1. technology and computing

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Educational Report
ETEC 6223 Strategic Planning and IDT Programs
Sarah Simmons
University of Arkansas
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Abstract
The culminating project for ETEC 6223 – Strategic Planning and IDT Programs was to create a
technology strategic plan for a non-profit organization of my choice. The organization that I
selected was Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Arkansas. Lincoln High School is an 8-12 public
high school. The high school already had a 1:1 initiative; however they were looking for a cost
effective alternative and desired technology integration in all classrooms. The course provided a
step-by-step process to learn how to write a strategic plan. The final product was a two year
technology action plan that would address the vision and needs of Lincoln High School.
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Educational Report for ETEC 6223 Strategic Planning and IDT Programs
Project Description
The culminating project for ETEC 6223 – Strategic Planning and IDT Programs was to
create a technology strategic plan for a non-profit organization of my choice. The organization
that I selected was Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Arkansas. Lincoln High School is an 8-12
public high school. The plan was created to help Lincoln High School implement cost effective
1:1 technology devices and integrate technology in all classrooms.
Lincoln High School (LHS) currently has a 1:1 technology initiative. Students in grades
8-12 have MacBooks which need to be updated and repaired. The district has concluded the
Macbooks are too costly to repair or replace, therefore, an alternative is needed. Some teachers
are using a learning management system (LMS) and some are not. Some teachers are using
interactive whiteboards and some are not. LHS wants to establish an environment where every
student has an affordable technology device to enhance learning, where all teachers are using
technology to deliver instruction, and where all teachers are integrating technology within their
content to prepare students for lifelong learning and workforce readiness.
The semester was used to develop a vision statement, conduct a technology evaluation
and needs assessment, create an action plan, and develop an evaluation plan to monitor progress.
In the strategic planning process, I developed a mission and vision statement, identified longterm needs, conducted a technology evaluation, performed a needs analysis, developed an action
plan to carry out all needs, created a timeline, and developed an evaluation plan to help
determine if changes need to be made to ensure the plan for Lincoln High School.
After the vision statement was developed for LHS, a technology evaluation was
conducted. The purpose was to determine exactly what technology devices currently existed,
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how they were being used to enhance learning, and how often they were being used throughout
the high school for all students.
Next, a needs assessment was conducted. Before data could be collected to start the needs
assessment process, questions had to be developed to pinpoint the potential needs for Lincoln
High School. The technology evaluation focused on four specific areas: 1) teachers and how they
used technology in the classroom 2) devices that the students had access to 3) internet access
speeds and efficiency 4) the availability of support and training for teachers and students. With
this in mind, a series of questions were constructed in order to discover the true needs related to
the use of technology and access to technology devices in the classroom.
The next step in the process involved identifying ways to close these gaps with an
effective action plan. The action plan specifies the steps necessary for Lincoln High School to
achieve their technology vision. It serves as a guide to how we will implement a plan of action
that will adequately address the specific gaps we discovered during the process of needs analysis
and evaluation, while staying in line with the overall needs statement for the organization as a
whole. The action plan includes providing cost effective 1:1 technology devices, fast Internet
access for all students and teachers, all teachers integrating technology into the curriculum, and
training and support for teachers for integrating technology in the classroom.
Finally, the evaluation plan was created to evaluate the planning process for Lincoln High
School’s strategic technology plan. It will evaluate the process that Lincoln High School has
been engaged in for the past several months and ensure that the plan is carried out. It will
evaluate whether the stakeholders feel the planning process was effective. The plan will evaluate
if those who participated in the process felt they were able to contribute to the planning process,
that the plan reflected what they felt should be included, that the facilitator was organized, and
that the planning meetings were effective. All of the components will be evaluated before,
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during, and after implementation of the strategic plan. Additionally, the plan itself will be
evaluated to see if the timeline is being maintained or if adjustments need to be made.
I am including this project as an artifact for my ETEC eportfolio because it was a very
difficult process for me. It meets many ETEC standards specifically in the areas of Management
and Evaluation which directly relates to standards 4 and 5. The project also demonstrates my
ability to create, plan, manage, implement, monitor, and evaluate a strategic technology plan. I
gained valuable project management skills such as communication, time management, group
meeting techniques, and how to use a wealth of data gathering and evaluation tools. It also
demonstrates my ability and skills to serve as a leader in a school environment and manage a
variety of tasks.
Program Identification
Standard 4 Management
Substandard 4.1 Utilize project management techniques.
Developing the Strategic Technology Plan for Lincoln High School required me to utilize
many project management techniques. The strategic planning process required me to first choose
a project and establish stakeholders for the project. This involved organizing team members to
assist in carrying out the projects goals. This demonstrated my ability to use decision making
skills and public relations skills by requiring me to explain my project and request professionals
from Lincoln High School to work directly with me. I prepared a meeting to explain the scope
of the project to the group and worked with the team members to set up a timeline of meeting
dates and deliverables. I was required to work directly with the stakeholders to create a vision.
