District+Technology+Training+Plan

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About the District
For the school year 2010–2011, the 200 schools of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MD) district employs 11,673 teachers, where 85.4 percent of those teachers have a master's degree or equivalent. The district has a $2.104 billion operating budget, with the majority of that budget (80%) allocated to instruction.

Current technologies
The district's technology is a Microsoft Windows centric system. The district e-mail service is controlled by Microsoft Exchange; the desktops and laptops are Microsoft Windows-based Dell and Lenovo PCs; the office software is Microsoft Office. The creative software is provided by Adobe. In addition to running these programs at school, the district allows employees to buy the same hardware and software at a discounted price, which adds incentive to use these products.

In addition, each school has available a set of hardware and software to directly support learning. Table A shows the technology and the affiliated training available.
 * ~ **Technology** ||~ **Current training** ||
 * Promethean's ActivInspire, an interactive, multi-media whiteboard program used with Promethean boards || Simulations and step-by-step handouts for using the ActivInspire in the classroom ||
 * Achievement Series, a Scantron-based scoring and reporting system for algebra, biology, social studies (NSL), and English 9, 10, and 11 formatives, summatives/end of unit assessments, and final exams. || Training sessions three times a year for scanning, printing, and reporting. ||
 * mCLASS Reading 3D, a reading assessment tool for students in Grades K–5 that measures reading comprehension skills || Self-serve documentation, mCLASS Reading 3D website, and as-needed help from instructional technology specialists ||
 * Measures of Academic Progress-Reading (MAP-R), a computer-adaptive achievement test that quickly provides an assessment of a student's skill level in the different reading achievement areas for grades three through eight. || Self-serve documentation on the MAP-R website ||
 * Blackboard course management software || Link to Blackboard website ||
 * A variety of hardware for classroom use, such as Elmo projectors, mobile laptop carts, and multifunction printers || Self-service handouts developed by the Department of Instructional Technology ||
 * A wide variety of free and commercial software for instructional use, such as Microsoft Office 2010, Audacity, Pixie, and Kidspiration 3 || Self-service handouts developed by the Department of Instructional Technology ||

Based on these data, the hardware and software do not seem to be a problem. The bigger issue is that training does not exist on a consistent, goal-oriented basis. There are in-depth trainings for one or two items, but the rest of the training relies on the self-service via the company websites.

Current staff
The district employs 13 instructional technology specialists who provide technology training, plan and deliver model technology lessons, and work with School Improvement Teams to to enhance learning with technology (Montgomery County Public Schools, 2012). These staff members work out of a central location and serve a group of schools.

Audience analysis
In order to understand the current technology practices and the desired technology practices, this audience analysis includes an online survey of teachers and an online survey of principals. The purpose of the teacher survey is to understand what hardware and software the teachers use in the classrom, to understand what hardware and software they want to use the classroom, and to understand the responsibilities and skills of the teachers. The purpose of the principal survey is to understand the attitudes and priorities of technology at the schools from the highest level. Both surveys also include demographic information so that survey results may be filtered and cross-tabulated by age, race/ethnicity, and education level.

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 * Technology and Training Survey for Teachers**

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 * Technology and Training Survey for Principals**

Goals
The current training is very technology-focused rather than concept-focused, where the goal of the training is to teach a product rather than to create a skill. This plan suggests the following five goals that build upon each other in order to build skills that, while taught using certain hardware or software, are technology independent.


 * 1) Computer Comfort - Increase teacher confidence with basic computing, common computer applications, and internet use.
 * 2) Promethean Proficient - Address multiple learning styles by using district-wide Promethean interactive white boards.
 * 3) Multitalented Multimedia - Add interest, engagement, and knowledge retention across the curriculum by using multimedia hardware and software.
 * 4) In the Clouds - Expand teachers' technology toolbox by using hosted applications and web-based software.
 * 5) Online and Involved - Increase parental involvement by establishing two-way communication channels via the internet.

Courses Needed

 * Course name:** The computer, the school network, and you
 * Description**: Understand the fundamentals of the computer on your desk (or on your lap or in your hands), and discover the benefits of using the shared drives and common documents on your school's network.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 1


 * Course name:** Building teacher skills with the core Microsoft Office 2010 applications
 * Description**: Learn basic and intermediate word processing with Word, spreadsheets with Excel, and presentations with PowerPoint
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 1


 * Course name:** The other Office applications: Publisher, OneNote, and Access
 * Description**: Most people know and use the three core Office applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This course will explore desktop publishing and layout with Publisher, notetaking and personal knowledge management with OneNote, and databases with Access.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 1, 3


 * Course name**: Blogging: How (and how not), why (and why not), when (and when not) to use blogs effectively
 * Description**: Web logs are quick and easy online journals where you can post anything, anytime. Blogs can be your outlet for writing about your experiences as a teacher, a vehicle for classroom discussion, and a platform for communicating with parents. Learn the good and bad parts of blogging, including what can get you in personal and professional trouble.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 1, 4, 5


 * Course name**: Introduction to the Promethean interactive white board and ActivInspire software
 * Description**: A majority of the classrooms in MCPS have Promethean interactive white boards. Learn the basics of the hardware and some easy but effective ways to use ActivInspire to add depth to your lessons.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 2


 * Course name:** Advanced techniques with the Promethean interactive white board and ActivInspire software
 * Description**: After you have mastered the basics, explore embedding multimedia into your white board lessons, use the embedded web browser, and allow two users to work collaboratively.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 2, 3


