Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

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Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan Elena Krumin January 21, 2015

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Optimal Implementation & Integration for Middle School Education

Transcript of Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Elena Krumin

January 21, 2015

Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Introduction/Rationale

Digital literacy fundamentally enhances success in a technologically adaptable educational

and professional world. Preparing graduates entails developing digital-age learning experiences

and assessments; demonstrating fluency through cooperative and innovative work, modeling

digital responsibility, and engaging in continuing professional growth in the application of

technology. Teachers facilitate and inspire greater efficiency and ingenuity with effective digital

tools. A Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan which aligns with these national standards

(ISTE: NETS-T) promotes inventiveness, encourages real-world problem solving with digital

resources and tools, supports collaborative construction of knowledge; and, ultimately,

globalizes learning for the entire stakeholder community. An optimal classroom plan addresses

communication, integrating instructional technology, software to support assessment, and

technology ethics. All aspects articulate the intent to effect safe, productive and creative best

practice within a revolutionized educational environment.

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Section One: Mission and Vision Statement

Vision Statement

My vision for the classroom consists of enabling children’s academic success, while

encouraging humanitarian impulses and dreams. My goals in integrating technology into the

school environment allow for optimal pursuit of individual and collective needs and desires.

Mission Statement

My mission for the educational environment includes implementing existing technologies

to assure academic success, while incorporating emerging tools and devices that children, and

time, inevitably bring to the classroom. Adapting to the needs and intrinsic motivations of a

digital generation of students demands tremendous flexibility and dedication to change. I intend

to allow the flourishing of diverse learning styles, adopt multicultural frameworks for education,

and ensure socio-emotional development. As the basis for self-directed life-long education,

achievement, and connection; children will learn to collaborate effectively - with each other, and

within the global community. Holistically fulfilling the needs and aspirations of today’s scholars

– potentially even creating a more just and equitable world - will require continual use of support

systems; along with a greater focus on multi-dimensional skills for student outcomes. I am

committed to the welfare and growth of my students, as well as of my colleagues; and

acknowledge that fostering active inquiry will demand overcoming obstacles in my own

technological progress - with continual professional development in digital media.

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Section Two: Communications Plan

An effective communications plan for the 21st century establishes reliable and inventive

contact and collaboration for students, parents, and the local and global community. Critical

communication tools and alternative methods of communication keep school community

members and other educational stakeholders informed and involved in children’s education.

E-mail accounts for older students, set up immediately, would let them send information,

inquire about assignments, and gain general proficiency in digital communication. (Shelly,

Gunter & Gunter, 2012) To ensure safe communication, a website product such as

SharpSchool’s Safemail can be implemented. It monitors messages, detects pornographic

material, and sets filters in compliance with the Child Internet Protection Act. Some basic skills

taught extend children’s sense of possibility and responsibility - like word-processing, and

attaching photos, files, and links. For their overall educational outcomes, more importantly,

students ought to have safe and effective ways to reach out to each other and the community at

large. Teaching older students how to find reputable businesses for an upstart project idea, for

instance, and modeling proper interaction on this level, provides key skills in preparation for the

commercial world - while giving innovative, exciting and self-directed opportunities to make

learning concrete and relevant.

A class website would be created with the aid of other professionals, website construction

and design tutorials, or website builders. The website could provide a class overview, links to

curriculum, and homework schedules, along with assignment criteria for both students and

parents. On a parent-accessible page, class news and calendars could give updates and plans for

the class. Informational links for parents regarding safety, academic policies, and classroom rules

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and expectations would give direct and clear understanding of protocol. A forum could be

designed specifically for students to work on projects together, or ask each other information

pertinent to classwork. A community page - with students’ participation (and parents’

permission) - could include a photo gallery of academic activities, published work children want

to share, collaborative accomplishments, and student products. (Tingen, Philbeck, & Holcomb,

2011) To drive the community to the website, the class could send out a mass email invitation to

close stakeholders. To remind people to stay connected, children can use the URL for the

website as part of their email signatures. The website could even be a portal for communication

with the global community. It could permit select classrooms and educators from around the

globe access to student projects. An international forum would enable discussion of global

issues, or standards and solutions to classroom subjects and concerns. Digital resources such as

SitesforTeachers provide crucial social networking for collaboration and sharing of ideas, lesson

plans and strategies.

ePals can be established through LearningSpace to write blogs, google docs or wikis

(online documents and websites which allow students to co-create, edit and collaborate on work).

