Shimahamanah

=//**The Role of Technology in our District**//= = = =Ideal Role= We want to make sure that our students will be well prepared and versed in the technological language of the 21st century. In order to meet this goal it is important to provide relevent professional development, obtain a technology specialist, adopt technology standards which would be addressed in technology classes for students, and assist teachers in making "real-world" connections. None of these proposals should be done at the cost of other programs (i.e. science, art, music, etc.). which research has shown increase, nodal growth, and achievement in all core curriculum. Classroom teaching should incorporate the universal design for learning model which effectively incoporates technology in order for all students to learn equitably.

=Budget= Money is allocated to a variety of areas. One way in which money can be acquired for technology is through grants. Many companies may be willing to form partnerships and contribute money for the enhancement of education. A budget commitee can be formed to find innovative funding and reallocate existing funds.

=Time Spent learning and teaching= Learning should begin with the teachers through staff development opportunities. To begin with, teachers should learn what technology is available to them at their school site. This is essential for teachers to be able to incorporate and become proficient in the techonology available in the classroom. More importantly, staff development should be focussed on best practice: how to implement the use of the technology effectively in instruction. While the teachers learn how to apply technology we propose that there will be a techonology specialist who will teach the students skills, and how to utalize the technology in the classroom. The time spent in the classroom should include higher level thinking.

= = =Adoption of technology standards= As a commitee we have come to a conclusion that we should adopt the technology standards. We would like to propose that classroom teachers should not be held responsible for teaching these standards, but rather be responsible for incorporating and utilizing these technology skills in the classroom. In addition, we suggest a techonology specialist teacher who would be responsible for the techonology standards and teaching them to the students. This would aide the teachers in their ability to incorporate the technology in the classroom because the students will be better equipped to utilize the technology.



//Created by: Mike, Missy, Lisa, Cassie//