Scarsdale Technology Planning 2021-22

The current District Technology plan ends on June 30, 2022. The new 2022-2025 plan is due on July 1st, 2022. Per Part 100.12 of Commissioner’s Regulations, all New York State public school districts are required to develop and maintain instructional technology plans and submit new plans every three years.

Districts will identify how they will:

  • Develop a strategic vision and goals to support student achievement and engagement through the seamless integration of technology into teaching and learning;

  • Provide technology-enhanced, culturally- and linguistically-responsive learning environments to support improved teaching and learning;

  • Increase equitable access to high-quality digital resources and standards-based, technology-rich learning experiences;

  • Provide access to relevant and rigorous professional development to ensure educators and leaders are proficient in the integration of learning technologies.

NYSED Guidance Document (Technology Survey)

Documents

Current Scarsdale Technology Plan

New areas of focus:

  • Digital wellness and creating a healthy digital lifestyle

  • Gender equity in secondary course offerings

  • Media Literacy/Digital literacy

  • Communication

NYSED Technology Plan Template

LHRIC Technology Planning Guide

Timeline

  • July 7th: Head Computer Teacher Summer Meeting/Planning to plan

  • October 15th: K-12 Technology Committee Kickoff meeting

  • November 18th: K-12 Technology Committee meeting

  • December: Plan stakeholder feedback sessions

  • January: K-12 Technology Committee meeting

  • February: K-12 Technology Committee meeting

  • March: Parent/Student Survey/Focus Groups/K-12 Technology Committee meeting/NYTEN feedback

  • April 15th: Technology Plan submitted to BOCES for review and comment

  • April 25th: Board Technology Plan Presentation & Parent Feedback Survey

  • July 1st: Final Technology Plan submitted to the New York Stated Education Department

Technology Planning Meetings

Questions discussed at our planning kickoff meeting

  • How do we enhance our instruction of digital citizenship, now that students are spending more time with personal devices?

  • What are the areas of emerging technology that we need to consider in the new plan?

  • How can computer teachers, librarians, and coordinators collaborate on ideas related to coaching and teacher support?

  • What are the most effective structures to support professional development? How do we deal with the increased sophistication of teachers who are now using technology more than ever?

  • How can we better communicate the purpose of our program to parents?

  • What are the most effective ways to include administrators in our technology planning?

  • How do we engage all stakeholders in the process? (students, staff, parents)

Our Latest Thinking and Highlights from our Discussions (updated October 2021)

How do we enhance our instruction of digital citizenship now that students are spending more time with their own devices?

  • Who is teaching it? What scope & Sequence?

  • Clarifying Information Literacy vs Digital Literacy/Fluency & Digital Citizenship (all very different)

  • Establish specific strands of teachers who can take units OR

  • Establish a semester-long “Seminar Course” that teaches Digital Literacy (Fluency)

  • Efficient use of technology

  • Historical context

  • Digital Citizenship

  • Have a companion course for community members on Digital Parenting

What are the areas of emerging technology that we need to consider in the new plan?

  • Cybersecurity

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Data Privacy

  • Ethics of technology

  • The Internet of Things (IoT)

How can computer teachers, librarians, and coordinators collaborate on ideas related to coaching and teacher support?

  • Schedule meetings to share curriculum goals.

  • Explore grade level curriculum from a project based perspective in order to brainstorm ideas that support goals of each unit.

  • Be cognizant of the connection the students are making in our classes to what they are learning in other classes.

  • Create common themes that can be used by all content areas to promote connections.

  • Pilot different kinds of schedules that allow teachers more time and flexibility to use our resources.

What are the most effective structures to support professional development? How do we deal with the increased sophistication of teachers who are now using technology more than ever?

  • Do we have an adequate amount of required professional development?

  • What do teachers want to know? What do teachers need to know?

  • How do we address the needs of teachers who may need more support than others?

  • What are the opportunities to provide recognition or rewards for teachers to engage in additional professional development?

  • Is a quick professional development that covers a specific technology unit enough? Does it need to be ongoing?

  • What models or structures are most effective? (for example, hands-on workshops, online resources, webinars)?

How can we help school leaders, beyond the computer teachers, demonstrate the importance of being a technology leader?

  • Help school leaders continue to use technology effectively as a model for other staff

    • Recognize that all staff can take on the role of facilitators/trainers

    • Highlight and share technology innovations/discoveries during individual or faculty meetings

  • Use technology pedagogy to promote agency (example: HyperDocs)

  • Participate in professional development opportunities with teachers and staff

  • Consider opportunities for student led professional development for administrators and faculty

How can we better communicate the purpose of our program to parents?

  • On-demand webinars can be offered so parents can learn about the topic that they’re interested at the time they need the information.

  • Use Twitter to share and highlight technology in action in our classrooms.

  • Profile technology initiatives in the District's Insight Magazine.

  • Periodic emails from Computer Teachers and Librarians can help to establish a connection with parents.

Core Plan Core Components

Technology Vision

The Scarsdale School District has a longstanding, continuous commitment to providing our students with an outstanding education. To that end, we seek to achieve and maintain best practices in using technology to support the educational experiences of all students. The use of technology should be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum and teaching.

We believe that all members of the school community should be able to:

  • Use appropriate technology as a tool for teaching, learning, and assessment

  • Have access to appropriate technology throughout the District buildings and adjacent areas.

  • Use technology to empower learners by giving them tools for creating, communicating, and collaborating

  • Use technology to allow all users to curate information and solve problems

  • Recognize the ethical and legal responsibilities and opportunities of learning and working in an increasingly interconnected community

In order to realize this vision, we must continually respond to changes in the technology landscape by maintaining a robust infrastructure, providing technical and financial support for the use of technology in our schools, investing in professional development for all staff, and providing a wide variety of opportunities for all students to use technology to enhance their learning.


Possible Technology Plan Goals

  • Continue the rollout of the 1:1 program

  • Expand wireless access

  • Continue to explore emerging technologies

  • Engage in a deep examination of Computer Science, including robotics and coding, paying close attention to computer science standards and gender equity

  • Explore opportunities for increasing community education and communication

  • Map out Media literacy/digital citizenship expectations on a K-12 continuum. Examine links to DEI/social justice and media literacy, including issues of inclusion and bias in the news.