The online workspace sets up digital lockers for children to store information safely; while

giving instructors, media specialists and administrators the capacity to monitor and control

dissemination of data - through filtering and role-based permission tools. (Rivero, 2010) Students

can even partner with other schools using these tools.

Maintaining two-way communication with parents and administrators depends, also, on

effective digital tools – whether through personal emails, text-messages, mobile apps, class

blogs, or portals with grade information.

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An emergency contact list would appoint contacts in crisis situations when parents are

unavailable. These persons would be informed of school emergency procedures, appropriate

medical information regarding the child, and the school name and phone number. The child

would also be informed of their contact’s name. (American Red Cross, 2013)

Installing VoIP would allow more school community members to use Two-Way

communication. Most K-12 environments are currently limited in their capacity to facilitate

contact between classrooms - or with parents, mobile staff, and the larger community. Because

schools generally have an existing wireless network, VoIP can be added more cost-effectively

than adding traditional phone lines. It would also provide voice connection for laptops and

mobile devices – including wi-fi equipped phones for teachers. (Flatland, 2005) Skype or

Facetime may be implemented to facilitate interaction, joining even cross-national classrooms in

immediate sharing of ideas.

Addressing Internet security and safety in the classroom first involves communicating

regularly with any IT professionals on staff. Anti-virus and anti-spam software would prevent

hackers from installing malware. Keeping programs up to date often includes such security

features. Involving children in ongoing dialogue around the personas created online, creating

strong passwords, and informing them of potential consequences of giving out personal

information helps keep children safe. Given the enticing nature of many Internet scams, children

need to learn to question online authenticity and watch for commercial ploys. Children should

know that some people con others online, impersonating identities or selling information. They

should also be aware of potential predatory behavior directed especially at children. Especially,

and unfortunately, kids need to be told outright that alluring or overly kind strangers who act like

confidantes, or continually compliment them, likely have dangerous motives.

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Subscription-based educational content services such as Atomic Learning provide

instruction on safe and unsafe behavior in social networking - addressing questions about

“friending” for sites like Facebook and MySpace. Netsmartkids.org and safekids.com are

examples of kid-friendly sites that teach children safe online practices and tips for cell phone use.

On kidshealth.org, teachers can find protection tools like blocks, controls and filters.

Bnetsavvy.org guides children through cyber-bullying and gaming issues. Nettrekker.com is a

search tool, like Google, designed specifically for education. It provides safe and relevant

academic content. (Rivero, 2010)

Implementing new methods of communications in the classroom involves establishing

email accounts, a class website, ePals and VoIP. These innovations, together with providing

emergency procedures and addressing security concerns involving new technology, will allow

21st century students to flourish academically and socially in the digital age.

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Section Three: Integrating Instructional Technology

Technology can be integrated into any classroom to enhance and facilitate learning.

Many factors determine which hardware or software would best support this educational goal,

including budgets available for IT, existing systems within a school, grade-levels considered, and

content areas for which teachers need to create lessons and activities. In the Middle School level,

certain devices and methodologies might be more useful than others. There are pros and cons to

implementing technology of various kinds. Constructing a hypothetical wired or wireless

classroom is also considered. With careful deliberation given to resources, pros and cons of

available tools and systems, and appropriateness to academic and developmental goals,

integrating instructional technology can supplement, invigorate and positively reshape the school

environment.

Depending on hardware provided (or potentially available through grants or district

budgets), an Interactive Whiteboard seems a basic investment for the classroom. This hardware

would be instrumentally conducive to learning. The content area of English Language Arts,

along with the usual exploration of the Humanities associated with English, lends itself well to

IWBs. An interactive timeline describing historical eras, with links to explore further facts and

illustrations, can give students comprehensive understanding that, at the same time, encourages

their own direction. Maps and atlases, with accompanying games, appear on Whiteboards in

organic fashion, inducing children to compete, get up from their seats, and explain mistakes in

context. A student can, for instance, move a shape of a country around to compare, or refer back

to another country to remember its name. Such a tool invites not only discussion and active

involvement, but creates the opportunity for students to actually change assignment approaches

while lessons are being presented (Shelly, Gunter & Gunter, 2012).

