Frontier International Academy Technology Plan

Global Educational Excellence

2012-2015

TECHNOLOGY PLAN Frontier International Academy

1 - Frontier International Academy Technology Plan, 2012-2015

TECHNOLOGY PLAN

FRONTIER INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY 2619 Florian St.

Hamtramck, MI 48212 (313) 462.6303

www.frontier-academy.net

District and School Code: 82987


SECTION 1

Start Date of Plan: September 2012 End Date of Plan: June 2015 Contact Person: Marwan Issa 2619 Florian St. Hamtramck, MI 48212 Tel: (313) 462.6303 Fax: (313) 887.7501 Email:[email protected] Intermediate School District: Wayne Resa URL Address: www.frontier-academy.net


SECTION 2

Mission:

To promote lifelong learning by nurturing academic excellence, positive character, and an appreciation of cultures Introduction:

Frontier International Academy is a Charter School located in Hamtramck, Michigan, educating 9th through 12th grade students. The Academy includes one building. The school was established under the authorization of Bay Mills Community College, and opened in 2005. It has seen amazing community support. Approximately 98% of the students are eligible for free/reduced lunches.

Frontier International Academy is a Title I school with student population combined of immigrants from Yemen, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Egypt, Palestine, Ukraine, Albania, as well as Caucasians and African Americans. Many of the students are classified as Limited English Proficiency. Most of these students have families who do not speak English at home; as a result our students’ vocabulary and comprehension are generally 2 to 3 grade levels below expected performance.

All teachers and administrators are highly qualified and certified by Michigan department of Education. The school has interested and involved Board members, strong parent participation and is managed by Global Educational Excellence.

The Table below highlights the services and programs provided by Frontier International Academy. Service/Program Brief Description

Title I Program Title I services provide students’ academic

remediation to support and advance academic achievement.

After School Services

After school activities support and extend learning into the non-school hours. Activities include enrichment and recreation opportunities.

Parent and Family Involvement

Parents are involved in Parent Council activities, as volunteers in the classroom, and other school events.

Nutrition and Health Services

Students participate in the School Lunch Program, which provides nutritious meals for students.


SECTION 3

Vision:

Today we prepare students for their future, one that can hardly be imagined. We know that critical thinking skills will be crucial to their success. Our students will live in a digital world, a global economy and a worldwide interdependence that has never been seen before. Their future will be more strongly affected by technology, the ability to effectively communicate, and the knowledge of diverse cultures. Our students will experience excellence in education that presupposes successfully integrated technology as well as a solid foundation in basic skills, ongoing faculty-staff training, and a strong infrastructure. Guiding Themes

Broad application of technology to support the teaching and learning process Various technological opportunities for students to develop processing skills, such as

flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration Excellence in teacher preparation Equality in student access High levels of parent involvement Compliance with State of Michigan Curriculum Standards and Benchmarks Fulfillment of No Child Left Behind goals and objectives Preparation of students to participate in a global economic environment

Goals of the Technology Plan:

These goals are specifically related to the information represented in the technology plan. It affects students, teachers, and parents on a daily basis. Frontier International Academy is committed to the following broad technology goals: Goal 1: Improve student academic achievement through integration of technology into the teaching and learning process Goal 2: Enhance staff technological knowledge; skills and abilities in support of classroom instruction; parent communication; and student data management and tracking Goal 3: Provide resources for use of technology for school operations Goal 4: Continually assess technology strengths, weaknesses, and needs and acquire technology resources to support student achievement of curriculum goals and standards Goal 5: Engage in fiscal planning and fund development activities to support acquisition of needed technology resources Goal 6: Implement a coordinated technology purchase, maintenance, and inventory program Goal 7: Evaluate the effectiveness of technology and its application and impact to the goals of the school Goal 8: Teacher will integrate the use of technology in all areas of the curriculum through the purchase and use of support software. The use of support services, including document imaging,


digital manipulation, and web page creation will help distribute and manage this technology at the building level. Goal 9: Students will use technology (hardware and software) as a tool for communication, problem solving, creative expression and critical thinking. The proper measures in security will be taken to ensure these goals are met in a socially responsible manner. Goal 10: Students, teachers, staff and parents will have greater access to appropriate forms of technology, training and technical support and interact as partners to learn about and use technology. This greater access will be achieved through Nextk12 student Learning Management system and supported by Professional development workshop.


SECTION 4 Curriculum Integration:

Technology will be embedded into the curriculum. It will improve the language and communication skills of ESL students. Technology will target specific learning goals for special education students. It will challenge and stimulate a higher level of learning among the gifted and talented population of students at Frontier International Academy.

