RUNNING HEAD: BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS

Bridging the Gap; 1:1 Devices for Fitzgerald High School Students

Christy Jacobs

Kennesaw State University

August 2016

Dr. Julie Moore

June 2016
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 2

Setting and Context

The setting for the proposed project will take place at Fitzgerald High School in Ben Hill

County. Ben Hill County resides in the Coastal Plains region of South Georgia. Founded in

1906, Fitzgerald is known for its heritage of Union and Confederate soldiers taking up peaceful

residence after the end of the Civil War. The Colony City, decorated in blue and gray sidewalk

tiles and with street names of Union and Confederate generals, is home to approximately 17,403

citizens (United States Census, 2015). The Ben Hill County Board of Education maintains one

school per grade band, for example one preschool, primary, elementary, middle, and high school.

The high school and preschool are the only schools within the district located in the city limits of

Fitzgerald; the remaining schools are all located within the county lines. All students within the

Ben Hill County school district receive free lunch as at least 75 percent of our student population

qualifies for free or reduced priced lunch.

Fitzgerald High School, a traditional public school and home of the Purple Hurricanes,

includes students in grades 9-12. A 2A school, Fitzgerald High School has 838 students enrolled

for the 2016-2017 school year. Of that 838, 419 students are male and 419 students are female.

Of the total percentage of students enrolled, 53.34 percent of the students (447) are non-white

nor of Hispanic Origin. The student population is made up of 45% African Americans, 44%

Whites, 9% Hispanics, 1.5 % Multi-racial, and less than 1% Asian/Pacific Islander. Students

with disabilities make up for 16% of the student body and the English Language Learners make

up for 1% of the entire student body (Georgia School Reports, 2016). Fitzgerald High School

has a total of 64 certified staff members and an additional 20 support personnel. Fitzgerald High

School ranked lowest in the Coastal Plains RESA district which consists of 11 schools (Ben Hill,

Berrien, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift, Turner, and Valdosta) on the
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 3

CCRPI (College and Career Ready Performance Index) with a score of 67.1 (barely above the

mandate for low-performing schools as deemed by the Governors Office for Student

Achievement at 66.2) for the 2015-2016 school year. It also scored below the state average in all

End of Course Assessments with the exception of Physical Science with Ninth Grade Literature

and Composition, American Literature and Composition, Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology, United

States History, and Economics/ Business/ Free Enterprise all being tested.

Fitzgerald High School consists of one principal and two assistant principals. There are

two instructional coaches who work with the Middle and High schools along with a special

education instructional coach. Serval changes have taken place for the current school year which

include a new superintendent, high school principal, high school assistant principal, and the

inclusion of two additional instructional coaches; one for traditional classrooms and the other for

the special education classroom. The school is divided into hallways by content or department

and career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) classes. Each department has a

department head that correlates collaborative planning and represents the department on the

leadership team for the school. Changes are also occurring in the daily operations of the school.

In hopes to improve the CCRPI and school climate score, which was a three last year, small

renovations have taken place to improve the school environment until a new school can be built

as the current facilities are 64 years old. Renovations have included repainting the exterior

doors, repainting the lines to the parking lots, and repainting the hallways.

The high school has tried to host bring your own technology (BYOT) in recent years, but

they have been unsuccessful in the rollout due to lack of strategic planning that incorporates

scheduling, use, device management, and teacher training. BYOT unfortunately resulted in

mishandling the use of cellular devices by students and resulted in school wide classroom
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 4

management and disciplinary issues. With new administration, a school-wide BYOT initiative is

taking place, however the student handbook at Fitzgerald High School does not correlate with

the district initiative. Due to the inaccuracies within the local handbook and district policy, we

have not been successful in having all students turn in district mandated paperwork. The

paperwork includes parental signatures regarding device use and specific information regarding

what type of device the student possesses and will be in use in the instructional classroom.

Due to the poor socioeconomic status of our county and student population, the students

are not capable of purchasing devices that benefit their educational endeavors at Fitzgerald High

School and beyond. By providing students with 1:1 devices, teachers can build lesson plans

around the technology they know will be available for all students. Students will also learn in a

tech savvy educational environment through which they are already immersed in. Teachers will

receive weekly training on how to incorporate the device through their curriculum. By providing

training for teachers, the teachers will feel in control of the environment as they will be at the

same point of learning as their students on a particular technology app, software, etc. per week.

