Train the Trainers

Sponsored by St. Stanislaus Alumni (Toronto)

Funded by VSO (Canada)

Prepared by: Michael Annamunthodo

(April 28, 2008)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1Introduction

2EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3Technology Planning and Policies

3.1Technology Policies

3.2Technology Plan

3.3Plan Implementation

3.4Periodic Review and Evaluation of the Plan

4Financial

4.1Comparison in technology expenditures with other schools

4.2Amount spent in the past academic year for instructional and administrative equipment purchases

4.3Amount spent for instructional and administrative applications and software

4.4Amount spent for maintenance and support

4.5Amount spent for instructional and administrative professional development

4.6Amount spent for connectivity and infrastructure

5Equipment and Infrastructure

5.1Equipment present in instructional settings

5.2Equipment available for use by students

5.3Equipment available for use by teachers

5.4Equipment available for use by administrators and support staff

5.5Capacity of the Infrastructure to support the school’s technology needs

6Technology Applications

6.1The use of school instructional applications to support teaching and learning standards across the curriculum

6.2Software support for technology tool skill development

6.3Use of technology applications to improve communication

6.4Appropriate software and systems to support primary administrative functions

6.5Applications should be evaluated for effectiveness

7Maintenance and Support

7.1Are resources and processes in place to maintain school technology?

7.2Personnel available to provide technical support

8Professional Development

8.1Technology-related training and/or professional development for staff.

8.2Goals, methods, incentives, and content of technology-related training and/or professional development for staff

8.3Evaluation of training and professional development for staff.

9Technology Integration

9.1Teachers’ proficiency in the use of technology in the class room environment

9.1.1Current State

9.1.2Recommendation

9.2Students’ proficiency in the use of technology in the class room environment

9.2.1Current State

9.2.2Recommendation

9.3Administrators’ and support staff proficiency in the use of technology in support of school management

9.3.1Current State

9.3.2Recommendation

9.4Integrating technology into the class room environment

9.5Incorporating technology proficiencies and measures into teaching and learning standards

9.6Incorporating technology into administrative processes

10Recommendations

11Conclusion

12DiscLosure

1Introduction

The future of Guyana depends on the strength of its education system. The word education is derived from the Latin ‘educere’, meaning to lead out from.

To lead out from its present state to being able to compete in the global economy, Guyana must embark on an aggressive program to introduce and integrate the use of technology in its education system.

Presently the use of technology in the learning environment is almost non existent. A few high schoolsare fortunate to have active overseas Alumni that have supplied them with some computers. The less fortunate ones depend on donations of kind individuals.This continues to perpetuate the inequities among the high schools.

Saints Stanislaus is acutely aware of this situation and has been responding very aggressively to bring Saints into the 21st century. With initial funding provided by the VSO, a resource was sent to Guyana for one month to enhance the computer skills of the IT and support staff, both in content and content delivery. Saints generously extended the opportunity to other high schools. This report is written with the flexibility so that the recommendations can be scaled up for use by the Ministry or scaled down for smaller schools. The following table shows the advantages of using technology in the learning environment.

Traditional Approach consists of / Technology allows more of
Teacher-centered learning / Student-centered learning
Mass instruction (one size fits all) / Mass customization with instruction to fit individual student needs
One pace applies to all students / Flexible pacing based on student abilities
Classroom and school building / Distributed learning possible from anyplace
Learning during school hours / Learning at anytime
Facts and recitation / Critical thinking in real-world contexts
Individual student performance / Collaboration and dialogue among students and between students and teachers
Textbooks / Up-to-date primary information resources
Parent-teacher meeting each semester / Parent-teacher communication available daily

2EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report will summarize my visit to Saints. The scope of this initiative was to teach the IT teacherscontent relevant to the CSEC CXC exam, and to teach the non-IT teachers Microsoft Suite.

For the purpose of this report, technology pertains to the full range of computer and computer-related equipment and associated operating systems, networking, and tool software that provide the infrastructure over which instructional and school management applications of various kinds operate.

There are about fifty workstations in the school, however base on the definition of technology it is evident that the use of technology is non existent. The students use the computers to do their year end CSEC SBAs and nothing more. Only the IT teachers are doing any record keeping on the computer.

As such this report will also give suggestions or the questions to be considered, when planning to introduce and integrate technology into the management and teaching of the curriculum.It will be divided into seven parts that will direct the acquisition, use, maintenance, and expansion of technology in the educational enterprise.

  • Technology Planning and Policies
  • Finance
  • Equipment and Infrastructure
  • Technology Applications
  • Maintenance and Support
  • Professional Development
  • Technology Integration

3Technology Planning and Policies

Currently, neither the Ministry of Education nor Saints has articulated a technology policy or plan. Each school is installing computers into the schools as they see fit. Having computers in the school is not the same as implementing technology. It is recognized that there is a need for immediate action to have computers in the school, however after this immediate need is satisfied, attention should be paid to the development of the relevant policies and plans. Failure to this will result with the schools having computers and nothing else. This section suggests some of the components that should be included when this activity is being undertaken.

