COMPETENCIES

From your personal, individual experience in ETC 635, please answer the questions below each subheading in one paragraph. Each answer must include examples from class (group meetings, assignments, class messages, discussions, resources, references). The Technology Director Standards listed below are those covered in ETC 635 and are also listed with the Tech Plan submission. Please note that the rubric to evaluate the Competency Section is in the Module 7: Technology Plan Presentation and Website page.

TD 1: Lead the development, communication, and implementation of a shared vision for the comprehensive use of technology, initiating and sustaining technology innovations and change to support a digital-age education for all students.

Shared Vision - Candidates lead the development, communication, and implementation of a shared vision for the comprehensive use of technology, initiating and sustaining technology innovations and change to support a digital-age education for all students.

Define Shared Vision for the comprehensive use of technology, initiating and sustaining technology innovations and change to support a digital-age education for all students. Comment on how the 3-year Goals align with the Shared Vision and Mission.

The technology Director in an educational institution such as a school or college can not do their job in a vacuum. They must work with a wide array of stakeholders such as Administrators, Teachers, Parents, and Students to find out what the educational goals are of the institution. They must then help locate technology which will contribute to those goals. They may work with a committee of stakeholders to evaluate technology to be purchased and choose the best solution. Many times, these solutions will require time and resources to implement so the Technology Director will put together a 3-year strategic plan to reach these goals.

Strategic Planning - Candidates lead the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology infused strategic plans (including policies, procedures, budget and funding strategies) aligned with the shared vision

Describe Strategic Planning (lead the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology infused strategic plans (including policies, procedures, budget and funding strategies) aligned with the shared vision

The Technology Director and their team will follow the 3-year strategic plan to maintain existing systems and implement new systems to meet the institutions strategic goals and vision. They are responsible for making sure the new systems not only meet those goals but fit into the existing infrastructure. They help develop training for the staff members who will use it and work with administrators to develop policies to regulate its proper use. They also work within budget and funding limitations and prioritize expenditures in a strategic manner.

Advocacy - Candidates participate in advocacy networks to validate and influence policies, procedures, programs, and funding strategies to create a technology infrastructure and professional development and instructional programs necessary to support a digital-age education for all students.

Discuss the value of Participation in Advocacy Networks to validate and influence policies, procedures, programs, and funding strategies to create a technology infrastructure and professional development and instructional programs necessary to support a digital-age education for all students have in the technology planning process.

Technology Directors may participate in a variety of professional organizations to help maintain their skills and conferences where they can learn of the latest developments. One of the biggest organizations supporting technology in education is the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) This organization is made up of educators working to promote the use of technology to create innovative educational experiences. Technology Directors may also be involved in other IT and Management organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI). This organization focuses on the field of Project Management, which is important to the implementation of new technologies.

Technology Directors may also attend conferences such as the Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC) to learn about emerging technologies for education or the Ohio Broadcast & Multimedia Technology Conference (OBMTC) for anyone interested in digital media creation and broadcasting.

TD 3: Excellence in Professional Practice. Technology directors promote an environment of professional learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.

Describe the decision-making process that took place in your group to define the Three Year Goals and the Implementation of Goals. What was the rationale for creating that specific plan? What do you consider to represent "professional learning and innovation" in your Three Year Goals and Implementation of Goals?

We looked at several school district strategic plans to see what other districts did. We used those to develop our own goals based on our own experiences. We felt that we needed to include the parents in the process in order to enlist their help. We also wanted to ensure that students learned to use technology in a positive way, so that became part of our goals. We also wanted to encourage students to work in a collaborative environment using Web 2.0 tools that provided a means to do that, even over distances. We felt these skills were important in a 21st century connected world.

Our plan included professional development for teachers and staff using a variety of methods including in-house training conducted by staff members. Some of these will be mandatory and some will be voluntary with stipends. Some additional development may be completed by tuition reimbursement.

TD 3.1.: Design, implement, and evaluate professional learning programs (face-to-face, blended, and online) that help educators integrate technology effectively into all instructional and business practices—including assisting program directors in infusing technology into all professional learning initiatives.

Describe how you, in your Tech Plan Group, designed, then planned to implement and evaluate professional learning programs (face-to-face, blended, and online) that help educators integrate technology effectively into all instructional and business practices—including assisting program directors in infusing technology into all professional learning initiatives.

Based on current research, we believe that hands-on workshops in small groups by department may be the best way to accomplish this. These will be conducted by technology staff and teachers who piloted the initial testing of the products and teachers will be required to attend with their departments. This will allow teachers to serve as mentors to other teachers in the same subject area and insure that all teachers are at least aware of the technology being available and what it can do.

