Technology Plan FY 2014

National University East Coast School District

East Coast, USA

Prepared by: East Coast Team A

Tammika L. Fortney-Reed
Rebeka Fryer
Lakin Jones
Nadine Richards
Margaret Tkach
12/6/14

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ 2

Technology Plan Team Members ....................................................................................... 3
Technology Vision Statement ............................................................................................. 4
Research Justification for Mobile Technologies................................................................. 5
Specific Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................ 6
Infrastructure, Hardware, Software..................................................................................... 8
Infrastructure: ............................................................................................................................. 8
Hardware: .................................................................................................................................... 9
Software: ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Training/ Professional Development ................................................................................ 10

Timeline ............................................................................................................................ 12
Projected Costs (Budget, Support, Maintenance) ............................................................. 14
Evaluation Plan ................................................................................................................. 17

National University East Coast School District

Technology Plan Team Members
The member of this team consists of the following members:
Tammika L. Fortney-Reed (Group Leader) - [email protected]
Rebeka Fryer (Research & Development) - [email protected]
Lakin Jones (Research & Development) - [email protected]
Nadine Richards (Recorder) - [email protected]
Margaret Tkach (Research & Development) - [email protected]
Additional Members include:

Manager/Directory of Technology: Directors of technology provide

valuable information regarding system requirements, various types of
advanced technology applications and some idea about how much the
technology should cost. They are skillful at developing lower cost
alternatives.

Supervisor of Elementary, Middle, & High Schools

Principals: At least 1 from a High School, 1 from a Middle School, and 1

from an Elementary School within the district. Selecting Principals from
various grade levels ensures that all types of schools are represented.
Technology is useful for collecting data which Principals use to improve
instruction.

Media Specialists: In many schools, the Media Specialist has access to

digital materials teachers and students use. These individuals help
integrate technology into the curriculum.

Parent and Student Information System Technician: IT Personnel trouble

shoot technology and support the districts various technology
applications.

Teachers: Teachers should be included on the committee to ensure

various subjects and grade levels are represented: Math, Science, Social
Studies, Art, etc. Help to develop more high-level technology courses.

District Advisory/Parent Representatives for students with exceptionalities:

(District Advisory Council representative, Exceptional Student Education
3

Advisory Council representative, English Speakers of Other Languages

Leadership Council representative, Gifted Advisory Council
representative)
Parents: Familiarize parents with new technology and gain insight on ways
to advance student achievement

Students: Students with strong technology background chosen by the

Student Government. Students give insight to the types of technology they
find fun and interesting.

Board Member: Board Members make key decisions that affect the district

The National University East Coast School District Technology Team is

responsible for performing the activities necessary for the successful
implementation of the project. The members selected play an important role as
each are key stakeholders who provides expert understanding of Educational
System and represent an area for which technology is intended to support.

Technology Vision Statement

The vision of the National University East Coast School District is to provide
students with 21st Century skills in preparation of the demands of the
unparalleled opportunities that await them. Access to technology must be priority
to establish classrooms that facilitate inquiry-based learning and collaborative
partnerships, enhance the learning experiences of all students and provide
professional development opportunities to the faculty and staff.
At National University East Coast School District, we envision the use of mobile
technology to create an environment where:

Students become active participants in their education through technology

skill building activities integrated into the curriculum.

Teachers use technology to intellectually engage students using creative

and innovative methods.

Staff uses current technology to promote and enhance productivity that

improves communication, services, and management.

All staff/students/ administrators will have access to a reliable network that

will be robust enough to support the school district.

Research Justification for Mobile Technologies

Mobile devices can provide opportunities for inquiry-based and collaborative
learning. Studies show that, The portability of mobile devices makes them an
ideal teaching tool, toting the classroom anywhere, anytime. Furthermore, the
benefits of technology integration extend well beyond the classroom.

Technology integration in teaching and learning activities makes

curriculum delivery engaging and relevant, as access to technology
simulates critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills.

Technology supports the individual learning styles of students and

addresses their exceptionalities, making way for advanced creativity and
innovation.

Technology extends the learning process beyond the school day and
outside the schoolyard.

Technology is a necessary requirement for todays demanding business

operations in a global economy and essential for research and information
fluency.

Common Core State Standards require students to use technology and

digital media strategically and capably for research and information
fluency.

Technology promotes digital citizenship and academic integrity when

using mobile devices by addressing three essential components:
prevention, awareness, and role modeling.

Quote Reference: Bafile, C. (2009). Mobile Technology Goes to School.

Education World. Retrieved May 15, 2014 from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech248.shtml

Specific Goals and Objectives

The National University East Coast School District believes that it is important to
provide teachers and students with the support and resources necessary to
position them for success. With this in mind we stand behind the following goals
and objectives:
Goal 1: Enhance teaching and learning through innovative technology tools.
Objectives:

Improve and enrich instruction through the collaborative use of mobile

devices.

