DTTP

**District Technology Training Plan**
 Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) has a wide variety of technology available to its teachers. We have hardware such as desktops and LCD projectors in almost every classroom. SMARTBoards are available in each school to be reserved for lessons by teachers. Media centers have laptops that students and teachers can check out for school-related work. There is also a plethora of software available, from online programs such as StarFall and Math Facts, to paid for programs like Accelerated Reader and Kidspiration. Teachers utilized Grade Book Pro and the Parent Access Center on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Other programs made readily available to teachers include Adobe Acrobat, Adobe PhotoShop, Microsoft Office, DreamWeaver, and Internet Explorer.
 * Our District **

 The Technology Department created and distributed a survey to find out what difficulties the teachers saw with current technology use. We also observed technology use in several schools. From this data, we determined that a majority (70%) of CCPS’s teachers do not feel comfortable using technology in the classroom. More teachers (85%) do not feel that they are integrating technology into the curriculum effectively. The technology, therefore, is underutilized.  A quarter of all SMARTBoards in our district are not used at all. More than half (52%) of the SMARTBoards are not used on a weekly basis. Not even all of the desktop computers are being utilized; 12% are down for maintenance or unused on a weekly basis. A third of the software that the district and schools have purchased is not used. Twenty percent of the software that is used in classrooms is outdated.  With all this lack of utilization of the technologies we have available, the biggest problem is that 80% of our teachers have no formal training using any of the technologies in their classrooms. Training will encourage teachers to see the benefits of using the hardware and software provided. Teachers will feel more comfortable using technology with students and having students use technology if they have been taught how to use it. Teachers will be able to integrate technology into the curriculum easily because they are comfortable with using the technologies.  Another difficulty is that because teachers are not familiar with a technology, they also do not know all that it is capable of doing. This is considered underutilization of the technologies we have. There is no need to upgrade our software or hardware because the current technologies are not being used. Students are not benefiting from the technology as much as possible, which is disappointing to them and the community, especially for schools that have active PTAs that donate technology for the students and teachers.  The majority of our teachers are also older than 30 (75%). There is a difference in the technology experience of someone who is over 30 and someone who is younger, mainly that the younger person has grown up with advancing technology. This creates a “digital divide” between teachers and students, as well as between other teachers. Lewis (2001) suggests that teachers becoming more familiar with technologies will help students learn from the technologies and communicate with the teachers.  CCPS does not currently offer training outside of what is offered by the state of Maryland. Maryland does offer some technology-related courses, such as Using Technology in the Elementary Mathematics Classroom and Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0. However, with the lack of comfort and training using the programs available here in Calvert County, we need to follow a training plan that will introduce teachers to new technologies or continue their learning with a technology. Specifically, CCPS’s teachers need training with the SMARTBoard, Kidspiration, Math Facts Pro, Gradebook, and Parent Access Center.
 * The Need **

The goals of this District Technology Training Plan are:
 * Goals **
 * Teachers will be able to use the technology they have available in the classroom.
 * Teachers will be able to use the technology available in the school.
 * Teachers will be able to use technologies effectively to teach concepts to students.
 * Teachers will be able to teach students to use technologies.
 * Teachers will feel comfortable using technologies.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">SMARTBoard: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Beginner- Never used a SMARTBoard or are not comfortable using one. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Intermediate- Used a SMARTBoard for lessons but do not know all capabilities. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Expert- Has used SMARTBoard for years but want to know what is new
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Courses Needed **

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Kidspiration: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Beginner- Never used Kidspiration <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Intermediate- Used Kidspiration a few times to demonstrate to students but do not know all capabilities <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Expert- Used Kidspiration with students and have had students use it but want to learn new ways to use it in the classroom

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Math Facts Pro: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Beginner- Never used Math Facts Pro <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Intermediate- Used Math Facts Pro sparingly and not as part of a lesson

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gradebook: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Beginner- Not comfortable using Gradebook <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Intermediate- Has taken training but doesn’t know all capabilities <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Expert- Used Gradebook for all grading but would like tips to make it more efficient <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> How to use the Gradebook Pro App

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Parent Access Center: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Beginner- Not comfortable using PAC <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Intermediate- Used PAC to communicate with parents occasionally <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Expert- Used PAC regularly but would like to know what else it can do