Once the staff has been through initial training and allowed the opportunity to continue hands-on practice over a period of time, follow-up workshops will be scheduled as appropriate to answer questions and allow teachers to share ideas on how to use the product. These follow-up workshops will not be mandatory and will be scheduled if enough teachers are interested. Stipends may be offered for attendance.

Teachers who develop unique uses and techniques will also be asked to work with the technology department to create short tutorial videos using SnagIt screen recording software which will be shared via the district’s online training platform. This will be helpful to teachers who use certain products only occasionally in their classrooms by allowing them to review training as needed to brush up. Stipends may be offered for needed tutorials.

TD 3.2.: Ensure a robust information and communication infrastructure to support learning communities and assist educators in using this infrastructure for professional learning.

Define a robust information and communication infrastructure to support learning communities and assist educators in using this infrastructure for professional learning.

A 21st century infrastructure should be based on IT industry standard technology. Our technology included VMware virtualization for maximum availability and redundancy of servers. Microsoft Windows 2016 Active Directory to provide authentication and security and Cisco network devices for network and internet connectivity and security. Some more complex services such as Internet Services, Voice over IP phone connectivity, and Content Filtering will be provided by a regional co-op funded by multiple school districts and the state. This will allow sharing some of the costs for these services with other districts.

These features will allow our infrastructure to support current and future technologies while providing reliability and security.

Describe the technology staff and how many of each your Tech Plan Group planned to hire, organize, supervise, evaluate, and retain to advance and maintain the technology infrastructure and promote academic and operational goals. Define what "highly qualified technology staff" means in terms of technology in the schools.

A typical technology department staff would include a Technology Director with training in Education and Information Systems Management, They would have a related Masters Degree, and certifications in such things as Project Management (PMP certification). This person would manage budgets and technology plans.

There would need to be a Network Administrator who would have a Bachelor Degree in Information Systems Management and certifications in Microsoft Windows (MCSE certification), Cisco Networking (CCNA certification), and VMware (VCP). This person would take care of servers and network infrastructure.

There would probably be a Workstation Specialist who would have an Associate Degree in Computer Technology and possibly a Microsoft certification. This person would take care of classroom resources like workstations, tablets, smartboards, etc.

TD 4.4.: Establish partnerships to support the technology infrastructure and provide technology resources for the effective integration of technology to advance district programs and goals.

Explain the importance of establishing partnerships to support the technology infrastructure and provide technology resources for the effective integration of technology to advance district programs and goals.

Schools can utilize several different partnerships with community organizations, universities, and vendors to provide resources and reduce costs. In our project, we utilize a regional technology co-op that allows multiple small districts to share expenses for internet connectivity, voice over IP phones, and content filtering. At the high school where I taught, we partnered with the city's cable television provider to offer an educational access channel with programming provided by the school district. We also partnered with several area colleges and universities to offer college credit in technology classes under the state's College Credit Plus program. This partnership provided us with curriculum materials that the district didn't have to develop and free college courses to our students.

TD 4.5.: Based on a comprehensive technology plan, Technology Directors leverage resources to advance and sustain a robust technology infrastructure and continually evaluate its effectiveness at supporting management, operations, learning, and teaching.

Describe how your Tech Plan Group planned to budget and leverage resources to advance and sustain a robust technology infrastructure and continually evaluate its effectiveness at supporting management, operations, learning, and teaching.

Our team planned to aggressively pursue grant money from a variety of organizations that were devoted to expanding technology in schools. At the school I taught at, there was a trust fund established by a wealthy family in the area that was devoted to providing technology resources to the library and broadcasting program which we were able to use for equipment for the broadcasting classes.

The technology staff and district administrators at the school where I worked in the technology department attended the Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC) each year to keep track of latest trends and meet with vendors at their booths where we could get hands on demonstrations. This is where we did a lot of our planning for future projects.

TD 6.2.: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions in all the technical areas necessary to ensure a sound technology infrastructure, including industry standards, data analysis/warehousing, and safety and security of data.

How did your Tech Plan demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions in all the technical areas necessary to ensure a sound technology infrastructure, including industry standards, data analysis/warehousing, and safety and security of data? (What kinds of technology did you incorporate into your Plan?).

Our infrastructure utilized industry standard products including Microsoft, Cisco, and VMware. These products are leaders in their segments which means training and support is widely available. There are several industry standard certifications in these products so it is easy to find qualified staff by including these certifications as part of the required job qualifications.

Microsoft is the most popular server operating system vendor and their Active Directory based security infrastructure can manage thousands of user accounts and permissions. Cisco is the leading manufacturer of network switches, routers, firewalls, and IP phone systems. VMware is the leading manufacturer of server virtualization software which allows us to build a private cloud for the school's data warehousing.

By using these best of breed products, we insure the products will be around and supported well into the future and will support future products.

TD 6.3.: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions in leadership and management areas, including leadership theory and practice, organizational change, project management, and budget and contract management.

