of workshops and new

topics for training. The Instructional Technology Specialists will gather these ideas and design programs based on

the needs of the teachers they are supporting.

“Because a major purpose of staff development is to have teachers and others using technology in their

classrooms or offices, evaluation should also provide for some follow-up to determine whether participants have in

fact been able to transfer their training to actual application” (Picciano 248). I propose that teachers should be

observed regularly (at least 3 times a year) by their administrator, the ITS and/or the staff developers to gauge

whether they are truly integrating technology and transforming their teaching practices. Although eventually this

should lead to a revision of the formal teacher Observation and Evaluation, it could simply begin as an avenue to

gather data to better train that teacher. With the combination of workshops, observations and follow-up with peer

coaching, teachers will truly get the differentiated and personalized professional development that they want and

need.

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 Partnerships and Local Support

As this plan is directly associated to professional development, it seeks to find knowledgeable persons from

community members and make use of computer professionals, trainers, motivational speakers, education

reformists, etc to conduct training, serve as guest speakers, and/or to advise the district in the area of instructional

technology and the needs of employers today. The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) will be an

integral partner in this endeavor as they provide many technology workshops during the school year and summer.

The Instructional Technology Specialists and trainers at MCIU could be brought to Wissahickon to conduct

workshops and training sessions. Inquiries will be made at area colleges (Chestnut Hill College, Montgomery

County Community College, Arcadia University, Gwynedd Mercy College) about internship programs and to offer

our district as a place their students are welcome to come to serve in a support or training capacity. The Parent-

Teacher organizations of the district will be encouraged to support the infusion of technology and sponsor events to

help fund vendor professional development and training workshops. The community of Wissahickon is very

generous and, I believe, could provide more support to the schools of the district in many areas, including

technology.

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 Budget Narrative & Sustainability

The first thing that needs to be done when this project is implemented is to complete a budget detailed

worksheet. “The use of a budget worksheet requires an examination of all the costs associated with the proposal”

(Picciano 286) and therefore requires attention to the main categories of a technology program budget: hardware,

software, personnel, training, repairs/upgrades, supplies/furniture, and other categories based on the district’s need

(Picciano 290). Although the completed worksheet will include more exact numbers, the following elements must

be considered for this plan:

• Hardware & Supplies

o MacBook and case for new hire - $1.400

o 5 Digital Cameras for staff developer/ITS use - $500 - $1,000

o Gifts and “take aways” for teacher leaders, presenters, guest speakers - $1,000

o Upgrades/repair and misc. supply expenses for ITS and Staff Developers - $1,000 (will vary)

o Expense budget for professional organization memberships, journals, books, webinars, etc. -
$2,000

• Software:

o Costs associated with software upgrades, if any

o Costs associated with survey development and hosting (Zoomerang.com) - $149

• Personnel:

o New Instructional Technology Specialist salary – varies by experience but anywhere from 50k-75k
most likely

o Staff developer and current ITS salary – already included in current budget

o Expense budget to pay for vendors and outside consultants for training purposes – varies by
presenter, but up to $10,000 could be budgeted.

o Additional money budgeted for workshop honorariums and other stipends for conducting after-
school or evening workshops - $3.000
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 o Release time for teachers, ITS and staff developers to work together and collaborate at least twice a
month.

• Training:

o Conference, workshop and training budget for the two ITS, staff developers, and teachers – varies
by venue, but up to $10,000 could be budgeted.