By providing students with a device as a freshman, it will create a sense of ownership to properly

care for the device so that it will sustain use through high school and for after graduation from

Fitzgerald High School. By implementing and providing a strategic plan on how to obtain and

roll out the use of 1:1 devices, all stakeholders (administration, board, and faculty) will be

knowledgeable of the plan and procedures in place to affectively implement 1:1 device use at the

high school. The plan and device use will be non-cellular, and will include school purchased

devices which will have tighter limitations on what students will be able to access during the

instructional day. By providing devices, students will be presented with an invaluable gift to

learn, care for, and effectively use technology to be successful in high school and their pursuits
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 5

thereafter. Also, through including a strategic plan for implementation, the entire faculty of

Fitzgerald High School will be included and required to buy in on the plan so that it reaches

maximum potential. Reaching maximum potential would include turning the school into an

educationally effective environment that teaches the standards through advantageous available

technology that entices, engages, and meets our students at 21st century education

implementation!

Statement of Problem, Need and Rationale

The problem or need that prompted this project proposal was due to recent technology

purchases the school has been able to make due to its Title One status. Before the entire system

was denoted as a Title One district, Fitzgerald High School was able to use designated funds to

provide devices for targeted assistance students. Target assisted students were those who

showed, on previous standardized testing, to be below grade level and were then grouped

together for support classes. Three support classes were formed for English language arts and

two support classes for mathematics. Due to these numbers, the school was able to purchase five

carts of 30 touchscreen computers along with cases and an external mouse. Since there was no

system in place for the roll out of the devices or professional learning for teachers, the

technology was only used during the single period of the support class, and the students were not

able to have a device for their particular needs in all classes at Fitzgerald High School. The

cases and mice are still in plastic and sealed in boxes as these were never deployed because

students were not given the devices to keep on their person. The support classes, where the

devices were used, had a particular program that the students completed on their device that were

meant to help support the students to being successful in their grade level mathematics and ELA

courses. Shaw notes in his article Low Tech Tools of Empowerment, that
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The 21st Century expectation of infusing our classrooms with software and multi-media is

becoming a realization at an increasing rate. Classrooms are undergoing redesign and re-

engineering to accommodate the arrival of digital learning devices. He notes that, This

growth offers a shift in instructional methodology that allows greater access for students

with and without identified disabilities leading to decreased barriers and increased

engagement (Shaw, 2016, p. 40).

Even though the technology and programs were available for the targeted assistance students at

Fitzgerald High School, there was no review of effective integration, resources, or a description

of the role technology could play in the support classrooms provided for the teachers, of those

classes, to be successful. Delgado, Wardlow, McKnight, and OMalley address the issue of

understanding the facets and logistics surrounding this method of teaching (using technology in

the classroom) as equally, if not more critical than helping students to strengthen a certain set of

skills needed to be successful in the 21st century (p. 398). As seen from the research, it is of

vital importance to teach technology integration to educators, as well as, having devices in the

hands of all students and not simply those with identified disabilities. By providing devices and

professional learning, it is the goal of Fitzgerald High School to bridge the gap and become

closer to providing 1:1 devices for all students as, 1:1 programs are motivated by the

possibilities to improve student learning in general, and to prepare them for participation in the

knowledge society; sometimes articulated as 21st century skills (Tallvid, Lundin, Svensson, and

Lindstrom, 2015, p. 238).

There are six main categories that limit and hinder technology integration into schools.

The six main categories include: resources, knowledge and skills, institution, attitudes and

beliefs, assessment, and subject culture (Delgado, Wardlow, McKnight, OMalley, 2015, p.
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 7

399). Though the resources were available for the support students at Fitzgerald High School,

the remaining categories continued to limit and hinder the technology integration. The teachers

and students did have the previous knowledge and skills necessary to run and facilitate the

devices, however the attitudes and beliefs surrounding the technology use was negative, and the

institution, assessment, and subject culture categories were absent altogether. Delgado also

proposed a question in his research aimed to measure the effectiveness of a technology tool

along with the knowledge gained which is The overall impact of education technology across

different methodologies (Delgado et al., 2015, p. 400). This final question, How effective is

educational technology?, is in essence, the backbone of the problem associated with the lack of

success at Fitzgerald High School with technology integration. Through understanding the

overall impact of educational technology, this proposal will define the need to increase the

technology use to one-to-one devices for each student in the school.

