Our Technology Vision Statement:
Students today enjoy the connectedness of social networking; it is part of their very being. Our goal is to bring instruction into that cloud as an educational network to
The Nespelem School Mission Statement is "To enable a child to be a thinking, caring, productive person using high academic standards in a positive environment." Considering our mission statement and given that the purpose of education is to prepare students to be productive and caring adults, we believe that technology is a necessary tool for learning that expands our instructional repertoire and is the vehicle that maximizes the capacity of all teachers and learners. It is the vision of Nespelem School District that students be engaged in a stimulating academic environment and an engaging, highly relevant, rigorous curriculum — student-centered and focused inquiry-based learning.
Specifically, we envision that technology is available and effectively supported for all students and staff in all classrooms:
We envision using technology to further a learning community where: • Students are engaged in a challenging, highly relevant curriculum focused on inquiry-based, hands-on learning in which students communicate, collaborate, and Teachers use technology for meaningful assessment data that informs their practice and allows students to exhibit higher order thinking and to demonstrate knowledge. • Teachers and Program Facilitators use and facilitate student use of technology to communicate, collaborate, and create communities with educators, parents, students,
Therefore, Nespelem School District’s Technology Plan demonstrates a commitment to increasing technology in each classroom and to providing ongoing and continuous training to all of its staff and students in the use of and integration of technology as necessary tools for teaching, learning, and collaborating in all subject areas and for lifelong learning; technology is an essential element that brings about greater productivity, provides meaningful assessment data, and empowers instruction and learning. Students
Computers will be used in the classroom so students are engaged in a challenging, highly relevant curriculum focused on inquiry-based, hands-on learning in which students communicate, collaborate, and create communities with educators, parents, and other students, exhibiting higher order thinking and demonstrating knowledge. The computer lab and library media center will augment the opportunities for students to incorporate suitable technology to engage in active participation, exploration, and research. Rationale: In a report that examined the results of over 300 studies of technology use, authors concluded the need for more than one computer for students in the classroom: “Furthermore, classroom connectivity in general and, more specifically, connectivity with four or more computers were found to be important factors in predicting whether teachers directed student research involving the Internet.” (Sivin-Kachala & Bialo, 2000) Kelley, L., & Ringstaff, C. (2002).
Finally, computers in the classroom resulted in the best learning improvement: “The results from this program indicate that student outcomes are most improved by the distributed model. Students who had access to computers in their classrooms showed more improvement in basic skills than those who received instruction in computer labs.
In addition, teachers who had computers in the classroom reported greater confidence and competence in using computers and more time using the computers (Mann, 1999; Mannet al., 1999). “The learning return on our educational technology investment: A review of findings from research.” Retrieved from WestEd Web site: http://www.WestEd.org/online_pubs/learning_return.pdf
Assessment
Each year grade eight students will complete the PILOT Technology Integration Survey to demonstrate progress as a result of increased application of technology to apply knowledge in real world contexts to create, collaborate, and communicate in learning communities to exhibit higher order thinking and to demonstrate knowledge.
Teachers
All teachers will participate in professional development in the area of Technology Integration. The goal will be to provide teachers with skills and strategies that will allow them to use technology tools to teach the standards, to integrate technology into the curriculum, to promote a student- centered environment that assists and encourages technological skills, to use assessment data to drive instruction, and to access productivity tools for class data management, for communication with students, staff, parents, and community, and for collaboration on curricular and instructional goals.
Rationale: The goal of technology integration is to use technology seamlessly so that the technology itself becomes a transparent and integral tool to teach core curriculum. Technology & Curriculum Integration (http://www.guide2digitallearning.com/integration Digital Learning Environments).
A variety of studies indicate that technology will have little effect unless teachers are adequately and appropriately trained (Office of Technology Assessment, 1995; Coley, Cradler, & Engel, 1997; Silverstein et al., 2000).
Studies suggest that teachers who receive formal technology training use technology more frequently for instruction, which will lead to significant improvements in student achievement.
According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (1999b), teachers who report feeling prepared to teach using technology use it more frequently and in a greater variety of ways, and are more likely to have their students use technology as a tool in tasks that require higher- order thinking. In a report that examined the results of over 300 studies of technology use, authors concluded that teacher training was the most significant factor influencing the effective use of educational technology to improve student achievement.
Specifically, the report states that students of teachers with more than ten hours of training significantly outperformed students of teachers with five or fewer training hours (Sivin-Kachala & Bialo, 2000; Kelley, L., & Ringstaff, C., 2002).
In addition the report demonstrates the need for more than one computer for students in the classroom: “Furthermore, classroom connectivity in general and, more specifically, connectivity with four or more computers were found to be important factors in predicting whether teachers directed student research involving the Internet.”
Finally, computers in the classroom resulted in the best learning improvement: “The results from this program indicate that student outcomes are most improved by the distributed model. Students who had access to computers in their classrooms showed more improvement in basic skills than those who received instruction in computer labs.
In addition, teachers who had computers in the classroom reported greater confidence and competence in using computers and more time using the computers (Mann, 1999; Mannet al., 1999). “The learning return on our educational technology investment: A review of findings from research.”
Retrieved from WestEd Web site: http://www.WestEd.org/online_pubs/learning_return.pdf
Assessment
In addition to our PILOT Survey, we will reflect each semester on the Key Question: “What are you doing or teaching right now that you could do more effectively and efficiently with technology? ‘Start with the end in mind.’”
Our Online Teacher Professional Development Repository will serve as a record and resource in the application of productivity, curricular and instructional strategies, and results for other staff members to try.
Analysis of Professional Development Evaluations will determine further needs in Professional Development.
Data will be analyzed for student improvement in NWEA/MAP scores.
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