 * Course name**: Using digital video and digital photography in science and math classes
 * Description**: Add an experiential and creative dimension to your science and math classes by allowing students to record the world around them. Using Flip cameras and Microsoft Movie Maker, teachers will experience a creative Earth science lesson.
 * Suggested grade levels**: 4-12
 * Goals addressed**: 3


 * Course name**: Using digital audio in language arts and foreign language classes
 * Description:** Language teachers have long used audio recording to make language lessons more effective. Cheap hardware and free software make audio recording, editing, and publishing very accessible. Teachers will learn to use Audacity to record and edit student speech, VoiceThread to create group lessons and conversations, and Sound Cloud to create a digital audio portfolio.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 3


 * Course name**: Multimedia across the curriculum
 * Description**: A language arts teacher and a science teacher work together to show how digital video and audio can show the relationship between science and literature.
 * Suggested grade****levels**: 5-12
 * Goals addressed**: 3


 * Course name**: Web-based presentations more powerful than PowerPoint
 * Description**: Leave clip art and fade animations behind while learning the benefits of breaking out of the box of PowerPoint by using Prezi, Google Docs Presentation, and SlideRocket, all free, web-based alternatives to PowerPoint.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 3, 4, 5


 * Course name**: Blogs and wikis in language arts classes
 * Description**: Student writing is not confined to pencil and paper, or even to a computer-based word processor. Writing takes place in small and large online arenas. Learn to guide student writing using the post-and-response abilities of blogs, and harnass large-group collaboration using wikis.
 * Suggested grade levels**: 6-12
 * Goals addressed**: 3, 4


 * Course name**: Google Docs for collaborative teaching projects
 * Description:** MCPS encourages teachers to work together whenever possible. Using hosted applications, "whenever possible" becomes "whenever you are at a computer." Learn to use Google Docs synchronously and asynchronously to work together on spreadsheets, documents, forms, and presentations.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 4


 * Course name**: Beyond report cards: Communicating with parents using e-mail, the web, and course management software
 * Description**: MCPS knows the value of parental involvement in their child's education. Understanding the robust features of Blackboard and Edline makes communicating with parents about progress easier. And day-to-day communications using Twitter, blogs, and e-mail keep parents up-to-date and informed.
 * Suggested grade levels**: K-12
 * Goals addressed**: 4, 5

Sample Course

 * Course name:** Blogs and wikis in language arts classes


 * Subject of the workshop**: Blogs, wikis, language arts, creative writing, collaboration


 * Content**: Student writing is not confined to pencil and paper, or even to a computer-based word processor. Writing takes place in small and large online arenas. Learn to guide student writing using the post-and-response abilities of blogs, and harness large-group collaboration using wikis. In this class, participants will first experience a collaborative blog writing activity as students, then repeat the activity as teachers. Next, participants will create a collaborative short story using a wiki as students, then repeat the activity as teachers.
 * Prerequisite knowledge**: Completion of MCPS training course "The computer, the school network, and you" or equivalent computer and internet knowledge
 * Goals**:
 * To familiarize teachers with the setup, use, and customization of a blog using EduBlogs.
 * To understand posting, administration, and moderation as a blog owner.
 * To experience commenting as a blog reader.
 * To familiarize teachers with the setup, use, and administration of a wiki using Wikispaces.
 * To understand the wiki "coding" language.
 * To experience collaborative writing on a wiki.
 * To discover best practices for wiki use, including editing, revising, and commenting.


 * Audiences**: Teachers of grades 6 through 12. Most applicable to language arts classes, but all subject teachers are invited.
 * Timeframe**: Six three-hour evening sessions (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) over two weeks.
 * Activities**:

Day 1
 * Welcome and introductions
 * Explanation of blogs and blogging
 * Creating accounts on [|www.edublogs.com]
 * Styling the blog
 * Writing, editing, previewing, and publishing a first test post (Sample A)
 * Creating and assigning tags and categories
 * Managing visibility
 * Homework: find a blog that you enjoy reading

Day 2
 * Review of Day 1; lingering questions
 * Add links to other blogs
 * Advanced layout and widgets
 * Managing users
 * Commenting on the instructor’s blog as a student
 * Responding to other comments
 * Homework: write a blog post about language arts on your blog

Day 3
 * Review of Day 2; lingering questions
 * Read and comment on three classmates’ posts
 * Moderating comments
 * Exploring Edublogs Pro for classroom use
 * Embedding media files in posts
 * Blog stats
 * Assigning blogs to students
 * Considerations and risks of student blogging
 * Homework: identify two other blogging platforms appropriate for educational use

Day 4
 * Review of Day 3; lingering questions
 * Explanation of wikis
 * Creating accounts on www.wikispaces.com
 * Styling the wiki
 * Writing, editing, and publishing a first page
 * Creating and assigning tags
 * Managing users and visibility
 * Creating alerts
 * Homework: Use advanced styling on your wiki

Day 5
 * Review of Day 4; lingering questions
 * Reviewing wiki syntax
 * Adding widgets
 * Using the change and comment log
 * Viewing wiki statistics
 * Collaborative writing on instructor’s wiki
 * Homework: identify two other wiki platforms appropriate for educational use

Day 6
 * Review of Day 5; lingering questions
 * Small group project: writing a collaborative short story per outline (sample B)
 * Considerations and risks of student wikis

Sample A: Instructional video of blog posting using Screencast-o-matic.com media type="file" key="screencastEdublogs.mp4" width="450" height="450"
 * Sample materials:**

Sample B: Instructional graphic of collaborative writing wiki using SnagIt

Evaluation
Each participant will be asked to complete a ten-question evaluation survey that asks about the effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses of the course. []