The Technology and Curriculum Committees will work to identify curricula and teaching strategies that integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction by focusing on the areas of need among the students. These needs will be assessed by the MEAP standardized test, ACT/MME Michigan Merit Exam, Explore and Plan tests, and NWEA Assessments, Accelerated Reader program, Study Island program, Rosetta Stone program, and Mid-term Scranton Exams, and classroom student performance Tests.

In order to promote the integration of technology effectively into the curricula and instruction, the Technology Committee will provide workshops and seminars. They will also provide the technology integration components for the classroom teacher that link to the activities that are aligned with the benchmarks and assessment.

Technology will be integrated into curricula and instructions within the content areas. In

the mathematics curriculum, the students will use Microsoft Excel to compute functions and create graphs and they will use graphic calculators. They will create Power Point Presentations and will use other appropriate future software to define mathematical terms. Teachers will use nextk12 system blog system to communicate with student and parents to support student learning.

In the science curriculum, students will use Microsoft Excel to graph data from experiments. They will use Power Point and other future software to present research. The students will create a web page exhibiting scientific knowledge. They will use Encarta and the Internet for research purposes in science. Teacher will use Nextk12 system to share educational video to students to support science curriculum.

In the language arts curriculum, students will use Power Point and other future software to highlight the life of a particular author or illustrator. Students will use Microsoft Word to produce written narratives, expository essays, persuasive writing pieces, and other forms of writing. Teachers will use United Streaming as an instructional supplement to the language arts curriculum. Students will create web pages in all areas of language arts.

In the social studies curriculum, the students will use Power Point and future software programs to present research on historical figures and events, economic principles, geography, and/or government. The students will use Microsoft Word to create written forms based on social studies content. The students will use Encarta and the Internet Explorer for research purposes in social studies.

In the foreign language curriculum, the students will use the tools of online software to help their knowledge of the language in addition teacher will use their course website to publish resources to student


State and National Standards

All teaching and administrative staff will receive the ISTE/NETS (International Society for Technology in Education/National Educational Technology Standards) standards for teachers, students and administrators. They will all receive training in the interpretation of the standards and the standards will be aligned to all staff development activities. This means that the focus for staff development will move from skills training to integration of technology into curriculum and instruction.

A staff needs assessment is an important part of determining the focus for staff development. Staff will be asked to self-assess their level of proficiency using the ISTE/NETS standards for teachers and the TTI self-assessment instrument as a model.

Frontier International Academy has aligned its technology goals with the National and State technology standards and benchmarks (http://techplan.org). The standards have been utilized as the basis for integrating technology into curricula and instruction to improve student academic achievement.

Technology Goals for Frontier International Academy will help staff integrating curriculum and technology effectively:

1. Teachers will use technology recourses such as classroom computers, video camera, ELMOs, and smart boards and online access to software and search engine to integrate their weekly lesson plan.

2. Technology will be used to communicate technology/curriculum integration throughout the school on the web site, staff-wide emails, and creating newsletters.

3. The staff will provide extended access to appropriate forms of technology for students and parents through the nextk12 student information system

4. The Technology Committee will develop a purchasing strategy for new and replacement equipment and software.

5. Teachers will create and implement lessons that use best practices in teaching with technology.

Technology Goals for Frontier International Academy staff on using technology to improve

and assess academic achievement, including technology literacy, of all students:

1. The teachers will administer the NWEA Student Skills Section to identify the areas in curriculum that need remediation.

2. The students will strengthen their comprehension skills through the application of the Accelerated Reader Program.

3. The students will use educational software in all core subject areas to improve academic achievement.

4. The students will gain access to other courses that may not otherwise be offered at Frontier International Academy through video conferencing.

5. The curriculum will be supplemented through the use of video streaming provided by United Streaming.

6. The students will enhance their knowledge of inquiry by accessing and using databases for research purposes in addition to the teacher website.


7. The students will use websites as tools for discovery, and also to promote critical thinking and problem solving strategies.

8. Student will have access to learning recourses using nextk12 learning management system.


SECTION 5 STUDENT ACHEIVEMENT

Frontier Academy will improve student academic achievement and technology literacy by supporting teachers in planning instructional activities for students to master competency in the use of technology-based tools. Specific strategies are highlighted below.

Students will have multiple opportunities to gain a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems and gain proficient skills in the use of technology.

Students will discuss and practice the care, maintenance, and responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.

Students will use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

Students will use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

Students will use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Students will use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

Students will use technology tools to process data and report results. Students will evaluate and select new information resources and technological

innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks. Students will employ technology resources in the development of strategies for solving

problems in the real world and making decisions. Our school improvement goals are:

1. Students will show improvement in overall math achievement. 2. All students will improve their informational and narrative reading skills in a variety

of contexts. 3. Students will show improvement in overall science achievement. 4. Students will show improvement in overall social studies achievement. 5. Student achievement will improve with increased involvement of parents'

participation in the learning process.

