Re: Technology Plan (K-12)

[Karen Tally McIntyre <kmcintyr@TENET.EDU>]

Lori, wow what an assignment.  I've been involved in an effort to get our
school and community 'wired' -- we also are relatively poor and very rural.
In a perfect world I would say the most important thing to do PRIOR to
writing you technology plan would be to get teachers on-line -- dialup
access is fine--even text only is O.K. for beginning.  I still don't have
a gui!

2)READ--there are a number of lists which deal with this topic--subscribe
and get acquainted with those in similar settings to you who are further
along.  Find out what they did right or wrong--believe me they will tell you.
READ Civilizing Cyberspace by Steven Miller, Being Digital by Negroponte,
the Children's Machine by Papert -- IT IS AT LEAST AS IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THE PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS BEHIND NETWORKING....AND THE CRUCIAL
CHANGE IN OUR ATTITUDES TOWARD CHANGE AND TEACHING ESPECIALLY!!!!!!

3) Be sure that your administrators and decision makers are on the same
page with you.  Many may want the wires and computers, but may not fully
understand what they are going to get.  Get them to places where they
will see the current state of the art applications.

4)Involve as many people in this educational process as possible. Include
school board, principals, district administration, technology teachers,
technicians, teachers, local government officials.  While you may get the
"stuff" you need, maintaining the equipmet, wires, paying for the fiber in
ongoing monthly payments may be a real deterrent.

5) INVITE---YOU CANNOT FORCE THIS REVOLUTION--NOR SHOULD YOU SINCE THE
WHOLE POINT OF ALL OF TECHNOLOGY IS COLLABORATION. Try to find a partner
for your newbies in the same field that they teach who will help keep
them checking their email.

Use a web search engine to find technology plans to look at on the
web. Write yours with whatever group is responsible for technology
planning--I would probably get several into the hands of the
committee--then let this group set priorities and decide on the variation
of the plan that suits your peculiar situation.  One you have decided
what you really want to do THEN you can pick the hardwarde and software
to support it.

GOOD LUCK

Sep 1996, Lori A. Brown wrote:

>         I am the MS at a very small K-12 school with a fairly small budget. We
> are in the process of wiring the school for Internet, and we need to write
> a technology plan to help guide us.  We have assembled a team, but none
> of us are real technology experts.  Does anybody have any advice for
> us?  What forms of technology are really necessary besides just
> computers?  We would also appreciate any copies of plans that you may
> have that would help us compose ours.  They may be sent to Lori Brown,
> P.O. Box 92, Prague, NE 68050.  TIA!!
>
> Lori Brown
> Prague Public Schools
> lobrown@esu2.esu2.k12.ne.us
>
>


***************************----------------------*******************************
Karen McIntyre  "Learn to listen to your own voice and balance your
Morton I.S.D.    terror with your confidence."  Richard Wurman
500 Champion Dr.                                Information Anxiety
Morton, TX  79346       806-266-5524            kmcintyr@tenet.edu