There are various options of technology environments in todays K-12 classroom which

includes BYOD (bring your own device), blended learning, flipped learning and flipped

classrooms, and online learning. There have also been significant investments made in

educational technology in the United States, and an increase in integration however, despite the

various environments, investments, and integration, the overall use of technology in the K-12

classroom remains low. Delgado noted in his literature review of Educational Technology: A

review of the Integration, Resources, and Effectiveness of Technology in K-12 Classrooms

several reasons for the use of technology remaining low in the classroom: teachers lack of

computer skills, time for teachers to learn to manage and familiarize themselves with the

computer, and resources (such as technical support in the school setting). All of these reasons

are parallel with the lack of success that Fitzgerald High School has endured since the devices
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 8

were implemented a year ago. A second article, Teaching and Learning with Mobile

Computing Devices: Case Study in K-12 Classrooms denoted five themes associated with

using any type of MCD (mobile computing device) in the classroom. These themes included: (a)

ownership and control; (b) administrators champion teachers uses of MCDs especially for

student accountability; (c) teachers use devices to enhance their curricula and as motivation for

their students; (d) teachers receive and seek out relevant professional development; and (e)

technical issues were common, but support was available. Therefore, in order to move from a

school that does not effectively integrate technology in all classrooms and for all students, we

must adapt to making the themes of Grant more applicable and prominent in order to be

successful with making 1:1 devices for all students at Fitzgerald High School a reality.

The rationale behind the project proposal of Fitzgerald High School bridging the gap and

implementing one-to-one devices for all students is synchronous with Broussard, Hebert, Welch,

and VanMetre when they state how Technology is ubiquitous in todays world. It allows people

to become more efficient workers, more independent consumers, and more connected in terms of

networking with others (Broussard, Hebert, Welch, VanMetre, 2014, p. 38). The most

important aspect of the proposal and the implementation of bridging the dive and 1:1 device use

for students at Fitzgerald High School is to properly train the teachers on how to effectively

implement technology into the classroom to meet the standards and the demands of the 21st

century and the digital revolution in which our society is currently immersed.

Ultimately, the implementation of 1:1 technologies in the classroom will become more

widespread as policy makers and stakeholders continue to push for it, and it is therefore

imperative that educators and administrators be knowledgeable about the potential

benefits and drawbacks that these tools may provide. By doing so, they can better
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 9

prepare themselves and their students to use these technologies in the most productive

ways possible (Hoffman, 2013, p. 17). With the digital revolution changing the

quantity and quality of available information, educators are charged with the

responsibility of equipping students with the necessary skills to discern between facts and

fiction as a young age. To accomplish these feats, technological tools and instructional

strategies offer teachers the ability to transform their teaching, providing students with

plethora of benefits. It can be noted, that technology cannot provide any assistance, and

surely any advantages, if the students do not have the tools or the access to technology

(Delgado et al., 2015, p. 410).

Objectives & Deliverables

The overall goal of my project is to bridge the gap in providing all students of Fitzgerald

High School, who are mostly from low income and socioeconomic status families, with a

technology device for instructional use in the classroom. Once this initial goal is met,

professional development must take place in order to properly train teachers on how to

effectively implement technology in the classroom in order to meet the standards and the

demands of the 21st century and the digital revolution in which our society is currently immersed.

Meeting the overall goal of decreasing the technology deficit and increasing the device numbers

allowing for more 1:1 devices at Fitzgerald High School will be accomplished based upon the

following objectives I plan to implement:

Increase individual student technology use (through providing devices for students who

do not have access).

BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 10

Increase teacher understanding of how to use technology effectively through professional

development by creating videos that demonstrate effective technology integration and

providing teachers with exemplar lesson plans which integrate technology.

