Running head: TECHNOLOGY PLAN

Collaborative Technology Plan: Liberty School District

Casey Lynn Belcher, David Bennett, Thora Henry-Letang
EDUC 638
Liberty University
Dr. Beavers
June 28, 2015

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Table of Contents
Team Members ..........................................................................................................3
Mission, Vision, & Value Statements ........................................................................3
Smart Goal 1..............................................................................................................4
Smart Goal 2 .............................................................................................................7
Smart Goal 3 .............................................................................................................9
Professional Development.........................................................................................12
Total Plan Budget.......................................................................................................15
Childrens Internet and Protection Act (CIPA)..........................................................16
Responsible Use Policy..............................................................................................18
Logic Model...............................................................................................................21
Resources ..................................................................................................................22

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Collaborative Technology Plan: Liberty School District

Liberty School District Technology Committee

Casey Belcher, Teacher Liberty High School
David Bennett, Director of Liberty School District Technology
Thora Henry-Letang, Assistant Director of Liberty School District Technology
David Hart, PTO President Liberty School District
Jennifer Bough, Assistant Elementary Principal for Liberty School District
Tyrone Hanie, Assistant Middle School Principal for Liberty School District
Shu Lee, Assistant High School Principal for Liberty School District
David Shipman, Technology Director at Liberty Township Libraries

Mission

Liberty School District puts technology at the forefront to expand and enhance
our students educational experience through a productive approach of adaptation to daily
skills. We take pride in providing our district with 21st Century knowledge, empowering
our students to better our community.
Vision
The Liberty School District envisions a rich learning environment in which
students have high access to technological tools and applications, are engaged in
collaborative learning work, communicate effectively with each other and with students
outside of the school district, and use higher-order thinking skills to explore, investigate,
and solve problems to enhance learning and performance. In addition, teachers,

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administrators, and other school district staff will collaborate and communicate
effectively as they use technology to enhance the daily operations of the school district.

Value Statements
We believe that all Liberty students will have the opportunity to gain 21st Century
Skills to help them achieve the future of their dreams. We believe that all students and
teachers will have equal opportunity to soar in the classroom with the best technology
available. We believe that all students will use a variety of learning resources including
on-line courses, Virtual Learning Environments, digital media, and up to date apps and
equipment.

SMART Goal #1
By June 15, 2016 the district will implement a high-speed Internet infrastructure
providing a 10Gb/10Gb connection and providing 99.99% uptime on all wireless
networks.

Strategies to Support Goal #1

1. The district will work with local broadband providers to supply the necessary
upload and download speeds required to meet the goal of 10Gb upload and 10Gb
download on the network.
2. The district will evaluate the current network setup in all schools in the district.
The evaluation will conclude the necessary hardware installations to be performed in
each school to meet speed and dependability requirements.

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3. The district will begin hiring highly qualified support personnel for each school to
provide 99.99% uptime on the network and professional development for educators.

21st Century Learning Skills Addressed (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity,

and/or Critical Thinking)
Providing students with the medium to communicate effectively is essential the
modern digital world. Providing students with an optimum network setup allows for a
more enriched environment where resources are at the fingertips of every learner.
Stabilizing the current network allows for each student to enjoy the network speeds
needed for streaming video, voice over IP (VOIP) conversations, and access to online
content to explore concepts outside the schools local reach (Abas, 2000).

Rationale Including Research to Support Goal #1 and Strategies

Providing students with tools to take full advantage of the current digital
environment is important for schools to develop the next generation (Bishop, Elen,
Merril, Spector, 2014). This means creating an appropriate infrastructure to meet the
needs of a connected classroom. Creating an environment to support a 1:1
implementation a fully developed network infrastructure capable of handling the load of
all devices (Bailey & Magill, 1996). Accepting the costs associated with building the
infrastructure to handle to load is a necessary aspect of creating a full digital
implementation. Designing budgets anticipating the need to create a robust backbone for
a district network is a vitally important step when implementing the 1:1 device
environment (Bishop, Elen, Merril, Spector, 2014).

