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ThreeYearTechnologyImplementationPlan
2017–2018–2019
InformationServices–InstructionalTechnology–TechnologyServices
FCS Technology…Exceptional Service, Innovation, and Excellence
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TableofContents
VisionforTechnologyUsePage03
CurrentTechnologyReality Page08
Communication Page15
ProfessionalDevelopment Page16
InternetSafetyPlan&DigitalCitizenship Page18
NewTechnologies&Initiatives Page20
Appendices Page21
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VisionforTechnologyUse
ForsythCountySchools(FCS)mission,vision,strategicplan,andlearnerprofileguidetheworkofallemployees.ForsythCountySchoolsTechnologyDepartmentusestheseitemsasafoundationforleveragingtechnologytoincreaselearning.ThemissionfortheTechnologyDepartmentistoleveragetechnologyforalltoincreasestudentlearning.
FCSVisionQualityLearningandSuperiorPerformanceforAll
FCSMissionStatementThemissionoftheForsythCountySchoolsistoprepareandinspireallstudentstocontributeandexcel.
DistrictStrategicPlan
● Instruction:FulfilltheexpectationsoftheLearnerProfile.● HumanResources:Ensureahighlyeffectiveworkforce● FacilityandStrategicServices:Providesafeandsecurefacilitiesthatsupporttheneeds
ofstudent,staffandprograms● TechnologyServices:Leveragetechnologyforalltoincreasestudentlearning● OperationalServices:Deliverhighqualityservicesthatmaximizeavailableresources.
FCSLearnerProfile
● PursueContinuousLearning● ExhibitStrongPersonalQualities● UtilizeCreativeandCriticalThinking● EngageandContribute● InteractEffectively.
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ForsythCountySchoolswillleveragetechnologytosupporttheLearnerProfileandallsystemlevelinitiatives.Technologywillbeutilizedbystudentsandadultstoproducequalitywork;tocreateanenvironmentofexcellence;tocreateaschooldistrictthatissafe,caring,andresponsivetostakeholdersneeds;andtocreateanenvironmentthatmeetsthechallengesofamodernsociety.Theschooldistrictwilldisplayabeliefthattechnologyisimperativetotheworkofstudentsandadultsandwillprovidetheresourcesnecessaryforaneffectiveandefficientoperationtoachieveresults.
Asindicatedinthestrategicplan,technologyshouldbeusedtoincreasestudentlearning.ForsythCountySchoolsseesthedevelopmentofthefollowingfiveareasasbeingcriticaltotherealizationofthevisionandmission,andtosupportthestrategicplanandthelearnerprofile.AllfiveitemsoutlinedbelowwillbeinsupportoftheTeaching&Learningdepartmenttoleveragetechnologywithteachersandstudents:
1. TheLearningCommons
ForsythCountySchoolswilldevelopalearningcommonsthatmakesaccessibleallofthedigitalandphysicalresourcesofthedistrictandbecomestheinstructionalhubofthedistrict.Thiswillbeaccomplishedbydevelopingavirtuallearningcommons,whichwillprovide24/7accesstoalldigitalresourcesthroughasingle,easy-to-navigate,singlesign-onportaltostreamlineaccessforstudentsandteachers.Concurrently,theForsythCountySchoolswilldevelopaphysicallearningcommonsateachschool,whichwillserveastheinstructionalhub,collaborativeworkarea,andaccesspointforrelevantphysicalinstructionalmaterials.
2. PersonalizedandDifferentiatedInstruction
ForsythCountySchoolswillprovideteacherswithformativeassessmenttoolswhichwillfosterpersonalizedanddifferentiatedinstructionforstudents,teachers,andadministrators.Formativeassessmenttoolswillbeembeddedinthedistrict'slearningmanagementsystemandavailablethroughthevirtuallearningcommons.Thesetoolswillbelinkedtoallinstructionalresourcesthroughthevirtuallearningcommonssothattheinstructionalandprofessionaldevelopmentneedsofthedistrictcanbecustomizedforeachlearnerandprovidedinatimelymanner.
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3. Fosteringthe“SixC’s”
ForsythCountySchoolswillprovidedigitalresourcesandprofessionaldevelopmentwhichpromotecharacterthroughhonesty,self-regulation,andempathy;citizenshipthroughsensitivityandrespectforotherculturesandactiveengagementinallculturesthroughservice;criticalthinkingandproblemsolvinginauthenticcontexts;effectivecommunicationusingadiversesetofmediainavarietyofcontextsincludingsmall,large,anddiversegroups;effectivecollaborationinordertoreachacommongoalwithadiversegroupofpeople;andcreativityandinnovationtomeetthechallengesofamodernsociety.
4. RelevantandInnovativeProfessionalDevelopment
ForsythCountySchoolswilldevelopanduseawidevarietyofdigitaltoolsininstructionaltechniquestoprovideprofessionaldevelopmentthatfosterstheeffectiveintegrationoftechnologyintotheclassroomwhileexpandingtheboundariesoftheclassroomtomorecloselyalignwith21stcenturynormsandexpectationsofinstruction.Professionaldevelopmentwillbedeliveredinawaythatproducesimmediateresultsanduseintheclassroom.
