Write Specific GoalsIdentify goals that will bring you to your vision. The plan may identify goals that meet only portions of the vision or yearly incremental goals to reach the vision. Goals should be created with involvement of members of the organization. Goals will not be effective if written in isolation.
Write goals that will improve education. . .not just improve technology. If you agree on your vision, then begin to set reasonable goals inside a timeline and budget. Don't be intimidated by the language of goals and objectives. State in clear language what you want to do and then provide the steps which will lead you to your goal.
Goals should not be written to merely increase the amount of technology available. Goals need to address the improvement of student learning. For example, if you want to improve writing skills, make the improvement of writing skills a goal. If you have specific objectives you want to reach that fall under the goal, list the objectives in clear language.
Before listing the steps that take you to the goals, determine the current status of the district. This assessment should include not only a listing of hardware / software but should also include things like the attitudes of the staff and students toward technology, the attitudes of staff and students toward change, and the attitudes of staff and students toward learning and the current state of conducting business in the school. Many assessment tools are available which can help in the assessment. An example is listed in the reference section of this document.
Include the use of technology in your assessment. Be careful to go beyond just counting computers. Emphasize how the technologies are used. Simply buying equipment does not necessarily produce results. People using technology properly produces desired results. Identify your human resources as well as your physical resources.
You will find it useful at this stage to look a the enabling factors and constraints that will help achieve the goals. Look at each goal separately and ask "What will help to achieve this goal?" and "What will make it difficult to achieve this goal?" Avoid negativism in the process.
Educators are prone to the "yes, but" syndrome. When approached with a new idea, a dozen reasons can be given why it won't work and very few reasons why it will work. The emphasis should be how goals can be achieved, not whether they can be achieved.
Educational Improvement
Go beyond buying technology to teach about technology. Decide what changes would significantly improve the education of your students. Avoid "tinkering" solutions which place computers in isolated labs reserved for merely showing students how to use a computer. Work toward systemic solutions. Before even considering technology, focus on the necessary changes which will improve student learning. After deciding what needs to be accomplished, then look at the technology that will help you reach your goals.
How technology will support educational improvement for ALL students
Technology is more than computers. Your plan should stress the integration of a variety of technologies into the curriculum. Learning to communicate using video is as important as being able to communicate on paper. Students are increasingly going to get their information from a video screen. Industry has used technology to manage time. Schools should make similar applications. Apply technology after you have decided upon your educational improvement. Don't buy technologies that are solutions in search of problems.
Advice:
Your plan should describe the ways in which technology will be used to improve student learning. For example, you might use technology as a resource (i.e. CD-ROM reference material, to present materials, an evaluation tool, and to provide simulations to name a few).
Your plan should list the technologies you will use and how they relate to your vision for educational improvement.
Questions:
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