Executive Summary

This document details the current computer technology environment at Foster Elementary School, and includes recommendations for acquiring appropriate technology for classroom teachers and students. It has become increasingly evident that well-used technology can enhance the ability of everyone at Foster to learn and grow intellectually.

It is our hope that Foster will continue to upgrade and expand our computer technology so teachers and students will have the necessary tools to maintain the effective, unique teaching practices they have exhibited in the past. We believe that one of Foster's responsibilities is to encourage our teachers to explore computer technology. Faculty familiarity with computers — through active personal and professional use — is necessary before teachers can guide students to effectively use computers in their schoolwork.

However, it is important to recognize that computer use within school districts isn't just for students and teachers. Computers are also essential for managing student data, so schools and administrators are often assisted with software and hardware to meet this need. Secondly, computers are needed in the classroom in order to educate students in the use of this emerging technology. All involved in implementing classroom computer technology should recognize this dichotomy. Steps should be taken to make certain those resources available for managing student data are not confused with resources to teach students. Therefore, this Technology Plan has focused specifically on those elements that pertain to classroom computer resources.

In the past, Foster has neither acquired nor implemented computer technology in a systematic fashion. As a result, the school's classrooms contain widely variant sets of hardware and software, with little or no technology support for their use. This situation prohibits a sense of school-wide coherency, and causes teachers and students to utilize computer technology in random and often limited ways.

The mission of the members of the Technology Committee was to analyze the current technology environment, challenge the status quo, and then develop a blueprint from which Foster could gain a sense of coherency and purpose regarding the use of computer technology by our teachers and students.

First, the Committee assessed several factors:

• The current level of computer resources,
• The district standards for computer technology,
• Our teachers' attitudes towards (and experiences with) computers,
• And students' needs for computer experience.

Then the Committee delineated two primary recommendations, eight supporting recommendations, and an action plan for the upcoming school year.

In investigating the context in which Foster’s teachers and students work with computers, the Committee has documented items, which support the need for a purposeful plan to acquire and implement additional classroom computer technology. A school-wide inventory of Foster's hardware found that more than half of the classroom computers are — by Houston Independent School District standards — obsolete.

Even though there is a severe shortage of computer resources at Foster, teachers are very optimistic about computer technology. On the faculty survey conducted in the spring of 1999, 86% indicated they were "positive," "very positive," or "extremely positive" about computer technology.

The Technology Committee is making two primary recommendations. First, Foster Elementary School must centralize its efforts in acquiring and implementing computer technology. Second, the school must consider establishing a split between the Technologist Teaching responsibility and that of Instructional Support Technologist (IST) who will have the primary responsibilities of coordinating the school's computer resources and following the recommendations that support centralizing the school's acquisition and implementation of computer technology.

In addition, the 2004 Technology Plan has eight action items for the2002-2005 school years:

1. Establish standards for hardware, software and network services
2. Establish a set of recommended teacher and administrator proficiencies in computer software
3. Continue to offer computer technology in-services for teachers and administrators
4. Establish staff procedures for computer hard drive management
5. Establish end-of-year procedures for computer resources
6. Standardize computer software school-wide
7. Standardize computer hardware school-wide, including the purchase of replacement equipment, removing obsolete equipment, and fairly distributing hardware school-wide
8. Revise the Technology Plan every year in order to meet a changing school environment

To implement the action plan so Foster can overcome its deficiencies in computer technology, a comprehensive budget has been included in this document. The Technology Committee understands that at this time, the Foster Elementary School budget has no line items for computer resources or technological support. We strongly urge the District and school administration to consider addressing the school's needs by setting aside some funds to underwrite this technology plan.

Since computer experience is essential to the education of all of Foster's students, we must help ensure successful futures for them by integrating technology into our teaching and learning activities. The Technology Committee firmly believes that, if Foster will provide adequate resources and opportunities for training, the Foster teaching staff will continue to respond with the active pursuit of computer use in classroom educational practices.

Purpose of the FES Technology Plan for 2004-2005

Foster Elementary School's Technology Plan documents how the school will develop an environment conducive to teacher use of computer technology with the ultimate goal of students using computer applications in their academic endeavors. To create this environment, Foster Elementary School needs to:

• Increase the access and quantity of computer resources for its teaching staff and students;
• Increase the knowledge base of the teaching and administrative staff regarding computer technology; and
• Assure that school resources are at HISD's current or minimum standards and are well maintained.

Foster can no longer approach its implementation of computer technology in a haphazard manner. It must concentrate its efforts towards acquisition of hardware, software, and support specialists on a school-wide basis.

A necessary component to realizing Foster's technology efforts is the continued request for the establishment of a split of time to fulfill the duties the current Technologist is responsible for.  This will allow for the primary grades of 2^nd thru 5^th grade to receive instruction in a lab setting.  K thru 1^st grade would receive instruction in the classroom setting.  This would also allow the Instructional Support Technologist (IST) to handle the following responsibilities adequately:

• Coordinate and maintain the computer technology resources of the school,
• Encourage implementation and use of computer technology in Foster’s classrooms,
• Ensure that any new efforts (outside of the plan's recommendations) dovetail with the plan's premise, ...and,
• Assist in the revision of the plan during the spring of each year.
• Handle all repairs of hardware in a timely matter to enable teacher to continue use.

The Technology Plan is considered a living document. It was developed with the sole purpose of providing direction for approximately one year. In a year's time, Foster Elementary School's implementation and use of computer technology will evolve, and technological innovations will become more widely available in public schools. In order to accommodate these changes, the Technology Committee must revise the document no later than April 30th of each school year.

Mission Statement

The mission of Foster's Technology Committee is to research, determine, define, and identify the school-wide technological needs of Foster.

In this endeavor, the Technology Committee will define a set of goals and construct a plan of implementation for the 2001-2002 school year.

Vision Statement

Computer technology is a tool for learning. It has the power to enhance every Foster student's education. The Technology Committee believes that Foster must improve its level and use of computer resources or it will no longer be competitive with other Elementary schools in Texas and the nation.

