Technology Evaluation for Jones Elementary

School Demographics Jones Elementary School is a K-4 school located in a suburban area of a large metropolitan city. The majority of the 500 students that attend come from upper class families. Most of the students are white, with the second highest population being Hispanic. This school has a teacher ratio of 24:1 in grades K-3, and an average of 31:1 in grades 4-5. There are 24 fully-licensed teachers at Jones Elementary. Most hold masters degrees. There are 4 male teachers and 20 female teachers, all but two over the age of 40, averaging 20 years of teacher experience. The school has a very active parent association that provides financial support for many aids and materials in the classrooms. The school is a distinguished school in the area, scoring in the top percentile on state tests. Maturity Benchmark Results

Administrative Filter
Policy Behavioral-Islands While appropriate technology has been formalized, it is largely ignored by the majority of teachers. While grade 2 through grade 4 teachers are provided with SmartBoards, audio systems, and netbooks for each of their students, they are not required to use them, nor are they reminded or encouraged. Resource/Infrastructure - Intelligent The policy exists and has been approved by the district and their decision makers, but is unknown to the teachers at this school. Planning Behavioral-Integrated Technology planning at this school is based on the planning from the school district and what resources they will provide as well as the districts expectations for the teachers. No formal review of this plan takes place. Resource/Infrastructure-Integrated Most if not all of the teachers have not been involved in viewing the schools technology plan or asked to help in the planning. Most planning is done by the school district and then relayed to the schools. Budget Behavioral-Intelligent A proposition in 2008 passed that allocates $42 million each year for technology until 2015 and a total of $400 million over the next 14 years. The money is only allocated for software and materials. It does not go towards teacher training. Resource/Infrastructure-Intelligent See above. Administrative Information Behavioral- Intelligent The staff takes attendance every day using the computer, eliminating paper rosters. They also do all their mark reporting online as well as are contacted by the principal using email, not printed letters. Class

rosters and students birthdays and contact information are also kept in a database easy for teachers to use. Resource/Infrastructure - Intelligent All staff has access to the attendance, mark reporting, and email. They are required to use all three.

Curricular Filter
Electronic Information Behavioral- Emergent Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent Assessment Behavioral- Islands Our school relies on one assessment tool that records classroom scores as well as state standardized scores. This program pinpoints where students are struggling and provides practice questions and quizzes for areas of need. It creates many reports including some designed for parents. This tool also allows teachers to see the scores of their incoming students as well as track them throughout grades. A few of our staff utilize this program throughout the entire year, but many only print out their results to district standardized testing to help them during the reporting period. Resource/Infrastructure- Islands The school utilizes just one program. The program is mainly used when looking at state and district testing results. No other programs have been introduced.

Curriculum Integration Behavioral-Emergent Lessons at this school are not dependent on technology. Technology is mainly used as a presentation piece in the curriculum. Students will use a computer to create a PowerPoint or type a story in Word or create a holiday card in Publisher. Not as often a teacher may come across a video that ties into a unit. Students will use an Internet search engine or particular website to find facts to display in a PowerPoint or a poster. Resource/Infrastructure - Islands Some of the schools technology resources come with the sets of textbooks and teacher guides. Related math videos and quizzes accompany the math program the district has adopted. The company that creates the science kits for this school has a website, but is unknown or unused by most teachers. The social studies text also has a CD component available to supplement certain topics. Teacher Use Behavioral- Islands Teachers use their document cameras regularly to project images and text onto a large screen for easier viewing. About half the teachers use their SmartBoards as an interactive tool for students. Out of the teachers that have netbooks for their students, only 1 sometimes uses them as a network of computers, communicating answers. Most teachers use their netbooks as typerwriters or not at all. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated Most teachers have access to technology in their classroom. All classrooms have a document camera and are provided with at least 4 desktop computers (if teachers want them). In grades 2-4, classrooms are equipped with SmartBoards as well as netbooks for each child. These classrooms are also hooked up to an audio system that allows teachers and students to speak into a microphone for easier communication. Six of the teachers were also given iPads for their classroom. At least one uses it to enhance her lessons. Student Use Behavioral- Islands

At this school students use technology, but in limited ways. In the younger grades, websites are played on and books are read online. In the older grades, students create word documents of their writing and create PowerPoints to present something theyve learned. Sometimes PowerPoints are created for the sake of learning how to create one, but are not tied to the curriculum. Resource/Infrastructure - Islands Students are guaranteed to use a desktop computer at least once a week as they go to the computer lab with their class. Most of the classrooms are not centered around using netbooks or other technology to guide or even support lessons.