Increase teachers comfort level with providing professional development and learning on

integrative technology, technology apps, programs, sites, etc. which is to be implemented

The following deliverables have been determined based upon the implementation of the

objectives in order to support the project:

Survey: Once created and implemented it will provide data results with a specific

number of devices needed for students.

Boxes and Created Flyers: Once created, these items will be placed around the schools of

Ben Hill County and at the local businesses for electronic donations. The created flyers

will also be put in the local newspaper and sent to the radio station.

List of technology grants: Once created, it will help provide a list of grants which would

be applicable to our school and need.

Video of effective technology integration and exemplar lesson plan that include

technology integration

Continual professional development sessions

PSC Standards

Standard three of the GaPSC Instructional Technology Standards focuses on the digital

learning environment and directly correlates with my project proposal and the implementation of

1:1 devices at Fitzgerald High School. This standard defines how one must demonstrate the

knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create, support, and manage effective digital learning

environments which correlates with the objectives of the project and the importance of teacher
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 11

professional development. Standard four, is also a large part of my project proposal as it focuses

on digital citizenship and responsibility and touches on the importance of digital equity. As

Fitzgerald High School is a Title One school and part of a Title One district, it is vital that we

provide all students with the digital equity to be successful in the educational setting.

The first objective to be achieved through this project is to increase individual student

technology use. This objective supports standard 4.1 which states that equitable access to digital

tools and resources be available to all students. By finding means of bridging the technology

deficiency gap and providing more students with devices through grants or donations, the first

objective of the project will be met which will pave the way for the remainder of the project

proposal and implementation.

The second objective focuses around educating teachers on effective technology use in

the classroom. This objective supports standard 3.1 and collaborative learning where strategies

are used to maximize teacher and student use of digital tools and resources. Through

understanding the definition of effective technology integration as being achieved When

students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner,

analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally, it will better help teachers

understand the idea of effective technology integration as The technology becoming an integral

part of how the classroom functionsas accessible as all other classroom tools (Edutopia,

2007). Professional development will be used in order to help meet objectives two and three of

the project proposal.

Objective three focuses on teaching and learning various technology apps, programs, and

sites which directly correlates with standard 3.6, selecting and evaluating digital tools and

resources. This standard states that teachers and administrators will select and evaluate digital
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 12

tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology

infrastructure. Objective three will take place with consistent professional development and the

implementation of a digital tools and resources tab in our current staff online notebook.

Table 1.
Project Objectives Alignment
Project Objectives PSC Standard

Increase individual student technology Element 4.1 Digital Equity

use (through providing more devices for Candidates model and promote strategies for
students who do not have access). achieving equitable access to digital tools and

resources and technology-related best

practices for all students and teachers.

Increase teacher understanding of how Element 3.1 Classroom Management &

to use technology effectively through Collaborative Learning

professional development by creating Candidates model and facilitate effective

videos that demonstrate effective classroom management and collaborative
technology integration and providing learning strategies to maximize teacher and
teachers with exemplar lesson plans student use of digital tools and resources.
which integrate technology.

Increase teachers comfort level with Element 3.6 Selecting and Evaluating

providing professional development and Digital Tools & Resources

learning on integrative technology, Candidates collaborate with teachers and

technology apps, programs, sites, etc. administrators to select and evaluate digital
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 13

which is to be implemented. tools and resources for accuracy, suitability,

and compatibility with the school technology

infrastructure.

Project Description

My project proposal includes putting devices in the hands of more students at Fitzgerald

High School; bridging the gap for 1:1. Due to the fact that Fitzgerald High School serves mainly

students who are from low income and socioeconomic statues families who might not be able to

afford technology devices, this project will allow more students the opportunity to immerse in

21st century education and learning through technology. My goal by doing this is to increase the

use of effective technology integration in the classroom by providing teachers with professional

development that facilities an understanding and comfort level with tools and resources that

promote device use. Resources and tools implemented and explored in professional

development will be accessible in our current staff online notebook under a designated tab; tools

and resources for technology integration. By providing devices for all students and professional

development for teachers on effective integration and tools and resources we are meeting the

GaPSC instructional technology standards from domains three and four which pinpoint digital

equity, classroom management and collaborative learning, and selecting and evaluating digital

tools and resources.