We believe that—for Foster to provide every student with the highest quality education possible—the school must take responsibility, and empower teachers and students by:

• Providing hardware, software, and network services that meet no less than HISD's minimum standards;
• Actively supporting classroom implementation of computer resources, …and
• Establishing on-going staff development for both administrators and teachers in the use of technology.

The Technology Committee wants to create and sustain an environment that is conducive to teacher exploration and use of computer technology. Therefore, Foster should provide resources and personnel to upgrade computer resources and support faculty interest and use of computer technology. Faculty familiarity with computers through personal and professional use of computer technology is necessary before students can effectively use computers in their schoolwork.

Foster's ultimate goal with computer technology is that student use of computers will become a fundamental part of their elementary school education. The Technology Committee envisions student use of computers as delineated by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Technology Applications. In particular, students will have to be able to use computer applications when they acquire information, solve problems, and communicate their work to their teachers, their peers, and their parents.

Technology Committee Membership

This year's Technology Committee met at varying times from October 1999 until late in April 2001. The active committee members are:

John Walker (Foster parent)
Pam Stewart (5th grade teacher)
Kim Terrell (Foster parent)
Clifton Kirby (4^th grade teacher)
Maurice Eiland (P.E. teacher)

An honorary member of the committee is Osie Robertson (SASI Coordinator)

Technology Environment Outside Foster

The Computer Industry

Anyone alive today knows the massive effect the computer industry has had on our lives. It's also clear to see that the symbiosis between humans and machines will only deepen in the future.

The usefulness of computers has had a dramatic effect on the way we communicate, access information, and solve problems. Unfortunately, computers become obsolete quickly because the industry is continuously developing better machines in order to keep pace with new advances in communications, imaging, and storage. Computers now run programs that require more memory, faster processors, and larger disk drives. Computers that were purchased only a few years ago do not function well with the latest developments in multimedia and graphics software.

Computer Technology and the Field of Education

Two issues impede integrating computer technology into the daily practices of teachers and students. First, school administrations are often focused on the challenge of managing student data rather than incorporating computers into the curriculum. Secondly, advancements in computer and digital technology continue to accelerate, making maintenance of standards difficult.

Because much of education's information management practices have been adapted from the field of business, schools have more easily adapted to the use of computers to manage student data, but schools must also educate students in the use of computer technology. Having a two-fold purpose (managing student data and educating students) often causes a conflict in resource allocation, but district or school administrators may not always recognize such a problem. While gains are made in how well student data is made available to teachers and administrators through such software as SASI and SAP, resources for classroom computers remain in a budgetary limbo, frustrating teachers by the lack of investment in hardware, software, training, and knowledgeable specialists in technical assistance.

Small technology budgets-coupled with the continual, rapid advancement of computer hardware and network standards-make implementation at the school level difficult, if not impossible.

  HISD Standards for Computer Technology

HISD has established specific standards for computer hardware within the district. The standards change often as new advances are made in technology and as the district's needs change.

These standards can be found at HISD's website at:

http://www.houstonisd.org/technology/hardware.htm

Computers that are Below Minimum Standard

Computers that are obsolete (below the minimum standard) can be identified by their processors and by network capability. Any computer that cannot be networked is automatically considered obsolete. Any computer with 386, 286, 8088 or earlier processors are also obsolete [or LCII or lower Macintoshes]. Computers that fall below minimum standards are not acceptable for donations or purchase. Currently, all donations of computer equipment to HISD schools must be validated through HISD's Technology Department. Call the HISD Help Desk, 713-892-7378, for more information.

HISD School Board: Declaration of Beliefs and Vision for the Use of Technology

In the 1994 Declaration of Beliefs and Vision for the Use of Technology in HISD, the HISD school board clearly stated that technology should be a high priority and that a substantial investment in computer technology would be necessary in order to support the advancements made so far. The Declaration pointed out that technology should be considered a necessary infrastructure for HISD campuses and that the district needs a clear sense of direction and focus in the acquisition and implementation of computer technology district-wide.

HISD Technology Plan Update

In 1997, HISD published a Technology Plan Update that was researched and written by Infinet Technology Group, an outside contractor. They estimated that in early 1996, there were 25,000 computers at 248 of the 272 campuses, with an overall ratio of 7.9 students per computer. According to Infinet, this and the statistics that follow include both classroom and administrative computers.

According to an HISD fixed assets report in March 1997, there were approximately 35,000 computers in use in the District, with 31% being obsolete at the time of the report and a projection of 78% being obsolete by 2001. Infinite recommended that the HISD administration direct an annual percentage of its budget towards eliminating obsolete computer workstations. Besides buying or leasing new computers and removing obsolete equipment, HISD could retrofit older computers with networking software and hardware. According to a memorandum from Dr. Rod Paige, HISD Superintendent, in October 1997, approximately 9,000 computers were connected to the HISD network. These figures have certainly changed since then, considering the continued deployment of new equipment across the District.

The computers currently in place include a wide variety of hardware systems, operating systems, applications software, and autonomous networks. In particular to platform, 30 % of HISD computers in 1997 were IBM compatible and another 64% were Macintosh machines. These numbers have probably changed to reflect a growing trend toward acquisition of Windows-based computers.

Infinite made a strong recommendation that all computers in HISD be network able and networked in order to best address computer technology needs district-wide. The District's latest requirements for technology acquisition specify that any computer being purchased be network able and Y2K compliant.

HISD Technology and Information Systems Department

Currently, HISD administration has a Technology and Information Services Department that plans and implements computer resources district-wide for both the classroom and administrative offices. Its domain includes instructional technology, SASI, the district wide-area network (WAN), schools' local area networks (LANs), and administrative computing for facilities management, and food services.

TEKS for Technology Applications

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Technology Applications is a required enrichment curriculum area that includes the teaching and learning of technology skills and the use of computers and other related electronic tools. Technology applications focus on creating, assessing, and manipulating, utilizing, communicating, and publishing information during the learning process. A writing team, representing teachers, administrators, parents and businesses, developed the Technology Application TEKS. The TEKS contain basic understandings, knowledge and skills expectations, and performance descriptions for each content area.