How is this plan going to be funded? This plan could very well be included in the School Board’s budget for

technology, but there are other fund resources to consider. First and foremost, funds for the Classrooms for the

Future coach position could be continued to be used to supply funding for the salary, benefits and conference

attendance of the ITS/ CFF Coach. “On February 17th, President Obama signed the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law. As part of the nation's economic recovery strategy, this stimulus bill includes

at least $2.6 billion for Pennsylvania's schools” (www.pde.state.pa.us/stimulus). According to documents posted on

the Pennsylvania Department of Education website, Wissahickon is due to receive stimulus funding that could be

used towards this plan: $8,200 for Title IID and $220,700 for Fiscal Stabilization Grants. Although WSD is also

slated to receive more funding for IDEA, I do not believe those funds could be used for this plan. As outlined in the

Pennsylvania School District Guide to the Federal Stimulus Education Investments published by the Pennsylvania 

Department of Education in March of 2009, the Title IID funds can be used for “Integrating technology into the

school curriculum and providing related professional development” (Guide 2). The entire stimulus-funded amount

for $8,200 could go toward this plan. In addition, the Stabilization funds, according to the aforementioned Guide,

can be used “to pay for ongoing costs of existing programs” (Guide 2). The “existing programs” in this plan are the

nine staff developers, the summer institute workshops, the in-service days devoted to technology and any other

professional development that has been previously established at Wissahickon. Therefore, the Stabilization funding

could also be used in this plan. Lastly, the local community and businesses should be “tapped” for additional

financial resources and grants.

Sustainability

As long as the support structure as it exists today remains in place, with the addition of the Instructional

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Technology Specialist, this plan can be sustained very easily and inexpensively without much increase in funding

after the first year. Eventually though, more peer coaches/staff developers may be hired which would add to the

expense of personnel and training. Continued expenses include, but are not limited to: salaries and benefits for the

Instructional Technology Specialists and staff developers; distribution and upkeep of individual MacBook

computers; expense of conferences, workshops, trainings, webinars, books, and journals for teachers, staff

developers and ITS, and payment for guest speakers and vendor trainers. With the exception of the new staff

member, the increased conference and supply expenses mentioned above and expert speakers, all of those expenses

are already established in the current budget.

Conclusion

If accepted as outlined, I believe this project would lead to the successful creation and implementation of a

professional development plan to fully and continually support the faculty of Wissahickon School District with

technology integration strategies of the state-of-the-art equipment and resources available to them. The five goals

as outlined contribute to a comprehensive plan including support from all levels of the district: students, teachers,

staff developers, Instructional Technology Specialists, administrators and even community members. Evaluation

and assessment strategies will be in place to provide a continual feedback loop of training-feedback-modification.

Financial demands for this plan are not very high but the district can supplement their own technology budget with

the help of state and federal funding. And, with the aid of local partners such as colleges and universities, the

MCIU and business and industry, the teachers of Wissahickon will be provided with the training and education they

need to effectively integrate technology into their classes and to learn how to best transform their teaching to meet

the needs of the students of today and the citizens of tomorrow.

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 Works Cited

"Education Budget: Stimulus Home." American Reinvestment & Recovery Act: Preparing Our Students Today for

the 21st Century Workforce. 19 Apr. 2009 <http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stimulus>.

"ISTE | NETS for Students." ISTE | Home. 19 Apr. 2009

<http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/NETS_for_Students.htm>.

"Pennsylvania School District Guide to the Federal Stimulus Education Investments." Pennsylvania Department of

Education. 19 Apr. 2009

<http://www.pdeinfo.state.pa.us/education_budget/lib/education_budget/StimulusGuide.pdf>.

Picciano, Anthony G.. Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology (4th Edition). Alexandria, VA: Prentice

Hall, 2005.

Russo, Alexander. "Past Issues - July/August 2004 ." Harvard Education Letter. 1 July 2004. 19 Apr. 2009

<http://www.edletter.org/past/issues/2004-ja/coaching.shtml>.

"The Partnership for 21st Century Skills - Framework for 21st Century Learning." The Partnership for 21st Century

Skills - Home. 19 Apr. 2009

<http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=120>.

"Updated Estimated School District Allocations (3/31/2009) " Pennsylvania Department of Education. 19 Apr. 2009

<http://www.pdeinfo.state.pa.us/education_budget/lib/education_budget/Economic_Stimulus_LEA_Alloc

ations_3_30_09.xls>.

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