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Instructional Strategies **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Gradebook Pro Application is new and a technology that teachers will find very useful. This application will be taught over a 4-day course during the summer. The course will begin with an overview of what Gradebook Pro is capable of doing. The class will be asked what difficulties they have with using Gradebook Pro and these problems will be addressed. At the end of the day, all participants should be comfortable with using basic functions of Gradebook Pro on a computer. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> On the second day, participants will download the application. A lecture and progressive display will be given showing the teachers how to upload an imaginary class to their application. All participants will be given the same students and student data in order to familiarize themselves with the program. Once the teachers have successfully uploaded the imaginary class information, they will be asked to manipulate it like they would for one of their classes. As the participants come across difficulties, they will share with the class what they are trying to do and the class will work to solve the problem. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> The third day will begin with all of the imaginary class information being deleted from the application. Teachers will be asked to start from scratch to upload information from students from the prior school year. The class will work in groups to overcome difficulties with the application, and bring insoluble problems to the instructor’s attention for assistance. In the afternoon, the instructor will give a brief lecture on the available features for the application and determine which features need more instruction, and demonstrate the features accordingly. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> On the fourth day, the instructor will continue demonstration of features as necessary. Then, participants will again be asked to wipe all information from the application. Each teacher will be given imaginary data about a class to input into Gradebook Pro and use features such as e-mailing grades, overriding points for an individual student, create a report of class attendance, and backing up the data. A tutorial on using the Gradebook Pro application will be available on the Technology Department’s website for teachers to reference after the course.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> For the classes on Gradebook, Parent Access Center, and Kidspiration, teachers will be asked to present a finished product that encompasses the learning that took place during the course. The courses on SMARTBoards and MathFactsPro will be evaluated by the teachers demonstrating different skills learned during the course. The technology department will give a follow-up survey on the last day of the course to determine overall satisfaction. Participants in the courses will be contacted throughout the school year to determine if the course was truly helpful in integrating technology into the teachers’ classrooms.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evaluation **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Budget **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> No new software will need to be purchased for these courses because the county already owns licensing for the programs. Classes will need to be held in rooms with computers for every participant with Internet connections. It would also be preferable to have an LCD projector and SMARTBoard available for all classes. The only cost I foresee is if outside instructors are needed.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Resources **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">District Survey- [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Follow Up Survey- [] Lesson Plan- [|DTTPlessonplan.docx]

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">References <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Lewis, Bruce. (2001). Help! Third graders know more (about technology) than my graduate students. Closing the digital divide. //Mid-South Instructional Technology// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> //Conference.// Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED463730.pdf


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Second Attempt **


 * **Program** || **Beginner** || **Intermediate** || **Expert** ||
 * Using Technology in the Elementary Classroom || Show teachers how to appropriately find and use Internet resources; demonstrate creating effective PowerPoint presentations; introduction to the SMARTBoard, Kidspiration, Math Facts, Spelling City, Accelerated Reader, and StarFall. Length- 1 week || Appropriate ways to teach students to use SMARTBoard and Excel in the classroom; using PowerPoint to create interactive games; creating a classroom website. Length- 1 week ||  ||
 * Using Technology in Elementary School Science ||  ||   || Using the SMARTBoard for science projects and demonstrations; using PowerPoint to display findings; using PowerPoint to create a virtual field trip; using Excel to organize and display data. Length- 1 week ||
 * The World Wide Web and Elementary School Students || Choosing websites that are appropriate to use; how to search effectively; implementing the AUP. Length- 3 days || Showing students how to conduct research; creating a classroom website; uploading student work to a website; creating a class wiki with students. Length- 1 week ||  ||
 * Using Technology in Elementary School Mathematics ||  ||   || Getting the most out of MathFacts; online mathematics resources; lessons for use on a SMARTBoard; creating flashcards in PowerPoint. Length- 1 week ||
 * Using Technology in Elementary School English/Language Arts ||  ||   || Getting the most out of StarFall and Accelerated Reader; online reading resources; creating storylines and games with PowerPoint; using Kidspiration. Length- 1 week ||
 * How to Use a SMARTBoard with Grades 2-5 ||  || Programs available for the SMARTBoard; activities that can be setup on a SMARTBoard; Using a SMARTBoard effectively for young students. Length- 3 days || Creating games and lessons for the SMARTBoard; how to teach students to use the SMARTBoard. Length- 3 days ||
 * How to Use a SMARTBoard with Grades 6-12 ||  || Programs available for the SMARTBoard; activities that can be setup on a SMARTBoard; Using a SMARTBoard effectively for older students. Length- 3 days || Creating age-appropriate interactive lessons using a SMARTBoard; teaching students to use the SMARTBoard. Length- 3 days ||
 * How to Get the Most Out of Gradebook || Introduction to the basic functions and uses of Gradebook. Length- 1 day || Features that can be used on Gradebook. Length- 1 day ||  ||
 * How to Use Parent Access Center || Introduction to the Parent Access Center. Length- 1 Day ||  ||   ||