3.1Technology Policies

The successful integration of technology to support student learning and school management can only be realized by having the relevant technology policies and plans. Technology planning and policies should address three major areas:

•Vision

•Access

•Integration

Vision pertains to what is expected from the technology overall. Access refers to the acquisition, deployment, and availability of technology to the target audiences. Integration of technology is the development and implementation of strategies that make technology useful and capable of accomplishing the vision.

Policies represent relative end states that begin with the adoption of a technology plan. This in turn involves a series of steps, ranging from the determination of needs, the involvement of stakeholders, and the ratification of a document, to the implementation, evaluation, and revision of the plan.

Technology should extend to all parts of the educational complex.This document goes beyond equipment and infrastructure. It includes indicators that should be considered when a policy is being formulated. They include who will use the technology, as well as the resources that are required for user support. Such aspects as libraries and information services; security needs, both for the protection of facilities and equipment and for the assurance of the safety of both students and staff; the integration of technology into such areas as facility design and professional development and training.

Planning is a continuousprocess that provides “a road map.” A plan for technology can maximize the potential of technological innovations while helping to overcome the challenges of implementation. Ultimately, it should result in more efficient expenditures and improvedstudent achievement. As such a technology plan should be viewed as a ‘living document’, and re-assessed yearly.

Existing, implemented technology policies can be a background against whicha technology plan is carried out, or they can be one desired end goal of the implementation of a technology plan. Examples of such policies might be:

Acceptable use policies.

  • Policies related to the privacy of student data records
  • Technology security policies
  • Policiesregarding acceptance of commercial advertising on school web sites
  • Policies regardingacquisition, maintenance or disposal of school equipment or applications
  • Policies regarding acceptance of donated equipment and software
  • Policies regarding community orafter-school access to school technology resources

3.2Technology Plan

Technology plans are central to technology deployment. They can be tools of reform and guidance, and as such they can impact every aspect of technology infusion in the school from dialogue to professional development.

All technology plans should take into account long-range funding issues; focus on instructional and administrative enhancements and goals; identify an implementation phase; coordinate all aspects of technology integration, including professional development or staff training; and evaluate outcomes.

The following should be included:

Pre-planning phase

Current-status assessment of technology, including equipment, skills, and use. A current and future needs assessment provides the plan with direction and credibility. It should be made up of members who will bring the plan to life, including solidifying ministerial and community (school and Alumni) “buy-in” of the plan and finding the funds tomake it happen.

  • Major plan components should include:
  • Review of current technology standard, needs assessment, and other pre-planning products
  • Vision/goal statements
  • Instructional uses of technology
  • Student technology standards
  • Staff technology standards
  • Integration into core curriculum
  • Pilot program and action research
  • Management uses of technology
  • Student information systems
  • Infrastructure and support for infrastructure, including such facilities-related needs as air conditioning/cooling
  • Review of current “state of the art” for options in design of infrastructure
  • Capabilities of hardware and software, projections of “next generation” capabilities and features acceptance and management of donated computing resources
  • Long-range goals
  • Inventory control issues, such as maintenance and replacement cycle
  • Budget projections and funding sources for initial installation, hardware, and software
  • Staff training programs
  • Benchmarking standards
  • Quality control components
  • Security planning

3.3Plan Implementation

Creating a technology plan and getting it approved and funded are only the beginning. Implementation has its own timeline and benchmarks, including purchasing equipment and installing, training, and evaluating each new technology introduced. The technology plan should account for each of these components, as well as implementers or teams responsible.

3.4Periodic Review and Evaluation of the Plan

As mentioned, a plan should be viewed as a ‘living document’. It should be reviewed at fixed periods, to evaluate its results and impact. Provisions for revising the plan should be a part of its creation, in the form of a review cycle that includes timelines and reporting. Possible components of the review cycle are listed below. If records from the pre-planning phase have been kept, the evaluation phase will be able to provide greater insight into the plan’s progress and impacts.

The initial stages of implementation will prove very challenging, so it is important to remember that if parts of the plan not implemented, it should not be considered failures. For this reason, evaluation in a variety of formats is critical in objectively determining what is working and what needs more attention, and the necessary adjustments made.

Indicators
Evidence of evaluation / Should have a definite review cycle.
The review is detailed in a report.
The report is readily available to the school and the community.
The technology plan has been changed on the basis of the most evaluation review.
Components of the review cycle.
The plan is achieving its goal.

Other factors to be considered are:

  • Who will be responsible for collecting ongoing data to assess the effectiveness of the plan and its implementation?
  • What windows of opportunity exist for reviewing thetechnology plan? (For example, the plan might be

reviewed during curriculum review cycles.)

