THE DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY TRAINING PLAN

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (MCPS)

THE DISTRICT
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) serves a large and diverse student population of
approximately 142,000 students from 164 countries speaking 134 languages. There are nearly
22,000 employees, including more than 11,000 teachers. MCPS is the 16th largest school district
in the United States and comprises 200 schools. Of the 142,000 MCPS students, 38% are white,
23% are African American, 22% are Hispanic, 15% are Asian and 1% is American Indian.
Enrollment within MCPS indicates that nearly 66,000 are elementary school students, 76,000 are
secondary school students, and 900 are students in special or alternative programs. Nearly 13%
of MCPS receive English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services, 11% receive
special education services, and 30% participate in the Free and Reduced-price Meals System
(FARMS) program. MCPS system resources include a $2.2 billion FY 2010 Operating Budget.
Montgomery County is responsible for 71% of the budget funding and the state of Maryland
funds 20% of the operating budget. Nearly 80% of the budget expenditures are for instruction
and 15% is for school support.
Mission Statement
MCPS will provide technology systems and services essential to the success of every student.
The office is committed to excellence in providing the highest quality technology solutions to
support teachers, engage students, and assist in the effective business operations of Montgomery
County Public Schools (MCPS). These solutions are reflective of the requirements and priorities
of our stakeholders, are developed following best practices for project management, and are
implemented and achieved only with unbroken collaboration and communication between all
parties and our strict adherence to the rules and regulations of the MCPS acceptable use policy
(AUP).
Technology Infrastructure
At all MCPS schools, an Information Technology Systems Specialist (ITSS) or Information
Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) are responsible for training all school staff to use
instructional technology resources as well as MCPS hardware and software. The school system
has a Web security officer who assists students and parents with information on Internet safety,
password protection, computer viruses, and privacy issues. Each computer in the school system
is a Dell OptiPlex 380 and includes a CDROM drive, floppy disk drive, color monitor,
keyboard, mouse, network interface card (for network installation or highspeed internet
connection), 4 USB ports, a Dell USB keyboard and a standard Dell mouse. The cost of each
computer is between $788 and $897. MCPS computers installed before the summer of 2008
have the full version of Adobe Acrobat installed. The computers installed in the summer of 2008
or later use Microsoft Office 2007 to create PDFs. Specifications for the setups of the Dell
OptiPlex 380 computer includes the following:

Base ($788)

TV Tuner ($897)

Intel Core 2 Duo E7500

4.0 GB DDR2 (2 x 2GB)
160 GB SATA
16x DVDRW
Integrated Intel GMA4500
Dell Professional P170S LCD Monitor

Intel Core 2 Duo E7500

4.0 GB DDR2 (2 x 2GB)
160 GB SATA
16x DVDRW
ATI Radeon HD 3450
Dual Display, TV-out
HD TV Tuner
Dell Professional P170S LCD Monitor

All MCPS
computers
are
equipped
with three
(3)
Adobe
Creative
Suite
packages and Microsoft Office Suite. There are many software programs for the students as
well as teachers to use. The software programs most often used in the classroom include
Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Inspiration 8, FileMaker 9, Imagination Suite, Graph
Master, Pinnacle Grade book, Math Type, Pinnacle Studio Movie, and Dreamweaver and
Fireworks (only for the students in the gifted and talented programs).
Each computer is outfitted with a Dell Ultra Sharp 17 monitor and is a standard Dell monitor
suitable for classroom use. The cost for each monitor is $159. Specifications for the Dell Ultra
Sharp 17 monitor include the following:
Dell Ultra Sharp 17
Display Type: Flat Panel
Diagonal Size: 17"
1280 x 1024 / 75 Hz
Inputs: DVI-D, VGA
Other: USB Hub (4 ports)
Speaker Bar Included
Most MCPS classrooms accommodate an Epson PowerLite 825 projector which is a medium
power projector suitable for larger classrooms or other group meeting areas and includes the
wireless networking adapter. The cost of the projector is $709. Specifications for the Epson
PowerLite 825 projector include the following:
Epson PowerLite 825
Display Type: 3 LCD
Native Resolution: 1024 x 768px
Output (eco): 3000 (?) lumens