Build an electronic library of lessons and resources.

Evaluate student outcomes with authentic assessments.

Use the ability of mobile technology to individualize learning and provide

fair opportunities for all learners.

Goal 2: Give students opportunities to apply mobile technology effectively to gain

knowledge, develop skills, and create pieces of work to demonstrate
understanding
Objectives:

Integrate professional development practices that ensure mobile

technology literacy for teachers, students, and administration.

Introduce students and staff to free educational applications such as

Edmodo, WikiSpaces Classroom, Edublogs, Blogger, WordPress.com,
ClassMessenger.com, Second Life, etc.

Goal 3: Enhance student participation and discussion

Objectives:

Incorporate cell phones into lesson as handheld classroom response

devices using PollAnywhere or Socrative

Manage use of cell phone in the classroom through prompting

Goal 4: Extend the reach of education in the classroom and promote global
awareness.
Objectives:

Provide opportunities for access to first-hand information outside the limits

of the classroom.

Use aps (ooVoo or Skype) to communicate

Goal 5: Ensure that classrooms/ schools are equipped with necessary

equipment/ hardware inventory so instructors and students will have access to
online technology tools.
Objectives:

Our education system at all levels will redesign processes and structures
to take advantage of the power of technology to improve learning
outcomes while making more efficient use of time, money, and staff.

Develop and strengthen individual school and district wide servers to

provide students/teachers/administration reliable service and the
necessary bandwidth to develop a core district network.

Provide training and tech support modules that assist users with
integrating technology into the classroom, and how to troubleshoot
existing technology if needed.

Develop school or district specific mobile applications that can be used to

encourage mobile integration into curriculum.

Reference: Robb, M., & Shellenbarger, T. Promoting digital citizenship and

academic integrity. The Teaching Professor, 27, 1. Retrieved May 15, 2014, from
http://ctl.centre.edu/assets/Digital%20Citizenship.pdf

Infrastructure, Hardware, Software

The National University East Coast School District understands that it is
important to equip our students with the 21st century skills, necessary to make
them competitive in an ever changing digital society. This requires the use of
technology tools and resources, involvement with interesting and relevant
projects, and learning environments including online environments that are
supportive and safe. As a mid-sized school district National University East Coast
School District provides quality education for approximately 20,000 students.
Serving:
12 Elementary Schools
4 Middle Schools
2 High Schools
2 Charter Schools
1 Alternative School
It is our goal to provide each and every student at all 21 schools with access to
some sort of mobile technology. To achieve this goal, we plan to employ the
following:
Infrastructure:
Wireless Infrastructure
Cisco Dual-Radio wireless access points strategically positioned to minimize RF
interference between each other. Provides approximately 95% building coverage
for wireless G standard devices
Network

Multiple SSIDs (networks)

Security maintained with a separated network configuration that includes a

staff network, student network, and guest network

Staff and Student network is secured via WEP, and is available to any
employee or student utilizing district-owned equipment

Guest network is an open SSID, allowing any student- or staff-owned

equipment to access the internet

VM Ware

8 Cisco UCS Blade servers arranged in two 4-blade chassis. Each Blade
consists of:
o

(2) 6 core processors for a total of 12 cores per blade

8

192GB of RAM

This is a total cluster wide of 96 CPU cores, and 2.3 Terabytes of

RAM

Cisco UCS Fiber interconnect

Netapp Fiber Channel SAN storage, with 7 TB of storage on SAS

15k RPM drives

Running VMware ESX, and VMware View 5

Software Infrastructure
Platform-independent tools
Web-based applications work on most platforms and can accommodate common
software needs, including photo editing and multimedia presentations.
Private cloud sits on district-owned servers and would require additional
hardware. Public cloud contains web-based applications that can be accessed
through any Internet connection.

Hardware:
Hardware selected for the National University East Coast School District included
the following items:

Mac and P.C.s for the schools computer labs

iPads for Elementary Students
Surface Tablets for Middle School Students
Surface Tablets for High School Students
Headphones
Microphones

Software:
Software selected for the National University East Coast School District included
the following items:

Internet Access
Educational Subscriptions
o I.e. ABC Mouse, Brian Pop, iXL Math, Edmodo, WikiSpaces
Classroom, Edublogs, Blogger, WordPress.com,
ClassMessenger.com, Second Life, ooVoo and Skype
Educational Applications for the iPads and Surface Tablets
Electronic Books

