School District #54, Schaumburg, Illinois

School District #54 in Schaumburg, Illinois, has developed the following technology plan:

"SCHOOL DISTRICT #54
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES PLAN
March 1996

Looking Toward the 21st Century...

The purpose of this plan is to provide a clear vision for uses of information and communication technologies for teaching and learning throughout the District 54 School Community. Our top priority has been to consider what critical elements are needed to create an optimal learning environment for all of our children and to build a more collaborative community for all of our stakeholders.

Our world is rapidly changing as we settle into this Information Age. We have ready access to abundant sources of information, and we are able to communicate with virtually any individual on the planet--and even with those in outer space. That is, if we possess both the technological tools and the intellectual skills required for such endeavors.

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report of 1991 has identified essential abilities which will be needed for Americans in the 21st Century.

• Foundation Skills:
  • Basic Skills - Reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens, and speaks well

  • Thinking Skills - Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, reasons, and knows how to learn

  • Personal Qualities - Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, honesty, and integrity

• Workplace Competencies:
  • Resources - Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources

  • Interpersonal - Works well with others, teaming

  • Information - Acquires, analyzes, and uses information

  • Systems - Understands complex interrelationships

  • Technology - Works with a variety of technologies

The Illinois State Board of Education has recently revised the State Goals and Standards for Learning (1996) to include application of processes and tools for life-long learning within each content area. These new Goals and Standards emphasize the importance of learning across areas and throughout life.
• Illinois Standards:
  • Active Learning

  • Problem Solving

  • Communication

  • Collaboration

  • Seeking Connections

  • Technologies

The goals, outcomes, strategies, and action plans developed for this plan represent a recognition of the importance of preparing our children for an exciting and challenging future. The strategies and action plans also address the very specific needs of those students who may require the use of Assistive Technologies in order to access information and communicate effectively with others. This plan also reflects the necessity of reshaping some traditional methods of education to meet the new needs and new roles of all learners in our school community.

Our Vision

We have created this plan to enhance learning for our whole community through information and communication technologies and have agreed upon the following overarching criteria:

We believe that / in...

• Preparing all students to be life-long learners in an ever-changing world.

• Recognizing and honoring the knowledge and wisdom of children.

• Learning which takes place within and beyond school walls.

• Focusing on learning that addresses the needs of all students.

• Sharing community resources to facilitate life-long learning.

• Risk taking, risk management, and accountability.

• Equitable access to information and communication technologies for all members of our community.

• Completely networking our schools and community.

• Committing to and accepting changing roles as both learners and facilitators of learning.

• Establishing coalitions with parents, business, and community groups.

• Sharing the responsibility to create, communicate, and implement this evolving plan.

We have created this plan to enhance learning for our whole community through information and communication technologies and have agreed upon the following goals, outcomes, and strategies:

Goal One: To maximize the potential of every student as an effective life-long learner.

• Every student will:
  • Be actively engaged in the learning process, both individually and collaboratively.

  • Demonstrate their own potential as a life-long learner, and recognize that of others.

  • Use critical thinking strategies in the learning process.

  • Be a risk taker in learning.

  • Gather, analyze, and synthesize information from various sources and communicate his or her understanding of it effectively (literate in the use of technology as a tool).

  • 'Make a difference' by participating in and collaborating with others in Real World problem-solving situations.

• Strategies for accomplishing these outcomes:
  • Encourage students to be explorers, teachers, and producers as they construct meaning.

  • Utilize flexible grouping practices to assist students in taking on new roles as learners.

  • Use performance-based and portfolio assessment practices.

  • Apply flexible and innovative scheduling and use of time, space, and personnel.

  • Develop goal-setting strategies in students, both individually and collectively.

  • Provide students opportunities to make choices; to become partners in learning.

  • Develop an understanding of diversity among cultures, persons with disabilities, and other differences among individuals/groups within and beyond our school community.

  • Use metacognition (thinking about thinking) strategies, such as reflective journals and processing activities.

  • Outline specific critical thinking strategies for the District 54 curriculum.

  • Establish classroom and school guidelines for demonstrating respect for self and others.

