Notes+from+June+17

Here are some notes I've collated from our discussions on June 17. I didn't discriminate among or organize by person, position or group. Rather, I've tried to summarize in big strokes the key ideas that were offered during the visit. I have also not assigned any priority to any of the ideas at this point. I may have missed something or misrepresented one of your ideas. If so, please feel free to edit anything here to make it as accurate as possible. If you think something should be deleted, put an asterisk (*) next to the item. Again, our goal is to gather your ideas, not mine.

So far, the thoughts can be roughly categorized into seven (7) categories: 1. Learning and curriculum 2. Professional development 3. Student focus 4. Infrastructure/budget 5. Teacher issues 6. Implementation issues 7. Policy

I'll group the ideas from my notes under the categories. If you can think of other ideas or other categories that make sense, please add them.


 * 1. Learning and curriculum**
 * There is a need to bring back everything that is done with technology back to learning. Technology, well implemented, will have direct links to learning and student achievement. Need to justify technology to the Board on the basis of learning.
 * Desire for more ubiquitous integration of technology throughout the division and across the curriculum.
 * There is a need to respond to a large geographic distribution to integrate technology
 * Identifying learning targets in the next five (5) years may be more possible and desirable than technology targets


 * 2. Professional development**
 * Connect teachers and develop an online community of practice
 * Beyond bringing teachers up to speed with technology, there is a need to keep teachers current with ever-changing technologies
 * Need professional development on how technology, PLC and curricula fit together
 * Need to merge the skills of students with the wisdom of teachers to create comfort with technology.
 * How can we respond to the explosion of newer technologies?
 * Gain comfort with tools first, and then work on integrating them.
 * Need to build in time to use and practice things learned in professional development events.
 * There is competition for PD time from other topic areas. Technology is not the only professional development imperative in the coming year(s). There is a need to integrate the technology and curriculum PD time, to see technology as an integrated part of other missions.
 * In-school administrators are on-board generally, but have difficulty supporting the demand for PD opportunities.
 * Generally, the teachers are unskilled with technology. They need to learn how to operate technology at a basic, tool skill level.
 * Just-in-time PD and learning is most effective. Can the division provide just-in-time support as teachers experiment with technology?
 * The context for learning technology should be in the classroom -- continual contextual learning. ISITS is working well.
 * There is a reasonable budget allocation for PD.
 * Lead teachers in schools and the Yammer groups seem to be working well and hold promise for expansion in the division.


 * 3. Student focus**
 * The orientation of the technology plan should be student/learner- centred. It should concentrate on and give priority to those things that will benefit students.


 * 4. Infrastructure/budget**
 * Not all schools have the same level of access and service.
 * CommunityNet is not providing the level of bandwidth necessary to take full use of technology in the division.
 * Building infrastructure vs. hands-on technology - how should the budget be distributed?
 * The budget was described as both good and as inadequate at various times. What is a reasonable expectation around budget?
 * Tension between using budget to replace and repair old technology vs. deployment of new technology.
 * Need a specific budget line for replacement/repair and personnel to address the transition.
 * Is need driving budget decisions around technology? Need an annual needs assessment and modified budget based on needs rather than a fixed budget line. Should the advisory committee advise on budget?
 * Balancing/negotiating between teaching and learning vs. infrastructure/technology. How can these be brought together?
 * September deployment of budget is difficult. Too late to plan and implement changes for the school year.
 * Labs and lab support vs. distributed, mobile technologies? There is a shorter shelf life for laptops and other mobile technologies, but they are more useful and effective pedagogically.
 * There is a need to discuss, consider and clarify the distribution of bandwidth among administrative, classroom and open deployment.


 * 5. Teacher issues**
 * Generally speaking, there is a need for more commitment from teachers, greater buy-in to technology by them and a willingness to increase knowledge.
 * Time appears to be a critical factor in many ways. Where do teachers find time to learn about technology? How much time can be devoted to teacher PD? How can technology be used to make the teaching learning experience more efficient - to free up time for teachers and students?
 * How many teachers are already open, connected and social in their use of technology?
 * What percentage of teachers should be active users of technology?
 * What level of skill and activity is expected of teachers?
 * There is some skepticism in the division about the perceived need for or relative importance of technology in the classrooms.
 * Depth of some teachers is good and growing. Considerable pockets of expertise. Need to broaden rather than deepen. Need spread of activation.
 * Need to communicate what teachers know that students don't know about using technology (safety, security, ownership of content, using good judgment, etc.)
 * Fear of technology, and of using it poorly in their classrooms.
 * Facilitate connections among teachers, such as through the expanded use of Yammer groups.


 * 6. Implementation issues**
 * There is a general need to define a path for implementation-- to move from planning to action.
 * Should the need for technology and the support for growth in technology be made explicit--addressed so that teachers will buy into the process? How might this happen?
 * Getting people to __change__ is difficult. How can the plan be structured to adjust to change and evolution of technology? Change is inevitable and unrelenting. The technology plan needs to comment on it.
 * Distance learning options -- there is a need to support alternative learning strategies and distributed learning and resources. But these must still be engaging.
 * Using technology to communicate with parents (not clear whether this was an intention or an active program?)
 * Schools have Drupal, and it has had a positive effect. Teachers are using it. (How?)
 * Putting laptops in the hands of teachers -- giving them laptops to use -- seems to be working well to increase their skills, familiarity with and use of technology.
 * 7. Policy**
 * Equity issues exist in the adoption and diffusion of technology across the division. Some schools have stronger infrastructure than others, and this influences adoption and use. Should policy take this into account?
 * What does community mean in the division and how can technology be used to enhance community?
 * Cloud computing policy?
 * What is the role and the terms of reference for the Advisory Committee (e.g., software selection, budget)?
 * What is the role and the terms of reference for the Advisory Committee (e.g., software selection, budget)?