Implementing the Tech Standards

1. Implementing the Tech Standards Presenter: Eric Curts eric@curtsworks.com eTech|OHIO Tech Conference 2006

2. Session Overview • Brief overview of the Tech Standards • My philosophy about the Tech Standards • How my district is implementing the Tech Standards • General overview • Detailed plan

3. Brief Overview of Tech Standards • Created with alignment to National Standards including: • ISTE • ITEA • AASL/AECT • Adopted in December 2003

4. Brief Overview of Tech Standards • Ohio Tech Standards address three main areas of tech literacy: • Computer and Multimedia Literacy • Information Literacy • Technological Literacy

5. Brief Overview of Tech Standards • Ohio Tech Standards are arranged into seven areas: • Nature of Technology • Technology for Society Interaction • Technology for Productivity Applications • Technology and Communication Applications • Technology and Information Literacy • Design • Designed World

6. Brief Overview of Tech Standards • The Ohio Academic Content Standards for Technology can be located online at:http://www.ode.state.oh.us/academic_content_standards/acstechnology.asp

7. My Guiding Philosophy • These following ideas are the things I thought about when developing a plan to implement the Tech Standards. ?

8. My Guiding Philosophy • Technology is best learned in context rather than in isolation. If you have a reason for using the technology it will make more sense, be more motivating, and have a more long-lasting impact.

9. My Guiding Philosophy • There exist many logical connections between the tech standards and the standards in other content areas such as math, science, language, social studies, the arts, and such.

10. My Guiding Philosophy • Most districts do not have the money to hire more teachers to specifically teach technology, like we have with art teachers, music teachers, etc.

11. My Guiding Philosophy • The tech standards (as with any standards) can be prioritized (subjectively, but with care and educationally sound thinking). This would allow us to identify “Essential Indicators”.

12. My Guiding Philosophy • Proper implementation of something as large as the tech standards will take a long time ... Probably several years. • The tech standards arenot being tested by thestate.

13. Our Plan for Implementation Based upon these ideas, we decided to: • Roll out the “essential” tech standards over the next several years, primarily through our non-tech teachers, using lessons that have a natural connection between technology and the other content areas.

14. Our Plan for Implementation Our general steps include: • Make a committee • We have tech representation on the team. • We have curriculum representation on the team. • We get input from all the teachers.

15. Our Plan for Implementation • Analyze tech standards as they relate to our district • What are we currently covering? • What can we cover through our non-tech teachers? • What can we choose not to cover for now? • What do we still need to cover, but need additional resources/programs?

16. Our Plan for Implementation • Implement standards through non-tech teachers • Identify logical connections between the tech standards and other content areas. • Identify resources to assist the non-tech teachers. • Develop model lessons for the non-tech teachers that cover the tech standards and indicators from other content areas.

17. Our Plan for Implementation • Implement standards through non-tech teachers (continued) • Provide professional development for the non-tech teachers. • Provide a way for teachers to share tech-integrated lesson plans, resources, and connections as they develop them. • When a group of grades are finished, officially adopt our essential tech standards as Board-approved Course of Study.

18. Our Plan for Implementation • Implement additional needed standards through new programs as time, money, resources, and opportunity allow. • Re-evaluate postponed standards from time to time.

19. Details – Analyze Standards • I developed an Excel spreadsheet to make it easier to analyze the standards. That “Implementation Tool” and many other resources mentioned here can be found at:http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~technology/standards/

20. Details – Analyze Standards • Through the “Implementation Tool” we answer four questions: • What are we currently covering? • What can we cover through our non-tech teachers? • What can we choose not to cover for now? • What do we still need to cover, but need additional resources/programs?

21. Details - Implementation Tool • Fill in column “A” for where standards are being met for all students by programs that currently exist. This would include traditional computer applications and keyboarding courses that all students must take. Note what the programs are in the “Comments” column.

22. Details - Implementation Tool • Fill in column “A” for where standards are being met for some students by programs that currently exist. This would most likely apply to specialized elective courses at higher grade levels. At lower grades it is important for standards to be met by all students. However, at higher grade levels, there are more specialized standards that only need to be met by students who are in a correlated academic program. Note what the programs are and which students are affected in the “Comments” column.

23. Details - Implementation Tool • Fill in column “B” for where tech standards align to current Ohio Academic Content Standards (Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, etc). These tech standards will be met by the core content area teachers in their regular classes. Professional development will be needed to help them see how to meet their standards using technology. Indicate the align standard in the “Connections” column.

24. Details - Implementation Tool • Fill in column “B” for where tech standards can be met by currently existing programs. Although these tech standards don’t have specific correlation to the core academic content standards, there is a reasonable connection between the tech standard and the program in that subject area or in you specific school. Note what the programs are in the “Comments” column.

25. Details - Implementation Tool • Fill in column “D” for standards that do not need to be met at this time. With limited resources the standards need to be prioritized, and it is not reasonable to think every one can be met now or in the near future. If possible, fill in the reason for excluding this standard in the “Comments” column.

26. Details - Implementation Tool • Everything left needs to be filled in as column “C”. These are the standards that you feel are important, but have not found a way to address yet. Indicate in the “Resources” column what is needed to meet these standards.

27. Details - Implementation Tool • During this process we also get input from teachers concerning what they consider to be “Essential Indicators” in the Tech Standards. • We do this by giving them a simplified version of the“Implementation Tool” for just their grade level.

28. Details – Analyze Standards • When this process is done we know • What is already being covered. • What we can help our non-tech teachers cover. • What needs to be covered if the resources will allow. • What can wait.

29. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers Identify Logical Connections and Resources • We collect these and make them available to all teachers through the Ohio Treasure Chest at:http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~techresources/

30. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers Model Lessons • We survey the teachers to see what they will be covering in the next few months. • We create a model lesson that covers the tech standards and the other content they were going to teach anyway. • We visit their classes and present the model lesson to their students.

31. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers Model Lessons continued… • This provides the teachers with: • A usable lesson • A model for what tech integration really means • An example of how technology can work in their classroom with their kids

32. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers Model Lessons continued… • Some of our model lessons can be seen on our web site at:http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~technology/standards/ • We will add more as they are completed.

33. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers Professional development • Continuing PD will be provided to the teachers to assist them with integrating the tech standards • After school sessions • Grade level meetings • Department meetings • Newsletters

34. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers • Provide a way for teachers to share the lessons, resources, and connections they develop and discover. • They will be able to use POW-PAK to put their lesson plans online • They will be able to use the Ohio Treasure Chest to link lessons, resources, and connections

35. Details – Implementing through non-tech Teachers • Adopt the essential Tech Standards • We plan to complete this process in grade blocks, such as K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. • As that is completed we will adopt our essential Tech Standards as Board-approved Course of Study. • This provides the needed accountability for everyone involved.

36. Conclusion • We have many years still to go. • Anything we develop, we will share on our Tech Standards web site at:http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~technology/standards/ • And through the Ohio Treasure Chesthttp://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~techresources/

37. Thanks! • Thank you for taking the time to attend this session.Eric