  • How will you assess the level of technological proficiency gained by students, teachers, and staff?
  • How will you use technology to evaluate teaching and learning?
  • What is the key indicator of success for each component of the plan?
  • How will you analyze the effectiveness of disbursement decisions in light of implementation priorities?
  • How will you analyze implementation decisions to accommodate for changes as a result of new information and technologies?
  • What organizational mechanism will you create that allows changes in the implementation of the technology plan and in the plan itself?

4Financial

Installing and managing technology in schools involves allocating or reallocating resources. Knowing what has been spent supports future planning by comparing priorinputs to expenditures and allows decisions to be made about relative priorities.

Awareness of the financial obligations associated with technology implementation and maintenance can go a long way toward ensuring two important management goals. First, budgets must be adequate to reliably support the technology system as designed. Second, a financial plan must include the necessary funding to

replace technology components as they become obsolete. The lack of either ofthese key ingredients in the budgeting process will ultimately result in a technology system that does not function as an effective tool and can actually become a political liability to a school system.

4.1Comparison in technology expenditures with other schools

These are good indicators to ensure that a school is getting its fair share of government allocation. At a country level, these indicators can be used to compare how the country is doing relative to countries of similar economic status. This information is not being collected at presently.

Indicators
Expenditure comparisons for technology equipment /
  • Expenditures for administrative equipment as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Expenditures for instructional equipment as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Average expenditures for instructional equipment per student, per teacher.

Expenditure comparisons for technology application /
  • Expenditures for administrative software as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Expenditures for instructional software as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Average expenditures for instructional software per student, per teacher.

Expenditure comparisons for maintenance and support /
  • Expenditures for maintenance and support as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Average expenditures for maintenance per student, per computer.
  • Average expenditures for support personnel per student, per computer

Expenditure comparisons for professional development /
  • Expenditures for administrative professional development as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Expenditures for instruction-related professional development as a percentage of total technology expenditures.
  • Average expenditures for instructional professional development per student, per teacher
  • Average expenditures for administrative professional development per administrative staff member.

Expenditure comparisons for connectivity and infrastructure /
  • Average expenditures for connectivity per student.

4.2Amount spent in the past academic year for instructional and administrative equipment purchases

Probably the most important aspect of tracking equipment costs is the replacement cycle.Note that the generally accepted life cycle of equipment is about five years in education versus two to three years in business.

Indicators
Expenditures for instructionaltechnology
equipment /
  • Expenditures as a percentage of the amount originally
budgeted.
  • Average expenditures for instructional equipment per
student, per teacher.
Expenditures for administrativetechnology
equipment /
  • Expenditures as a percentage of the amount originally
budgeted.
  • Average expenditures for administrative technology
equipment.

4.3Amount spent for instructional and administrative applications and software

These include software purchases, leases, and service subscriptions, including online content services. Software upgrades are not necessarily differentiated from new software purchases.

Indicators
Expenditures for instructional technology
applications /
  • Expenditures for instructional software as a percentage of total expenditures for instructional materials.
  • Average expenditures for instructional software per student, per teacher.

Expenditures for administrative technology applications /
  • Expenditures for specialized administrative technology
applications as a percentage of amount originally budgeted.

4.4Amount spent for maintenance and support

This includes overall maintenance, personnel, and support contracts. Maintenance and support expenditures may be difficult to precisely ascertain because teachers and even students may be doingmaintenance on a volunteer basis, or as staff hired only to perform those duties. Even if work is done without payment, it should still be recorded and noted as such.

Indicators
Expenditures for maintenance and support /
  • Expenditures for technology support personnel as a percentage of the amount originally budgeted.
  • Expenditures for maintenance agreements and contracts as a percentage of the amount originally budgeted.
  • Expenditures for replacement components as a percentage of the amount originally budgeted.
  • Average expenditures for overall maintenance and support per student.

4.5Amount spent for instructional and administrative professional development

This includes contracts, personnel, and reimbursement. Onedifficulty of ascertaining the costs of professional development for technology is differentiating those costs from those for staff development ingeneral. Job-specific training is key to successful programs, and the need to present or perform certified technology skills in order to advance may help make someprofessional development programs more effective.

Indicators
Expenditures for instructional professional development /
  • Expenditures for training materials such as videos and related publications as a percentage of total expenditures for instructional professional development.
  • Expenditures for external consultants as a percentage of total expenditures for instructional professional development.
  • Expenditures for presentations and workshops delivered in district, as a percentage of total expenditures for instructional professional development.
  • Average expenditures for professional development per teacher.

Expenditures for administrative professional development /
  • Expenditures for training materials such as videos and related publications as a percentage of total expenditures for administrative professional development.
  • Expenditures for external consultants as a percentage of total expenditures for administrative professional development.
  • Expenditures for presentations and workshops delivered in district, as a percentage of total expenditures for administrative professional development.
  • Average expenditures for professional development per
administrative staff member.

4.6Amount spent for connectivity and infrastructure

This includes line charges, subscriptions for system software, and contracts with Internet service providers. However, some connectivity and infrastructure costs can relate to specific technology facilities’ requirements, such asair condition, security and electrical capacity expansion.