At the Texas Education Agency's website

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
the TEKS can be read on screen, searched, or downloaded as Microsoft Word files. The site also offers a very useful search page

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/search.html
It can be used to find any instance of any word or phrase in any TEKS document.

The Texas Education Agency published final versions of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in September 1997. Effective September 1998, all Texas Public Schools are to implement this curriculum.

A complete copy of the TEKS for Technology Applications for grades 6-8 can be found in Appendix A of this document. Copies of the TEKS for other subject areas can also be viewed or downloaded at the Texas Education Agency site.

Foster's Technology Environment

Summary

Despite some effort to align Foster's computer resources in past years, Foster's computer technology environment woefully underserved our teacher and student population.

Overall:

• There are many varieties of hardware with many different operating systems that are obsolete or substandard.
• There are many brands of software and many versions for any one brand.
• Network service is substandard, including cable drops per classroom and the number of computers per drop.
• Requests for repair are handled informally, and there are few set procedures or policies regarding computer hardware, software, or network services-the exception being the Internet User Licenses as established by the Foster school library.
• There is no standard for appropriate classroom configuration and no guidelines on how computers can be incorporated into classroom activities in meaningful or relevant ways.
• There are few guidelines on how teachers can make progress with their own education regarding computer technology.

Without a concentrated effort to realign Foster's priorities towards computer technology, as advocated by HISD's 1994 Declaration of Beliefs and Vision for the Use of Technology, Foster greatly risks falling behind in its endeavor to remain competitive. In particular, Foster may be seen as:

• Unattractive to computer-savvy potential faculty members,
• Aggravating to faculty members as they continually make-do,
• Disappointing to the parents who expect a high level of classroom experience for their children, and
• Unable to meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Technology Applications.

The next sections provide more detail on six critical areas with respect to computer resources at Foster Elementary School:

Teacher attitudes and experience base
hardware,
software,
network services,
staff training,
support personnel
classroom usage.

Teachers' Attitudes and Experience Base

A faculty survey was conducted in the spring of 2000 with 29 teachers participating, which is 72% of the teaching faculty. What follows is a short compilation of the data collected and analyzed about Fosters teachers' use of computers and attitudes towards computer technology. More complete results can be found in Appendix C (Foster Faculty Survey: Spring 2000).

We found that 96.5 % of Foster's teachers are computer users. When asked to self-rate for their level of computer experience, the teachers said that:

• 3.5 % were "non-users"
• 3.5 % were "inexperienced users"
• 10 % were "novice users"
• 36 % were "casual users"
• 37 % were "serious users"
• 10 % were "very serious users"
• No one considered themselves "expert users"

When asked when they first started using computers:

• 3.5 % began this school year, since September 1998
• 38.5 % began between 1993 and 1998
• 18 % began between 1987 and 1992
• 28 % began between 1981 and 1986
• 12 % began before 1981

13.5 % of Foster teachers have had most of their education on computers through formal computer training while 83 % are self-taught or trained informally by a friend of colleague. 3.5% had no training at all.

When asked to rank their concerns about computer resources, 66.5% of the teachers responding felt the highest technological priority should be acquiring new hardware; 32.5% felt that training should be at the top of the list; and 19% felt network services were most important. Maintenance followed closely behind that at 15.5%. Percentages are skewed here because teachers answered some questions but not others. The rankings show that-of those who answered-hardware was the top priority, followed by training and network services.

When asked to rank their feelings about computer technology (from Extremely Negative to Extremely Positive), no Foster teachers rank themselves on the negative side of the chart. Only two teachers out of 59 (or 4%) rated him/herself as neutral, six teachers (10%) had slightly positive feelings about computers, ten teachers (17%) were positive, twenty-eight (47%) were very positive, and thirteen (22%) ranked themselves as extremely positive.

Hardware

Many of the computers and printers at Foster are not working or need service, and over 1/2 of the computers are obsolete by current HISD standards. Hardware clearly is a critically deficient resource at Foster Elementary School.

Network Services

Part of the network wiring at Foster does not follow the current HISD standard, which is to attach one Category 5 Ethernet cable to each computer on the network.  Also, some classrooms need more than two network connections because of the number of computers they contain.  Work on the rest of Fosters has not yet started.

Foster's network hubs, patch panels, and network servers are situated in different parts of the building. In particular, the main hubs and patch panels are located in a maintenance closet. The network server is located in a bookroom here at the school.

Network services ranked 3rd as the area of improvement which teachers felt would help the entire school the most.

Staff Training

Some time has been set aside for staff development in this area. Several times during the year, teacher-led workshops were held during our Friday half-day professional development days. Staff training ranked 2nd for the area for as the area, which most needed improvement to help them, meet their individual professional needs.

Support Personnel

Many classrooms have poorly working computer technology, which greatly impedes an environment conducive to the use of computers by faculty and students. For many years, Foster's faculty has implemented hardware and software without the benefit of an on-site expert. There is an informal means for getting technical assistance, which relies on the good graces and helpfulness of the Campus Technologist, and some of the school's technologically experienced teachers. Assistance from Houston Independent School District resources is difficult. The primary means of assistance are a campus support representative (an individual who serves 14 campuses) and the district's help desk (which serves almost 300 campuses).

As a result, there is no one person at Foster Elementary School who can ensure that:

• Hardware is well-maintained and that teachers are aware of district protocols for computer servicing,
• Hardware is a fairly-shared resource,
• New versions of software are implemented school-wide,
• School software is licensed, and
• Teachers are well aware of opportunities for training.

Foster Elementary School's needs are such that the on-site specialist needs more time to act as a clearinghouse for the implementation of computer technology at Foster. This person is also needed to monitor trends in the computer industry, to be a liaison for administrative planning, and to help set policy for the use of computer resources. This specialist would also assist teachers in developing and implementing relevant and effective computer activities for student use.