  • Encourage students to share their ideas and express their viewpoints in class.

  • Encourage students to explore and challenge themselves to use new technologies as tools in learning (e.g., multimedia presentations, assistive technologies).

  • Use multiple sources for collecting data--human, print, CD-ROM, on-line, etc.

  • Use multiple means for presenting information--print, video, multimedia, WWW, etc.

  • Make presentations to 'authentic' audiences and discuss new ideas with them.

  • Select activities that are meaningful to students in their own community and beyond.

  • Develop teaming skills and conflict management strategies.

  • Provide ongoing opportunities for students to develop and practice skills.

  • Implement multiple intelligences strategies in guiding students.

  • Develop appropriate technological skills in relation to the learning process.

  • Establish opportunities for students with diverse needs to develop social skills to support meaningful peer relationships.

  • Encourage students to challenge themselves to use new technologies as tools in learning (e.g., multimedia presentations, assistive technologies).

  • Enhance the independent functioning of students with special needs through the use of a variety of assistive technology systems (no tech, low tech, high tech).

  • Provide ongoing opportunities for students to integrate assistive technologies by creating and adapting curriculum/materials for themselves and/or others.

  • Utilize a variety of assistive technology systems (no tech, low tech, high tech) with students who require assistance in accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

Goal Two: To use information and communication technologies as an integral part of the teaching and learning process.
• Our school community (school sites) will:
  • Create a more adaptable and flexible environment for all learners.

  • Utilize technology as a tool to enhance learning throughout the curriculum; including critical thinking strategies and problem-based learning practices.

  • Utilize a variety of existing and emerging information and communication technologies within and beyond our school walls to enhance teaching and learning.

• Strategies for accomplishing these outcomes:

  • Implement flexible scheduling in Library Media Centers and Computer Labs.

  • Implement flexible scheduling and block scheduling options in classrooms.

  • Provide open lab times before school, during lunch, and after school for staff, students, and community.

  • Utilize cooperative groups, collaborative work groups, flexible groups, cross-age groups (e.g., 2nd & 6th graders or 4th graders & senior citizens), multi-age groups (e.g., 1st & 2nd grades in one class sharing the same curriculum), etc.

  • Expand opportunities for dual language classrooms, area clustering for bi-lingual students, mainstreaming, and inclusion.

  • Offer ongoing professional development and support in creating and sustaining new learning environments.

  • Participate in collaborative on-line experiences such as key pals, bulletin boards, simulations, problem-solving projects, mentoring, creating web pages, etc.

  • Develop multimedia presentations to share information and communicate new ideas.

  • Utilize a variety of technologies (camcorder, digital probes, Personal Digital Assistants [ PDAs], e-mail, Internet, FAX, telephone, etc.) to collect and analyze data.

  • Provide ongoing professional development and support in strategies for developing engaged learning units/projects with students and in fully utilizing technology tools.

  • Provide access within classrooms for Local Area Network (LAN) linkage within a school building.

  • Provide Wide Area Network (WAN) linkage between and among our schools and homes.

  • Offer services such as homework hotline, computer check-out, open lab during nonschool hours, etc.

  • Form neighborhood computer pods.

  • Offer ongoing professional development and support in assistive technology systems (no tech, low tech, high tech).

  • Develop and maintain an Assistive Technology Site to provide technical assistance, equipment (no tech, low tech, high tech), and ongoing support for students who require assistance in accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

  • Provide open and/or guided opportunities for staff to create and adapt materials for students who require assistance in accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

  • Develop guidelines and procedures related to assistive technologies (common language, mandates, implementation requirements, referrals, etc.)

  • Provide professional development opportunities for teams to build skills in determining assistive technology (no tech, low tech, high tech) needs for students who require assistance accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

Goal Three: To create a positive, supportive, and continually evolving learning community.
• Our school community will:
  • Develop seamless connectivity/network infrastructure services for information and communication leading to a more productive, efficient, and dynamic organization.

  • Acknowledge, understand, and plan for the realities of change.

• Strategies for accomplishing these outcomes:
  • Provide and maintain an inter- and intra-building network with capacities and services throughout the District and available to all staff--for document exchange, e-mail, attendance, reporting to parents, etc.