First project item/activity.

The purpose of this first part of the intervention is to get devices into the hands of more

students at Fitzgerald High School and bridge the gap in becoming a 1:1 school. In order to

complete this goal, the first part of the project involves the creation of an online survey to
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 14

identify how many students at Fitzgerald High School do not have their own device to use in the

instructional classroom. The survey will be implemented in the schools computer lab as a

schedule will also be created to insure all students come to the lab within the day. The data

gained from the initial survey will designate the number of devices that need to be purchased or

donated to bring FHS closer to a 1:1 device use school and it directly provides a correlation with

the GaPSC instructional technology element 4.1; digital equity. This initial activity involves the

first objective and deliverable. The materials needed for this initial survey are minimal, a

computer and a school schedule will be required. The survey will be created online through

Survey Monkey and a class computer lab schedule will be created on Excel online and shared

with all teachers and staff. The teachers will take their classes to the computer lab at the

designated time and all students will login to their school e-mail account. Once students are in

their e-mail they will have received a link to Survey Monkey to take the device survey. The

survey will take approximately thirty minutes to create and share with all students. The data

from the survey will take two hours to determine the number of additional devices needed and to

what students the devices will be given.

Second project item/activity.

The second project emphasizes the importance of getting devices into the hands of more

students at Fitzgerald High School. Once the initial project has been completed and analyzed, a

process will begin to order to purchase additional laptops with the same Title One funding of

which the current laptops were purchased. From the data obtained, in the first project, donation

boxes will be set up at the schools and surrounding businesses collecting donated devices that the

patrons no longer use. While the donations are being collected, a grant will be written and

submitted in order to purchase more devices for students. Buying, grant writing, and collecting
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 15

donations for students in order to bridge the gap between turning Fitzgerald High School into a

1:1 device school falls under the GaPSC standard 4.1, digital equity. This project also meets the

first objective and deliverable. Materials for this project will vary depending on the data

collected from the initial survey, however the following is a list of projected materials that will

be needed.

1. Purchase order and approved Title One purchase cost to order additional laptops

2. Assistive team in place to wipe any donated devices, restore the devices to its original

state, and download the students free license of Microsoft Office from our Office 365

school purchase.

The time involved to carry out the second project of this proposal will vary depending on the

number of devices needed for all students at Fitzgerald High School. Due to applying for a

grant, if necessary, to purchase additional devices for students, this project of the proposal could

take up to six months to complete.

Third project item/activity.

The purpose of the third project is to create an awareness and understanding of effective

technology integration in the classroom. Through professional development for teachers, a

mindset will be created, using exemplars, to help teachers understand the effective use of

technology in the classroom. The project will take place over a series of weeks so that teachers

will be able to implement effective use of technology integration into their lesson plans through

collaboration efforts at the sessions. This project meets the second objective and deliverable of

the proposal and the GaPSC standard 3.1, classroom management and collaborative learning;

candidates model and facilitate effective classroom management and collaborative learning
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 16

strategies to maximize teacher and student use of digital tools and resources. Materials needed

for this project include: exemplar videos for professional development, examples of lesson plans

that include the use of technology integration, a projector, sound, and laptops for teacher use.

This project will be ongoing for a series of six weeks, during the same time that the second

project is taking place so that both the devices and teachers are prepared for additional device

rollout.

Fourth project item/activity.

My final project of my proposal will conclude with ongoing professional development to

introduce the staff to new technology applications, web 2.0 tools, sites, etc. The purpose of this

project will be to increase the level of which the teacher is comfortable so that they will then

implement the technology resource in their classroom. The professional development will

continue weekly for the duration of the school year and a minimum of three technology tools will

be introduced each week. In order to keep up with all of the tools, a digital tools and resources

tab will be included in the staff online notebook for Fitzgerald High School. From this resource,

the tools will be grouped according to categories of implementation so that a resource can be

quickly found. This portion meets the third objective and deliverable of the proposal and GaPSC

standard 3.6, selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources. Materials needed in order to

implement this fourth project include a weekly list of at least three technology tools to use during

professional learning, laptops for teachers, and access to the staff digital notebook so that the

tools can be added to the directory. The duration of this project will last a full school calendar

year with weekly implementations of professional development.