Recommendations 2004-2005

Summary

It may very well be that Foster is at a significant junction in its approach to computer technology. Disorganization and a minimum of planning have marked its past experience. At this time, it is clear that Foster's potential to use computer technology as an effective educational tool has been—and would continue to be—seriously compromised. This is underscored by the fact that 73% of Foster's faculty self-rated themselves as "serious, very serious, or expert" users, yet more than half of the hardware is obsolete by HISD standards.

After analyzing the current internal environment, the Technology Committee has determined two critical steps for Foster Elementary School.

Recommendation A: Foster must centralize its efforts in acquiring and implementing computer technology school-wide.

Recommendation B: Foster's teachers and students need to be provided with timely and efficient technical support in order to maintain a high level of instruction.

Recommendation A: Centralizing Foster's Efforts

In order to create an environment that supports faculty and student use of computer technology, the acquisition and implementation of computer technology must be coordinated and aligned school-wide. In particular we must take steps to see that our:

• Software is a school-wide resource that must be managed to ensure highest availability to teachers and students;
• Hardware is a shared and reliable resource that meets HISD's minimum standards, is systematically distributed across the faculty, and is protected by active use of virus protection and hardware management techniques;
• Network services are a high priority, with all classrooms connected to the HISD network, according to HISD standards;
• Teachers are actively encouraged to gain knowledge in the use of computers, with the expectation that—as familiarity grows—the interest in using applications for classroom activities will become a natural by-product.

Recommendation B: The Instructional Support Technologist

Fosters staff specialist time is not being used in the most effective manner.  Eliminating K and 1^st grade classes and allowing them to receive instruction in the classroom would free the time necessary to centralize Foster's use of computer technology resources and to provide technical support to teachers and staff in the classroom.

It would also allow that person to complete the responsibilities of the IST.  Those duties cover five areas: hardware management, software management, staff training, instructional assistance, and school technology leadership. These duties include:

Hardware Management:

• Coordinate the purchase and distribution of hardware and technology-related supplies;
• Set-up and configure new hardware;
• Assist in diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and network problems;
• Ensure hardware meets HISD minimum standards and remove obsolete machines; and
• Make certain all school hardware is tracked with an HISD locator number.

Software Management:

• Coordinate the purchase, installation, upgrades, and licensing of software;
• Ensure there is a standardized suite of software on each school computer;
• See that software upgrades are conducted school-wide; and
• Maintain a software library.

Staff Training:

• Publicize and promote the school's recommended teacher and administrator proficiencies in computer technology;
• Guide Foster staff to resources for training, maintenance, and new technology applications; and
• Instruct staff on proper techniques in virus protection and file management.

Instructional Assistance:

• Give direction to teachers new to implementing curriculum-related applications of computer technology; and
• Coordinate, assist, and model the integration of computer technology into the classroom curriculum.

School Leadership:

• Keep current on technology trends and applications, especially with HISD initiatives appropriate to Foster;
• Assess campus technology needs and coordinate the revision of the Technology Plan on an annual basis; and
• Assist the administration in developing a budget to address Foster's needs for computer technology.

The requirements for the Instructional Support Technologist are:

• Working knowledge of microcomputers, diagnostic tools and products;
• Working knowledge of IBM compatible and Macintosh platforms;
• Working knowledge of network technology;
• Knowledge of software applications;
• Knowledge of multi-media tools;
• Appropriate technical and application course work;
• Ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral forms; and
• Experience in educational technology (would be helpful, but not necessary).

Supporting Recommendations

1. Establish standards for hardware, software, and network services.
2. Establish recommended teacher and administrator proficiencies.
3. Set up regular teacher and administrator in-services each school year.
4. Establish staff procedures to ensure integrity of computer hard drives, in particular, virus protection and hard disk management.
5. Establish end-of-year procedures for classroom computer technology.
6. Establish software as a school-wide resource, including the establishment of a standardized suite of software to be placed on Fosters hardware that meets current or minimum standards.
7. Standardize hardware school-wide, including
1. Purchase/lease replacement hardware;
2. Establish a procedure for removing obsolete hardware; and
3. Establish hardware as a shared resource, in particular, having a systematic policy for distributing hardware to the classrooms.
8. Revise the technology plan annually to ensure it is a living, useful document that establishes how Foster will manage its computer resources.

Implementation Plan/Action Items: 2004-2005

Summary

The Implementation Plan is organized into three overarching objectives.

FIRST, the faculty and administration need to accept the Technology Plan and its primary recommendation of centralizing Foster's efforts in implementing computer technology. The faculty and administration need to vote whether to accept or reject the Technology Plan.

SECOND, the administration needs to commit to elevating the Campus Technologist of the K and 1^st classes.  Allowing the to receive classroom instruction under the supervision of their classroom teacher will allow the Technologist time to fulfill the duties of the Instructional Support Technologist whose primary responsibility is to implement the Technology Plan.

THIRD, there are eight action items for the 2001-2002 school year. Each action item corresponds to the supporting recommendations as listed in the previous section. Each action item is a blueprint for the Instructional Support Technologist, the Technology Committee members, the Foster teaching staff, and the Foster administration to work from as Foster creates an active environment for the use of computer technology school-wide.

In the section after this one, Recommendations/Action Items: 2000-2002, additional supporting recommendations are listed for consideration from August 2000 until May 2002.

Action Item 1. Standards for Hardware, Software, and Network Services

When computer technology is not standardized across an institution, such as a school or a place of business, co-workers cannot share their work nor use each other's hardware in case of a breakdown. Standardizing the computer technology at Foster Elementary School should result in:

• The ability for faculty and staff to share computer files
• The ability of faculty, staff, and students to use hardware elsewhere in the school
• A wider knowledge base across the school for the school-wide software packages
• And streamlined servicing of hardware components

Hardware is to be at current standard or minimum standard (see following chart). Hardware that is below standard is considered obsolete and should be replaced (see Action Items 7a, 7b, and 7c). As of May 2000, any computer that cannot be networked is considered below standard. Also, any computer with a processor prior to the 486 chips is below standard.

For an explanation of the standards, see the following URL:

http://houstonisd.org/technology/hardware.htm

Teachers may retain below standard hardware; however, it will not be supported by the technology plan and will be considered extremely low priority by the Campus Technologist/ITS. Teachers are urged to place below standard hardware on the surplus list for removal and replacement.

