Developing and Implementing a Vision

Portfolio Assignment from Developing and Implementing a Vision Module

Mission, Vision, Values and Goals

Direct link to Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals: https://goo.gl/bx86ya

Direct link to WUSD Technology Training Template: https://goo.gl/6DQ3WJ

The WUSD Technology Training template was created by Melissa Oliver after many conversations about our vision for technology and out of a need to have a tool to ensure that we were meeting our stated vision: Creating a community of connected educators and digital leaders who use 21st century instructional methods to create student-centered classrooms. This is what we want to see happening in our classrooms across the district and our training template was designed to help us do that. Through our professional learning experiences, whether it be workshops, coaching, online collaborations, book studies, or meetups, we will always model our values - transparency, teacher/student voice, collaboration, trust through risk-taking and shining stars, and equity. Our goals articulate how we will achieve our mission and vision through observing, modeling, and helping our teachers. All of these elements are reflected in the different slides of our technology training template and will support our focus areas of Google and Digital Citizenship for the 2015-16 school year.

The technology training template will be used in the 2015-16 school year for all of our professional learning events. In September, we will bring on new staff and it is critical that we provide a structure to support our TOSA to deliver quality professional development that meets our vision. We will also support teacher leaders throughout the year with opportunities to share with colleagues and the template will be used to assist in providing consistency in the quality and design of all technology related professional learning offerings.

Who needs to assist you in achieving this plan? How will you need to support others?

One of the unique aspects of the WUSD Technology Department is that it encompasses both the instructional and informational technology. Although it is a lot to manage, our team works together to make sure that the instructional goals have the support of the infrastructure, hardware, and accessibility necessary. When that is not possible, we communicate and work as a team to determine what is best for students and teachers. This collaboration of our department makes for a stronger team and a greater cohesiveness around our vision.

Currently, Melissa works hand-in-hand with our Technology Technician II and Systems Engineer to ensure that our Google environment meets the needs of classroom teachers and students. We have assisted our District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC) in developing a scope and sequence for digital citizenship and our acceptable use policy for students. We both will work with our technicians and engineers to make sure that what is included is compatible with our existing infrastructure.

In order to achieve this plan, I will need the assistance from a number of people and will also need to provide support.

• • Technology department:  In order to deliver the training described through the use of the training template, I need the infrastructure and backend support in place. Google Apps and Hapara will not happen unless it is configured correctly through our servers. To access videos and resources around digital citizenship, I need to make sure that the websites are accessible to all staff and students, which means working with the technology department to make sure they are unblocked. This goes for any and all apps, websites, tech tools, and resources used in the trainings described through the technology training template. I will need to support my technology team in understanding the importance of providing the training described through the use of the template to help teachers grow and create better learning environments in their classrooms.

  • Ed tech training team:  I will need the support of Melissa and my new technology TOSA to collaborate and put together the training materials described in the training template and to use the template with fidelity to ensure consistency across professional learning opportunities. I will need to support my team by making sure that they understand the purpose of the training template and how their learning opportunities described through the use of the template are part of a larger plan.

  • District leadership:  I will need the support of my cabinet and board of education in messaging the importance of educational technology and approving the mission, vision, values, and goals that we have incorporated into our training template. I will need to support them in communicating how the elements of the training template align with the district message of accountability and serving the needs of teachers and students.

  • Teachers and administrators:  I will need the support of teachers and administrators to attend the trainings that are organized by the technology training template. I will support them through providing the training and any and all follow up to implement the content of the training through providing resources, coaching, and collaboration.

I will support our technology department by providing guidance and leadership to help us achieve our mission. As the director, I will work to communicate our vision and how we are working to achieve it to our stakeholders in the district and community.

How is our training template to be used as our implementation plan support our mission, vision, values, and goals?

• • Mission: The direct connection to the ISTE standards (Slide 3) provides a larger framework for what it means to practice and cultivate 21st century skills that promote global citizenship. These standards for students and teachers will help guide professional learning to achieve our mission.

  • Vision: Explicitly calling out Common Core Standards (Slide 4) and providing concrete hands-on content based activities as part of our agenda (Slides 4-6) for each professional learning helps design instructional experiences that promote our vision. Continuing the conversation through G+ communities and Twitter chats (Slide 7) is critical in helping our teachers become connected educators. Demonstrating attribution (Slide 9) models appropriate global collaboration.

  • Values: The training template itself provides a tool for transparency, something that is important and that we value greatly in our technology department. It demonstrates that the work that we do is purposeful with the focus always being on what is best for students and teachers. The ongoing support through coaching will aid in fostering an environment and culture that is trusting and allows for risk-taking and acknowledgement of our shining stars.

  • Goals: The training template is a tool to help us work toward achieving our goals. It provides us with a structure that ensures that we are working toward our mission and vision while demonstrating the values that we believe in. Slide 8 calls for a process for gathering feedback and data from our participants which will assist us in measuring our progress toward our goals.

Direct link to Module 6C Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals narrative: https://goo.gl/s6kEld

Reflection:

After reading the materials in Module 6, reflect on how your vision has changed and in what ways.

This module was important in helping me more clearly define my vision.  My vision did not really change as a result of this module, but it did help me to focus on the details of how to put my vision into motion. This module helped me look at the different aspects of my vision and come up with a cohesive plan to help guide the implementation of my vision. I found the progression from creating a mission statement to fine tuning more specifically to a vision to be very valuable in truly defining what our classrooms should look like. The values defined the "how" in implementing that vision - how we get the buy-in, how we conduct ourselves, how we "do business". The goals are our measurement for our progress of our vision.

In working through Module 6, I am fortunate that Melissa Oliver and I could collaborate as we have spent many hours of conversation regarding our vision for technology in our district. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to work through this exercise with her to put into place the pieces of a vision that have only been conversations. This module provided us the structure to move beyond those conversations.

Direct link to Module 6D Reflection document: https://goo.gl/pDp2hd