Blog #5 Technology Plan

The purpose of a Technology Plan is to define the direction a school or school district is taking to evaluate, assess and accommodate the current and expected technology needs of it's students, faculty and administration. Technology plans may differ from one district to the next, but they all include the same basic elements. Technology plans include a mission statement, a vision statement, a collection of collaborative data, analysis and conclusions in regard to technology needs and assets, a set of clearly defined goals, budgeting and evaluation of it's effectiveness.

The Mission of the Technology plan should support the overall Mission of the district or school. The mission should be to utilize technology to further and enhance the educational mission. The Vision statement of the plan should support the mission statement of the district, but should clearly define how information and instructional technology will support that mission in the district as it currently exists and should also support any foreseeable changes in technology needs, enrollments and budgeting, etc...
The collection of data is more a part of the process than the plan. Collecting data from students, parents, the community, teachers administrators and support staff about the current technology equipment, hardware, software and peripherals is essential. Other important data would include a survey of users' skills and training, professional development and qualifications and the technology needs as perceived and prioritized by all users.
The goals would be directly related to the analysis and conclusions drawn from the collected data. The goals should be"S.M.A.R.T." goals. They should be Specific with start and endadates; most Technology plans should be revised every 2 - 3 years, at most. The goals need to be Measurable, Attainable , Realistic and Tangible . Schools should look at their "school report card" and their state standards to identify the student learning standards they want to achieve and where they may have weaknesses or gaps in student achievement.
Budgeting is another consideration in creating a technology plan. the plan has to consider the budget constraints on the school or district and will need to prioritize it's needs to fit within the budgeting parameters. In looking ahead, the plan should define the district's future needs and propose budgeting changes to accommodate those needs. This is probably the most difficult part of the planning process.
The final part of the plan would be assessment ad evaluation. This should review how the goals and corresponding actions will support the mission and vision statements. This needs to be an ongoing process. Innovations in technology are occurring exponentially. Although the plan should address foreseeable changes, there is always the unforeseeable and it will have to be amended and revised, as necessary.
A technology plan is a very important tool within a school or district to ensure that all are working toward the same goals. Collecting and analyzing collaborative data from all technology users is a very important part of the process. Individuals in varying roles will have different perspectives on the strengths and challenges of the existing instructional and informational technology within the school and different perspectives on what is needed. A well developed plan lays the foundation for good outcome. It is, however, a plan and plans often need to be adjusted to account for change. A plan, though, has a structure and effective changes can be made within that structure.
Schools can use this plan for other things as well . they can use te plan to assess their professional development needs in instructiona technology, they can use it to forecast some of their budgeting needs, they can use it to keep everyone on the same page, so to speak. Many of the Technology Plan templates available on the internet are from State education departments, individual districts use this template and require that all of the schools within their district use it. This keeps everyone focused on the same mission.