Oberlin Schools will provide an outstanding program to our students and staff to enable them to successfully integrate technology into their educational, professional and personal lives.
"Our students will leave our schools to live and work in the 21st century. We are preparing them for a workplace and a homeplace that is technologically oriented, which will demand workers and parents who can use higher order thinking skills. It is no longer possible for teachers to know or teach everything a student needs to know to succeed in life. In all areas of the curriculum we must teach an information-based inquiry process which meets the demands of this new age. This is the new challenge for the world's most important profession." (Technology In Education Master Plan, Big Rapids (Michigan) Public Schools)
In recognition of the accelerating need to use technology in the classroom, and to increase the opportunities for Oberlin students and faculty to develop computer-based skills, the Technology Applications in Education Committee (a standing committee of teachers, parents, students, and community volunteers) has created a technology plan for the Oberlin School District.
The Committee established this overall vision for its planning effort:
To provide an outstanding program to our students and staff to enable them to successfully integrate technology into their educational, professional and personal lives.
The Committee identified a number of key objectives for implementing a technology plan in the District:
To provide direction, coordination and equity in the acquisition and use of technology in (and between) our schools and between grade levels and subjects.
To increase the opportunities for students and faculty to use technology in the classroom and to learn computer skills; and to provide incentives for this activity.
To communicate the urgency of these needs to the Oberlin Community, including students and faculty, equating computer literacy with literacy, and to use partnerships with the community to secure funding.
To suggest funding methods for increasing the availability of technology in the Oberlin Schools, including
...meeting the requirement of the State Department of Education for a district to have a technology plan in order to receive funding through "School Net" and "School Net Plus"
...other methods of funding, including grant proposals
And to attract, motivate, and retain students; to help students understand where technology can take them; and to graduate students who are technologically literate and capable of using their skills in higher education and in their careers.
This document will always be a work in progress. Just as technology progresses and evolves so must this plan. There must be continual study, revision, improvement, and enhancement. The Committee is very interested in the involvement of the School Board, teachers, parents, students and the Oberlin community. Outlined below are the goals and objectives of the plan, as well as some background on their development. Your comments and concerns are most welcome, and should be addressed to:
"Every major change in educational technology changes not only how we learn but also what we learn. Just as the printed book totally changed the curriculum of the schools, so are the computer and tape recorder and video. The printed book is primarily a tool for adults. The new tools are for children: they fit the way children learn best." (Peter Drucker)
Implementing technology in our schools is not an end in and of itself. While it has the promise of helping teachers and their students to transform teaching and learning in Oberlin, to do so technology must become an integral part of the learning environment. And, if technology is to become integral, its acquisition and use needs to be well planned, and well coordinated from school to school and class to class.
The challenges of this task are significant - from creating a sense of importance and urgency within the District, to integrating the work and goals of the district's curriculum committees, to selecting the right technologies, to finding funding. To be successful, all of these issues need to be coordinated with the work of other District committees and addressed within a comprehensive plan.
In recognition of the financial limitations on the District, we have focused on a few defining actions to achieve the goals outlined in the introduction to this report:
Setting a realistic goal, and reducing the ratio of students to computers across the District.
Creating a computer lab/resource center in each school building to facilitate computer skills training for students and staff.
Identifying/hiring skilled support and computer instruction staff.
Providing multimedia-capable computers in each instructional area for use with the curriculum.
Providing each instructional area with broad-based network capabilities.
Building-in a plan for obsolescence, keeping the opportunity for new technology in each student and teacher's reach every four years or less; and maximizing the use of existing equipment, regardless of age.
Involving the community as an important part of the plan.
Encouraging partnerships for support/financing with the business community and Oberlin College.
Estimated costs for each objective were considered when identifiable or appropriate. Evaluation strategies were also suggested as appropriate.
I. Curriculum Goals. Technology should be an integrated part of every curriculum area as well as having its own goals and objectives for training in its use. Technology should also become a transparent and effective tool in every classroom.
Objective 1: Curriculum Development. Each curriculum area will develop appropriate detailed plans for the integration of technology into their course of study.