Specific measurable goals for using technology to improve student academic achievement include:

1. 100% of students will have access to high-speed Internet with voice, data, and video resources to support and advance classroom teaching and learning of Michigan State Core Curriculum Standards and Benchmarks;

2. 100% of teachers will receive training and participate in regular collegial planning sessions in the use of web-based resources and technology for meeting curriculum standards and benchmarks and tracking/recording/reporting student progress;

3. Implement a school website, teacher and student e-mail, classroom web pages for communicating with parents regarding school calendar, student activities, and assignments, and community resources to address family needs/emergencies, etc.;


4. 100% of students and teachers will have access to and use a multimedia technology for preparation of reports, instructional materials through the computer resource center; and

5. Provide teachers with access to voicemail for communicating and providing regular updated messages regarding homework assignments and other classroom activities.

Timeline: Year 1:

• Develop an online curriculum guide accessible remotely, password protected in a staff-share directory.

• Provide student with email address and access to nextk12 student information system to check grade, submit assignment and access teacher resources.

• Align purchased technology services with Frontier International Academy curriculum. • Model technology integration strategies. • Develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all staff that will facilitate the sharing

of best practices of uses for technology. • Develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all parents that will give learning

strategies of uses for technology in the home. • Staff will develop, teach and share lessons integrating technology with the curriculum. • Students will learn the basic computer concept. • Provide parents access to the student information system to check their student grade,

communicate with the teacher and access teacher resources. • Work to develop a course website to support student learning. • Teacher will have their own website to communicate with student and parents

Year 2:

• Staff will develop, and share lessons in integrating technology with the curriculum using nextk12 system.

• Teacher will have their own website to communicate with student and parents • Parents will have access to their student grades and teacher recourses. • Align purchased technology with Frontier International Academy curriculum. • Model technology integration strategies. • Develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all staff that will facilitate the sharing

of best practices of uses for technology. • Develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all parents that will give learning

strategies of uses for technology in the home. • Staff will develop, and share lessons in integrating technology with the curriculum. • Students will learn how to use software applications to support their academic work

(Microsoft office application). • Student will learn basic computer programming concept to prepare them to 21st century

jobs.

Year 3:

• Align purchased technology with Frontier International Academy curriculum. • Model technology integration strategies.


• Staff will continue to develop, teach and share lessons in integrating technology with the curriculum.

• Develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all staff that will facilitate the sharing of best practices of uses for technology.

• Develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all parents that will give learning strategies of uses for technology in the home.

• Staff will be trained in creating their own web pages. • Students will learn how to interact with the web and the web applications.


SECTION 6 Accessing Distant Resources:

Frontier International Academy will use several technologies to access distant resources. The students will use nextk12 student learning management system as a technology tool to enhance learning.

Nextk12 consists of section website for each section the teacher teaches. This section

website is a password protected. Student will have access to the teaching material for that section.

Thus section website consists of lesson plan, syllabus, photo gallery, documents sharing, student links, student planner and test and quizzes.

Nextk12 also consists of course website to allow the school to published courses

resources on the web. This tool utilizes the power of web 2.0 to share resources between teachers, students and parents.

SECTION 7

Parental Communications and Community Relations

The technology plan will be disseminated to the community on the Frontier International Academy website at www.Frontier-academy.net. The community will also be invited to an open house in which the technology plan will be disseminated in a hard copy form and a hard copy of the technology plan will be available in the main office for parents review.

Technology will be used to communicate with parents and promote parent involvement in

several ways. Parents will be able to access homework by accessing their own access to nextk12 system that is set up by the instructors at Frontier International Academy. The Technology Committee will organize a technology open house where parents are encouraged to attend. Frontier International Academy currently has a web page accessible to parents, and a goal in the future is to make this web page more interactive.

The staff will develop and distribute a technology newsletter for all parents that will give

learning strategies of uses for technology in the home. Parents of students at all grade levels will have online access to records for their children. The Technology Committee will also provide workshops and training seminars to target specific software programs, and also provide information on public access to technology.

The Technology Committee will meet with the parent-involvement committee to solicit

ideas for involving Frontier International Academy parents and other community members in creating the technology plan. Parents and other community members will also be invited to attend any planning meetings that are held by the Technology Committee. Within Frontier International Academy’s community, the Technology Committee will make an effort to forge business partnerships with surrounding community businesses.


The school will be working on a plan to provide parents with frontier academy email address the curriculum night.

Technology will be used to communicate with parents and promote parent involvement in using nextk12 student information system to achieve:

Get an instant overview of current progress - This can help parents and students interact and build trust, so that each child can be successful

See a list of assignments and due dates - Allows for greater accountability in student/parent and student/teacher relationships.