  • Develop and maintain an interactive calendar system, accessible through the District network services and available to all staff.

  • Maintain a central data base of pertinent information such as minutes from committee meetings, School Board meetings, Board policies, etc.--accessible through the District network services.

  • Offer ongoing professional development to build skills for fully utilizing such a network.

  • Develop improved communications strategies.

  • Establish District guidelines for promoting open and honest communications.

  • Implement voice-mail capacity for all staff.

  • Recognize and address the human need for time and support to adjust to change and to learn new ways of operating.

  • Develop and maintain a District 54 Homepage.

  • Continually review, reshape, and improve this plan based upon changing needs and availability of resources.

  • Provide opportunities for families and District 54 community members to develop and practice using appropriate assistive technologies (no tech, low tech, high tech) for students who require assistance in accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

  • Maintain a searchable data base of existing assistive technology systems and strategies available within District 54.

  • Develop and maintain user-friendly links among District 54, the community, and world wide assistive technology data bases.

  • Continually review, evaluate, and improve this plan based upon changing needs and availability of assistive technology resources.

Goal Four: To build and maintain productive coalitions for learning throughout our wider community.
• Our District along with the wider community will:
  • Participate in working collaboratively for everyone's benefit.

  • Continually learn to use existing and emerging information and communication technologies.

  • Establish equitable, not necessarily equal, access to information and communication technologies for all stakeholders.

• Strategies for accomplishing these outcomes:
  • Continue and build upon the strength of collaboration among a representative group of stakeholders--such as has been begun in our Planning Task Force.

  • Continue and expand the community collaborative dialogue and network--i.e., build upon the Community Symposium of 5.95.

  • Establish leadership teams from the community to maintain coalitions, partnerships, and an exchange of ideas.

  • Establish a community steering committee to pursue resources and support for fully linking our wider community.

  • Coordinate resources to maximize the benefits for all stakeholders.

  • Continue and expand connectivity with homes, local libraries, businesses, and agencies.

  • Establish community-wide connections - with local and Internet access capabilities.

  • Establish a standard level of access throughout our District and wider community and a time frame for its implementation.

  • Offer learning opportunities for community members and families.

  • Offer services for community members and families such as homework hotline, computer check-out, open lab during nonschool hours, etc.

  • Establish information and communication technologies-related links with local, state, and federal agencies and (govt.) policy makers.

  • Establishing working relationships with local, state, and federal agencies and policy makers in order to influence development and implementation of programs and policies related to education and information/communication technologies.

  • Establish networks (human and electronic) of individuals and organizations willing to lend their expertise in designing and adapting systems for students who require assistance accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

  • Establish working relationships with local, state, and federal departments, policy makers, and private entities (insurance companies, corporations, etc.) in order to influence development, funding, and implementation of programs and policies related to assistive technologies.

  • Establish networks (human and electronic) among districts, agencies, and other interested parties for the purpose of staying current with best practice and for the sharing of resources for students who require assistance in accessing information and communicating effectively with others.

  • Provide public awareness and opportunities for involvement in promoting the understanding and use of assistive technologies (no tech, low tech, high tech).

Evaluation of effective implementation:

Our primary purpose is to positively impact the learning opportunities and the school environment of the students of School District 54.

• We have developed specific Action Plans for achieving the goals of our plan. We recognize the importance of ongoing evaluation as these Action Plans are put into motion.

• A major tool we will use to assist us in gauging the success of our information and communication technologies efforts is a research-based assessment developed by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), which is located in Oakbrook. NCREL is a federally funded research and development agency with technology and learning as their primary focus of study.

• District 54 has been asked to become part of a pilot study for implementing the Learning Through Technology Profile Tool district-wide. Each school will use this tool periodically to assess their current practice and ongoing growth in 'best practice' teaching and learning (engaged learning), their use of high-technology performance, and their progress toward an engaged learning/high-technology interface. Artifacts and case studies will provide primary source data to supplant the profile results." (pp. 6-13)

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Reprinted with permission of Schaumburg C.C.S.D. 54, Schaumburg, Illinois.

References

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