December 4, 2006

Members Present:  Ron Brown, Tim Lynch

Agenda:

• MacBook Suggestions:
  • We migh possibly purchase RAM if the person is doing things (multitasking) that warrant it.
  • We are currently testing MacBooks with 512, 1Gb, and 1.5 GB to see where the line in the sand is.
  • Cleaning and suggestions page
  • Incidents of dropping.
  • Other Advice really help people understand how to use and take care of their laptop.
  • Monthly they should wipe all surfaces with a slightly damp cloth to decrease the dirt buildup.
  • Once per month they should use it without the power adapter to let the battery drain until reserver power kicks in.
    
    
    
• Teacher Standards
  • Are ours adequate compared to state model?
  • Where do we need to change ours?
  • Host our own survey? Use PILOT?
    
    
• Student Standards
  • Are ours adequate compared to state model?
  • Where do we need to change ours?
  • Host our own survey? Use PILOT? Use something else?
    
    
• State Tech Plan Questions:
  • Current Plan:

    • Section 3: Learning Goals

      This belief is stated in each of our K-8 Family Guides as well as reflected in our Graduate Profile adopted by the school board. Each one of our schools develops an Annual Action Plan with representative stakeholders and a Technology Plan is included in each school improvement plan.

      1. Our district infrastructure includes a “TRT” or Technical Resource Teacher in each building who facilitates the integration of technology into instruction. In addition, we have established a cadre of instructional coaches throughout our district including one in technology whose sole purpose is to facilitate teachers’ integration of technology into instruction with students. The TRT’s established a survey that identifies teachers’ differing levels of competencies and provides training to bring all staff up to a standard level of competency. The results of the survey inform our district progress in having a teaching force with a standard level of technological competency. The next phase is to make sure that teachers can then integrate their technological understanding in their instruction and facilitate student understanding and skill in this integration.

       

      2. The K-8 Family Guides have computer icons next to each skill or knowledge area in which, at a minimum, technology is integrated. It is the responsibility of the teacher, the TRT, and the principal to make sure these competencies are facilitated in our students.
      3. When our Technology Articulation Team, made up primarily of TRT’s, began to outline minimum student competencies, we began with the ISTE standards. However, our concern was that these would be seen as an add-on to the curriculum rather than having these skills embedded in the content areas. So, although the ISTE standards guided our thinking, they are reflected in our Family Guides by a computer icon next to each skill or knowledge in which they are embedded.

       

      1. The Wenatchee School District has built into its infrastructure an Operational Technology Coordinator who maintains an ongoing inventory and insures that all staff has technology equipment that is standardized for their job description. In addition, the Operational Technology Coordinator is responsible for determining the computer to student ratio in each of our school buildings. Currently, we are aware of inequities in this area and have a plan for rectifying the differing access across our schools.  Calculated on current evaluations of buildings demonstrating successful technology in WSD K-8, a ratio marking students to current standards-based computers with Internet access of 6:1 has been determined a successful balance.
      According to the new ESEA Federal legislation, ALL students in disaggregated categories will meet state standards. Therefore, the goals for using technology to address special needs students, minority populations, and other equity issues are that these students will also meet standard on the minimum expectations reflected by the computer icons in the K-8 Family Guides. All teachers are expected to be facilitating students’

      Section 5: District Approach to Professional Development & Support System

      Much of the information required for this section has been addressed above. However, in this section we will reiterate the information in an outline format and include both the role of our district professional development advisory committee and the funding sources.

      Wenatchee School District Professional Development Outline

      • The WSD Technology Articulation Team (made up mostly of TRT’s representing each building) determined staff minimum competencies.
      • The TRT’s established an online survey for staff to take in the winter of 2003 to determine training needs supported by Title II Part D funds.
      • As new staff are hired, TRT’s make sure they take the survey to determine competency levels
      • The TRT’s and other content area Articulation Teams denoted knowledge and skills in the K-8 Family Guides where technology is to be integrated into instruction. The ISTE Standards and State and National Standards in specific content areas guided this endeavor.
      • All staff has been notified that at a minimum not only are they to be competent in this denoted knowledge and skill areas, but also they are able to facilitate students’ understanding and skill as integrated into instruction.
      • To assist staff with both self-competency and the competency to integrate technology into instruction, they will be assisted by each building’s TRT (funded with BEA dollars). In addition, for specific or additional support for integration into instruction, they can also utilize the WSD Technology Instructional Coach who is funded with levy dollars. Their training will be supported by Title II Part D funds.
      • The WSD TRT’s also receive ongoing training and planning time and this is funded by Title II Part D funds, as well.
      • All building annual school improvement plans or Action Plans include the building’s specific needs for addressing the integration of Technology into instruction as delineated by the WSD K-8 Family Guides.
      • The district wide plan is presented twice annually to the WSD Professional Development Advisory Committee for review and information.
      
      
      
• Agenda builder for upcoming training day:
  
  • Remember each building gets to "bring a buddy" to the training.
  • Also remember to invite your TRA to the training day, even if they can only be at part of the day.
  • 2/13 - TRT Training Day K-5
  • 2/15 - TRT Training Day 6-12
  • Get Ron some ideas for additional training for our next training days so far the agenda has the following:
    • Brainstorm session for 8th grade and staff assessment in the spring.
      
      
• New pricing and models for hardware and software.
  • Refer to hardware page
  • Refer to software page
  • You should be helping people in your building with these type of purchases if they are using funding that is not coming from the technology committee. They need to make sure the software and hardware come from these lists and if not they should be able to articulate a curriculum reason for purchasing.
    
    
• Current Budget Data
  • We started with about 15000 for all tech training in our Title IID, we have about 3800 left.
  • This includes WODs, TRT days, and TRT summer day.
  • This is before the money from the levy to support the cutting of the Title IID ($7500 if we need it), so keep the WOD requests coming.
    
    
• Teacher spring survey discussion.
  • We will have to survey teachers again this spring and the scores will be officially reported to the state.
  • Ron will work with the union to possibly add the Pilot survey to LID survey day in the spring.
  • If this won't work we will have to find another day for this to happen for ALL STAFF.
    
    
    
• Upcoming meeting dates:
  • Remember each building gets to "bring a buddy" to the November and February dates.
• 12/15 - TRT Training 9-12
• 12/4 - TRT Articulation
• 1/8 - TRT Articulation
• 2/13 - TRT Training Day K-5
• 2/15 - TRT Training Day 6-12
• 3/12 - TRT Articulation Meeting
• 5/15 - TRT Training Day K-12
  
  
• TeachWeb - Make sure we are putting this in front of the staff again so they will take advantage of this opportunity.  We have had two winners so far and will have two more then a grand prize at the end of the year.  All it takes is for them to fill out the online form: http://prodev.wsd.wednet.edu/teachweb/teachweb.html
  
  
• iTeach Awards - Make sure we are putting this in front of the staff again so they will take advantage of this opportunity.  Really talk this one up.  Some of your staff have done projects but they have not gone through the steps of applying.  The prizes are awesome and I think if you are at a staff meeting and show them the prizes and the application then we will have some people apply. Last year we had seven entries and I would love to have more than that.