Action:
1. The Technology Applications in Education Committee (TAEC) and the Technology Application Coordinators will assist curriculum committees as they develop or rewrite courses of study.
Time Frame: Beginning 1995-96 school year.
Estimated Cost: No additional cost (provided by supplemental contract).
Evaluation: The TAEC will review courses of study before submission for approval by the Curriculum Coordinating Council and the School Board.
Objective 2: Skills Training. Students will acquire the skills necessary to use technology as a tool for research, data organization and material presentation in written, graphic, and multimedia form.
Actions:
1. The TAEC will work with the curriculum committee(s) to incorporate appropriate computer skills.
2. Establish a computer lab/faculty resource center in each building, configuration to be determined through the site-based decision-making process.
Time Frame: Implement 1995-96 school year.
Evaluation: Teacher observation and assessment of student use.
Objective 3: Using The Skills. Students will have the opportunity to use their technology skills in interdisciplinary projects to promote higher order thinking skills, creativity and problem solving strategies.
Actions:
1. Place multimedia and communications-capable computers and other appropriate technologies in every instructional area.
2. Appropriate and current software should be available and in use at all levels.
Time Frame: Implement 1995-96 school year.
Evaluation: Teacher observation and assessment of student use. Biannual assessment of usage through a district-wide survey.
Objective 4: Collaboration and Networking. Students and faculty will use technology to communicate and share information with others, both within the district and around the world.
Actions:
1. Wire each instructional area for broad-based network access.
2. Make available a broad-based network account which provides e-mail and internet access for each student and teacher.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 school year and on-going.
Evaluation: Teacher observation of student use. Biannual assessment of usage through a district-wide survey.
II. Equity and Access. The goals of integrating technology into our learning environment are:
� To help all students reach high academic standards.
� To provide access to all students.
Objective 5: Classroom Access. Establish a minimum building-based goal of one current-technology computer system for every five students.
Actions:
1. With the assistance of the TAEC, the above ratio goal shall be proposed to the School Board.
2. The TAEC will review this ratio each school year.
3. The TAEC will define specifications for current-technology computer systems each year.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 school year and on-going.
Objective 6: Accommodate Individual Needs. Use technology to accommodate the individual needs, abilities and learning styles of each student.
Action:
1. Find specific technologies that help all students (regardless of need) communicate and participate in classroom activities.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 school year and on-going.
Objective 7: After School Access. Provide staff and students with after school/evening access to schools' computer facilities; and encourage (and to the extent possible provide) the use of technology by students and staff at home.
Actions:
1. When possible establish a computer loan program for students.
2. Find reduced-price purchase opportunities for faculty, students and community.
3. Encourage a partnership with the Oberlin Public Library to offer a public computer lab in the Library.
4. Continue loaning computers to faculty over the summer.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 school year and on-going.
III. Faculty/Staff Training Goals. The faculty will be comfortable with the use of technology and will have adequate computer tools and resources available in the classroom.
Objective 8: Set Expectations. The TAEC will recommend expectations for staff in the use of technology.
Actions:
1. Conduct biannual technology assessments to determine knowledge, interest, personal and professional use of all technologies. These assessments will be used to ascertain the technology level of school staff.
2. TAEC will use the most current assessments to recommend general expectations for the use of technology by staff.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 school year and on-going.
Estimated Cost: None
Objective 9: Provide Professional Development Opportunities.
Actions:
1. Find ways to make staff aware of available technologies and how those technologies can be used to enhance teaching and learning.
2. In conjunction with Oberlin College, Lorain County Joint Vocational School, Lake Erie Educational Consortium Access (LEECA) and/or other organizations, provide convenient and attractive training sessions for specific programs.
3. Have regular refresher up-dates as technology changes or new programs are introduced.
4. Adequate funding will be set aside within building and district budgets to provide training opportunities.
5. Provide time and opportunity for formal and informal sharing of staff experiences.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 and on-going.
Objective 10: Incentives. Provide incentives for staff to encourage development of computer-skills and adoption of technology.
Actions:
1. Encourage the use of tuition reimbursement for technology courses and workshops.
2. Find reduced-price purchase opportunities for staff.
3. Continue loaning computers to staff over the summer.
4. Acknowledge progressive use of technology through public recognition (i.e., newspaper articles, video presentations on cable TV, etc.).