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Technology has an instant connection to science. Hands-on learning is key and using a SMARTBoard is a huge help when experiments cannot be done in a classroom. For Day 1 of “Using Technology in Elementary School Science,” teachers would be introduced to some interactive programs that are downloadable to a SMARTBoard. The programs would be demonstrated to the teachers using a lecture and participation from the audience. Stress would be placed on the fact that the teachers need to try the programs out themselves before using them in a class. Teachers would be asked to find more resources that could be used in an elementary science classroom and share them with the rest of the class. They will need to be able to explain why the program is worth using, and if there are any downfalls of the program (too slow, false information). ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> On the second day, teachers would be shown how to use Excel to record data and display results. A PowerPoint presentation would be given to show the step-by-step process while the teachers follow along on desktop computers. Teachers will be reminded of the differences between graphs by playing a match game in groups. They will have to match the graph to its appropriate form of data. Still in groups, the class will record how many times a coin lands on heads after 25 tosses. The class will record the data from each group and present it as written and graphical data. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> On the third day, teachers would be shown how to use PowerPoint to display and present findings of a science experiment in a lecture with PowerPoint demonstration. A graph or table can be made in Excel and then pasted into PowerPoint for a more pleasing presentation. The class will be asked to copy their data from the day before into PowerPoint slides that make the data easy to understand. A demonstration will also be given on how to create games in PowerPoint. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> On the last day, teachers will be shown how to create a virtual field trip in PowerPoint by adding pictures, narrative, and sounds. The class will be asked to create a short field trip to a location of their choice, using unlicensed pictures found on the Internet. Then they will have to create a game that will allow their students to review the information learned on the field trip. ====

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Description: An in-depth look at classroom technologies readily available for use with science. Focus is on SMARTBoards and PowerPoint. ======


 * 1) ======<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Find interactive science games that are appropriate for your classroom. You will need to defend your choices. ======
 * 2) ======<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Create an accurate spreadsheet and graph from your group’s data. ======
 * 3) ======<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Create an effective PowerPoint to display the data. ======
 * 4) ======<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Create instructional games using PowerPoint. ======
 * 5) ======<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Create a virtual field trip using PowerPoint. ======

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Content: Teaching teachers functions of PowerPoint that they would not typically use, such as linking text on a slide to another slide in the presentation. Teachers will create virtual fiel<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">d trips using pictures and information they find online.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Objectives: Teachers will be able to determine the need for virtual field trips.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;"> Teachers will be able to create an accurate and interesting virtual field trip.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">How will you teach the lesson?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">The lesson will begin with a PowerPoint montage of beautiful and interesting locations. I will explain to the teachers that there are hundreds of places that students cannot travel but that they can still learn about these locations. Virtual field trips are much less expensive than real ones. Creating a virtual field trip is also beneficial for a student who misses a class field trip.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Then a demonstration will be given showing teachers how to link slides to one another to create choices students can make during the field trip, or to look closer at an aspect of the trip. Teachers will then be asked to create their own virtual field trip.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Materials: LCD projector, desktop computers for every teacher, PowerPoint, Internet access; handout showing step by step directions on creating choices within a PowerPoint

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Evaluation Strategies: Virtual field trips will be graded based on quality of pictures and text used, if links within the presentation are accurate, and if text is appropriate.