Software will be standardized so that certain software packages of specified version numbers are instituted school-wide. (See Action Item 6.) Each computer is to have the following suite of software packages:

.

Teachers may have other software packages on their hard drives, however any software package outside of the standard suite of Foster school software will not be supported by the technology plan and will be considered extremely low priority by the Campus Technologist/ITS. Teachers with software outside the standards specified above must procure the software at their own expense and the license must be kept in the classroom.

Network Services has two opportunities for standardization:

1. At the classroom connection, and
2. At the hub connection

Each room is to have at least two network nodes, with each node to be connected to the hub with a category 5 Ethernet cable. Each category 5 Ethernet cable is to be connected to only one computer. Currently, each category 5 Ethernet cable is connected to two computers; that is, each cable is split to serve the two nodes in the classroom. (Notice the small box in each room that has two jacks.) One way to meet the standard of one cable/one computer is to re-splice the cable for one node and install a second cable for the other node.

Revisions to the Technology Plan should consider more than one network drop per classroom, and should also consider upgrading the network cables.

Action Item 2. Recommended Teacher and Administrator Proficiencies

To give Foster student’s necessary computer skills for today and to provide a quality education, all teachers and administrators need to be proficient in:

• Word processing
• Grade management
• E-mail
• Internet browsing
• And basic hard disk management and virus protection

Word processing and grade management will assist staff by easing the tedium of administrative tasks. E-mail and Internet browsing are the leading ways to communicate and access information. All teachers need to become proficient themselves in these areas in order to facilitate student acquisition of these skills. It is required by the TEKs (chapter 26, section 11) that students become proficient in e-mail and Internet browsing as it opens up the classroom to the wider world.

Understanding and following basic procedures in hard disk management and virus protection by all teachers is essential to Foster maintaining a "healthy" computer environment school-wide.

The technology plan, the Instructional Support Technologist, and Action Item 3, Teacher Inservices in August and Early Fall, 2000, will support these proficiencies.

Advanced recommended proficiencies in the use of computer technology include:

• Presentation software
• Database design and use
• Spreadsheets
• HTML
• Multimedia software
• The use of specialized software applied to classroom practice and based on content area
• And simple maintenance of hardware

All computer proficiencies (standard or advanced) and any training to acquire these proficiencies can contribute to the teacher's teaching portfolio, PDAS assessment, and his/her application for incentive pay.

Action Item 3. Teacher and Administrator In-services in August and early Fall, 1998

In order to acquire skills in any complex endeavor, time and training are essential. Computer skills are best learned in a hands-on setting, with ample follow-up practice.

To promote the acquisition of computer skills among teaching staff and administrators, there will be two staff in-services. Each will be four hours long and will take place in the week prior to the start of school and during an in-service day in the fall. It is important that the two half-days are close together and at the beginning of the school year in order for teachers and administrators to capitalize on emerging computer skills.

Recognizing that Foster faculty and administrators vary widely in their skill level and comfort level with computers, the in-service time will be structured to provide many different options from which to choose. The four types of training envisioned are:

• Formal training - staff attends a formal training session from the Training division HISD's Technology and Information Systems Department or at the Region IV training center;
• Paired training - a novice and an experienced computer user pair up and the experienced computer user orients the novice in setting-up and managing a computer or guides the novice in using a particular application;
• Home group work - a small group of staff members convene to work on using and understanding a particular computer application; this may or may not culminate with lesson plans to implement the computer application in the classroom;
• Self-study - an individual staff member investigates a computer application on his/her own.

Several weeks before each in-service, each teacher will identify what type of training he/she prefers. The Campus Technologist/IST and the Technology Committee will organize the computer in-services according to the needs expressed by the staff through this survey.

Action Item 4. Staff Procedures for Computer Hard Drive Management

In order for hardware to be a shared resource school-wide, teachers and administrators should follow policy on how to maintain active, well organized hard drives. The policy is as follows:

• Hardware received by each teacher will have the standard suite of school software as established in Action Item 1. The computer will have no other software packages or computer files.
• Each staff member should keep only the personal and professional computer files currently in use on her/his computer hard drive. Ideally, these files should be organized into computer folders.
• Periodically (every month), the personal and professional computer files should be cleaned out; that is, the obsolete files should be put into the trash (and then emptied) and the current files should be copied onto a floppy disk or other back-up system such as a zip drive.
• Each staff member will be given a box of floppy disks for archiving personal and professional computer files. Each floppy disk should be labeled with (at least) the staff member's name and the date of archiving. The floppy disk should also be labeled with a key word or phrase to help locate files later.
• The virus protection program should be active at all times. All floppy disks should be screened for viruses before using. This is especially necessary for student floppy disks.
• Student files should be stored on floppy disks, never on the hard drive. Student disks should not leave the classroom if possible.

In addition to managing the computer's hard drive, each computer should be covered with a cloth or plastic covering when not in use. Also, each computer must be plugged into a surge protector.

A system already implemented by the Foster library media specialists is the Student Internet Use Policy (see Appendix E). This policy stipulates that the parent has given permission for the student to use the Internet and is aware of the ramifications of improper use of the Internet. The student Internet use card should be displayed prominently each and every time the student accesses the Internet.

Action Item 5. End-of-Year Procedures

At the end of the year, teachers should archive all personal and professional files onto floppy disks or should remove the files by dragging them to the Trash icon (on a Mac) or the Recycle Bin icon (on a Windows 95 computer), and then emptying those folders. See the Glossary addendums for more details. Teachers should be well aware that computers may be reassigned over the summer and any files not archived by the teacher onto his or her own backup disks will not be available after the close of school.

Teachers are to complete an end-of-year survey, which will include identifying the preferred type of in-service for computer technology and identifying which obsolete hardware to be removed and replaced. (See Action Items 2 and 7b.)

Computers will remain in the classrooms over the summer, unless checked out by the teacher. Ideally, the computers should be locked down on a tabletop or desktop. Computers are not to be moved into a central storage room or into the classroom closets (unless that is more practical for that particular classroom).

