Week 4 - ACTION PLAN

In order to prepare the 21st century student at Santa Fe High School for the 21st century world, there has to be significant goals accomplished and priorities communicated in order to transform the current modern system into a collaborative, connected, available community. Utilizing data collected from numerous sources, an action plan is a measurable collection of initiatives aimed at integrating technology into leadership and instruction.

In Utilizing data collected from the Texas STaR chart, it is apparent Santa Fe High School is continually ranking a level two developing in key areas of professional development and instructional leadership. Teachers and staff have indicated very little improvement in these areas. There first must be a concerted effort to improve professional development for utilizing technology in the classroom. This can first be accomplished by setting clear goals for professional development.

Giving teachers tools and support is significant when using technology. According to Dr. Mike Thomas, principal at Santa Fe High School, “Teachers are afraid of using new technology and they are even more afraid to use it when teaching. They are nervous they won’t know how to correct an issue or solve a problem. They also feel nervous about asking students for help. Therefore, teachers fight using technology because of insecurity.” The first step is to increase variety and availability of technology training.

The District Director of Technology must define several key areas for technology mastery using the SBEC standards set for teachers. Then that director must provide ongoing and online training for teachers to complete in their time online. This allows teachers to take extra time, repeat and even practice utilizing technology before using it with students. There should also be training focused directly for instruction.

Dr. Mike Thomas communicated the need for an instructional technology specialist at the high school level. This would be the next step of the action plan. Providing the high school with this position would give teachers a resource to directly impact classroom instruction. The ITS would provide regular trainings showing teachers how to increase instruction. The ITS should also develop an online learning center for teachers to have ongoing support and updated resources available for their use. This might also include subscriptions to online journals that specialize in instructional improvement and technology increase in the classroom.

As technology training becomes more available, teachers should increase integration of technology into classrooms. At Santa Fe High School, there are four laptop computer carts available for use in the classroom. There are projectors and mobis available to all classrooms. There are also wireless internet capabilities throughout the campus and three computer labs available for student use. There is a strong infrastructure in place for teachers to utilize technology applications for instruction.

The action plan must include an accountability measure to set goals for teachers to utilize technology in instruction. Leaving it to a proficient check mark on a yearly assessment is not enough. There must first be realistic goals set by the administration. These goals must include expectations for how and how often technology should be used in instruction. Once teachers are aware of goals and are trained, appraisers must utilize observation, lesson plan evaluation and student feedback as indicators of integration.

As integration of technology in the classroom increases, there should be more student work and projects posted and communicated throughout the school. As students see the possibilities it will spark increased interest and motivation. This will lead to greater creativity and motivation for excellent work. As these improve, student engagement should increase which would lead to increased scores on standardized tests, less absences and greater connection of real life to learning.
In reviewing the campus improvement plans for both campus and district, there is no clear direction or specific goals set for integration of technology. There are some basic priorities set such as, “A graduate of Santa Fe High School will have fundamental technical and technological skills.” This is an important goal, however this is little direction or specification as to what the student should be able to accomplish utilizing technology. It would be beneficial to develop a more specific plan for technology integration. There should be specific goals and timelines to be able to measure success. This would help administration and teaching staff recognize strengths and areas for improvement on a yearly basis.

Finally, leadership organization should be in a form that best meets the needs of students and teachers. There should be clear delineation of responsibilities and goals to best help teachers. When there is no clear point person and no identifiable expert, teachers tend to keep questions to themselves and little is accomplished. Giving clear organization to leadership gives a transparent system, an accountability framework and finally helps show possible holes in the progress of the school and district.

This action plan should provide great improvements for the integration of technology in leadership and instruction. It is important to utilize all parts for greatest student success. Each step is measurable and can be easily monitored. As the plan comes together, administration, teachers and students can experience great improvement leading to success.