View test and homework scores and details - Parents won't have to wait for a report card to know what their student is doing... and how they can help! Students can track their progress, and get help accordingly.

Communicate with teachers and other school personnel - an internal messaging system directs messages to the intended recipient within seconds, and messages can be forwarded to any email address or communication device, such as a cell phone, or pocket organizer.

Receive automated announcements about parent-teacher meetings and school events - Now there's no excuse for forgetting! Messages can be forwarded to any communication device, so Parents can lead their busy lives, and still be a part of their child's school events

SECTION 8

• Not Applicable


SECTION 9 Professional Development

Professional development for staff is essential to the success of the Technology Plan. Teachers will need to have working knowledge of, and the ability to utilize technology as a tool to support classroom instruction. Our school will utilize the Michigan Professional Development Rubric in planning and implementing activities that provide appropriate resources, support, and time. Professional development activities will:

Provide teachers with adequate resources and time to experience and experiment with district-supported technologies.

Focus on using technology to improve student learning. It should provide teachers with solutions to specific problems they encounter in their professional lives.

Aim at building learning communities among teachers and establish social connections among teachers and the support staff so they can offer help and support to each other.

Be continuous, frequent, and conducted in settings that are similar to the teaching contexts of the teachers.

Be provided by educational experts who understand technology or technology experts who understand education.

Additionally, our school will comply with ITSE and NETS standards, including ensuring teachers are knowledgeable and skilled regarding:

Specific subject matter. Human growth and development. Adaptation of instruction for individual use. Use of multiple teaching strategies. Effective classroom motivation and management strategies. Communication skills. Instructional planning skills. Professional commitment and responsibility; Assessment of student learning. Partnerships (collegial, community, business, etc.).

Professional development activities will provide teachers, administrators, and other staff

with:

Various technological activities and learning opportunities; Access to online resources, tools, and teaching aids that explain new teaching

methodologies; Opportunities to partner with other professional educators on initiatives; Knowledge and skills to technologically prepare students for the global economy; Up-to-date information regarding state and federal requirements, including No

Child Left Behind; Access to national subject area journals; Access to science, social studies, math, history, and English lesson planning

resources that augment classroom learning;


Updates regarding state educational standards, recent research, and best practices; and

Knowledge of how the Internet works and ways it can be used in the classroom to reduce preparation time and supplement lesson plan activities.

Professional development activities will offer workshop training, coaching, and hands-on

support. All activities will be closely coordinated (and integrated where appropriate) with other curriculum training activities. Appropriate sources will be sought to provide funding for professional development activities. Potential sources of funding include: Title I, Tile IID, Title V, and/or Teacher, Principal Training and Recruitment funds, and general funds. The chart below provides a list of types of professional development activities that will be sought, subject to funding. Timeline for Professional Development: Year One (2012-2013)

Conduct a needs assessment with staff to determine basic staff development needs.

integrating technology into curriculum content areas using nextk12 learning

management system Filtering objectionable materials using web 2.0 tools. Using nextk12 system for homework and classroom updates to parent

communication Introducing educational Internet resources using nextk12 system Protecting children on-line Teach staff about the school network, which can be used for students, teachers

and administrators and the application of those standards in daily practice. Teach staff how to create their own web pages for their classes using nextk12

system Teach selected staff to be tech coaches in the area of curricular integration. Teach staff to use new technology curriculum based on skill acquisition for each

grade level. Train staff in extended access to appropriate forms of technology. Train staff to use the portable projector with smart board technology. Understanding e-mail, news, and spam Train staff to integrate technology using nextk12 web 2.0 tools to integrate

technology into their lesson plan. Year Two (2013-2014)

Continue to conduct a needs assessment with staff to determine basic staff development needs.

Continue to integrating technology into curriculum content areas using nextk12

learning management system Filtering objectionable materials using web 2.0 tools.


Using nextk12 system for homework and classroom updates to parent communication

Introducing educational Internet resources using nextk12 system Continue to protects children on-line Teach staff about the school network, which can be used for students, teachers and

administrators and the application of those standards in daily practice. Continue to teach staff how to create their own web pages for their classes using

nextk12 system Continue to teach selected staff to be tech coaches in the area of curricular

integration. Continue to teach staff to use new curriculum guide. Continue to teach staff to use new technology curriculum based on skill acquisition

for each grade level. Continue to train staff in extended access to appropriate forms of technology. Continue to train staff to use the portable projector with smart board technology. Understanding e-mail, news, and spam

Year Three (2014-2015)

Integrating technology into curriculum content areas Conduct a needs assessment with staff to determine advanced staff development needs. Having a classroom webpage Teach staff about the school network, which can be used for students, teachers and

administrators and the application of those standards in daily practice. Teaching Science lessons using the Internet. Teaching Mathematics using the Internet Teach selected staff to be tech coaches in the area of curricular integration. Teaching language arts and research projects using the Internet. Teach staff to use the new curriculum guide with imbedded technology components. Teach staff to use the new technology curriculum based on skill acquisition for each

grade level.