Lamp Life (eco): 5000 (6000) hours

Networked: Wireless, Ethernet
All of the school system computer labs and some of the classrooms are also equipped with a
Promethean Board. A Promethean board is an interactive whiteboard or IWB and is a large
interactive display that combines the simplicity of a whiteboard and the power of a computer and
front projection (Interactive Whiteboard Solutions). Promethean interactive whiteboards engage
students with dramatic images, and brilliant video and audio. The interactive whiteboard enables
anything that can be seen or done on a computer screen to be projected onto an interactive
whiteboard bringing every classroom to life (Interactive Whiteboard Solutions). The
Promethean interactive whiteboard uses ground breaking technology to advance student learning.
The telecommunications lines that comprise the MCPS Wide Area Network (WAN) are used to
provide students and teachers with access to the Internet and all its services. Continued attention
will be devoted to search out and deploy new technologies to increase bandwidth. Only through
this type of continued effort will MCPS be able to provide access to web-based instructional
opportunities. The Division uses Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) provided by Verizon
under the Network Maryland contract for Wide Area Network backbone services. The Local
Area Networks have all been upgraded to category 5E cabling and the Technology Department
will continue to convert schools to category 6 to meet industry standards (Technology Plan 20072012).
The Divisions private network is constructed behind two Cisco Pix 515E firewalls. The
firewalls provide security for the MCPS private network, perform Network Address Translation,
and ensure that all Internet traffic is authenticated through the proxy server. These appliances are
configured in a redundant setup, so that in cases of failure the network will continue to operate.
All traffic to the firewalls passes through a Packeteer appliance that is used for protocol
monitoring (Technology Plan 2007-2012).
Montgomery County Public Schools uses Symantec Web Security for its Internet filtering
proxy server. Currently, instances of the servers are distributed at CHS, BHS, BMS, CMS and
the Technology Department to provide load balancing. All school-based network traffic must be
authenticated through a Web Security proxy filter before gaining access to the Internet. It is
projected that under the auspices of the Internet Safety Initiative further servers will be added.
Montgomery County Public Schools houses and manages its own Internet service applications
(DNS, WWW, and FTP & E-Mail). Each individual school and department has a dedicated
directory on the web server that is enabled for File Transfer Protocol (FTP) services. Schools
and departments are responsible for managing their own web sites on the Divisions server
(Technology Plan 2007-2012).
The School Division uses Ipswich I-Mail running on Windows 2003 for its E-mail server. This
server allows both Web and POP3 client mail services. All employees are provided with an Email account and training is conducted at regular intervals. A separate student E-mail server was
also established in the summer of 1998. Student user accounts are managed by their supervising
teachers. Montgomery County Public Schools employs numerous applications to ensure that
equipment is functioning as intended and to minimize downtime. Currently, there are five Web
Security Proxy Servers; CHS, BHS, CMS, BMS-KES, and one for the remainder of the county.
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BHS and CHS require students to log onto the Internet with a unique ID, which tracks activity
and usage (Technology Plan 2007-2012).

Instructional Software Applications (Technology Plan 2007-2012)

*Applications are aligned with Maryland Standards of Learning.
Software/Application

Intended Purpose

Breakthrough to Literacy

Grade
Level
PreK-2

Failure Free Reading

K-12

Remediate special needs students

In Design

9-12

Graphic design software for publications

Inspiration *

3-12

Graphic organizer software develops critical

thinking, comprehension, and writing skills

Key Train

9-12

Vocational training that reinforces basic skills

Kidzsolution SOLtoGO *

3-8

SOL-preparation activity

Kidspiration *

K-3

Graphic organizer software develops visual

learning skills

Microsoft Front Page

6-12

Web-authoring software

Microsoft Office

K-12

Word processing, database, spreadsheet,

publishing, and presentation applications

Photoshop

9-12

Digital photograph manipulation

PLATO *

6-12

Provides cross-curricular differentiated instruction

Read-Write Gold

6-12

Text-reader to reinforce reading skills

Renaissance Place:

K-12

Reading and math progress indicators and skill

development

Accelerated Reader

Develops reading skills, reading comprehension,

vocabulary acquisition, and fluency

Star Early Literacy

4

Star Math
Star Reading
RiverDeep *

6-8

Assessment and prescriptive instruction specific to

students needs

Scholastic Reading Counts

Reading progress indicator

Scholastic Reading
Inventory

Reading progress indicator

SOLPass *

3-12

Web-based SOL preparation resource

Success Maker *

2-8

Math and reading assessment, management tools,

individualized instruction, and curriculum
resources

MarcoPolo *

K-12

Instructional resources and lesson plans to support

standards

United Streaming *

K-12

Provides a database of curriculum-related videos,

images, and supplemental resources.

Web-Based Instructional
Resources:

The MCPS Technology Department consists of 25 individuals working in three distinct groups.
These groups represent specific areas of concentration or functionality in technology, which are
as follows:
1. Instructional Technology - Technology integration in classroom instruction.
2. Management Information Systems - Electronic data management applications.
3. Operational Technology - Maintenance and management of computer and
communication based systems.
The Maryland Teacher Technology Standards were developed by a consortium of Maryland
school systems, colleges, and universities to ensure that student teachers, classroom teachers, and
school staff use technology proficiently. The standards serve as benchmarks for technology
proficiency and provide a guideline for basic technology skills that each educator should possess
(Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
The MTTS were originally created as part of the PT3 grant to ensure that student teacher
candidates had adequate technology skills. The MTTS are now being used by grant consortium
members to develop the Maryland Online Technology Assessment for Teachers and
Administrators. Additionally, local school systems are also designing activities to support the
grant and align with county initiatives (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
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The Seven (7) Maryland Teacher Technology Standards

1. Access, evaluate, process and apply information efficiently and effectively
2. A: Use technology effectively and appropriately to interact electronically
B: Use technology to communicate information in a variety of formats
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the legal, social, and ethical issues related to
technology use
4. Use technology to analyze problems and develop data-driven solutions for instructional
and school improvement
5. Design, implement and assess learning experiences that incorporate use of technology
in the curriculum-related instructional activity to support understanding, inquiry,
problem solving, communication or collaboration
6. Understand human, equity, and developmental issues surrounding the use of assistive
technology to enhance student learning performance and apply that understanding to
practice
7. Develop professional practices that support continual learning and professional growth
in technology
Needs Assessment
The primary need in the school system is the establishment of a District Technology Training
Plan which can serve as a blueprint for effective utilization of technologies in schools across the
district and which will be the foundation for development and funding of educational technology
programs. First and foremost, the plan needs to address the digital divide and improve equitable
access to the appropriate technology resources for all students and staff. Schools need to keep
pace with current technologies and frequently adapt to meet these changes in order to allow
students to embrace these innovations for use in their daily lives. Todays educators must
recognize through research and evaluation that technology is an essential component of the
instructional program in order to engage all students more fully in learning, and provide students
with 21st Century work and life skills. Its critical that teachers continue to grow and refine their
technology skills enabling them to make the best use of the technology tools available to them to
improve teaching and learning. The plan needs to support the use of technology in schools and
encourage effective, ongoing uses of technology by providing appropriate resources and creating
school climates that promote technological literacy. The consequences of such a technology plan
will be to improve the decision-making, productivity, and efficiency at all levels of the
organization through the use of technology. Lastly, attention must be given to teacher
professional development that includes continued time and effort to learn, maintain and improve
their technology skills and their ability to use those skills in the classroom and beyond.
Consequently, the plan needs to address the district wide attainment of proficiency levels for all
teachers in the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards.
Needs Priority