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Appropriate support staff members are also essential for creating the district
network, to allow for the required performance of the system. Highly trained staff
capable of troubleshooting network issues and able to develop faculty as new
technologies are implemented is a vitally important role often forgotten by schools (Abas,
2000). Providing individuals who are able to evaluate the district needs and continue
through with the system provides a unified staff that is familiar with how the network
was designed and can maintain the system for the district (Abas, 2000). A full-time
support staff is necessary to create an environment with the uptime requirements the
district needs to succeed.
The district can accomplish these goals by initially beginning the project by hiring
a highly qualified support staff. The staff will begin by evaluating current school
infrastructures and developing a plan for a district wide network implementation,
focusing on the required speed and dependability. This staff will oversee contractors
during installation of all subsystems and be part of the professional development team
during initial network setup and 1:1 rollout.

Expected Outcomes in Terms of Student Learning / Achievement

Students will be able to use the district network to collaborate with students both
in the school and around the globe. The stable high-speed connection in the school will
help reduce the digital divide in the district by giving all students access to online
resources. Student achievement in the district is expected to improve 5% due to the
increase of resources and reduced downtime on the network.
Evaluation Measures

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A District Technology Coordinator will be established by April 1, 2014. The

individual will be a highly qualified technology educator, and will be responsible for
hiring a technology support staff and overseeing all projects relating to technology in the
district. The current committee will recommend a member to be made the Technology
Coordinator, and the Superintendent will ratify the nomination. The Technology
Coordinator will evaluate all stages of network construction and design, and will be
responsible for maintaining staff and infrastructure. The Technology Coordinator will be
required to monitor network uptime and speeds, and work with local broadband providers
to guarantee reduced interference from issues outside the school's network system.

SMART Goal #2
By August 1, 2016, 100% of Liberty School District faculty, staff, and students
will use a Chromebook daily in the classroom to enhance learning and problem based
performance.

Strategies to Support Goal #2

1. Provide a detailed training guide to assist Liberty School District led by the 1:1
leadership committee formed August 1, 2014.
2. Provide training to all faculty and staff starting August 1, 2015. Teachers will
have one year to learn and adapt lesson planning.
3. Provide students with Chromebooks (6-12) and tablet (K-5). Enable students to
produce materials generated with Google technological tools, video camera equipment,
and electronics.

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21st Century Learning Skills Addressed (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity,

and/or Critical Thinking)
The 21st Century learning skills that are addressed in this goal are: Collaboration,
Communication, and Creativity. Liberty School District will be proactive in
collaborating and communicating with all stakeholders in this transition. We will also be
creative and provide as many infographics as possible for everyone to learn and share.
Rationale Including Research to Support Goal #2 and Strategies
Daily use of 1:1 computers in the classroom offers many positives to learning for
students. Herreid and Schiller (2013) discuss the availability of differentiated earning and
1:1 allowing teachers the knowledge to understand learning styles of their students. Use
of 1:1 computers will also be a big help when students are absent. Teacher can send
materials home or record lessons and get them to the students to watch in an allotted time
period. Students can also take advantage of the availability of extra learning materials
and instructions on topics that they need more assistance.
Time in the classroom will focus more on practice and mastery of content area.
Teachers will lead students with programs that will be useful in the job force. Fauss
(2014) explains how more out of the box programs like STEM can be used and worked
on daily with 1:1 computers. It will allow students to focus on 21st Century skills and
focus of project based learning. This type of learning will offer students the opportunity
to transition to specific knowledge. This knowledge will put students at the front of the
pack in both the university setting and in the work force.

Expected Outcomes in Terms of Student Learning / Achievement

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Overall Outcome: To create an environment using technology that will create a

differentiated learning environment.
Specific Outcome: To increase all students summative assessments on state testing by
3%.