Where we are: Frontier International Academy staff professional development strategies currently focus on

basic computer skills, technology integration and software training at specific times during the school year to ensure that staff knows how to use available technologies based on the state and national standards to improve student learning. We would like to move to a more flexible, user-based model that focuses on building the skills needed by the staff at the time when the staff needs them for specific curricular projects.

Our current professional training focuses on using the following models: • Modeling—tech coach/media specialist teaches lessons integrating technology into the

curriculum while the teacher assists • Co-teaching—tech coach and teacher collaborate to design a lesson integrating

technology into the curriculum • Consulting—teachers who feel confident in using technology tools in an integrated

manner teach the lesson using tech coach to help coordinate resources and provide input


• In services—Friday afternoon technology in services are arranged throughout the school year to provide basic skills, software and hardware training, and curricular integration

• Off-site training—funds and substitutes are provided for staff to attend technology conferences, software training and curricular integration. Online classes may also be available through local universities, in order to develop basic, intermediate, or advanced needs.

We are just beginning to use the first three types of staff training and support; the last two

have been the most commonly used at Frontier International Academy. All technology staff development opportunities are open to all staff members, including teachers, paraprofessionals, office/clerical and administrative personnel.

Where we are going:

Goal #1 of our plan states, “Teachers will integrate the use of technology in all areas of

the curriculum,” and is the basis for the staff development component of our technology plan. Our professional development will focus on curricular integration. We aim to provide the entire learning community of teachers, students, staff and parents, with the skills necessary to use technology appropriately and in accordance with our goals.

Frontier International Academy staff has expressed a strong interest in having more technology support, or “technology coaches” in the school. This approach would identify a teacher/media specialist, or a team of two, to be trained in trouble shooting techniques, software applications, and, most importantly, technology integration strategies and activities using software the school owns. Their responsibility will be to become technology specialists, to provide ongoing training to staff as needed, and to become leaders in technology integration.

There will be a greater emphasis on the first three of our staff development models: modeling, co-teaching and consulting. All three require tech coach participation in varying degrees.

The technology coach approach has the advantage of flexibility and timeliness, since the coach will respond to an individual teacher’s technology needs at a time when the teacher needs to use technology within the curriculum, rather than a time being set aside for a staff in-service. However, we will be maintaining all the above models to deliver technology training.

Our two areas of concentration will be skill building for teachers, and transferring those skills to integrated classroom activities. Skill building will be developed in a project-based format. For example, teachers will be taught how to create a classroom newsletter using a variety of word processing tool bars.

New tech coaches will be trained each year in order to build a group of teachers who develop skill in the integration of technology into instruction. These staff members will be encouraged to become a resource for other staff in the building. At a future point, coaches will be encouraged to specialize in various technologies, such as digital imaging, video conferencing and desktop video editing.


Timeline for Professional Development: Year One (2012-2013)

• Conduct a needs assessment with staff to determine basic staff development needs. • Teach staff about the school network, which can be used for students, teachers and

administrators and the application of those standards in daily practice. • Teach selected staff to be tech coaches in the area of curricular integration. • Teach staff to use new curriculum guide. • Teach staff to use new technology curriculum based on skill acquisition for each grade

level. • Train staff in extended access to appropriate forms of technology. • Train staff to use the class projector and student computer to integrate these tools in

teaching. • Train staff to integrate technology using nextk12 web 2.0 tools to integrate technology

into their lesson plan. • Train staff to integrate technology using nextk12 learning management system • Train staff to create their own web pages for their class using nextk12.

Year Two (2013-2014)

• Conduct a needs assessment with staff to determine intermediate staff development needs.

• Teach staff about the school network, which can be used for students, teachers and administrators and the application of those standards in daily practice.

• Teach selected staff to be tech coaches in the area of curricular integration. • Teach staff to use new curriculum guide. • Teach staff to use new technology curriculum based on skill acquisition for each grade

level. • Teach middle and high school staff about the use of digital imaging. • Train staff on the nextk12 learning management system. • Train staff to integrate technology using nextk12 web 2.0 tools. • Train staff to create their own web pages for their class using nextk12.

Year Three (2014-2015)

• Conduct a needs assessment with staff to determine advanced staff development needs. • Teach staff about the school network, which can be used for students, teachers and

administrators and the application of those standards in daily practice.. • Teach selected staff to be tech coaches in the area of curricular integration. • Teach staff to use the new curriculum guide with imbedded technology components. • Teach staff to use the new technology curriculum based on skill acquisition for each

grade level. • Teach staff how to create their own web pages for their classes.