In the vision meeting I introduced the purpose of a vision and explained the visioning process.
This allowed me to develop rapport with the team members and generate buy-in.
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I organized and planned all stakeholder meetings, facilitated the meetings, recorded the
group’s feedback, and summarized meeting information to provide follow-up to all members
through email. This demonstrated my ability to plan an agenda, communicate effectively using
email, and lead a group of peers in meetings. I created timelines and monitored progress to make
sure that everything was organized and that each project phase was going smoothly and
completed on time, which demonstrated my ability to plan, organize, and monitor progress of a
strategic plan.
Communicating with stakeholders and making sure that everyone felt like they were
being heard was very important. Making sure I recognized their ideas and used their feedback
throughout the planning process was a priority of mine as project director. I also made sure to
communicate the project status. This meant making sure the entire project plan was shared with
the entire project team and any revisions to the plan were also communicated so that everyone
understood how the plan was evolving. This demonstrated my ability to listen and communicate
effectively with team members.
From the beginning of the project, I had to learn valuable project management skills and
techniques in order to gain stakeholder participation on the project. Those techniques included
verbal and written communication skills, listening skills, planning, monitoring, and evaluating
skills. Organizing the meetings and reporting project status required emails and phone calls to
coordinate the team members, meeting times, locations, and discussion topics. By completing
this project, I learned to use project management skills and techniques that are necessary to the
success of any strategic planning process.
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Substandard 4.2 Manage projects with multiple components.
The Strategic Technology Plan created for Lincoln High School along with the entire
strategic planning process required the management of multiple components. The components
included creating the initial technology vision plan, a technology evaluation that explored the
current situation, a needs assessment to identify gaps, an action plan to address each identified
need, and finally the project evaluation plan that detailed budget demands and future assessments
to insure the project was implemented.
During the development of the strategic plan for LHS, I met regularly with the
stakeholders. I had to meet with team members and assign duties and outline upcoming deadlines
for each step of the project. The first meeting with the team members was to create a vision for
LHS and determine the direction that they wanted to go. Afterwards, I developed a timeline of
tentative meeting dates and all deliverables that the team would follow throughout the planning
process. The timeline was addressed each time the stakeholders met.
In order to successfully manage all of the components of the strategic planning process, I
used many modes of communication. I composed and sent weekly emails to keep stakeholders
informed of the project process and any revisions needed. I used weekly meetings to
communicate the progress and accomplishments since the previous meeting and make sure we
were adhering to the timeline and moving forward. I suggested that we use Microsoft Project to
easily plan and manage the project. It could measure progress and anticipate resources needed
with detailed reports.
During the meeting to prioritize needs I assigned a recorder to keep up with all decisions,
actions taken, who is assigned to each action, and the time frame or target date for completion.
With this, I could follow-up with all members. I used the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to
collect and prioritize the thoughts of the stakeholders. This technique allowed us to make
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decisions while making sure everyone was heard. In this meeting, I presented the findings from
the technology evaluation and I provided time for silent brainstorming. Next, I lead a round robin
group questioning to clarify, then took a vote and ranked the priorities for LHS. In the evaluation
phase, I created a budget justification that included the costs for equipment, maintenance,
professional development, and networking. Finally, I created an evaluation timeline that included
the action event, time period, and the person responsible for carrying out the event. One of the
final steps in creating and implementing my strategic plan was to share the final plan with both
the planning team members and the administrators responsible for implementing the plan. To
ensure that all the stakeholders were informed about the plan, and to sell the plan to the
administration, I created a presentation summarizing the entire process and explaining the final
plan.
By completing this project I managed multiple components of the plan in order to
prioritize needs and evaluate the proposed solutions all while outlining project expectations,
deadlines, technological limitations and budgetary constraints. I learned valuable management
skills necessary for creating a successful plan from beginning to end.
Substandard 4.4 Implement and manage various delivery systems of instructional
technology.
The Strategic Technology Plan created for Lincoln High School required the implantation
and management of delivery systems. During the planning process I was required to evaluate the
technology needs and develop an action plan to meet the hardware and software needs of LHS as
well as the teacher’s needs for delivering instruction in the classroom. The action plan provided
for new 1:1 hardware devices as well as software. It provided a plan for every teacher to utilize
the interactive whiteboard and a learning management system to integrate technology in the
classroom. The plan also provided professional development for the use of 1:1 devices,
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technology integration in the classroom, and using an interactive white board and learning
management system in the classroom, and finally an upgrade to the network. The strategic plan
allowed for LHS to implement a system to deliver instruction in all classrooms.