Evaluation Measures
A member of the technology committee with create and send out a number of
surveys to evaluate both faculty and student success with the new devices. The surveys
will monitor the need base for education and future instruction for the 1:1 devices.
SMART Goal #3
By June 30, 2016, 100 % of the Liberty School District students and faculty will
access and create project-based wikis and educational blogs to enhance effective
cooperative learning in the classroom by 95% and to increase overall student
achievement and performance.

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Strategies to Support Goal #3

1.

Provide training and support to students and teachers to appropriately and safely

use technological tools and applications.

2. Provide safety and protection of school district network from unauthorized users.

3. Identify areas of development and provide support of areas of need to facilitate

students and teachers access and integration of Web-content programs and activities.
21st Century Learning Skills Addressed (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity,
and/or Critical Thinking)
The 21st Learning Skills addressed are critical thinking, creativity, collaboration,
and communication. Students will be challenged to use their critical thinking skills to
enhance their creativity to design and create informative and innovative wikis and
educational blogs to demonstrate evidence of learning the major concepts covered in
classroom instruction. Students will also demonstrate respectful support, communication,
and collaboration with each other as they complete their projects using the
abovementioned Web 2.0 tools and applications.
Rationale Including Research to Support Goal #3 and Strategies
Since Liberty School District students, faculty, administrators, and other school
officials utilize Web 2.0 technological tools and applications in their personal lives, it
would be pertinent to appropriately and safely integrate these tools in a monitored and
controlled educational setting to enhance instruction and student overall achievement and

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performance. According to Chang, Pearman, Farha (2012), integrating technology in the

classroom will increase student learning due to personal engagement and use of preferred
learning styles, and application to daily life.
Wikis and educational blogs are effective Web 2.0 tools for enhancing students
creativity and critical thinking skills as these tools enable multiple users to contribute to
group assignments and projects and encourage students to provide support and feedback
through positive interaction with each other (Chang et al, 2012). Furthermore, Craig
(2013) explained that Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and educational blogs engage and
encourage active communication and collaboration (p. 5), as these tools increase
productivity, promote creation of content, encourage writing, reviewing, and responding,
and facilitate interactive information sharing and collaboration. Integration of these Web
2.0 tools and applications will enable students to enhance their knowledge and skills and
gain mastery in using such technological tools and applications, as they become more
prepared and career ready to contribute to a competitive global economy.

Expected Outcomes in Terms of Student Learning / Achievement

All students including diverse learners such as English language learners (ELLs)
and students with disabilities will be able to design, construct, and modify authorized
project-based content and will increase their critical, analytical, integrative thinking, and
interpersonal skills using wikis and blogs. ELLs will obtain an increase in English
language proficiency (ELP) and students with disabilities, particularly autistics, will gain
confidence and will increase their social developmental skills, and all students will obtain
an overall 5 % increase in their academic achievement and performance.

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Evaluation Measures
The Liberty School District Technology Coordinator will be responsible for
developing pre and post online surveys and school interviews for all students in the
districts. Individual schools certified test administrators will administer the surveys and
interviews to obtain students feedback, knowledge, and understanding about their use of
wikis and educational blogs, utilize language proficiency assessments to test ELLs
progress in ELP, and use students with disabilities assessments as designated by their
IEPs to test their progress in their skills, particularly, their communicative skills. The
classroom teachers will be responsible for developing criterion-referenced assessments to
test students abilities based on specific standards.

Professional Development Plan for Each Goal / Strategy

Goal #1
The Technology Coordinator will hire a highly qualified technical staff to evaluate
school infrastructure needs and to be able to train teachers on how to implement the 1:1
strategy in the class. The Technology Coordinator will create the professional
development schedule, supplying educators with the technical training to use the new
devices and take full advantage of the new infrastructure. The support staff and
professional develop strategy will be in place by April 30, 2015.