Table 1.
Project Activities Alignment
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 17

Project Item/Activity Project Objectives Deliverable Hours

Create, Implement, Increase individual student Have more devices in 2.30

and Analyze Initial technology use (through providing the hands of students

Survey devices for students who do not at Fitzgerald High

have access). School.

Buying, Grant Increase individual student Have more devices in 6

Writing, Collecting technology use (through providing the hands of students months

Donations devices for students who do not at Fitzgerald High

have access). School

Create Awareness Increase teacher understanding of Video of effective 6

and Understanding of how to use technology effectively technology weeks

Effective Technology through professional development integration and an

Integration- by creating videos that exemplar lesson plan

Professional demonstrate effective technology that includes

Development integration. technology

integration
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 18

Increase the staffs Increase teachers comfort level Continual 1.0-

level comfort by with providing professional professional weekly

implementing three development and learning on development sessions for 1

technology tools a integrative technology, technology year

week- Professional apps, programs, sites, etc. which is

Development to be implemented

Evaluation Plan

During the implementation of any new program or initiative, it is vital to evaluate the

plan in order to adequately determine the success and possible areas which are in need of

improvement. Each subsequent project and activity of the plan will have its own evaluation

method to determine if it meets the said objectives, deliverables, and GA performance standards

proposed. Throughout each project, an evaluation will be made to determine if the overall goal

of obtaining more devices for Fitzgerald High School Students and the implementation of

successful device use is taking place in the classroom.

First project item/activity.

The overall goal of this project is to have more devices in the hands of students at

Fitzgerald High School; bridge the gap. In order for this objective to be met, we must first

determine how many students are in need of said device. Therefore, in order to evaluate the need

and create direction it is vital that all students enrolled complete the initial online project survey.

The survey will serve as an evaluation tool to measure how many additional devices are needed

for the project to continue with implementation of effective use and teacher preparedness. This
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 19

initial project will meet the GaPSC instructional technology element 4.1 digital equity; allowing

all students the same opportunities with technology use in the classroom. The survey will take

approximately 30 minutes to create and share with all students. Since the school already

implements the use of Office 365, each student will receive the link to the survey through their

student e-mail account. Through a prepared and detailed schedule which will take an additional

hour to create, teachers will take their classes to a computer lab to complete the initial survey.

This rotation will take the duration of one instructional day and the data from the survey will

take two hours to determine the number of additional devices needed and to what students the

devices will be given.

Second project item/activity.

Several aspects and individuals are involved in effectively carrying out the second project

item of the proposed project to ensure that more students at Fitzgerald High School have a device

for use in the instructional classroom. In order to evaluate the project in terms of applying for a

grant, the purchase of additional devices, community donations and flyers created, and the

assistive team needed to wipe donated devices and download the Microsoft Office Suite once the

initial survey and a designated number of devices has been determined, a calendar and group e-

mail will be set up through Office 365 to evaluate item completion in order to measure project

completion. Members to be included in the group that are necessary stakeholders in order to

effectively complete the second project are: Fitzgerald High School administrative team to

include counselors, assistant principals and principal, district Title One coordinator, instructional

technology team, VARtek, along with the support, supervision, and influence of the

Superintendent of Ben Hill County Schools. Success will be determined by task completion on

said date on the shared calendar. All working stakeholders will have a particular item of the
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 20

project to ensure all areas are being sought out in order to meet the overall goal of providing all

students at Fitzgerald High School with a device and meeting the GaPSC standard 4.1, digital

equity. Due to the nature of having to possibly write a grant and wait for approval, a minimum

of six months will be necessary to plan, write, and carry out all parts of the project and to await

grant approval and funding.

Third project item/activity.