5. TransformationalModelofBlendedLearning
Asoursocietybecomesincreasinglyconnectedinthe21stcentury,itisimperativethatthestudentsofForsythCountySchoolsachievefluencyinavarietyofinstructionalcontexts.Thesecontextsrangefromafully“brickandmortar”experiencetoafullymulti-dimensionalexperience.
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DescriptionofDigitalLearningCurriculum
ExtendedLearning.Thedistricthasusedalearningmanagementsystem(LMS)astheinfrastructurefordigitallearningsince2002.FCSwilluseitslearning(ITSL)forallgradelevelsinitsbrickandmortarschoolbuildings.StudentswillaccessdigitalcontentwithintheLMSfromhomeorschooltosupportlearningwithintheface-to-faceclassroom.Thispracticeextendslearningopportunitiesbeyondtheschoolenvironment.
BlendedLearning.FCSisthefirstmajorschoolsysteminthesoutheasttoadoptablendedlearningapproachsystem-wide.Teachersandstudentsuseasuiteoftoolstodevelopcollaborativelearningcommunitieswithitslearningbeingthehuboftheblendedlearningenvironment.Theteacherstakeadvantageofthisplatformtoorganizeunitsofinquirymappedtostandards;teachersalsopresentcontent,communicatewithstudents,anddevelopassessments.Studentsutilizetheirowndevicestoaccessthissystemtocommunicatewitheachother,completeassignmentscollaborativelyandindividually,andposttheiroriginalwork.
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HybridLearning.SomeFCSstudentsareenrolledwithinface-to-faceschoolsbutcompleteonlineclassesforpartoftheregularschoolday.FCSusesApexLearning,GeorgiaVirtualSchoolandForsythVirtualAcademyforhybridlearning.Somereasonsforthishybridenrollmentareduetocreditrecovery,scheduling,andexpandingcourseoptions.ClickheretolearnmoreaboutGeorgiaVirtualSchoolclasses.
http://www.gavirtualschool.org/
VirtualLearning.In2010,FCSopenedForsythVirtualAcademy.ThisschoolisGeorgia'sfirstfull-timeonlineschooloperatedbyapublic-schooldistrictthatoffersahighschooldiploma.FCSemploysandtrainsitsownteachersforthisvirtualschool.ForsythVirtualAcademyisopenforstudentsingrades6-12.Thisschooloffersstudentstheopportunitytoengageinadigitallearningenvironmenttoachievetheirindividualpotentialthroughinnovative,flexible,socially-connected,andstudent-focusededucation.
PersonalizedLearning.FCSwasselectedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationasoneof49granteesfora2010InvestinginInnovationFund(i3)grant.FCSwastheonlyrecipientinGeorgiaandoneoftwelvepublicschooldistrictsinthenationtobeagrantee.Thegrantsoughttocreateatransformationalsystemtoovercomethecurrentparadigmofsilosofdata,replacingitovertimewithafullyintegratedsystem,toincludestandards-basedlearnerplansandacontentmanagementsystemwhereactivitiesandresourcesarematchedtostudents'currentperformancelevelandindividuallearnercharacteristics.Theresultingsystemisauserinterfacethatengageslearnersaswellasteachers,leaders,andparents.Althoughthegranthasconcluded,FCScontinuestousetheplatformandhasnowshiftedthefocusfromdevelopingthesystemitselftoalignteachingandlearningwithtechnology.
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CurrentTechnologyReality
ForsythCountySchoolsTechnologyServicesDepartmentplans,implements,andsupportsalloftheschooldistrict’stechnologyinitiativesandinfrastructure.CarefulcollaborationwithallstakeholdershelpsensurethatdistricttechnologyneedsaremetinthemosteffectiveandefficientmannerandthatForsythremainsaleaderinleveragingtechnologytoenhanceteachingandlearning.TechnologyServicesiscommittedtoprovidingteachersandstudentswiththebesttechnologyavailable.Weseeourselvesasanintegralpartofthelearningprocess,anditisourpleasuretoservetheteachers,students,andstaffinForsythCounty.Webelievetechnologyinschoolsincreasesstudentproductivityinandoutsidetheclassroom,encouragesindividualleadershipinlearning,expandsaccesstolearningresources,andhelpsdevelopdigitalcitizenshipwithinastructuredenvironment.Asleadersintechnologywemustalwayslookathowwecanimproveourrelationshipwithourstakeholdersandprovidethemwithexceptionalserviceandnewwaystochallengethenormsofwhatispossible.TechnologyServicessupports:27,000+ChromebooksforStudents5,000+LaptopsforTeacher360+PhysicalandVirtualServers1,800+WirelessAccessPoints84,000+UniqueWirelessClientsperDay(57,000BYOTand27,000Chromebooks)1,300+NetworkSwitches2Enterprise-gradeFirewallscapableofprocessingupto200Gbpsthroughput1Petabyteofrawmassstorage20Hyper-convergednodesoperatinginastretchedcluster
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EachschoolisassignedaninstructionaltechnologysupportteamwhichincludesanInstructionalTechnologySpecialistandaMediaSpecialistorMediaParaprofessional.Bothhaveexperienceusingawidevarietysoftwareandhardwareasaclassroomteacherandinpreparingandconductingtechnology-relatedprofessionallearningclasses.Thisteamisinnovativeinthewaytheyintegratetechnologytoenhancetheeducationalprocess.Bothmembersoftheteamareleadersinthebuildingandinthedistrict.Theschool-basedInstructionalTechnologyTeamservesastheconduitforplanning,communicatingandachievingdistrictinitiativesandoftenispartoftheschool’sleadershipteam.Theyoverseetheuseofmultimediaequipmentsuchasscannersandprojectorsaswellasinstructionalequipmentsuchasstudentresponsesystems,digitalmicroscopesanddocumentcameras;providetechnologysupportforthecomputersintheschoolaswellasmanageaccesstosoftware,theInternetandothernetworkresourcessuchasstreamingvideo.EveryclassroominthedistricthastenChromebookswithLocknChargecartsconnectedtotheInternet.Eachpermanentclassroomisoutfittedwithaninteractiveboardandsoundsystem.