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

District Technology Plan

Improve equitable access to appropriate technologies among all stakeholders
Improve the instructional uses of technology through research and evaluation
Improve staffs knowledge and skills and ability to integrate technology into instruction
Improve decision-making, productivity, and efficiency at all levels of the organization
through the use of technology
6. Achieve teacher proficiency levels in the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards 4, 5, 6
and 7
Audience
The District Technology Plan is intended for use by all teachers and administrators. The focus of
the plan should be designed for the teachers to improve student learning and performance using a
variety of appropriate and innovative technology resources. The plan will assist administrators in
increasing their own knowledge and skills to improve efficiency and productivity and improve
how data is used for instructional planning and student achievement. Of the 11,500 MCPS
teachers, 84% have a masters degree or equivalent. Of all MCPS employees, 61% are female
and 39% are male. All MCPS employees speak English, 24% speak a second language fluently.
The percentage of MCPS teachers and administrators currently employed within the MCPS
school system for 25 years or more is 17%; for 15 years or more is 32%; for 10 years or more is
30%; and for less than 10 years is 21%. At all MCPS schools, an expert Information Technology
Systems Specialist (ITSS) or Information Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) are responsible
for training all school staff to use instructional technology resources as well as MCPS hardware
and software.
Instructional Goals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

District Technology Plan

Improve equitable access to appropriate technologies among all stakeholders
Improve the instructional uses of technology through research and evaluation
Improve staffs knowledge and skills and ability to integrate technology into instruction
Improve decision-making, productivity, and efficiency at all levels of the organization
through the use of technology
6. Achieve teacher proficiency levels in the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards 4, 5, 6
and 7
Content Analysis
Instructional Goal 2: Improve equitable access to appropriate technologies among all
stakeholders (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Title of Workshop
Technology & Equitable Access

Description
Develop plans, including
policies and procedures, for
after school access to
computers and other

Audience
Staff & Administration
Intermediate & Advanced

Funding Opportunities and

Equitable Access To Technology

Collaborating With the

Community and Equitable
Access To Technology

Best Practices & Technical

Support

technologies and resources,

especially in areas where
technology is not available in
homes.
Seek funding opportunities
or creative strategies to
provide incentives that
encourage after school
access to technology and
resources especially in areas
where technology is not
available in homes.
Collaborate with public
libraries, community centers
and institutions of higher
education to provide
anytime, anywhere access to
technologies and digital
content.
Publish effective practices
for implementing efficient
and effective technical
support in local school
systems, including programs
for students to support
technology in schools.

Staff & Administration

Advanced

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate

Instructional Goal 3: Improve the instructional uses of technology through research and
evaluation (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Title of Workshop
Online Technology Profile

Description

Audience

Diagnostic tools
developed by the Online
Technology Profile for
Teachers and
Administrators
partnership that measure
a teachers technological
proficiency and ability to
integrate technology into
instruction are available
to local school systems.

Staff & Administration

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Instructional Goal 4: Improve staffs knowledge and skills and ability to integrate technology
into instruction (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
8

Title of Workshop
Online Profile Tool

Models of Technology
Integration

Incorporating State Technology

Standards
E-Communities for Technology
Infusion

School Supported TechnologyRelated Professional

Development

Evaluation Criteria and

Standards-Based Tools
Assessments

Description

Audience

Use the Maryland Online Profile

Tool to: measure teacher
technology literacy; assist staff
in structuring their individual
professional development plans
for meeting the Technology
Standards; and shape
professional development
opportunities at the system and
school levels.
Develop high-quality
professional and instructional
curriculums and lessons plans
using technology integration
based on successful models of
technology integration within
other school districts.
Integrate the Maryland Teacher
Technology Standards (MTTS)
into all content curriculums.
Develop high-quality
professional development
e-communities to provide
support for technology infusion.
The objective is for the group
or team is to create strategies
they can use to design their
own learning or e-community
within their department
and/or school.
Build internal capacity in
schools to support technologyrelated professional
development using district and
school administrators, county or
school-based technology
infusion specialists, school
library media specialists,
teachers, and other
knowledgeable partners.
Develop evaluation criteria and
standards-based tools that can be
used by teachers to evaluate

Staff & Administration

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate
Staff & Administration
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Technology Infusion Inside

Low- Performing Schools

their instructional competency as

related to the State Technology
Standards.
Designed for technology
infusion experts and specialist
who can assist and support less
knowledgeable teachers to
successfully infuse technology
into the curriculum which are
aligned with state technology
standards.