Support Filter
Stakeholder Involvement Behavioral- Emergent The Stakeholders were made up of a group of district staff and a few teachers in school sites. Teachers were selected, they didnt volunteer, so hardly anyone had the chance to be actively engaged in the process. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated All of the groups were represented in the planning process. All teachers were not invited to attend the planning process, but there were teachers on the team of decision makers.

Administrative Support Behavioral- Islands Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated Training Behavioral- Emergent Few staff members participate in any technology trainings. When the SmartBoards were first put in classrooms, teachers would be given a substitute teacher for their classroom to attend one or two sessions showing them how to use the boards. Beyond that, teachers do not go to any technology trainings. Resource/Infrastructure - Emergent Besides the district trainings for the SmartBoards, no other formal technology training is offered. Technical & Infrastructure Support Behavioral-Emergent Few staff take the time to ask for support in how to use the technology they are given. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated

The school has a computer teacher that is willing to assist teachers in any way she can. The school district also has a help desk teachers can call if they need assistance. If they arent able to fix the problem over the phone, the district will send someone directly to the school site. Connectivity Filter
Local Area Networking Behavioral- Intelligent All users are connected to the LAN. Teachers and students have their own log-in names are are able to save data on their account as well as print to networked printers. Resource/Infrastructure - Intelligent Staff and students are connected to high speed internet that allows them to view videos and create presentations. Individual accounts make it easy for saving data. District Area Networking (WAN)

Behavioral- Islands Teachers sometimes use the districts WAN but for basic uses such as checking email or the school calendar. Most do not connect to their school accounts from home. Resource/Infrastructure - Intelligent The WAN allows teachers to connect to their school from an outside location. Their hard drive can be accessed from anywhere. Teachers are also able to their school and districts library from anywhere. Internet Access Behavioral- Islands Many of the staff use the Internet frequently whether it be to check their email, take attendance, record grades, show videos, or find lesson ideas. It is sometimes used to support the curriculum. Students in a few classes use the internet frequently, especially during literacy centers in the primary grades. Students log on to reading websites that help them with fluency and comprehension. Some classes also utilize a math website where students can practice their math skills while earning points. Teachers are able to track students progress for both of these sites. Resource/Infrastructure - Intelligent Wi-fi is available in every part of the school campus. Communication Systems Behavioral- Integrated Email is used between the principal and staff as well for communicating with parents. Most teachers use email to communicate with parents. The parent organization sends out frequent emails to all the parents and staff about upcoming events and fundraisers. The amount of paper flyers at this school has decreased immensely since they moved to emails. Resource/Infrastructure - Integrated Email is available for anyone that works for the school district. No students at this site are given the option to have an email account through the school. Innovation Filter New Technologies Behavioral- Islands Most teachers accept the technology but dont spend the time to master it and find the capabilities of the device. There isnt a time when staff members sit down to train each other or share their findings of the new technology. Technology is rarely to never brought up in staff meetings. Time or incentives are not given to experiment. Resource/Infrastructure-Islands Most teachers accpept the new technology, although some find SmartBoards big and bulky in their classroom, but they are encouraged or motivated to learn the capabilites of each. Many times netbooks sit in the back of the classroom locked up. iPads are used for the teachers personal use instead of incorporating them into lessons or having them communciate with the SmartBoard. No formal instruction or guidance was given when handing out iPads to six of the teachers. Comprehensive Technologies Behavioral-Islands This school has netbooks, SmartBoards, document cameras, dvd players, and a limited number of iPads. It is in the beginning stage of Islands as no other technologies have been introduced yet. Resource/Infrastructure-Islands The staff that utilizes the technology in their classroom are limited to netbooks, a document camera, sound system, and SmartBoard. Many teachers use only the document camera to project onto the SmartBoard.