Alongside professional development, which will take place in order to meet the second

objective of increasing teacher understanding of effective technology use, a blog will be

implemented in order to continue collaborative efforts in helping all teachers incorporate

technology use into their lesson plans. Teachers will post their final weekly lesson plans on the

blog to demonstrate how they are using technology prior to the week the plans will be

implemented. After the completion of the implementation week, teachers will respond to their

lesson plans answering questions regarding technology integration, the effectiveness, their

students response to the integration, and the teachers comfort level. By implementing a blog

alongside professional development sessions, teachers will be evaluating themselves (when

posting), as well as allowing for the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the professional

development sessions which correlate with the GaPSC standard 3.1 on classroom management

and collaborative learning. The blog, which will serve as the evaluation tool of the collaborative

efforts and as a measure of the effective understanding of technology integration, will be created

through Office 365. It will be created as a SharePoint site and can be shared through the

schools 365 e-mail server. The blog will take approximately two hours to create and share.

Fourth project item/activity.

BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 21

A survey will be created to serve as an evaluation measure for each tool introduced

during professional development. Once a teacher implements a tool she will evaluate it. The

results of each tool evaluation will be shared on the digital tools and resources tab included in the

staff online notebook for Fitzgerald High School. By providing the teachers with the results,

constructive feedback will be readily available which can help others determine if they wish to

try to implement the tool into their own classrooms. This evaluation method per tools coincides

with GaPSC standard 3.6, selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources. The initial survey

will take two hours to create using Survey Monkey for the tools implemented during that month.

Each week the results will be added to the staff notebook. Two hours per week will be required

in order to update both the survey and the notebook to correlate with the professional

development session and the tools introduced.

Project Timeline

The project timeline begins with the start of the 2017-2018 school calendar year. The

project begins with the initial survey of all students enrolled to determine the number of

additional devices required that would allow all students at Fitzgerald High School to have a

device for use in the classroom. Due to available Title One funding, additional computers can be

bought with the survey results that define the need. This additional purchase of laptops will be

combined with the 150 devices the school already has for individual student rollout. If the

survey results identify the need is greater than available devices for students, a team will be

created to implement the second part of the rollout. This project will be divided so that all

members are working concurrently to reach the identified goal. Members will be working on

grant writing, purchasing devices, determining funding, creating flyers and setting up donation

sites, and the technology team will be wiping and preparing devices so that they may be rolled
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 22

out as quickly as possible. During the second project of the timeline, professional learning will

take place to prepare teachers and change the mindset of effective technology use in the

classroom. A blog will coexist with this training in order to collaborate effectively and practice

lesson plan writing with technology integration. At the completion of the six-week training,

technology tools will be taught to give teachers a tool database from which they feel comfortable

to implement in the classroom. Three tools will be presented per week beginning in November.

The teachers will complete a survey on the tool they choose to implement as to give other

teachers insight into how the tool may be effectively used. Devices will begin to be rolled out to

students on an individual basis beginning in January. Seniors will receive their devices first

followed by juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. The grant award is anticipated to be determined

by March and additional devices will be purchased with roll out for those devices to be

completed by May. Overall, the project is estimated to require 117 hours to complete between

the school calendar year of 2017-2018 (August through May).

Table 1.
Project Timeline
Month Project Item/Activity, or Evaluation Item Hours
August Create survey using Survey Monkey to identify how 30 min.
many students at Fitzgerald High School will require
a device for 1:1 purposes

August Create a schedule to allow time for use of the 1 hour

computer labs to take the initial survey

August Conduct survey and evaluate results 6 hours

August Use survey results to determine additional need. Find 6 hours

the appropriate grant and create the Office 365 group
and calendar to designate team members with grant
writing, donations, flyers, and technology assistance.
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 23