5. Recognize technology usage through regular internal district communications.
Time Frame: Initiated 1994-95 and on-going.
Estimated Cost: None
IV. Coordination Goals. There will be coordination of all technology-related purchases, support activities, and curriculum district-wide.
Objective 11: Coordination. Designate responsible and knowledgeable people to provide for planning, operation, coordination and maintenance of the technology program within the school district.
Actions:
1. Continue the positions of Technology Applications Building Coordinators.
2. Recommend the creation of at least one full-time district-level Technology Coordinator/Network Manager.
3. Restructure the goals of the TAEC to provide ongoing guidance and support for the Technology Applications Coordinators and the schools in the implementation and continual reevaluation of this plan.
4. The Technology Applications Coordinators and the TAEC shall work with all relevant committees and groups to carry out the objectives of this plan.
5. The Building Site Based Decision-Making Committees will work with the appropriate Technology Applications Building Coordinator to develop, maintain and update requests for the purchase and replacement of equipment based on guidelines developed by the TAEC and contained in the District Technology Plan.
Time Frame: Implemented 1994-95 school year
V. Community Awareness. All members of the Oberlin School District community will be involved in the development and implementation of the technology plan.
Objective 12: Development of technology plan. The community will be involved in the writing of the district technology plan.
Actions:
1. An on-going committee (TAEC) consisting of school personnel and members of the local community will be established to write a plan for the integration of technology within the school district.
2. The plan will be updated on a regular basis by the TAEC.
Objective 13: Endorsement. Achieve continual endorsement of the plan by the School Board.
Action:
1. The TAEC shall provide regular updates to the Board of Education on current trends and district needs. This information shall be shared with parents, the business community and other agencies.
Objective 14: Community. Community members, parents and local business will join the school district in a collaborative effort to achieve the technology mission.
Actions:
1. Communicate to all members of the community the need for students to be competent and comfortable users of technology.
2. Opportunities shall be provided for public awareness of student achievement in the use of technology.
3. Partnerships will be sought with community organizations and businesses to improve technology instruction and use.
4. Opportunities will be provided to parents to enhance their awareness of the use of new technologies and applications in the classroom.
Time Frame: Implemented 1993-94 (formation of TAEC)
Estimated Cost: Minimal
VI. Architectures to Support Technology. While the final district computer system will be an integrated one it is useful to address district technology architecture goals from three perspectives: Power architecture, Network architecture, and Computer/Workstation architecture.
Power distribution architecture goals: Expansion of the district's installed technology will be difficult if not impossible without upgrading the power distribution within the school buildings. In keeping with the district technology plan's goal of providing equitable allocation of technology resources each classroom should be provided with power distribution installations which facilitate this outcome. Classroom power distribution should provide teachers flexibility in classroom technology layout.
Objective 15: Facilitating equitable allocation of technology. Every classroom will contain an electrical service which provides power for existing and future technology.
Actions:
1. The District will conduct a review of existing building electrical systems to identify inequities in power distribution to classrooms.
2. The District will obtain an estimate of the cost of upgrading classrooms such that each room contains at least two 20-amp circuits in addition to wiring necessary for lighting. At least one circuit will include provisions for power conditioning and backup power.
Time Frame: Begin review during the 1995-96 school year. Submit information to Board of Education for 1996-97 school year budget considerations.
Objective 16: Flexibility of classroom technology layout. Every classroom will be provided with power distribution which creates maximum flexibility in the future layout and use of classroom technologies.
Action:
1. The District will obtain an estimate of the cost of providing two 20-amp circuits with split receptacles distributed every 4 feet of wall space.
Time Frame: Begin review of existing conditions by a licensed electrician during the 1995-96 school year. Submit information to Board of Education for 1996-97 school year budget considerations.