SECTION 10 Supporting Resources

Where we are:

A variety of resources is utilized to support the technology program at Frontier International Academy and can be categorized into three groups: human, print and electronic resources.

At present, Frontier International Academy has a one Network Administrator and one computer teacher/media specialist, and five members on the Technology Task Force who act as supporting resources for professional development, curricular integration and technical assistance. These people work with staff in a variety of areas, including troubleshooting, instruction, locating and providing resources and conducting in-services. The ISD (Intermediate School District) and REMC Association of Michigan personnel are also valuable resources: they have conducted staff in-services in software and instructed staff in use of the online video lending library. The REMC provides us with valuable services: a Cooperative Bid Catalog for technology purchases, access to a pilot program in video streaming, a large lending video library, and classes for training in technology.

Many software and technology integration manuals are available for staff checkout in the school library. Handouts from past technology in-services are also on file.

The technology lab maintains a collection of single-copy software available for staff to install on classroom computers. A selection of educational videos are also available, to supplement the REMC collection. Frontier International Academy’s website provides the school enrollment application, registration checklist, staff e-mail addresses and information about Cycle 6 E-rate offering. Students may also access their current grades through the nextk12 student information system.

Where we are going:

Key additions to our technology print resources will be development of a curriculum guide to technology integration and a specific technology curriculum based on skill acquisition. The two may be merged at a future date.

Frontier International Academy’s website will be used as the primary means to provide information to parents and students. A parent handbook and all policies and procedures will be placed on the school’s website, as will the school’s curriculum. Our school newsletter will have an online version and each grade will have pages devoted to classroom activities and curriculum guides.

Frontier Academy will use a variety of resources to support the Technology Plan. Resources that will support our plan include:

School district policies and procedures for technology purchase, inventory, maintenance, and evaluation, and use of an acceptable use policy/technology use agreement;

Access to REMC CD-ROM and other technological materials; The development of a school informational website;


Purchase and use of instructional software and record keeping software to track student progress and meet record keeping/grading requirements;

Activation of various other community and funding resources in this endeavor. Solicitation of grant funds through the Federal E-Rate and other funding

opportunities to maximize spending.


SECTION 11 Infrastructure:

Goal: The major infrastructure goal of the school is to provide an infrastructure which supports the school mission, goals and strategies outlined in this technology plan. The school continuously evaluates its current infrastructure and seeks to determine the need for updates. General Academy Information about School Technologies The following paragraphs indicate the current technologies in the school: Network. The school’s local area network (LAN) is built on Ethernet . This allows all classrooms and offices to access the Internet. The school maintains File server, WDS server, Wsus server, and Print server

Hardware and Software. Most of the classrooms have one Intel dual core for teacher use and two student computers. The school also has three computer labs with 26 computers with Intel Dual Core processor and media center of 7 computers. All school computer systems are running Windows 7.

Voice. The school has Macro voice MVX-2000s Voice Mail System in place. Each classroom is equipped with a telephone and working to upgrade to 100 VoIP phone system Computer distribution I pad 4 Administrator: 7 Teacher computers 20 Laptop 5 Computer labs 79 media center 7 Student computers 22 Total computer 140 Total student computer 108

There are also one set of Smart response, two IPhones, 25 classroom smart boards, 25

LCD projectors, five printers, and two copy machines. Description of hardware, network infrastructure to improve student learning

• Develop a curriculum to organize and plan for instruction and application at each grade level. (2012-2013).

• Every Class room have an access to use smart response and will have a smart response by (2013-2014)

• Upgrade our server to current technology VMware solution (Continuous) • Add more network drop for class room with managed switches(Continuous) • Purchase software License (2013-2014) • Add 2 Network laser color printer (2013-2014)


• Add 2 laser printer (2013-2014) • Add 1 laser printer (2014-2015) • Add a wireless access points in each class room for the school. (2014-2015) • Install 2 additional 48 port GB switches in the computer area and the server room(2014-

2015) • Host a Barracuda Web FILTER Appliance. (2013-2014)

Frontier International Academy strategies regarding interoperability of equipment

1. The technical staff provides onsite support for the hardware and software problems with all computers, printers, and audio/video equipment.

2. Make the best use of school funds by contacting the Manufactory provider for broken or inoperable equipment under warranty, instead of purchasing new equipment.

3. Replace any equipment if it is not fixable and not under warranty. 4. Keep our equipment up to current technology by replacing our hardware on the following

schedule: • Provide on-going technical support and professional development that will enhance the

curriculum and improve student learning. (Daily) • Continue updating and maintaining existing technology. (Daily) • Upgrade antivirus software on all computers (Monthly) • Purchase software to enhance the ability to integrate technology in the content areas.