It was determined that teachers needed help adequately using technology in the
classroom. Teachers wanted to use technology in the classroom to help students gain life-long
learning skills needed to prepare for career and college readiness. In response to that need, the
plan provided for, and the district decided to purchase, 600 Chromebook 1:1 devices. The
devices use Google Apps and Google Drive, therefore no additional cost will be incurred for
software. Additionally, in order to help students prepare for college readiness, the students
needed to be exposed to an LMS. The plan provided an LMS to deliver instruction that would
help teachers and students use technology as a life-long learning tool.
Continuing to respond to the training needs identified by teachers during the needs
assessment, the district agreed to provide ongoing professional development for all teachers for
technology integration which will include using a Learning Management System (LMS),
Interactive Whiteboards and software as well as training on the new Chromebooks and Google
Apps. The technology director and the instructional technology and curriculum specialists will
coordinate the training of all faculty and staff members on the use of the LMS, interactive
whiteboard, Chromebooks and all software associated with them, as well as technology
integration into their content areas. Training was scheduled to occur during the back-to-school
faculty in-service the next school year.
Standard 5 Evaluation
Substandard 5.3 Develop an assessment plan to show evidence of an instructional problem
or opportunity for organizational growth.
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This standard is met using the Strategic Technology Plan created for Lincoln High
School. The final stage of the planning process was to develop a way to assess effectiveness of
the implementation of the strategic plan and finally develop an evaluation plan. I chose to use
surveys, observations, and interviews to assess the plan.
I created a plan to evaluate the entire process for Lincoln High School’s strategic
technology plan. It served to evaluate the process that Lincoln High School had been engaged in
during the strategic planning process. It evaluated whether the stakeholders felt the planning
process was effective. The plan evaluated whether those who participated in the process felt they
were able to contribute to the planning process, if the plan reflected what they felt should be
included in the plan, if the facilitator was organized, and if the planning meetings were effective
in generating a solid plan.
All of the components in the plan were evaluated before, during, and after
implementation of the strategic plan. This allowed me to make changes if needed to ensure
success of the plan. Additionally, the plan itself was to be evaluated to see if the timeline was
being maintained or if adjustments needed to be made. I used surveys, observations, and focus
group interviews in the strategic plan for evaluating the process and plan. I surveyed students and
teachers at beginning, middle, and end of the implementation process. The surveys were
developed by the evaluation committee which consisted of the technology director, the principal,
the curriculum specialist, and the technology instructors. I chose to use surveys because they
could be made available online and easily accessed by the teachers and students during or
outside of class. The information was aggregated, analyzed, and reported the data at a monthly
review meeting of the stakeholders. Observations were an ongoing use of monitoring. Students
were observed using technology and allowed me to evaluate whether the technology was
engaging the learners in the content. Teachers were observed delivering content using
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technology so I could ensure the students were using the technology to enhance learning. The
classroom observations were performed once a month. The data was compiled and the
stakeholders analyzed it in a monthly review meeting. I chose to use Focus Group Interviews
during the monthly review meetings. The stakeholders were asked about their perceptions,
opinions, beliefs, and attitudes toward the progress of the strategic plan. I wanted to determine if
the stakeholders felt the strategic planning process was effective, if they were able to contribute
to the planning process, if the plan reflected what they felt should be included in the plan, if they
felt the facilitator was organized, and if the planning meetings were effective in helping generate
a solid plan. The information was analyzed and I used it to make recommendations for changes
or redirections on the plan.
The plan provided evidence of the effectiveness of the implementation of the strategic
plan and provided opportunity for organizational growth. By creating the evaluation plan for the
strategic technology plan for Lincoln High School I demonstrated my ability to develop an
assessment plan.
Substandard 5.4 Develop a long-range plan for the advancement of technology in an
organization or institution.
In order to develop a long-range plan for the advancement of technology for Lincoln
High School, I conducted a technology evaluation and needs assessment. I needed to know
exactly what technology devices currently existed, how and how often they were being used by
students and teachers, and get faculty and student perceptions of how technology devices should
be used and implemented to enhance learning. By performing the technology evaluation and
needs assessment for LHS I was able to develop a long-range plan to advance technology use.
The action plan specifies the steps necessary for Lincoln High School to achieve their
technology vision and address the technology needs. It bridges the gap between where LHS
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currently is in terms of their stated needs, and where it wants to be. The plan addressed 1:1
devices for students, teachers having the ability and knowledge to fully integrate technology in
the classroom, faster, more efficient Internet connection, and professional development on the
learning management system, interactive whiteboards, and technology integration.