Staff & Administration

Advanced

Instructional Goal 5: Improve decision-making, productivity, and efficiency at all levels of the
organization through the use of technology (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Title of Workshop
Job Specific TechnologyRelated Skill Development

Technology & Efficient

Communication

Technology-Related Planning
Documents

Technology & School

Improvement Plans

Improving Communication
Between Home and School
Using Technology

Analysis of Data for DecisionMaking Using Technology

Description
A high-quality professional
development workshop for
MSDE and local school system
staff to acquire and expand jobspecific technology-related
skills.
Conduct an internal review of
current practices to determine
how technology can improve
efficiency and communication.
Design planning documents
which include strategies for
providing leadership and support
for staff as they access and use
technologies for administrative
and operational purposes.
Develop a process to review
school improvement plans and
strategies for using technology
to support school improvement
goals.
Collect and publish local school
system strategies using
technology for effective
communication between the
school and home/community.
Utilize student, school, and
district data for analysis and
10

Audience
Staff & Administration
Intermediate & Advanced

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Staff & Administration

Advanced

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate

Staff & Administration

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Staff & Administration

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Assessing Student Performance

Using Information Management
Systems

Organize Data Using

Technology

decision-making.
Using the information
management systems to
successfully monitor student
performance, to analyze student
data, and to use the results to
inform instructional decisions.
Establish a process to review all
current requests for data with the
purpose of reducing redundancy.

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Staff & Administration

Advanced

Instructional Goal 6: Achieve teacher proficiency levels in the Maryland Teacher Technology
Standards 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Title of Workshop
Technology for Instructional &
School Improvement
Designing Learning Experiences
Using Technology

Assistive Technology

Professional Growth &

Technology

Description
Use technology to analyze
problems and develop datadriven solutions for instructional
and school improvement.
Design, implement and assess
learning experiences that
incorporate use of technology in
the curriculum-related
instructional activity to support
understanding, inquiry, problem
solving, communication or
collaboration.
Understand human, equity, and
developmental issues
surrounding the use of assistive
technology to enhance student
learning performance and apply
that understanding to practice.
Develop professional practices
that support continual learning
and professional growth in
technology.

Audience
Staff & Administration
Intermediate & Advanced
Staff & Administration
Beginner & Intermediate

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate

Staff & Administration

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Instructional Strategies
I.

Maryland Teacher Technology Standard (MTTS) 4 - Design, implement and assess

learning experiences that incorporate use of technology in the curriculum-related
instructional activity to support understanding, inquiry, problem solving, communication
or collaboration (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).

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II.

Instructional Goal 4 and Needs Priority 4 - Improve staffs knowledge and skills and
ability to integrate technology into instruction.

The instructional strategies to be used for teaching staff the knowledge and skills necessary to
successfully integrate technology into the curriculum and classroom and includes seven (7)
interactive workshops and ten (10) steps designed for high-quality professional development.
Title of Workshop
Online Profile Tool

Models of Technology
Integration

Incorporating State Technology

Standards
E-Communities for Technology
Infusion

School Supported TechnologyRelated Professional

Development

Description

Audience

Use the Maryland Online Profile

Tool to: measure teacher
technology literacy; assist staff
in structuring their individual
professional development plans
for meeting the Technology
Standards; and shape
professional development
opportunities at the system and
school levels.
Develop high-quality
professional and instructional
curriculums and lessons plans
using technology integration
based on successful models of
technology integration within
other school districts.
Integrate the Maryland Teacher
Technology Standards (MTTS)
into all content curriculums.
Develop high-quality ecommunities to provide support
for technology infusion. The
objective is for the group or
team is to create strategies
they can use to design their
own learning or e-community
within their department
and/or school.
Build internal capacity in
schools to support technologyrelated professional
development using district and
school administrators, county or
school-based technology
infusion specialists, school