For requesting removal and replacement of computer hardware, please refer to Action Items 7b and 7c.

Action Item 6. Standardization of Software School-wide

At the beginning of the 2000-01 school year, all computers hard drives that meet current or minimum standards will have the standard suite of software installed as specified in Action Item 1. Unfortunately, hard drives that are below standard may not be able to support Foster's current standard in software. In other words, the software suite may not fit on the hard drive or the processor may not be powerful enough to support the various components of the software suite. Accommodations will be made as necessary. For example: perhaps only one office software package could be installed or-if the computer cannot be networked-the Internet browser might not be installed.

Please note that for the software to be properly installed, all personal copies of software packages must be un-installed or erased from the hard drive. Staff members may install personal software at the start of the school year. Also, all personal and professional computer files must be erased from the hard drive (see Action Item 5.)

Action Item 7. Standardization of Classroom Hardware School-wide

Despite the district having established the baseline requirements for hardware purchases, Foster does not have an established policy for minimum qualifications for acquiring hardware. Besides not acquiring hardware according to the district standards, Foster has not removed hardware that is clearly obsolete. As a result, there are many varieties of hardware in terms of network capability, availability of random access memory (RAM), central processing units (CPU), and platform.

To align the school's resources towards more current standards, Foster needs to purchase or lease hardware which meets current HISD standards (Action Item 7a), and remove hardware that is below standard (Action Item 7b). See Action Item 1 for specification of the standards.

In the past, hardware distribution has not been systematic, resulting in issues with the faculty over who acquires new equipment and who does not. Action Item 7c is to assist in clear decision-making regarding the distribution of computer hardware.

7a. Purchase/Lease Replacement Equipment

Based on the HISD standards for hardware, approximately 100 computers at Foster are effectively obsolete, meaning that they are not network able or they do not have sufficient memory or power to run a typical suite of current software.

To amend this disparity, Foster needs to commit to acquiring a minimum of 60 new computers in 2001-2002 and a minimum of 15 new computers in 2002-2003. With 23% of the classrooms having a mixed platform, it is not clear at this time what the ratio the new acquisitions should be of IBM compatible versus Macintosh computers.

Purchasing 60 computers represents an enormous outlay of funds-approximately $120,000. However, if Foster purchases the equipment on a three-year purchase/lease program, the cost of the computers is amortized over three years. At the end of the three years, Foster then has outright ownership of the equipment. With such a program, Foster would pay approximately $47,000 per year for three years for 60 computers starting with the 2001-2002 school year, and then an additional $20,000 for 15 more computers starting in the 2002-2003 school year. In this way, a total cost of about $150,000 is overcome by four payments of $37,000, $37,000, $37,000, and $10,000.

7b. Hardware Surplus Procedures

At the end of each school year, each teacher will be given a list of hardware currently assigned to his/her classroom. Each hardware item will be identified as "meeting current standards," "at minimum standards," or "obsolete."

The teacher is to mark each item either "to keep" for next year or "to surplus," which means for the school to remove the item from the classroom and dispose of it.

Surplus obsolete hardware is highly recommended, however, the decision rests with the classroom teacher. The Campus Technologist/IST will not support obsolete hardware; in other words, if a teacher chooses to keep obsolete hardware, he/she will have to maintain it and provide supplies for it.

Also, surplus obsolete hardware does not ensure better hardware to be necessarily assigned to the classroom the following year, but it does greatly increase the chances for newer hardware to be assigned in the following year. (Refer to Action Item 7c.)

7c. Classroom Hardware Distribution Procedures

All attempts will be made to distribute new classroom hardware as fairly as possible. To facilitate the distribution, all staff (new and current) must fill out a simple request sheet in order for the need for computer hardware to be ranked. Faculty will also stipulate what platform they prefer (IBM compatible or Macintosh). Teachers should assess their computer needs at the beginning of the year, mid-year, and at the end of the year.

The distribution procedures will first upgrade a classroom's hardware from obsolete to minimum standards. The obsolete hardware should be removed from the building.

Then hardware that meets only minimum standards will be upgraded with hardware that meets current standards. The hardware that is released by this upgrade then "cascades" to a classroom that has no hardware or has obsolete hardware.

Consideration for hardware distribution will be given in the following order:

1. Current teaching staff that do not have a classroom computer and have documented either previous computer training, previous computer use, or the intention of future computer training.
2. Current teaching staff that do not have a classroom computer and have had not computer experience.
3. New teaching staff with previous experience with computers as documented in a reference, in a teacher portfolio, PDAS paperwork, incentive pay application or by a set of lesson plans.
4. Current teaching staff with obsoletes computer equipment that has requested the equipment to be removed with the end-of-the-year request form.
5. Current teaching staff outside the computer-based content areas with hardware that meets only minimum standards. These computers will be upgraded to current standards.
6. New teachers without computer experience.

Current teaching staff with hardware that meets current standards will receive new equipment as the standards change such that their classroom equipment falls to minimum standards. Standards change quickly, and current equipment could be rated at minimum standards within two school years.

It is anticipated that, in the future, teachers may need to make a case for receiving new hardware (that is, show that they are currently working with computers). In this case, teachers will have several avenues to document their use of computers in the classroom: through their teaching portfolio, their PDAS documentation for professional development, and through applications for incentive pay. Such documentation may be used to make a more insistent request to the Campus Technologist/IST for replacement of sub-standard equipment.

Action Item 8. Annual Revision of the Technology Plan

The Technology Plan is considered a living document, having been developed with the idea of providing direction for one year. For that reason, it must be revised annually. In the fall of each school year, the Technology Committee needs to reform in order to analyze changes in data, conduct research, and prepare a new plan, which will incorporate necessary changes in structure and direction.

The new Technology Committee should include some members of the previous committee, but should make every effort to include additional faculty members, administration, parents, business partners, members of the school community and students. The plan should be ready for presentation for a vote by the Foster faculty no later than April 30th of each year.