Network architecture goals: Oberlin's existing network architecture consists of a district-wide system capable of VT100/ASCII communication through a 56K transmission line with Xyplex 6220 routers and mx800 servers at each building location. This system terminates in Cat 5 cable drops (6 in the High School, Langston Middle School, and Prospect Elementary School, and 5 at Eastwood School). This system connects to the LEECA system to provide teachers and students with E-mail and internet (terminal emulation only) access. Our district goal is to employ a LAN system within each building as part of a WAN throughout the district. This system will support use in a manner consistent with the District Technology Plan curriculum goals and objectives (refer to Objective 4 of the Curriculum Goals).
Objective 17: Developing a Local Area Network (LAN). Every classroom will be connected within each building by a LAN which permits communication among staff and students for the purpose of achieving the objectives outlined in Curriculum Goals.
Actions:
1. The TAEC will examine possible network architectures that meet or exceed SchoolNet standards.
2. The TAEC will recommend a specific architecture based on a cost/performance evaluation.
Time Frame: Begin review during the 1995-96 school year. Implement recommendations during the 1996-97 school year.
Objective 18: Developing a Wide Area Network (WAN). All classrooms will be connected within the district and to the global network (i.e.. Internet, WWW) to achieve the objectives outlined in Curriculum Goals and Equity Access Goals.
Actions:
1. The TAEC will examine possible network architectures that meet or exceed SchoolNet standards.
2. The TAEC will recommend a specific architecture based on a cost/performance evaluation.
3. The TAEC will appoint liaisons to work with Oberlin College, Cable Co-op, and the Public Library. The TAEC will also investigate potential partnerships with other community groups. The liaisons will identify possible ways in which those entities can help Oberlin Schools to establish, maintain, or enhance its network architecture.
Time Frame: Begin review during the 1995-96 school year. Implement recommendations during the 1996-97 school year. TAEC will appoint liaisons to serve during the 1996-97 school year.
Computer/Workstation architectures goals: Specific computer/workstation architecture is not a goal in and of itself. Rather, determination of specific computer/workstation architecture should be influenced by the grade level curriculum goals of the classroom in which the computer will be placed and will consider SchoolNet Plus (SNP) workstation minimum standards. The TAEC will develop guidelines to help district staff in the selection process for obtaining new computers:
Objective 19: Guidelines for selection of technology. Guidelines for the selection of computer system architecture will be available for staff, buildings, and curriculum committees.
Actions:
1. The TAEC will examine standards for computer system architecture (including SchoolNet and SchoolNet Plus specifications).
2. The TAEC will establish guidelines to be used by the school district in the selection of computer system architecture.
Time Frame: Examine standards during the 1995-96 school year. Implement guidelines during the 1995-96 school year.
Considerations for TAEC during the development of computer system architecture guidelines:
Grades K-4:
1. Any classroom that does not currently have a computer that meets SchoolNet Plus minimum standards should apply those standards in the purchase of a new computer. As SNP funds become available, any computers purchased with those funds will meet SNP standards.
Grades 5-12:
1. All new classroom computer purchases will meet SNP minimum standards.
2. Classrooms employing computers for heavy use in graphics applications or calculation intensive applications should consider exceeding SNP minimum standards by purchasing computers with replaceable CPU's and additional system memory. CPU upgrades will greatly prolong the useful life of the district's computers and additional system memory is necessary for productive use of certain software applications.
VII. Budget/Funding. Sources of funding for the Technology Plan will be collectively pursued from reallocation of school funds, public and private grants, bond and tax revenues, business partnerships and gift solicitation.
1. TAEC recommends that the School Board consider a 5-year permanent improvement levy to fund facility improvement related to technology.
2. TAEC recommends that all district committees, curricular committees, groups, and individual staff examine alternative methods to fund technology acquisition, enhancement, maintenance, and training.
3. TAEC recommends that the School Board establish a set line item(s) in the budget to support technology acquisition, enhancement, maintenance, and training that occurs within the district.
4. TAEC recommends that the School Board allocate an adequate portion of permanent improvement funds to facilitate the implementation of technology.
5. TAEC recommends that the Building Site Decision Making Committees establish an adequate portion of their budgets to support the technology acquisition, enhancement, maintenance, and training that occurs within their particular building.
6. TAEC recommends that the District actively pursue gifts and donations from the community and businesses to support the technology program.