Recommendations+for+Technology+Program

In addition to the pre-existing VA Computer/Technology SOLs, we must also comply with NCLB which requires that all students are computer literate by the end of the 8th grade. A new Federal Grant Monitoring Plan has been implemented requiring that all school districts undergo an audit to determine our compliance with the requirements of the Title II, Part D funding. Some of the items we will be audited on include: Has the school division developed a method of assessing student technology literacy? Has the school division developed or employed a method for collecting and reporting data on the use of technology in the classroom? Does the school division have information about how the program has affected academic achievement? Have we developed a comprehensive system that effectively uses technology to improve student academic achievement? and on........

Please provide your thoughts on implementing the following policy changes. 1. Create a new Teacher EdTech Training Center 2. Require that all teachers attend at least 5 hours of instructional technology training annually. District sponsored, college classes, other EdTech workshops, etc. 3. Require that all elementary teachers take students to computer lab weekly – activities will be core content and included in the time requirement for content instruction. 4. Require that elementary teachers write, teach, and post six technology infused lesson plans per year. 5. Require that middle school core content teachers write, teach, and post three technology-infused lesson plans per year. 6. Require commitment from any teacher attending out-of-district conferences, workshops, etc. at district expense, or attending NTTI, to teach at least one PD workshop. 7. Teachers in grades 2, 3, 4 will be required to complete a class technology skills survey each June. It’s a one page form and asks questions like—Students can locate and open a file—not at all, with some help, independently. Teachers estimate percent—ex. 10% not at all, 60% with some help, 30% independently. This is one way we can document our efforts to achieve student computer literacy by 8th grade.