Recommendations/Action Items: 2004-2005

Budget

The ultimate goal of the Technology Committee is to implement an action plan that will help Foster overcome its deficiency in computer technology. Therefore, we have included a comprehensive budget in this document. The Technology Committee understands that, at this time, Foster Elementary School has only allocated $5,000 budget line items for computer resources or technological support. We strongly urge the District and school administration to consider addressing the school's needs by setting aside some funds to underwrite the technological resources outlined in this plan.

Per Action Item 1, Foster must have its hardware, software, and network services at the current or minimum HISD standards.

Per Action Item 7a, Foster must purchase or lease new computer hardware to replace obsolete and non-functional machines.

Per Action Item 6, Foster must purchase software to support the school's standardized suite of software.

The following items are recommendations for purchases to accomplish the goals of the three above Action Items. Numbers of computers to be replaced are based strictly on the number of computers currently at Foster, which are obsolete or non-functioning. In regard to the platform of the machines to be replaced.

To estimate per year lease/purchase cost, divide total by 2.7. Approximate lease/purchase cost for 35 Windows computers and 20 HP DeskJet printers: $19, 596 per year for three years.

Replacements for Macintosh Machines:

To estimate year lease/purchase cost, divide total by 2.75. Approximate lease/purchase cost for 50 Macintosh computers and 20 Macintosh printers: $36,000 per year for three years.

Please note that with a 3-year purchase/lease program, the cost per Windows machine/per year (not including printers) is approximately $560. The Macintosh cost per machine/per year [not including printers] is approximately $720.

Also, please note that the number of obsolete computers and non-functional (non-obsolete) computers at Foster is a total of 109 machines, which (even after purchasing 85 machines) falls short of the resources necessary to have Foster meet the 1997 HISD standard.

Replacement of the AR server:

To estimate year lease/purchase cost, divide total by 2.75. Approximate lease/purchase cost for one Macintosh G3 server: $2,000 per year for three years.

Future Considerations

Instructional Technology

Teachers and students have made great strides in recent years regarding the use of technology to advance the process of learning. In the last decade we have moved gradually from hand-written work toward word-processed work, from slide rules toward graphing calculators; and from cut-and-pasted poster boards toward video and digital presentations. This movement at Foster has been slow to realize itself and has been isolated to pockets within our teaching/learning community. Each year, however, more technology is used, because the number of technologically aware students and teachers increase.

Our goal at Foster needs to include a vision of a continually advancing workplace, which will require employees to be well educated and have a solid grounding in a number of digital technologies. This is one of the elements Foster must focus on in order to remain a competitive school.

Emerging Technologies

Storage Media: Files and programs get bigger every day. Word processing programs used to come on a few floppy disks, and entire operating systems on only three or four disks. The first versions of Netscape's Navigator Internet browser would fit on two disks. The latest version of Netscape [version 4.51] is 14.6 Megabytes, the equivalent of eleven 1.44 MB floppy disks, and expands to over 30MB once it is installed. Some office suites, like Microsoft Office, have grown to 80 Megabytes or more, and aren't packaged on floppy disks at all. They are installed from a CD-ROM.

Since the floppy disk has become impractical as a useful storage mechanism for anything but individual files, other techniques should be considered. Two technologies that seem to offer the most promise for simple archiving and transportation of files are removable media and write able CD-ROMS:

• Removable media (each of these uses a disk roughly the size of a 3 1/2" floppy)

- - Zip Drives (store 100 MB per disk)

- - Jazz Drives (store 1 GB per disk)

- - Super Disks (store 125 MB per disk)

• Write able or re-write able CD-ROM discs (hold 580 to 680 MB each)

- - Write able CD-ROMs cost 2 to 5 dollars each, and can be written to once.

- - Re-write able CD-ROMs cost much more (typically 25 to 30 dollars each), but

      They can be copied over many times.

Faculty and staff should develop sound backup practices (using storage media such as the above) to protect themselves against hard drive crashes and other mechanical failures.

The Internet: The world of communication media is evolving so rapidly, it is impossible to assess the future of digital communications. The Internet is currently our most accessible and useful medium for long distance communications and information transfer. It is extremely important that we keep a watchful eye on related Internet technologies (Java, JavaScript, Active-X, VRML, etc.) so we can be prepared for the inevitable changes. Every teacher and administrator should make active use of Internet e-mail as an effective method of communicating with each other; and we should begin training as many interested teachers as possible to write the Internet layout language, HTML [and, probably, the emerging Internet language XML].

Multimedia: There are a number of different programs designed to offer an alternative to the printed (or scribbled) word. Wherever possible, we should incorporate the use of these alternatives as another method for presenting researched material. Some of the more likely programs we might use are slide show programs (like PowerPoint or Persuasion) and multimedia presentation programs (like Notebook or Hyper Studio).

Other Items: Among the many technologies currently available, some which may deserve special attention for our purposes, is Digital Videodiscs (DVD), video-conferencing, Intranets, infrared file transfer, and digital imaging. Some of these are new to the market, some are more thoroughly integrated into corporate use, and some have more limited value than others, but all are technologies, which could be useful under certain circumstances.

• DVD-It looks like a CD-ROM, but it can play a full-length motion picture on one disc. This technology will probably completely replace CD-ROM, VHS and Laserdisc.
• Video-conferencing-Two classes (in the same building, or anywhere in the world) could conduct a lesson at the same time, with each other, and view all the same materials.
• Intranets-Messages to an entire faculty can be placed on the school's intranet, without wasting paper, without losing the message. Messages can remain as long as needed, and be accessible to anyone on the internal network...but not available to anyone from outside the network.
• Infrared File Transfer-Foster currently has several laptop computers with infrared transfer capability. Without connecting wires between the two computers, they can copy files back and forth (no floppy disk required).
• Digital Imaging-The days of cut-and-paste should be put behind us. There are many wonderful image-editing/publishing programs available (Aldus Photoshop, Aldus PageMaker, Microsoft FrontPage, etc.) which allow full publishing capabilities on the Internet or on paper. These programs (when coupled with video cameras or digital cameras to capture images) can produce professional results easily.