Staff & Administration

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

12

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate

Staff & Administration

Beginner & Intermediate
Staff & Administration
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Evaluation Criteria and

Standards-Based Tools
Assessments

Technology Infusion Inside

Low- Performing Schools

library media specialists,

teachers, and other
knowledgeable partners.
Develop evaluation criteria and
standards-based tools that can be
used by teachers to evaluate
their instructional competency as
related to the State Technology
Standards.
Designed for technology
infusion experts and specialist
who can assist and support less
knowledgeable teachers to
successfully infuse technology
into the curriculum which are
aligned with state technology
standards.

Staff & Administration

Intermediate & Advanced

Staff & Administration

Advanced

Title of Workshop 1: Online Profile Tool

Step 1: Assess students learning/instructional needs to identify the appropriate technology
for instruction (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
In order to facilitate the use of a wide array of technologies into the curriculum and classroom,
its necessary to compare and contrast technology in order to determine the most suitable type.
Staff will use the Maryland Online Profile Tool to: measure teacher technology literacy; assist
staff in structuring their individual professional development plans for meeting the Technology
Standards; and shape professional development opportunities at the system and school levels.
Step 2: Evaluate technology materials and media to determine their most appropriate
instructional use (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff learns how to work with the media specialist and other faculty resources to determine the
appropriate materials/technologies most suitable in the classroom. Staff learns how to explore
proprietary online resources provided by the school or school system.
Title of Workshop 2: Models of Technology Integration
Step 3: Select and apply research-based practices for integrating technology into
instruction (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff learns to develop high-quality professional and instructional curriculums and lessons plans
using technology integration based on successful models of technology integration within other
school districts. Staff receives reviews and learns how to utilize research-based practices using
13

technology resources for improving instruction. Staff learns how to efficiently access online
resources and databases to support research activities.
Step 4: Use appropriate instructional strategies for integrating technology into instruction
(Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff will employ the knowledge obtained from the technology training workshops to collaborate
with colleagues to understand effective methods of instruction using technology resources.
Title of Workshop 3: Incorporating State Technology Standards
Step 5: Select and use appropriate technology to support content-specific student learning
outcomes (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff will learn to integrate the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards (MTTS) into all content
curriculums. Staff will establish technology resources and best research practices bookmarks of
appropriate websites. Staff will learn how to teach students to explore relevant and appropriate
websites for compulsory research and/or informational content.
Title of Workshop 4: E-Communities for Technology Infusion
Step 6: Utilize technology communication information systems for technology infusion and
support (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff will learn how to develop high-quality e-communities to provide support for technology
infusion. The objective is for the group or team is to create strategies they can use to design
their own learning or e-community within their department and/or school.
Title of Workshop 5: School Supported Technology-Related Professional Development
Step 7: Utilize technology communication information systems for technology infusion and
support (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff will develop and build internal capacity in schools to support technology-related
professional development using district and school administrators, county or school-based
technology infusion specialists, school library media specialists, teachers, and other
knowledgeable partners.
Title of Workshop 6: Evaluation Criteria and Standards-Based Tools Assessments
Step 8: Develop an appropriate assessment for measuring student outcomes through the
use of technology (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Staff will learn how to develop evaluation criteria and standards-based tools that can be used by
teachers to evaluate their instructional competency as related to the State Technology Standards.