Goal #2

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Chromebooks and tablets will be issued to all teachers on June 1, 2015. They will
undergo a full year of training and professional development on use. Students will get
Chromebooks (6-12) and tablets (K-5) on August 1, 2016. Elementary teachers will be
assigned to train their students on use of the device with several mini lessons that the
district will create at each grade level. Middle and High School students will meet in
small groups for the first week of school and classes will run on an altered schedule.
They will have several set-up and mini lessons to get them ready for daily use.

Goal #3

All teachers and administrators in the Liberty School District will obtain the
appropriate training and resources to create and use wikis and educational blogs, as
developed by the Districts Technology Coordinator. Teachers will be directed to visit
each others pages to provide feedback and support. After proper implementation,
teachers will be assigned Chromebooks and tablets to conduct practice sessions to
become more comfortable and familiar with using such Web 2.0 tools, and to enable their
students to become familiar with the proper and safe techniques to utilize these tools.
The Technology Coordinators office will provide teachers and administrators with the
appropriate feedback.

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Timeline for Implementation of Each Goal / Strategy

Goal #1
A fully functional district wide network infrastructure will be established
providing high speed Internet to all schools. A full time technical staff will be present to
maintain the system and provide professional development to all schools in the district.
The entire system must be in place by June 15 to allow the district time to activate all
Chromebooks.
Goal #2
Chromebooks and tablets will be purchased in April 2015 and be distributed to
teachers June 1, 2015. Student devices will be purchased April 2016 and will be
distributed to students with training starting August 1, 2016.
Goal #3
By March 30, 2015, all teachers and administrators will obtain the necessary
professional development training in creating and using wikis and educational blogs. By
June 30, 2015, all students should obtain the necessary and safe techniques in accessing
and creating their wikis and educational blogs.

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Itemized Budget for Each Goal / Strategy

Goal #1
Budget and Finances item

Qty

Unit Price

Total
Cost

Ethernet Cable

15,840 ft

.129 per foot

$2,043.
36

DEMARC 48 port Switch

10

$216.74

$2,167.
40

Wireless AP

100

$288.99

$28,899
.00

Provider Cost (Comcast

$259.90 per month

Corporate)

$1,299.
50

Goal #2
Budget and Finances Item
1

Google Chromebooks High

Qty

Unit Price

Tot. Cost

5889

$329.00

$1,937,481.00

2000

$210.00

$420,000.00

School & Middle SchoolLenovo Chromebook N20P

2

Asus Nexus 7 (K-5) Asus-2B16

7 Inches (Black)

Cost in 2015 (teacher device)

$168,871.00

Cost in 2016 (student computers)

$2,188,610.00

Final Cost --$2,357,481.00

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Goal #3
See Itemized Budget for Goal#2.

Figures from https://eduproducts.withgoogle.com/?redirURL=%2Fchrome

%2Feducation%2Fdevices%2F
http://www.lowes.com/Electrical-Wire-Cable/Network-Data-Cables/Data-Cable/_/N1z0v12v/pl#!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122082
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0ED-0005-000E0&cm_re=ubiquiti_-0ED-0005-000E0-_-Product
http://business.comcast.com/internet/business-internet/plans-pricing

Define the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and E-Rate. Explain the
relationship between CIPA and E-Rate.
The Childrens Protection Act (CIPA) was designed by congress to protect
children from inappropriate materials on-line. The bill requires all school and libraries to
filter materials that youth can view or access on computers or electronic devices. All
children deserve the right to be protected from predators and information that could put
them in harm. Congress wants to make sure they are taking steps to guide public funding
facilities to step up and take charge in helping youth.

Public funded facilities are at the mercy to funding and allocation of money.
Universal Service Fund has created an E-rate that these facilities discounted rates to the

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internet. Cavanagh, S. (2013) discusses that the FCC takes great strides to not only offer
good rates, but provides those that are compliant with fast and reliable service. The
funding is contingent to poverty level and fluctuated based on the patrons that use the
facility. This program has become very popular and has gone through several changes
within the last few years. It now services other locations where youth can use Wi-Fi.