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For instance, in developing a deliberately interactive lesson on the literature of Greek

philosophy, we could project a desktop onto the whiteboard with quotations from Aristotle or

Plato. Any student could take issue with statements regarding the search for truth, and discuss

and debate the nature of reality with his classmates. Then, together they could compose an

updated consensus on these philosophers’ ideas. The entire process could be noted, developed

and agreed upon during the lesson. Applications for dictionaries can be provided at the touch, or

links to encyclopedic sites for detailed explanation of a philosopher’s thinking.

This kind of open-ended activity - given an academic goal of creating a collectively

agreed upon written opinion - develops in students independence and self-direction, while

teaching vocabulary and literature. Children can collaborate and construct questions especially

important to Middle School mentality. This age naturally contends with greater concepts like

social justice, authority, and determining what they believe. IWBs contribute to student

ownership of exactly these aspects of their education.

The liability that inevitably comes with such technology is that it removes the need for

extended concentration on a singular resource, such as a book. Students will find it increasingly

difficult to research using indexes in physical library references, for instance.

The pros of integrating technology such as mp3s or iPods into the classroom include the

capacity for children to listen to podcasts devoted to, for example, storytelling. Students may

independently find stories, attend to specific details at their own pace, and devise creative

presentations of their own - based on such examples or particular styles. They can use recording

devices or software to practice and develop their own performances, save and share them on

thumb drives, and request feedback from other students at different times.

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The cons in adopting such technology, especially for Middle School, is the reasonable

expectation that it may endlessly distract children in their pursuit of entertainment, or exploration

of uncountable possible examples of stories, in this case. While limitations can certainly be set -

and must be, to some extent – it poses an ongoing dilemma for Language Arts teachers who want

simultaneously to let students pursue their intellectual passions unfettered.

Adopting assistive technology into the classroom gives children exposure to different

learning styles and abilities, while celebrating diversity and discovering areas they can learn

from each other. Having touch screen keyboards for students unable to speak, for instance,

brings previously isolated and unheard voices into the learning community. It allows the AT user

greater ability to succeed and partner with peers, while letting other students benefit from a

deeper understanding of human cognition, and awareness of mental and developmental variety

within the human family. This impacts greatly all students’ social and emotional development,

and their appreciation of otherness. (Durlak & Weissberg, 2010)

This inclusion brings a potential con along with it – the increased difficulty of

appropriately assessing academic outcomes using standards. Such variables such as insight or

creative use of language, for instance, are difficult enough to quantify. Teachers acknowledge

that testing involves more than determining whether proper verb usage or vocabulary is

expressed in writing. (Marshall, 2012) Valuing even wider varieties of learning styles, along with

differing abilities, makes evaluation of achievement even more subjective.

Wired and wireless computers may be used in a variety of ways to integrate technology

into the classroom - giving children the ability to research, collaborate, or even devise their own

agendas for learning, along with assessments. The benefit of wired computing, besides its wide

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current availability, is it establishes a consistent physical space, on which students can rely, to

access a computer when they need it. It also limits the potential time spent attached to a screen,

as children would have to share and therefore manage their time attempting assignments.

Wireless computing, though, outweighs in advantages - providing far greater flexibility.

A teacher can roll a laptop cart into the classroom instead of having children attend a computer

lab. Wireless networks can be added on to existing networks, saving schools on initial costs,

while creating mobility. (Walery, 2004) Lessons can expand into other classes and subject areas,

even into outdoor environments.

Students stand to benefit enormously from the integration of incalculable adoptions of

technology into the curriculum. Hardware and software also introduce new issues to overcome,

into the classroom environment. Ideally, rather than labs, children will have wireless network

access to allow their education to flourish. This kind of access, especially to the Internet, brings

with it new risks, too. Many children will outpace their teachers in their adoption of new

technology. (Most Middle School students come to us with smartphones and iPods in hand. Most

are perfectly familiar with search engines or even how to produce multimedia presentations.) As

instructors, we serve our students best by adapting to the digital world, and integrating

technology effectively into academics, while preserving the welfare of our children during this

inevitable exposure and acclimation to a new age.

