Goals

Overview

The primary goals of the Ed Tech Program are to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology, ensure that all students become technologically literate by the end of eighth grade, promote the effective integration of technology into on-going professional development, and advance research-based instruction through technology integrated curriculum development.

In order to receive Ed Tech funds, applicants must articulate specific goals for using technology to improve student achievement. It is important for goals to align with and support challenging state curriculum content standards in order to maximize funds and efficiently utilize existing resources. Goals should be concrete and measurable and specifically describe what applicants wish to accomplish. Additionally, goals must include connections to related areas such as professional development, resources coordination, academic achievement improvement strategies, and steps to increase accessibility.

Strategies for Addressing Local Technology Applications and Plans

Establishing Goals

Goal Statements:
Goal statements ought to be specific and clearly describe what you wish to accomplish so that specific action steps can be defined and outcomes measured. In order to maximize efforts and resources, these goals should:

• support the vision outlined in your local educational technology plan;
• be consistent with the objectives of your statewide technology plan;
• align with school and district curriculum priorities and initiatives;
• promote teaching strategies and curricula that integrate technology effectively;
• advance improved student achievement;
• align with challenging national and state content standards;
• support and advance student technology literacy;
• and improve the capacity of teachers, principals, and administrators to integrate technology effectively into curriculum and instruction.

The goals statements could relate to professional development, curriculum development and integration, technology literacy, access, or student achievement. Below are a few sample goals.

Sample Goals:

Professional Development
Professional development is the training and development needed by teachers, administrators, and staff to use technology tools within the teaching and learning environment. According to Planning into Practice (SEIRTEC, 2000), "professional development goals should address both the how and the why of teaching and learning with technology."

• Our teachers will participate in online professional development to acquire instructional strategies and pedagogy necessary to facilitate learner-centered, standards-based curricula that integrate the use of technology tools.
• Our teachers, administrators, and staff will participate in professional development opportunities necessary to advance the technical skills required to foster online communication among students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members.
• Our administrators will participate in professional development to acquire the tools and skills needed to analyze student achievement data.
• Our teachers will be provided release time and access to an online forum in order to share individual content expertise with other staff in the school, district, and region.

Student Technology Literacy
A stated goal of the Ed Tech Program is "to assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade." In order to more clearly understand what is meant by technology literacy, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has established National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for students. These standards describe what students should know and be able to do with technology and provide extensive guidance in the establishment of technology literacy goals. The following are sample goals in this area:

• Our students will develop technology literacy in the area of communications through the use of telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
• Our students will use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions in technology infused mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts classes.
• Our students will use technology enhanced research tools to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

Access
Access is the availability of resources necessary to utilize technology for teaching and learning. This includes access to hardware, software, online resources, and support. The goals in the area of access should be explicit about the resource as well as the intended result.

• A ratio of one workstation to every three students will be established in each school in the district in order to ensure access for learners to write and publish across the curriculum.

Curriculum Development and Integration
Curriculum development and integration goals should describe how the technology will support the state and national learning standards in core curriculum areas. They should make explicit which tools will be incorporated and how the tools will be used.

• Our middle school teachers will incorporate technology tools and online mini-applications into the standards-based mathematics curriculum in order to support student investigations and data analysis.
• Our elementary teachers will incorporate the use of technology tools such as text-to-speech and word-processing hardware and software into the classroom in order to facilitate the writing process, promote creativity, and increase accessibility to text content.

"It is the ability of all students -- no matter whether rich or poor, or whether they are from a small town, a city, a rural area, or a suburb -- to learn at the highest levels with the greatest resources and have the promise of a future of real opportunity. This is the potential of technology."
(Richard W. Riley, 1998)

"Goals are dreams with deadlines."
(Diana Scharf-Hunt)

© 2002 Education Development Center, Inc. All rights reserved.

Permission to copy is granted for educational use.
 
 

NEIRTEC Partners:

Extended Resources

Learning Through Technology: A Planning and Implementation Guide http://www.ncrel.org/tandl/homepg.htm
This resource helps educators and community members work through the stages needed to develop a comprehensive learning and technology plan. The efforts of 15 ISBE Technology Demonstration sites are highlighted.

Plugging In: Choosing and Using Educational Technology http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/plug/plug.htm
Plugging In discusses what is known about effective learning and effective technology, and puts it together in a planning framework for educators and policymakers. After reading about effective learning and technology, educators can follow the instructions in the center insert to actually use the framework to plan technology and technology-enhanced programs that complement learning.

Critical Issues: Technology in Education
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/te0cont.htm
This Internet site provides critical issues concerning technology in education. It is a link off the website Pathways to School Improvement that provides rich resources on numerous topics affecting school improvement.

References

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers: Preparing Teachers to Use Technology (2002). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

McNabb, M., G. Valdez, et al. (1999). Technology Connections for School Improvement: Planners Handbook. IL: NCREL, U.S. Department of Education.

Porter, B. (1999). Grappling with Accountability. Sedalia, CO: Education Technology Planners, Inc.

Sun, J., M. Heath, et al. (2000). Planning into Practice: Resources for planning, implementing, and integrating instructional technology. Austin, TX: SEIRTEC Partners.