Define the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act.

On April 21, 2000 the US Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy
Protection Act (COPPA) went in effect. It was originally created in 1998 and was a law
directed by the FTC to regulate internet involvement and privacy of children under
thirteen years old. Cannon (2000) explains how COPPA not only changed programs
targeted at children, but e-commerce involved with youth. This is a great asset to school
because it is an extra set of eyes for our students. 1:1 use in our classrooms will be
regulated by teachers on a daily basis. Programs outside of the school that allow
communication with others will be locked.

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Acceptable / Responsible Use Policies (AUPs / RUPs)

The school network will use a firewall using proxy software to filter all Internet
content coming into the school. The support staff will monitor online activity to view any
searches or websites, which do not adhere to CIPA guidelines or put children at risk. The
software will block and record searches or URLs featuring pornography, drugs or
paraphilia, gambling, racism, sexism, or other content that may can be considered to
endanger the student (CIPA, n.d.).

Students will not use school devices to communicate outside of school related
subject matters. Communication with individuals outside the school, outside of teacher
directed objectives, is expressly forbidden. Any incident of inappropriate communication
including bullying, racist or sexist remarks, transfer of inappropriate or criminal material
will not be tolerated. Any attempt by the student to interfere with, defraud, or
compromise the network will be seen as electronic fraud (CIPA, n.d.). In any incident
where illegal electronic data is transferred, or a student compromises school networks,
the proper authorities will be contacted (Odvard, 2000).

The concept of inappropriate or dangerous content is left up to the discretion of

the administrator unless the incident is a clear violation of CIPA.
All policies will focus on (CIPA, n.d.):

1. Filtering pornographic material on district network, and blocking all adult

material.

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2. Preventing outside and internal threats from compromising the security of the
network.
3. Preventing individuals from using digital communication to threaten or endanger
students.
4. Preventing personal information from being disseminated over the network to
unauthorized sources.
5. Creating an administration structure to control access for faculty and students.

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Infographic Demonstrating the Connection Between Each Goal and the ISTE
Standards for Students, Teachers, & Administrators.

20

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References

Abas, Z. (2000). Toward effective use of IT in schools. Computimes Malaysia, 2, 17.

Baily, P. & Magil, J. (1996). Network infrastructure planning. Thrust for Educational
Leadership, 25, 6.

Bishop, M., Elen, J., Merril, M., & Spector, J. (2014). Handbook of Research on
Educational Communications and Technology (4 ed.). (Springer, Ed.) New York,
NY.

Cannon, R. (2000). Children's online privacy protection act. Boardwatch, 14(7), 40-42.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/225523735?accountid=12085

Cavanagh, S. (2013). FCC's E-rate plan moves forward. Education Week, 32(36), 5.
Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1406205689?accountid=12085

Chang, C., Pearman, C., & Farha, N. (2012). Second language acquisition: implications
for Web 2.0 and beyond. Critical Questions in Education, 3(2), 52-64.

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CIPA. (n.d.). In FCC. Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens-internetprotection-act

Craig, D. V. (2013). Content creators and language learners: exploring Web 2.0 and
wikis. Journal of Educators Online, 1-21.

Fauss, J. (2014, Sep 09). Flipped classroom program results in reversal of grades for
students. University Wire Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1560875573?accountid=12085

Herreid, C. F., & Schiller, N. A. (2013). Case studies and the flipped classroom. Journal
of College Science Teaching, 42(5), 62-66. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1348257211?accountid=12085

Odvard, D. (2000) Is your acceptable use policy acceptable. Curriculum Administrator,

36(8), p. 29.

Wallace, K. (2012). CompTIA Network+ Authorized Cert Guide. Indianapolis, IN, USA:
Pearson Education, Inc