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Section Four: Software to Support Assessment

Technology can facilitate educational assessments in the classroom. Digital tools can help

teachers develop strategies for data collection and analysis to inform instruction, assess student

progress, and evaluate achievement. Integrated environments allow students to assess their own

academic goals, or modify tasks based on feedback. Both formative and summative assessments

can be supported with technology. There are various pros and cons of using digital assessment

tools for both students and teachers. While an invaluable resource for assessment, technology

should not be used exclusively for this purpose, as it inevitably misses more subjective

judgments for proper evaluation of student progress. Technology - knowledgeably and

judiciously used - for assessments can greatly impact student achievement.

Formative assessments are procedures that inform a teacher’s instruction through formal

and informal methods of evaluation, including those to track progress and address issues as they

occur. These assessments of students’ knowledge help an instructor adjust and improve the

current lesson, while giving students qualitative feedback about their growth. (Huebner, 2009)

Formative assessments include homework assignments, periodical quizzes, notes on student

activities, and verbal interaction with students concerning studies. An example of a formative

assessment using technology is a podcast assigned to relay summaries of a students’ exploration

of historical periods. A teacher can survey general understanding and provide feedback for

improvement. She can also revise the original assignment if the podcast shows a lack of clarity

on the part of the student with regard to criteria expected. Classworks is a tremendous

instructional improvement program providing screeners, probes, assessment, monitoring and

reporting capabilities. (http://www.classworks.com/) Aleks software gives students and teachers

instant feedback about progress in required mathematics areas, while giving children leeway in

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which areas to attempt at particular times. WriteToLearn is a formative digital assessment tool

for online literacy. (http://www.writetolearn.net)

The pros of utilizing such assessment software are easily apparent. WriteToLearn, for

instance, gives children instant feedback as they write. It provides grammar instruction, improves

summary and essay writing, reading skills, and increases general English proficiency of each

student. The value of this kind of individuated, constantly attendant feedback for learners is

incalculable – like having a tutor available for each child. It removes a teacher from massive

amounts of time correcting papers, and builds the revision process right into the initial writing -

freeing her to devote energy to other aspects of teaching English, like exploring the creative

process with students, or additional areas of poetry or performance.

On the other hand, relying on such technology removes more subtle aspects of learning

assessment. One child may learn to respond quickly to the computer’s standard for proper

grammar, and perform well technically. Another may not adhere to standard syntax, yet may

write with tremendous imagination and innovation. He would suffer in such assessments geared

toward one systematic approach. For a teacher, too, reliance on a writing program entirely

removes, arguably, crucial human coaching from the process. The teacher cannot pick up on

non-verbal cues to support a student, or express and discuss potential advantages or

disadvantages to using particular phrasing or language.

Summative assessment is the evaluation of achievement given at the close of a lesson or

course of study. It typically focuses on whether particular standards or goals, set by teachers,

administrators, or government, have been attained. It is typically called an assessment “of”

learning versus “for” learning. (Huebner, 2009) Examples include end-of-unit tests, final

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performance evaluations, comprehensive written responses demonstrating mastery of lessons

taught, and ensuing scores for report cards. Technologies amenable to summative assessment

include tools like Classroom Performance System (or clickers), MAP tests (Measures of

Academic Progress), online KWL (Know/Want-to-Know/Learned) charts, test-generators like

Testmoz (http://testmoz.com), and presentation tools (like Keynote or Powerpoint) to

demonstrate - in multi-media form – work completed on an extensive class project.

KWL charts, for instance, can easily be adapted to most content areas, displaying

baselines for knowledge - designed by students (or teachers) and eventually assessed by a

teacher. An instructor includes research objectives or lets students investigate material of

particular interest to them. (Shelly, Gunter & Gunter, 2012) Summative assessments can be

applied to the “Learned” section, after students supply summaries of their work. A lesson can be

formulated, modified, submitted and assessed online with KWLs from ReadWriteThink.org.

(http://www.readwritethink.org) Designing a lesson for Middle School on Comparative

Religions, students could enter the knowledge they felt they already had in the first column. Two

students might describe the Christian doctrine they know. One may decide to learn about

Hinduism and Shintoism, leaving his final column to be assessed for quality of research and

comprehension. The other may decide she wants to delve further into Christian symbolic

meaning, or study Church history - her last column attesting to depth of inquiry and giving an

informed evaluation of her learning.