How did your Tech Plan demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions in leadership and management areas, including leadership theory and practice, organizational change, project management, and budget and contract management. (What personnel in what positions did you plan for?).

By having a Technology Director who has a Project Management Institute PMP certification along with a Master Degree in Information Systems Management, we are insuring that they will be skilled in project leadership, organizational change, project management, and budget and contract management. In addition we are recommending certifications in many of the technologies used in our infrastructure.

Our Network Administrator should have a Bachelor level degree in Information Systems Management and certifications in many of the technologies used in our infrastructure including Microsoft MCSE, Cisco CCNA, and VMware VCP certifications.

Lastly, the Workstation Specialist would have an Associates Degree in Information Systems or equivalent and a Microsoft certification. They may be working on continuing their education and certification track to be able to be promoted to a Network Administrator position when it becomes available in the future.

These staff members may be supplemented during the summer with temporary student employees to help with the deployment of new equipment.

REFLECTION

From your personal, individual experience in ETC 635, please answer the questions below each subheading in one paragraph. Each answer must include examples from class (group meetings, assignments, class messages, discussions, resources, references).

TD 6.1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge: Candidates demonstrate content and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions in technology integration and current and emerging technologies necessary to effectively implement the NETS•S, NETS•E, and NETS•A

Select and upload (or link to) an assignment that represents content and pedagogical knowledge in technology integration.

Describe how you applied or would apply content and pedagogical knowledge as it relates to technology integration.

I think the assignment I found most useful was probably the reading from Module 4; Teachers Know Best: Teachers' Views on Professional Development by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2014). It reinforced much of what I believed after teaching for a couple of years about how professional development should work as opposed to the way it worked in the school where I taught. What the administration thinks is the material a teacher needs and how it thinks the material needs to be presented is often not what specific teachers need. Teachers need to have input to the material they need to do their jobs better.

As a technology leader, I would need to be cognoscente when implementing new technology that I need to have buy-in from teachers for any professional development related to that new technology. The best way to present it would be to have teachers who piloted the testing of the new technology help conduct the professional development sessions.

TD 6.4. Continuous Learning: Candidates engage in continuous learning to deepen their content, technical, and leadership and management knowledge, skills, and dispositions

Reflect and discuss how ETC 635 helped you to continue learning on the following aspects: content, technical content, leadership and management, skills, and dispositions.

I am not the normal student who would be taking this course. Most of the students have been trained in Education and may have a limited background in Technology Management. I have worked as a broadcast engineer and systems administrator for many years and have degrees in both fields. This includes 6 years as a systems administrator at a university, and 3 years in a public school district. This is why I was able to deliver an infrastructure plan that was described as "the most comprehensive technology infrastructure summary that I have ever received."

While most of the students are here to sharpen their technology management knowledge, I am here to add more context to technology in an education environment. By adding a Master of Ed to my Master of Information Systems Management, I will be an expert in both the technical aspects and the business aspects of managing technology in an educational environment. I am currently interviewing with a nearby university for a position helping design, implement, and maintain the technology in learning spaces. This appears to be a specialization that is growing and having both degrees will make me uniquely qualified to take on such roles.

6.5. Reflection: Candidates regularly evaluate, reflect on, and synthesize their work and research to improve and strengthen their professional practice.

Select and upload or link to an assignment, which represents evaluation, reflection, and synthesis of research to improve and strengthen your professional practice

In Module 3, part of the preparation for creating our own technology plan for the project was to research 3 school technology plans (see attached word document below). We were able to each look up 3 plans and use those to gain ideas for how to assemble our own plan. This allowed us to view a variety of ways other districts had formatted their plans and who their audiences were. Some of their plans also served as reminders of what to include and in some cases what not to include.

Provide a reflection that describes what you learned about the evaluation, reflection, and synthesis of research to improve and strengthen your professional practice

By looking for examples on the web, we were able to improve our own document by taking ideas that worked from all of the examples.

Select and upload or link to the assignment that makes you the most proud and/or that you found most challenging. (NETS*C, 6.c.)

Provide a reflection on why.

This graphic was created in Microsoft Visio and was used as part of the infrastructure page of our project website. It is a technically correct representation of what a real network infrastructure for a school district might look like. I am proud of this assignment because it represents how my IT training would integrate with the training in the Educational Technology program. Most students in this program would have difficulty creating a detailed plan like this and most people in the IT field would have difficulty thinking of operational details such as split staff and student networks, the need for content filtering to meet regulatory requirements, etc.

Further, in the written plan, I pull on elements from my broadcast engineering background to describe the use of RF demodulators and modulators to filter cable television channels. This is the way public schools in Ohio commonly configure their TV distribution systems.

The fact that this assignment demonstrates how my seemingly unrelated fields of study all intersect is what I like most about this.