Is Technology Making a Difference? Update 1

As I was dusting off some handouts I use when giving my workshop, "Is Technology Making a Difference in Your School?", I looked at a series of checklists I use with schools to help them quickly gauge where they are in implementing technology in their schools.

These checklists are based on what I call the Johnson Hierarchical Technology Planning Model that looks something like this:

A more complete explanation can be found here.

Anyway, over the next 5 days or so, I will be putting my checklists for each level of planning on the Blue Skunk. I invite readers to please add, delete and/or comment to these.

Established Infrastructure
The district will have a reliable, adequate, cost-effective, and secure technology infrastructure that supports the learning, teaching, and administrative goals of the district. Indicators of success:

• Adequate and reliable Internet access to the district
• Adequate and reliable Internet access to all buildings
• Adequate and reliable Internet access to all classrooms, media centers and labs
• Adequate wireless network access
• Written security and disaster recovery plan.
• Firewall security for networks
• User verification through log-in and activity logging
• District-wide virus protection software
• Remote computer desktop monitoring and maintenance
• Back up plan for all data
• Adequate workstations for staff and student use (6:1 student to computer ratio of computers less than 5 years old)
  
• Adequate peripheral technologies (printers, scanners, projectors, interactive white boards, cameras) for staff and student use
• Efficient maintenance, repair and replacement procedures
• Adequate and reliable telephone access to the district
• Adequate and reliable telephone access to all buildings
• Adequate and reliable telephone access to all classrooms
• Adequate and reliable interactive television access to the district
• Adequate and reliable interactive television access to all buildings
• Adequate and reliable interactive television access to all classrooms
• Written and thorough technology use policies
• Adequate technical support for networks, computer equipment and applications
• Adequate leadership and management related to technology planning, budgeting, and policy-making

 What's missing???

The other four goals with checklists for each to follow over the next few days...

Effective Administration
The district will use technology to improve its administrative effectiveness through efficient business practices, communication, planning and record keeping. 

Extensive Resources
Technology will be used to provide the most current, accurate and extensive information resources possible to all learners in
the district and community in a cost effective and reliable manner at maximum convenience to the user.

Enhanced Teaching
All district teachers will have the technology training, skills and resources needed to assure students will meet local and state learning objectives and have the technological means to assess and record student progress.

 Empowered Learners
All students will demonstrate the mastered use of technology to access, process, organize, communicate and evaluate
information in order to answer questions and solve problems.