Some pros of using technology for assessment include combining resources outlining

standards criteria for public school education with provisions to do so. Performance guides on

state websites set expectations for instruction, assessment and student work - defining outcomes

that demonstrate achievement and skills mastery in content areas or by grade level. (Marshall,

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2012). The Massachusetts Department of Education website provides MCAS testing

requirements. It gives sample test questions and scoring guides. (http://www.doe.mass.edu)

Teachers can utilize such resources to create assessments based on the standards – both

informing instruction and designing mock tests for graduation requirements.

Legitimate cons exist in implementing this kind of assessment. Critics charge tests assess

superficial learning, ignore socio-economic and cultural differences affecting outcomes, base

students’ graduation on a single test, and generally force schools to operate just to succeed in

test-taking. (Yaffe, Coley, & Pliskin, 2009)

Teachers should not use technology exclusively for assessment. Especially, social

interactions demand guidance from physical observation of children’s skills that technology

cannot easily replace. Communication between educator and student involves critical judgments

and adjustments that no existing technology can match. A student may just need a teacher

appreciative of his determination despite continuous failure. This kind of support can turn a

student’s performance around entirely and cannot be duplicated by digital assessment tools.

Powerful and efficient software supports formative and summative educational

assessment, yet inextricably brings risks and downsides. Digital programs facilitate data

collection, allow classrooms to form curricula around external standards, and promote student

self-direction. They enable individuated instruction, self-evaluation, goal-adjustment, and

tracking of progress by students themselves. Realizing these advancements takes away essential

advantages of personal assessment by teachers, though, and cannot be suitably relied upon for

ultimate evaluation of student achievement.

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Section Five: Technology Ethics in the Classroom

Internet Security involves provisions to prevent threats in using online technology. It

entails avoiding hacking, or the unauthorized use of computer systems and accounts; dealing

with viruses and other malware that destroy data and make users vulnerable; and addressing

identity theft, where hackers steal personal information to perpetrate fraud. In the classroom, the

focus of Internet Security is protection against predatory behavior online, and explication of

appropriate versus inappropriate material. Technology Ethics in the classroom teaches students

about this kind of Internet Security, Copyright and Student Use Agreements, and determining

ethical practices.

Installing firewalls and blocking software is a necessary preventative step in ensuring

Internet safety for children. Antivirus programs like Norton or McAfee keep hackers from

damaging systems and information stored online. (Shelly, Gunter & Gunter, 2012) Protecting

students from predators and inappropriate material online, though, involves communicating

effectively to students the impact of Internet Security. It means adopting Security and

appropriateness of materials into the curriculum.

Building Internet Security into the content area of English Language at the Middle

School level can take many forms. An assignment could involve publishing an online magazine

featuring creative writing or expository essays by students. Students could further choose to

compile and publish the writing into a physical product. Lessons would initially entail the

safeguarding of personal information – explaining to students the potential severe consequences

of providing addresses or telephone numbers to companies online. If students create a website to

showcase their work, they need to know the danger of exposing details potentially linking back

to them as individuals – like posting last names or accompanying photographs of themselves.

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The intent and benefit of this kind of dissemination and product may seem productive and

educational, and children should be applauded for their desire to produce such work. They need

to be informed, though, that what they create will be available to the entire world – which

inevitably includes certain people specifically targeting children for exploitation.

Addressing the appropriateness of material for use in the classroom involves continual

dialogue with students. Middle School students have healthy curiosities about many subjects that

often make adults uncomfortable. We need to respect and support this developmental change and

avoid repressing academic inquiry. Educators need also be aware that simply denying

information, without discourse or rationale, often leads children to seek out other sources, or rely

on peer influence for information-gathering. While giving students the space to ask impertinent

questions, we are simultaneously responsible for providing appropriate sources within which

students can explore safely. A consortium such as the Gateway to Educational Materials

(www.thegateway.org) provides a host of reliable research materials from organizations such as

the National Education Association, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution.

(Small, Sutton & Miwa, 1998)

Ethical technology use also means classrooms need to abide by Copyright Law.

Copyright is the exclusive right of the originator of the work to publish or perform it. For

educational purposes, though, others’ work can be utilized and expanded upon, with credit given

(also called Fair Use). Students should learn how to be creative and original while sourcing

properly. Because most learning involves building upon the creation of original work by other

authors or artists, students need to know how to cite sources of information. An entire lesson can

be devoted to the history and purpose of Copyright Law, first asking the class to consider what it

means to copy another’s literary or creative work, and why it might damage the originator – in

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regard to finances, reputation, or potential life pursuits. The class should also discuss differences

between taking another’s work outright, and expressing an idea from that work, practicing with

various documents and thoughts. Modeling respect for Copyright Law requires that a teacher

always reference her own sources when providing information verbally, on paper, or in any

media format.