Training/ Professional Development

In order for both teacher and student to make better use of the technology
applications and materials presented to them, Professional Development (PD)
must be made accessible. As PD is an essential factor for the success of all
learners, it must be integrated within all content areas and grade levels. In an
effort to keep our teachers abreast with evolving technologies, Professional
Development sessions will remain ongoing. Research shows that Professional
Development must be ongoing due to the simultaneous learning of how to use
technology, the integration of technology in instruction, and the continual
emergence of new and improved technologies and practices. Like the course
material teachers develop for students PD should also be differentiated to
address the needs, aptitudes, and styles of adult learners. As a part of the
employee annual review, all staff members will be held accountable for
professional learning within a PD structure that engages, encourages, and
empowers all learners.
Teachers benefit from professional development that includes the integration of
technology into the classroom to support student learning. Specific skills for
which teachers and administrators need further training include:
Integration of technology into learning, teaching, and demonstrating
understanding, the use of collaborative tools, information literacy, ethical use of
technology, including copyright laws, internet safety, use of technology to guide
teaching and learning, creating effective lines of communication between home
and school.
The following Professional Development strategies ensure that all staff and
administrators are supported in the appropriate integration of technology related
to the goal of this Technology Plan:
District Level Tech Coordinators will serve as the liaison to district staff and help
identify successful technology integration. District Level Tech Coordinators will
also develop technology modules that will assist teachers in using technology
effectively for assessing student learning, differentiating instruction, and providing
rigorous, relevant, and engaging learning experiences for all students. They will
also communicate training opportunities that may be available from outside
entities. After these training modules are developed, they will be presented to the
School Based Technology Specialist using the Train the Trainer Model.

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School Based Technology Specialist will be responsible for supporting school

leaders in the awareness and advocacy of technology vision, goals, and initiates.
Working in conjunction with principals, teachers and other pertinent staff
members, they will present technology centered professional development
training during weekly staff meetings. School based -Technology Specialist will
also identify opportunities for staff to observe lab classrooms, coach teachers on
how to integrate standards-based technology curriculum and co-teach with
teachers in modeling the appropriate use of technology.
Media Specialists support a culture of inquiry learning among students and staff
by ensuring that the media center is a valuable space for research and learning,
They also offer integrated information skills and curriculum content lessons,
provide teachers and students with opportunities and resources to conduct
research and view curriculum related videos. Media Specialist guide learners in
developing skills and thinking processes necessary for gathering information and
turning it into knowledge and understanding.

Quote Reference: Ellsworth, J. & Zurvalec, S. (2012). Farmington Public

Schools. 2012 2015 District Technology Plan Overview.
http://www.farmington.k12.mi.us/district/committees/facilities_forward/articl
es_links/district_technology_plan_overview.pdf

Ring, M., Spina, J., & Wilson, S. (2011). Rocky Point Schools District Technology
Plan. http://www.rockypointschools.org/pdf/techplan.pdf

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Timeline
The National University East Coast School District would like to implement the
changes associated with this Technology Plan in phases over the course of 5
years. The Technology Plan is slated to go in effect for the 2014-2015 with the
progress of implementation monitored accordingly:
Year

Technology Upgrade

Year 1
2014 2015

Purchase and secure student based mobile

technology. Train District Level Techs.
Phase 1: Upgrade Infrastructure, Hardware &
Software, Computer and Media Center Labs
Test Pilot Tablet in Every Classroom:
3 Elementary Schools
1 Middle School
1 High School
Summer Months: Evaluate Technology
Conditions, Upgrade Security & The Student
Information System
Revise Training with District Level Techs
Based on the data from the Test Pilot
Schools. Purchase and secure additional
student based mobile technology. Phase 2:
Upgrade Infrastructure, Hardware &
Software, Computer and Media Center Labs
Implement- Tablet in Every Classroom:
Remaining High School
3 Middle Schools
1 Alternative School
Summer Months: Evaluate Technology
Conditions, Upgrade Security & The Student
Information System
Revise Training with District Level Techs
Based on the data and feedback from the
schools. Purchase and secure additional
student based mobile technology. Phase 3:
Upgrade Infrastructure, Hardware &
Software, Computer and Media Center Labs
Implement- Tablet in Every Classroom:
5 Additional Elementary Schools
Summer Months: Evaluate Technology
Conditions, Upgrade Security & The Student
Information System

Year 2
2015 2016

Year 3
2016 2017

Updated School or Facility

Gent Elementary
Shoreline Elementary
Princeton Elementary
Lakeshore Middle
National High

All Schools and District

Offices
LatinHigh
Appleton Middle
Harvard Middle
Ponce Middle
East Coast Alternative

All Schools and District

Offices
Spring Lake Elementary
Lee Street Elementary
Dunbar Elementary
Pal Meadow Elementary
Winston Elementary

All Schools and District

Offices

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Timeline Continued
Year

Technology Upgrade

Year 4
2017 2018

Revise Training with District Level Techs

Based on the data and feedback from the
schools. Purchase and secure additional
student based mobile technology. Phase 4:
Upgrade Infrastructure, Hardware &
Software, Computer and Media Center Labs
Implement- Tablet in Every Classroom:
Final 4 Elementary Schools
Summer Months: Evaluate Technology
Conditions, Upgrade Security & The Student
Information System
Revise Training with District Level Techs
Based on the data and feedback from the
schools. Phase 5: Upgrade Infrastructure,
Hardware & Software for all District Office
Locations
Summer Months: Evaluate Technology
Conditions, Upgrade Security & The Student
Information System