Special Needs Learners

Technology often provides special support for individuals who require additional assistance. Students with visual impairments can make use of speech synthesizers, larger monitors, scanners and scan-reading software, plus a number of other utilities. Students with physical impairments could make excellent use of voice-recognition software. Software has been created which can assist with a number of different learning disabilities (dyslexia, A.D.D., etc.), and enhances those students' capabilities.

Diversifying the Technology Committee

Our Technology Committee this year was comprised of teachers from our faculty, as well as interested parents and community members. We utilized input from our administration and from outside sources (HISD's Technology and Information Services Department), but the structure and primarily Foster teachers formulated the wording of the plan.

It is our strong recommendation that future versions of Foster's Technology Plan continue to be written and researched by a combination of teachers, administrators, parents, students, and members of the business community. Selection of the new committee members should begin shortly after the beginning of each new school year. Some members should carry over from the previous year's committee, but every effort should be made to achieve a balance, which will allow varied sources of input during the preparation of the plan each year.

Grant Writing

A number of philanthropic organizations are vitally interested in the success of educational institutions. Grants should be sought out vigorously, and funding found for the purpose of completing specific projects. Equipment should be purchased with the grant funding which allows the teachers and students to complete those projects.

Bibliography

Much of the material listed in this bibliography is available both in print and on the Internet. We have separated them based on our sources for the documents we used.

Printed Documents:

Houston ISD Employment Center, Job Descriptions for Teacher Technologist and Technical Service Representative—Technology Department.

Houston ISD, Technology Plan Update, Chapter 7, Instructional Technology,

Instructional Technology Facilitator duties, pp. 7-17 and 7-1

Foster Elementary School, School Improvement Plan 2000-2001

Houston ISD, Technology Plan Update, InfiNet Technology Group

Websites, arranged by category

Computer Industry [Figures and Trends]

The Computer Almanac-Numbers About Computers. General background statistics, but very interesting figures.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/bam/www/numbers.html

Stanford Computer Industry Project-Detailed background research into computer use.

http://www-gsb.stanford.edu/scip/

Information Processing and Technology [A Virtual Approach]. A very nice Australian site for an overview of Internet stuff.

http://www.schools.ash.org.au/wonkosite/cybertext/ipt.htm

HISD Sites

HISD, main web address

http://www.houstonisd.org/

HISD Division of Technology Training, list of technology courses offered for HISD teachers

http://www.houstonisd.org/techtrain/Training/curricul.htm

HISD Technology & Information Systems, main web page

http:// www.houstonisd.org/technology/

HISD Technology & Information Systems, HISD Recommended Computer and

Software Systems

http:// www.houstonisd.org/technology/hardware.htm

HISD Technology & Information Systems, details and history of HISD's

Technology Plan

http:// www.houstonisd.org/technology/infrastructure.htm

HISD Technology & Information Systems, HISD Declaration of Beliefs and

Vision for the Use of Technology

http:// www.houstonisd.org/technology/beliefstech.htm

Technology Planning Sites

National Center for Technology Planning [very extensive links to other sites]

http://www.nctp.com/

NCRTEC's Resources for Guiding Questions for Technology Planning. This contains links to a number of excellent sites regarding the use of technology in schools. Equity issues, grants, planning, and a number of other issues are covered here.

http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/guidewww/gqres.htm

From Now On-an Educational Technology Journal. Numerous articles and links to other sites related to technology planning.

http://fromnowon.org/

Technology Plan Grant Program, from the Indiana Department of Education

http://doe.state.in.us/LearningResources/techplannews

The Switched on Classroom: A Planning Guide for Schools in Massachusetts, [excellent.... amazingly detailed]

http://www.swcouncil.org/switch2.stm

Technology Refusal And The Organizational Culture Of Schools, 2.0, by

Steven Hodas, [why new technologies sometimes don't work in schools]

http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~cpage/techref.html

TEKS Sites

TEKS [Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills]. Website at the Texas Education Agency. Has the complete TEKS, plus an excellent search engine.

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/

START [Sharing Technology Applications Resources with Teachers]. Website at University of North Texas. Has the complete TEKS, plus links to other related sites and online statewide resources.

http://www.tcet.unt.edu/START/

Other Websites

Abacus Concepts, Inc. [Their software program, Stat View, was used to process the statistics from our Faculty Survey. It produced the analysis and generated the charts we've used in this document.]

http://www.abacus.com/

Adobe Systems Incorporated [Both Adobe PageMaker and Adobe Photoshop were used to produce the print version of this document. Some portions of the web version were generated using the HTML export function on PageMaker 6.5...although most of the web pages were re-coded later anyway.]

http://www.adobe.com/

Appendix A: TEKS for Technology Applications

Following is a copy of the entire TEKS for Technology Applications for grades K-6.

Chapter 126. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications

Subchapter B. Elementary School

Statutory Authority: The provisions of this Subchapter B issued under the Texas Education Code, §28.002, unless otherwise noted.

§126.11. Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications, Elementary School.

The provisions of this subchapter shall supersede §75.51 of this title (relating to Computer Literacy) beginning September 1, 1998.

Source: The provisions of this §126.11 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 5203.

§126.12. Technology Applications (Computer Literacy), Grades K-6.

(a) General requirements. Districts have the flexibility of offering technology applications (computer literacy) in a variety of settings, including a specific class or integrated into other subject areas.

(b) Introduction.

(1) The technology applications curriculum has four strands: foundations, information acquisition, work in solving problems, and communication.

(2) Through the study of technology applications foundations, including technology-related terms, concepts, and data input strategies; students learn to make informed decisions about technologies and their applications. The efficient acquisition of information includes the identification of task requirements; the plan for using search strategies; and the use of technology to access, analyzes, and evaluates the acquired information. By using technology as a tool that supports the work of individuals and groups in solving problems, students will select the technology appropriate for the task, synthesize knowledge, create a solution, and evaluate the results. Students communicate information in different formats and to diverse audiences. A variety of technologies will be used. Students will analyze and evaluate the results.

(c) Knowledge and skills.