August Begin working on the grant for additional devices 10 hours

August Design professional learning for the month of 2 hours
September

August Create Digital Tools and Resources tab in online staff 30 min.
notebook.
August Create, design, and share the blog 2 hours
September Begin professional learning to change the mindset 2 hours
September Monitor and contribute to the weekly blog to assist 2 hours
the collaborative efforts of teachers (four weeks)
September Design professional learning for the remaining two 2 hours
weeks of implementation for the first two weeks of
October
September Submit Grant 2 hours
September Design flyers, drop off locations, information for the 4 hours
newspaper and radio station regarding donations
September Meet with Title One director to purchase additional 2 hours
devices with current funding. Create the PO and
submit purchase
October Continue professional learning to change the mindset 2 hours
October Monitor and contribute to the weekly blog to assist 2 hours
the collaborative efforts of teachers (two weeks)
October Collect all donated materials and submit to 2 hours
technology team to wipe and add Office 365 suite
October Re-evaluate the number of devices needed and 2 hours
continue with efforts of flyers and information for the
newspaper and radio station regarding donations
October Design professional learning for the month of 6 hours
November with three technology tools to be taught
per week
October Design Survey per the tools created for the 2 hours
November professional learning
November Implement weekly professional learning (four weeks) 4 hours
November Weekly update the Digital Tools and Resources tab 8 hours
with those implemented in professional learning
along with the survey results from teacher
implementation (four weeks)
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 24

November Collect all donated materials and submit to 2 hours

technology team to wipe and add Office 365 suite
November Re-evaluate the number of devices needed and 2 hours
continue with efforts of flyers and information for the
newspaper and radio station regarding donations
November Design professional learning for the month of 6 hours
December with three technology tools to be taught
per week
November Add to the survey per the tools created for the 2 hours
December professional learning
December Implement weekly professional learning (three 3 hours
weeks)
December Weekly update the Digital Tools and Resources tab 6 hours
with those implemented in professional learning
along with the survey results from teacher
implementation (three weeks)
December Collect all donated materials and submit to 3 hours
technology team to wipe and add Office 365 suite
December Re-evaluate the number of devices needed and 2 hours
continue with efforts of flyers and information for the
newspaper and radio station regarding donations
January Additional devices ordered along with the 150 the 8 hours
school already had will be rolled out to the senior and
junior classes. If additional devices remain (due to
students already having their own device), they will
be rolled out to the sophomore class alphabetically.
January Check on the status of the applied grant in order to 1 hour
purchase more devices
January Roll out the donated devices to the sophomore class 4 hours
March The grant award is anticipated to be handed out this 4 hours
month (six months from submitted application date).
Purchase additional devices with the award money.
May Additional laptops purchased with grant award will 4 hours
be rolled out to remaining sophomores and the
freshmen class.
Total Projected Hours: 117 Hours
Note: Month = the month during which activity or item will take place. Project Item/Activity, or
Evaluation Item = statement to describe what learners or evaluation plan will do to meet the
objective. Hours = hours necessary to create and implement, or evaluate content.
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 25

Resources

Human Resources Required:

VARtek Employees: Outsourced technology staffing company hired

Matt Smith- Director by our district will assist with device

Chris Daniels- Classroom Technology Coach preparedness.

Chase Hester- Desktop Support Specialist

Blair French- Desktop Support Specialist

Terri Smith District Technology Coordinator

Steve Harden District Title 1 Coordinator

Dawn Clements Fitzgerald High School Principal

BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 26

References

Broussard, J., Hebert, D., Welch, B., & VanMetre, S. (2014). Teaching Today for
Tomorrow: A Case Study of One High Schools 1:1 computer Adoption. Delta Kappa
Gamma Bulletin, 80(4), 37-45.

Delgado, A., Wardlow, L., McKnight, K., & OMalley, K. (2015) Educational
Technology: A Review of the Integration, Resources, and Effectiveness of Technology
in K-12 Classrooms. Journal of Information Technology Education, 397-416

Grant, M., Tamim, S., Brown, D., Sweeney, J., Ferguson, F., & Jones, L. (2015). Teaching and
Learning with Mobile Computing Devices: Case Study in K-12 Classrooms.
Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 59(4), 32-45

Hoffman, A.M. (2013). Students Perceptions of On-Task Behavior and Classroom Engagement
in a 1:1 iPad School. English Leadership Quarterly, 36(2), 9-18.

Shaw, A. (2016) LOW TECK TOOLS OF EMPOWERMENT. Exceptional Parent, 46(6), 40-42

Tallvid, M., Lundin, J., Svensson, L., & Lindstrom, B. (2015). Exploring the
Relationship between Sanctioned and Unsanctioned Laptop Use in a 1:1 Classroom.
Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(1), 237-249

What Is Successful Technology Integration? (November 05, 2007). Retrieved from,

http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description