14

Staff will learn to create rubrics using technology to evaluate student understanding and consider
the use of online assessment tools.
Title of Workshop 7: Technology Infusion Inside Low- Performing Schools
Step 9: Manage a technology-enhanced environment to maximize student learning
(Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
Workshop 7 is designed for technology infusion experts and specialist who can assist and
support less knowledgeable teachers to successfully infuse technology into the curriculum which
are aligned with state technology standards. Staff will learn to integrate technology and content
by way of teaching and learning theories. Staff will learn to evaluate the effectiveness of
technology use in a low-performing classroom setting.
Step 10: Evaluation (Attached below)
Materials
Title of Workshop 4: E-Communities for Technology Infusion
Step 6: Utilize technology communication information systems for technology infusion and
support (Maryland Teacher Technology Standards, 2003).
A virtual community or e-community is a social network of individuals who interact through
specific media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue
mutual interests or goals (Virtual community, 2010). A social networking service is perhaps the
most enveloping type of virtual community. These virtual communities all encourage interaction,
sometimes focusing around a particular interest, or sometimes just to communicate (Virtual
community, 2010). Quality virtual communities do both. They allow users to interact over a
shared passion, whether it is through message boards, chat rooms, social networking sites, or
virtual worlds. It is in fact, a learning community.
Online communities depend upon social interaction and exchange between users online. The
embedding of virtual community in the experiences of everyday life and its reflection of and
influence on the communication practices and patterns of identity formation make online
community a colossal research enterprise which requires continuous investigation and theorizing
(Virtual community, 2010).
Internet communities offer the advantage of instant information exchange that is not possible in a
real-life community. This allows people to engage in many activities from their home, such as:
shopping, paying bills, and searching for specific information (Virtual community, 2010). While
instant communication means fast access, it also means that information is posted without out
being reviewed for correctness. Information online is different than information discussed in a
real-life community because it is permanently online.
Factors of a successful community of learners includes the following attributes; 1) social
presence or the habitual communication with others in a community; 2) motivation to share
15

knowledge for the benefit and success of all involved stakeholders; and 3) collaboration to
ensure that communities of learners thrive (Community of practice, 2010).
MCPS has created a website, or a monthly e-mail newsletter containing the latest news and
information about programs and activities for students, links to other helpful resources and web
sites and emergency announcements for students and their families (Quick Notes, 2010). The
newsletter is called Quick Notes and is an example of a virtual learning community and a
partnership amongst the school system and the parents and their families. Quick Notes is a social
network of individuals who interact through specific media, the Internet, and the arrangement is
successful because the process reveals the features of a thriving community of learners including
social presence, motivation and collaboration. The newsletter is always accessible and updated
monthly. MCPS conveys the information for the benefit of all its stakeholders. This constant
communication and exchange of knowledge between the parties is indicative of the efforts of
MCPS to establish a collaborative culture of education. Quick Notes can be accessed at the
following link titled;
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/quicknotes/currentissue/english/
A screen cast tutorial that I created for this workshop and added to my online site discussing
Quick Notes will be presented to the audience and is included in the Power Point presentation.
The screen cast tutorial can be accessed on slide seven (7) of the presentation or at the following
link titled; http://sitebuilder.yola.com/ide/index.jsp?siteid=8a4986c82b2e96d5012b2f778f240d0a
Using a Power Point presentation (attached as separate document), Ill introduce staff to the
topic and workshop titled; E-Communities for Technology Infusion. Staff will then be separated
into cohort or common teaching groups and will review a collection of (3) printed online
materials in order to learn how to develop high-quality e-communities to provide support for
technology infusion. Each group will have to answer several questions based on the
information in the articles and must present their responses to the group.
After allowing the staff to examine the online materials and respond to the questions, I will
complete the Power Point presentation. The primary objective is for the group and team is
then to create strategies they can use to design their own online learning or e-community
within their department and/or school.
These online materials include the following articles:
1. Principals and Teachers: Continuous Learners @
http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues72/issues72.pdf
In order to address increasingly complex responsibilities; some principals have created
communities of learners. These principals use their leadership role to demonstrate and encourage
continuous learning for themselves and all staff members in order to increase the effectiveness of
their schools (Principals and Teachers: Continuous Learners, 1999).
2. Using School-Community Partnerships To Bolster Student Learning @
http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-02-04.pdf
16

