REALIZING THE BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY for students in education relies on a sound technology plans. These plans are meant to guide districts and/or schools as they determine their technology needs for a specific time frame. Truly successful technology plans incorporate strong goals for learning, organization, professional development, a technology committee, flexibility, a budget, and continuous evaluation. Though some may recognize others, the following are the five major components necessary in successful technology plans.

Teachers collaborate to brainstorm possible strategies for meeting goals outlined in the technology plan.

A strong school mission should drive the clearly defined goals of the technology plan. Those goals should be aligned with already established instructional objectives, not technological developments, in order to better meet the needs of the target population - the students. The plan needs to be effortlessly referenced when making decisions whether in curriculum or purchasing.

Technology Committees are powerful tools and, as proposed by literature sources, should be comprised of educators, parents, community members, and business leaders with expertise in the area of technology (McNabb, 1999; Novmeber, Staudt, & Huske, 1998). Conducting research is a primary goal and thus they are responsible for exploring the current technology uses and capabilities, the technology needs of the school, and the resources useful to meet those educational needs (Massachusetts Software Council, 1999). All of these "groups" working as a whole, rather than as separate entities, leads to success.

A change in culture that encourages different ways of thinking in terms of teaching, the learning process, and uses for technology is required for successful implementation. Professional growth (training) is necessary in order to assist with this change in culture and, ultimately, attitude. This on-going process assists teachers in becoming more comfortable and confident with technology and incorporating new teaching strategies. 

Simply placing new equipment in classrooms, without training, only causes confusion.

The technology plan is not to be budget driven. Rather, the visions and strong, diverse objectives should drive the plan with budgeting activities complementing it (Knuth & Hopey, 1996). Once an initial assessment of where funds are coming from is conducted, strategies can be incorporated into the plan for how funding will continue to be acquired in the future. With high start-up costs and areas of on-going implementations, such as professional growth, maintenance, schools need to plan accordingly and may have to turn to other funding sources.

Continuous evaluation occurs after each step of implementation.

The implementation of a technology plan is an ongoing process involving evaluation, improvements, revisions, and then evaluating again (illustrated in the graphic from bottom up). Evaluation provides information on potential problems, areas needing further technical assistance, the plan's effects on participants, whether or not technology is used as a tool for successful learning outcomes, and the alignment of the goals to the mission. The areas that render success should be examined for the driving strategies. Those that were not successful need strengthening and continued support or should be eliminated altogether. With the rapid rate at which technology and curriculum are changing, evaluation could be the key to whether or not implementation is successful.

Numerous numerous components acting together ensure the success of technology in schools. Most, in some way, are incorporated into the five mentioned above. The mission of a school for instance, must be kept in mind when establishing goals and objectives. Maintenance and the employment of technicians cannot be overlooked when establishing a budget. And the thoughts and opinions of various stakeholders must be considered by the technology committee. Much is required to ensure the success of a school/district technology plan. Components mentioned here are only a starting point but will serve as a strong foundation when used.

by: Noelle Granich