The plan provides action items in the form of prioritized steps that must be completed for
the action plan to be implemented and the vision achieved. The implementation of this plan is
expected to take place beginning January 2015 and during the next school year. However, it will
run into the following year as Lincoln High School continues to determine the success of the
technology initiative.
The plan includes four parts: providing cost effective 1:1 technology devices, fast
Internet access for all students and teachers, all teachers integrating technology into the
curriculum using a learning management system and interactive whiteboards, and ongoing
professional development, training and support for teachers to integrate technology.
The Director of Technology and the Instructional Technology and Curriculum Specialist
will coordinate the training of other faculty and staff members on the use of the LMS, interactive
whiteboard, Chromebooks and all software associated with them. Training is scheduled to occur
during the back-to-school faculty in-service in August 2015.
The plan also provided for the purchase of 600 Chromebook 1:1 devices. The devices use
Google Apps and Google Drive; therefore no additional cost will be incurred for software. The
district will upgrade and improve the network. This will include hardware and an increase in
bandwidth. In preparation of the 1:1 initiative, Lincoln High School has already begun the
network redesign and is expected to complete it for the 1:1 technology initiative rollout in
August 2015. Once the 1:1 devices have been purchased, installation will be handled by the
technology director and assistant technology director.
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The final stage of the plan was the evaluation plan. It evaluated the planning process for
Lincoln High School’s strategic technology plan. It included a timeline that planned each action
item, date and person responsible. All of the components of the strategic technology plan will be
evaluated before, during, and after implementation of the strategic plan.
By completing this project, I learned how to develop a long-range plan through the
strategic planning process.
Educational Reflection
The ETEC 6223 Strategic Planning in IDT course was the most challenging course that I
completed during the ETEC master’s program. There were many times throughout the course
that I found myself lost and having a difficult time deciphering between the components for each
stage in the planning process. We posted a weekly blog that required us to reflect on what we
had learned most from the readings, what was confusing to us that week, and what was working
or not working or the progress of the strategic plan. Keeping this blog really helped me sort out
the confusion. The very thing that I might be confused on one week usually was resolved by the
next week’s post. Posting to the blog proved to be very helpful for me.
This project was authentic because I teach at Lincoln High School and it provided me the
opportunity to work with Lincoln High School and a group of stakeholders as a team to create a
strategic technology plan for the entire learning environment. Before I began working on the
strategic planning process with my stakeholders at Lincoln High School, I thought I had good
leadership skills. However this process was very different than standing in front of my high
school students delivering a lesson.
I was very uncomfortable at first. Learning to be the project leader was very intimidating.
I learned so much about the various techniques to be used in a group. The Nominal Group
Technique proved to be very effective when we were prioritizing the true needs. During the
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strategic planning process, I learned that a strategic planning facilitator must keep the planning
team on task and on time because it is vital to the development, implementation, and the
execution of the plan. I was required to plan meetings and agendas, provide the meeting
information and follow-up, act as the meeting facilitator and record all meeting information. I
also learned to use the results from interviews and observations, which were used throughout the
process to evaluate the current technology, and assess the needs of LHS. This project allowed me
to refine my data gathering techniques and the development of assessments through the use of
interviews, focus groups, and observations with my co-workers and colleagues. All were crucial
to determine what actions needed to be implemented for the strategic planning process.
The budgeting process was challenging. I had to interview the technology director and
gather all of the costs in order to complete the budget for the strategic plan. Probably the most
difficult part of the planning process was gathering information to determine what was needed in
order to make the network faster and more efficient. The infrastructure of the network played a
key role in determining the success of Lincoln High School’s 1:1 technology initiative. I relied
on my technology director and stakeholders to help me complete this phase of the plan, but I
learned the terminology and the basics of what goes into the wireless upgrade, with this
increased traffic on the network. I also learned what was needed to increase the bandwidth on
our internet connection.
One of the biggest challenges was differentiating between what the stakeholders think
they want or need and what they really need. Most people think they know what the need is and
how to fix it. I learned that it is not that simple. The strategic planning process taught me that
you can save time and valuable resources if you correctly and patiently go through the steps.
Because of this, the needs assessment phase was probably the most valuable for me in my
planning process. Learning how to determine the true needs for LHS was a difficult task. I
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wanted to list the solution as the true need. It really took me some time and patience to learn to
find the “why” not the “how”. Going through this very rigorous strategic planning process, I
learned how powerful the process really is. By the end of the project I finally learned that the
actual strategic plan is the entire process, not just writing a plan of wants.
I am proud to say that Lincoln High School will be utilizing the plan that was created in
this project. I am looking forward to being a more valuable asset to my school district now that I
have a background in strategic planning and project management. I will be completing the
implementation and evaluation of the strategic plan through the 2016-2017 school year.