Research and experience confirm the connection between students mental and physical health
and their school attendance and academic achievement.2 Some conditions that jeopardize
learning, such as emotional neglect, physical abuse, and other family dysfunction, can be found
across the socioeconomic spectrum. Others are caused or aggravated by poverty and, thus, bound
to become more common given the current recession and rising poverty rates.3
This Policy Brief examines how school-community partnerships can help mitigate the noncognitive barriers to learning so students can achieve to high standards. It identifies the lessons
being learned from such partnerships and offers practical policy recommendations for local,
state, and federal policymakers (Using School-Community Partnerships to Bolster Student
Learning, 2002).
3. Building Home, School, Community Partnerships: The Planning Phase @
http://www.sedl.org/pubs/fam01/planning.pdf
Based on research findings, and on the results of its experience providing ongoing long-term
technical assistance to five demonstrations sites in the Southwestern Region, SEDL has
developed a framework for the planning phase of Home, School, and Community Partnership
(HSCP) development. This framework consists of four stages that are typically accomplished
over a period of 12 to 18 months (Building Home, School, Community Partnerships: The
Planning Phase, 1995).
Stage 1: Initiating the Partnership. Potential partners begin to engage in a dialogue about the
needs of children and families in the community, develop respect for each other's differing
viewpoints, and come to understand the concepts of HSC Partnership and collaboration, and
what these might mean for their community.
Stage 2: Building the Partnership. Potential partners begin to identify gaps in existing services
and resources, prioritize their concerns, strengthen group cohesiveness, participate in joint
activities, and develop mechanisms for sharing information and resources.
Stage 3: Developing a Shared Vision. Partners continue to prioritize desired outcomes of their
work together and develop a vision which reflects those outcomes. They explore ideas for
realizing their vision, and share responsibility for establishing linkages across programs.
Stage 4: Translating Planning into Collaborative Action. Partners identify and assess the
feasibility of activities that address their desired outcomes, and develop a plan for implementing
one or more feasible activities.
Evaluation Survey
(Library, Information and Technology Services, 2010).
Strongly
Agree

Agree

No Comment

17

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Part 1
Instructional
Method
The
presentation
was clear and
to the point
The difficulty
level of the
presentation
was
appropriate
The presenter
was responsive
to the
participants
Part 2
The Content
The content
was interesting
to me
The content
had substance
The content
was relevant
Part 3
Participation
Benefits
My thinking
about the topic
is more
focused
I gained new
insights
I learned new
applications
Part 4
Instructional
Presentation
The pace of the
session was
appropriate
The session
was well
organized
A/V materials
enhanced the
presentation

18

Part 5
Written
Comments

Part 1
Instructional
Method

Part 2
The
Content

Part 3
Participation
Benefits

Part 4
Instructional
Presentation

Additional
Comment(s)

Please provide
some brief
comments as
to how each of
these topics
could be
improved

References
Teacher AUP: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/igtra.pdf
Interactive Whiteboard Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2010, from Promethean Planet:
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15
Technology Plan 2007-2012. (n.d.). Retrieved October, 19, 2010, from MCPS:
http://www.mcps.org/admin/techplan/#_CHAPTER_ONE_
Virtual community. (2010). Retrieved October 20, 2010, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_community#Internet_message_boards
Maryland Teacher Technology Standards. (June 20, 2003). Retrieved October 23, 2010, from
MCPS:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/technology/techstandards/index.
shtm
Community of practice. (2010). Retrieved October 23, 2010, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice
Library, Information and Technology Services. (2010). Retrieved October 25, 2010, from The
College at Brockport: http://www.brockport.edu/its/forms/workshopeval.html
Online Research Articles
1. Principals and Teachers: Continuous Learners @
http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues72/issues72.pdf
2. Using School-Community Partnerships To Bolster Student Learning @
http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-02-04.pdf

19

3. Building Home, School, Community Partnerships: The Planning Phase @

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/fam01/planning.pdf

20