A Student Use Agreement, another essential element in technology ethics, is generally a

contract agreeing to legal, ethical and appropriate use of the Internet. Agreements can be formal

and based upon district laws; or created with the help of media specialists at a particular school.

For a Middle School environment, it is important to thoroughly delineate what behavior is

acceptable online. Before students sign, a teacher should explain why the form exists, and

potential consequences of disregarding it. A lesson should be dedicated to developing an

understanding of what it means to vandalize, steal (data, software or identity), harass, disclose, or

violate, in the context of Internet usage. Students this age necessarily face varying degrees of

difficulty following ethical guidelines. Their intellectual, emotional and social achievement

depends on stretching boundaries, finding responsible action for themselves, and being held

accountable for inevitable misuse.

An ideal English assignment for Middle School might involve integrating the majority of

students’ love of music and mp3s. Children could be asked to find an instrumental version of a

song they own or find online, and then set their original writing (such as a poem or rap) to the

music. With such a project, a class would need to be familiar with recording industry licenses for

educational purposes, and find out whether their song can be copied (with citation).

(Balakrishnan, n.d.)

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Ethical practices that can be implemented into the classroom are creating personal

cyberspace, adopting ways to discuss the appropriateness of material, and agreeing to use

educational search engines for classwork. Creating personal space online establishes safe

interaction with others. This involves knowing how to make oneself invisible in chat rooms,

agreeing not to overwhelm email recipients with copied communications, and setting limits as to

the kind of information shared. A class could create two lists on the board, establishing through

trial and error (and continued discussion) what kind of information they feel can be shared and

what cannot.

Engaging students in debates about what content is considered appropriate allows a class

to establish, understand, and set consequences for perceived violations. Children should know

they are expected to close a browser window, for instance, if pornography appears, and let a

teacher know. Students should be encouraged to ask whenever there is a question (or request a

class conversation for a larger ethical topic), and assume agreements can be adapted as their

quest for knowledge evolves. Lessons devised specifically for Middle School students can

deliberately involve controversial topics such as capital punishment, teen pregnancy or famine

and war. Wading through topics at the start of a project gives children the opportunity to frame a

sense of what material related to such potentially hazardous knowledge would be apropos, and

what material would be specious or created for its shock value rather than for learning about the

theme.

For research, a class can be limited to using kid-friendly search engines such as America

Links Up, Ask Jeeves for Kids, or Lycos - run in “safety net” mode. (Teicher, 1999) Signs can

display a list of suitable search engines, and be placed by computers. Students who violate this

rule would lose privileges or be assigned extra work. Ongoing discussion and practice with the

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process of narrowing down potentially valuable links needs to occur to help students wade

through vast data and find relevant information associated with their research.

Implementing Internet safety components into the curriculum means teaching students

about Copyright Law in a way that resonates with them, and modeling behavior that is expected.

Creating Student Use Agreements further educates students in legalities and ethics regarding the

use of technology. Deciding on specific ethical practices that students can incorporate into their

search for knowledge gives children practice in essential skills they can ultimately adopt in their

own decision-making around safety as adults. Ethical use creates a secure and responsible

educational environment for a technologically integrated classroom, from which students can

safely explore academic heights to their hearts’ content.

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Conclusion

Creating a Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan for 21st Century education allows

a teacher to enter any potential school environment with concrete ideas and tools, in hand, to

propose and effectuate instructional technology implementation. Each class, school or district

will have limited resources and varying degrees, or areas, of technological adaptability. Hence, a

comprehensive plan prepares an instructor to walk into any classroom and apply possibilities for

technology in communication, integration, assessment and ethics with existing tools and systems.

Additionally, a technology plan provides a solid starting point for a teacher to extrapolate

variations from these initial concepts, seek out more compatible resources, and adapt to

inevitable emerging advances in technology. Having such a particular, yet flexible, foundation

for digital-age learning helps best achieve standards for today’s students while making possible

untold outcomes for educational innovation and evolution.

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