Year 5
2018 2019

Updated School or Facility

Smith Elementary
Washington Elementary
Henry Manor Elementary
Jefferson Elementary

All Schools and District

Offices
District Office Locations

All Schools and District

Offices

13

Projected Costs (Budget, Support, Maintenance)

The table below reflects the anticipated costs associated with funding the
National University East Cost School District Technology Plan. Outlined below
are the projected costs for Infrastructure, Hardware, Software, Technology
Support and Personnel.
National University East Coast School District Technology Budget
Category

Sub- Category

Description

QTY

Total Cost

Hardware
Networking
WAN Equipment
LAN Network Infrastructure
SAN Virtual Servers

1
1
1

$50,000.00
$100,000.00
$100,000.00

Surface Tablets
iPads
Charging Carts iPads
Charging Carts Tablets
Purchase Upgrade

1680
3760
94
70
1

$1,008,000.00
$1,504,000.00
$112,800.00
$56,000.00
$125,000.00

VM Ware
Microsoft Office 365
Adobe Creative Cloud
Edmodo
BrainPop

1
336
1

$1300.00
$40,300.00
$360.00
Free
$23,320.00

Computers

WiringWireless
Software
Subscriptions

Wiring/Cabling
Install Cost Per Drop (for
new schools)

6-20
lines
21 50
lines
>51
Lines

$297.00

LAN Network Infrastructure

Sub Total

$350,000.00
$3,435,891.00

$274.00

$240.00

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Projected Costs (Budget, Support, Maintenance) Continued

National University East Coast School District Technology Budget
Category

Sub- Category

Description

Technology
Labs New
Builds &
Renovations

Eight New Buildings:

QTY

Total Cost

Infrastructure

Desktop PCs
Surface Tablets
iPads
Charging Carts
Printers

500
800
400
20
60

$375,000.00
$480,000.00
$160,000.00
$24,000.00
$24,000.00

IT Director
IT Project Manager
IT Engineer
IT Administrator/
Analyst
IT Assistants
IT Coordinator

1
1
2
2

$164,151.00
$85,210.00
$191,020.00
$118,378.00

4
1

$191,192.00
$90,000.00

Lightpath Internet
Service Technology
Verizon Data Services
WAN District

$55,000.00

$96,000.00

Technology Support
District IT
Departments

Telecommunications
Network Service
Provider

Sub Total $2,053,951.00

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Projected Costs (Budget, Support, Maintenance) Continued

National University East Coast School District Technology Budget
Category

Sub- Category

Description

QTY

Initial Training

ISTE Leadership Academy

Annual Training

Instructional Technology
Coaches
Extended Contact for PD for
each school
Professional Development
for Administrators

Total Cost

Professional
Development

Specialty
Workshops

630

$302,400.00

$240,000.00

Sub Total
Grand Total

$132,000.00
$60,000.00

$734,400.00
$6,224,242.00

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Evaluation Plan
With a focus on providing quality education for all the children we serve, National
University East Coast School District is fully committed to ensuring student
success. Integrating effective technology practices in the classroom is one way
we can equip our students with the skills they need to compete in todays society.
Studies show that effective technology integration is achieved when the use of
technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular
goals. Furthermore, effective technology integration must happen across the
curriculum in ways that research show deepen and enhance the learning
process. With this in mind National University East Coast School District will
evaluate the success of technology integration based on four key components of
learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and
feedback, and real-world connections.
Administrators and teacher at both the building and District levels will evaluate
the technology implementation process in the following manner:

Number of teachers and staff members engaging in professional

development activities.
Observations by administrators of lessons integrating technology into
instruction
Students and teachers participating in the Technology Expo
Use of digital portfolios and the rubrics to evaluate student performance
Use of parent communication tools such as Parent Portal
Use of Interactive whiteboards, projectors, and document cameras

Finally the evaluation will serve as way for the Information Technology
Department to continuously make changes to successfully support our students
and staff. Each evaluation contains a survey which doubles as a two way
platform whereas teachers and administrators are given a chance to give
feedback to the technology team. Teachers and administrators will be given the
opportunity to critique the trainings, technology, technical support and
applications proved by the District. Other areas of concern teachers are
challenged to critique include relevance, the ease of use and accessibility.
References:
Edutopia. Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons are
Many. http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction
Ring, M., Spina, J., & Wilson, S. (2011). Rocky Point Schools District Technology
Plan. http://www.rockypointschools.org/pdf/techplan.pdf

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