(Yearly) The academy is working with other academies to develop Global Educational Consortium of Charter Schools and submit Funding request to SLD for 2007-2010. The objectives of the SLD funding request are to:

1. Provide wiring for each classroom with three additional data drops and one voice and video drop. This includes All the necessary hardware and software such as switches and routers

2. Provide with all the necessary hardware and software to provide Email, Web, Proxy, DNS, DHCP functionality.

3. Provide telecommunication services (Local and Long Distance Telephone Service, Cell Phone Service, Centrex Service. Video conferencing.

4. Internet Access with T1 Link 5. Firewall 6. Provide Basic Maintenance and Technical Support for the building which requires an

average of 10 Hours/Week


SECTION 12 Technical Assistance:

The school has recognized the need for personnel to be devoted to technical assistance in order to gain a fair return on dollars invested in technology hardware, software and infrastructure. In response to this need, the school has employed a technology specialist with the following responsibilities:

• Coordinate and maintain instructional hardware and software as well as network implementations

• Support and lead training in all areas of technology. • Develop standards and practices for acquisition and maintenance of educational

technologies • Establish a process to monitor and keep interested school individuals informed of

evolving technologies and their implications and costs • Review and investigate violations of computer security procedures • Develop and implement security policies and procedures for the school • Supervise and maintain the school’s communications network • Refer major hardware problems to service personnel for correction • Advise administrators and board on technology budget • Supervise, in concert with building principals, technology instruction and teachers.

The technical staff will be responsible for: • Information technology resources are continuously updated. • Equipment receives regular inspection and routine maintenance on at least an annual

basis. • A comprehensive security system is in place to safeguard the school's information

technology resources. • The school maintains an up-to-date inventory of its information technology resources. • The roles and responsibilities of the management and coordination of the use of

information technology resources throughout the school are clearly defined. The school's insurance policy provides adequate coverage for materials and liability. Professional development is provided for school personnel responsible for providing technical support and training.

Support procedure The staff will request help by filling the support form using Ezpapertrail system or using voice mail and also the email system. Strategies to increase access to technology for all students and all teachers

The school’s local area network (LAN) provides internet access to all computers in the school network and computer lab.

Our school operates at 3.5:1 student to computer ratio and our goal to increase the number of computer to be 3:1 for the next three years which give the student wide range to access to the computers in the school. We are also working in involving the parent to increase their ability to access the computer in the school by providing computer training and technology newsletters.


Bi-lingual paraprofessionals are hired by the school to help in translating for ELL students that may not understand computer function and directions given in English. In order to keep parents informed who also may not speak English, all technology newsletters sent home with students will also be translated into the other main dialect of the area – Arabic.


SECTION 13

The Budgets may need to be revised based on all of the following: qualification for USF discounts, change in the technology need, cost of products and services, and the total amount of additional funding received through other grants. However, the budgets do continue to allow for allocations that support collaborative activities aimed at seeking and assisting new members with all activities that would be required to join the group.

On-going funding for the project will be pursued through a number of avenues, including

the following sources: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Universal Service Fund (USF) Academy contribution from State Aid Title 1, Title II, and Title IV Coordination with Title I and At-Risk Funding Private foundations and donations Academy fund-raising activities

SECTION 14 Coordination of Resources:

The Academy will coordinate the resources from different funding federal and state grants such as Title I, Title II, and Title IV , and At-Risk. The Academy will apply for the USF funding to support the cost of Internet connection, wiring, maintenance, and telecommunication. Resources will be coordinated among all of the programs and funding sources identified in the plan. The school plans on applying for a comprehensive school reform grant in the next few years. The school will budget monies from this grant for professional development in technology. The management company for the school actively seeks grants to generate more revenue. The local ISD (Intermediate School District) schedules many training courses in technology throughout the school year. Many of these sessions are free of charge or low budget trainings. The school will eventually be eligible for school wide status. At that time, all teachers will be eligible to benefit from professional development in technology.

SECTION 15 Monitoring and Evaluation:

A general description of the process by which the evaluation will be conducted is included. The Technology Plan will be evaluated throughout the year by both the Principal and the Technology Committee. The Principal is responsible for the following; administering school wide surveys to evaluate effectiveness of the technology plan, meeting with teachers and staff to set information technology goals and review technology plan, Administering annual surveys to teachers and staff to gauge competencies in information technology skills, supervise and evaluate personnel who support technology in the school, gather information from teachers, staff, students and community members on equipment needs and use of technology in the school, and evaluate the value and implementation of the technology plan twice a year.


The Technology Plan will be evaluated throughout the year by the Technology Committee

in the following ways. The Technology Committee will be responsible for the following; evaluating the value and implementation of the technology plan twice a year, administering surveys to faculty and staff to evaluate the success of the technology plan, meeting monthly to review and update the goals and objectives of the technology plan, consider amendments to the technology plan in order to maintain it as a current and relevant guide for the school, and surveying the success and performance of teacher’s use of technology.

The Evaluation section indicates what measures will be used and how success will be determined. The Technology plan will be evaluated regularly for success. Success will be determined by a strict rubric, which will be created upon completion of the technology plan. The rubric will include all those aforementioned aspects of the Technology plan. Each previously mentioned section of the technology plan will be evaluated by both the Technology Committee as well as the Principal. Students and Teachers will be surveyed less frequently for further consideration of specific goals. The rubric will work as a starting point to discuss and evaluate the various objectives mentioned in the Technology Plan. Consideration will be made to those aspects of the Plan that are categorized as lacking in success. Frequency of Evaluations:

Evaluations will occur on an ongoing basis throughout the school year. The Principal, the Technology Committee, and the Faculty will conduct the evaluations. Rubrics will be established for each evaluating party and will be administered on a regular basis. The Principal will present a formal evaluation to the Technology Committee and Faculty in December and May of each school year. The Technology Committee will present a formal evaluation of the Technology plan to the principal and staff in January and June. The Faculty will present a formal evaluation of the Technology plan in November and May. Persons Responsible for Evaluations:

The entire school community is responsible for evaluating the success of the Technology Plan. However the bulk of the responsibility is with both the Principal and the Technology Committee. Faculty and community members will be responsible for providing feedback that will be used to further analyze the success of the Plan. Strategies describing how unmet goals will be addressed:

Unmet goals will be identified at the two meetings each year held by the Technology Committee. Prior to this the Faculty and Principal will have provided feedback on strengths and weaknesses within the Technology plan. The January and June meetings will provide an opportunity for the Technology Committee to review the strengths and weaknesses identified by the Principal and Faculty. Within the framework of the Committee, individuals will consider strategies that are available to address the concerns mentioned. These concerns will then be addressed in a meeting with the principal and suggestions will be made on how to remedy the unmet goals. Goals will be continually amended as the Principal, Technology Committee, or Faculty see fit. All Amendments will have to be approved by both the Technology Committee and Principal. Those Goals that are net addressed sufficiently according to the rubric will take center


stage during the period of time in between meetings. Strategies for addressing improvements to these unmet goals will be identified and shared with the school community. Filtering Efforts:

Frontier International Academy has purchased and has installed ACD content filter. This solution is used to filter inappropriate materials from the Internet. Computers are also checked on a regular basis to ensure that students are not visiting or bookmarking sites that are deemed inappropriate for their viewing.


SECTION 16

STUDENT INTERNET/COMPUTER ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

Internet services are available to all students for the purposes of instruction, curriculum support, and communication. E-mail, network, and Internet access is to be used ONLY for these purposes.

Students are expected to conduct themselves ethically, and be mindful of all applicable laws and regulations. They should be familiar with procedures for accessing email and/or the Internet, and have participated in training provided by the school. Students should have specific information objectives, and/or search strategies formulated before the access the Internet. School policy states that ALL students must have a signed Acceptable Use Policy form on file before they are allowed to use the Internet independently.

The following are unacceptable uses of e-mail/Internet by students who access the network through school accounts, using school owned equipment, and may result in the revocation of Internet privileges, or depending on the nature of the offense, detention or suspension. Unacceptable use includes but is not limited to:

• Sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures • Using obscene, harassing, or insulting language • Violating copyright laws or fair use practices • Trespassing in others’ folders documents or files • Using the network for commercial or political purposes • Using the network to access inappropriate materials • Intentionally damaging computers, computer systems, or computer networks • Using other’s passwords • Indiscriminate personal use – Purchases, personal emailing, or “instant messaging” • Downloading software without permission of school administration or network technician. • Other behaviors in violation of Academy policy, state statutes or federal laws

Communication over networks is not considered private. Network supervision and security

maintenance may require monitoring of directories, messages, or Internet activity. The Academy reserves the right to access stored records in cases where there is reasonable cause to expect wrong-doing or misuse of the system.

Student Internet/Computer Acceptable Use Policy – SIGNATURE MANDATORY

Student Name:__________________________________________________Grade:__________________ I have read the Student Internet Acceptable Use Policy. I agree to follow the rules contained in this policy, with an understanding that consequences could entail revocation of Internet privileges, or depending on the nature of the offense, detention or suspension. I will receive a copy of this signed Policy, and a copy will be kept in my file. Student Signature: _______________________________________________Date: __________________ Parent Signature: _________________________________________________ Date: ________________

Affix RETURN TO label here

Frontier International Academy Technology Plan

Documents

Transcript of Frontier International Academy Technology Plan