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Staffing
Thedistrict’sTechnologydepartmentisbrokenintothreeareas:InstructionalTechnology,InformationSystems,andTechnologyServices.Eachdepartment’sstaffisoutlinebelow.AfullorganizationalchartfortheTechnologyDepartmentcanbelocatedinAppendixA.
InformationSystems
DirectorofInformationSystems,Registrar(4),InternationalRegistrar,StudentsInformationSpecialists(4),PlatformSupportSpecialist,StudentInformationSystemsAssistant.
InstructionalTechnology
DirectorofInstructionalTechnology&Media,CoordinatorofInstructionalTechnology,ITSonSpecialAssignment(2),MediaSpecialistonSpecialAssignment,InstructionalTechnologyAssistant.
TechnologyServices
DirectorofTechnologyServices,NetworkOperationsCoordinator,NetworkOperationsEngineer,NetworkOperationsAdministrators(3),TechnologyIntegrationCoordinator,WarehouseManager,ProjectManager,TechnicalAssistantSpecialist,LeadTech,TechnicalSupportSpecialist(8),Contractor(9).
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Software
Teachershaveawidevarietyofsoftwareapplicationstoassistintheteachingandlearningofstudentstoincreasethecreationofengaginglessonsthatimpactstudentachievement.TheMicrosoftOfficeProfessionalsuiteisinstalledoneveryclassroomdesktop,studentlaptopandteacherlaptop.Also,Office365andGoogleAppsforEducationareavailabletostudentandteachers.
AdditionaldistrictsupportedsoftwareincludesActivInspire,Audacity,Frames(Elementary&MiddleSchool),andGeometer’sSketchpad(MiddleandHighSchool).
DigitalContentandLearningTools
Varioussoftwareapplicationisavailabletostudentsandparents.Teachersandadministratorshaveaccesstothestudentinformationsystem,InfiniteCampus,whereelectronicrecordsandstudentdataarehoused,andanelectronicgradebookisalsointegratedintotheSISpackage.TeachersarerequiredtopostgradestotheInternetviathissystemforparentalaccess.LearningStationisaweb-basedstudentassessmentplatformwhichisprovidedtoteachersgradesK-12andoffersonlineandofflineassessment.Thisprogramenablesthedistrictandteacherstotrackstudentperformanceonteacher-createdanddistrict-wideassessments.Additionally,theplatformallowsforitembanks,includingitemsandrelevantmetadata,tobedistributedthroughoutthedistrict.Thistestingandreportingsolutiongivesthedistrict’steachersandadministratorstheinformationtheyneedtohelpimproveinstructionandstudentperformance.
Teachersmaintaincourseswithinitslearning,anonlinelearningmanagementsystemthatprovidesopportunitiesforsynchronousandasynchronouslearning.Withinitslearning,teacherspublishstudentassignments;scheduleclasseventsinaplanner;postlinksforresearchactivities;developdiscussionforums;postlessons;andcommunicatewithstudentsviaemail.Teachersalsocollaborateincommongradelevel,subject,andcoursegroupswithitslearning.itslearningalsoboastsarobustdigitalcontentlibrarythatissearchablebystandard.Itemsinthedigitalcontentlibrarycanbeaddedbyteachersanddistrictlevelcontentspecialists,andmayincludedigitalcontentpurchasedincommoncartridgeformat.Allitemsincluderelevantmetadatatoallowforflexiblesearchingtotakeplacewithintheplatform.Finally,itslearningcontainsarecommendationenginethatreceivesdatafromassignments,tests,observations,andthedistrict’sassessmentengine(LearningStation)tosuggestresourcesandactivitiesfor
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standardswherestudentsaredeficient.itslearningisthemainsourceofcommunicationbetweenteachers,students,andparents.
ForsythCountySchoolsalsoprovidesahostofdigitalmaterialstostudentsandteachers.Belowisasampleofthevariousdigitalapplicationsavailableinthedistrict.
● BrainPop:animated,curriculum-basedelectroniccontentthatisfullycompatiblewithinteractivewhiteboards,projectors,andmobiledevices.
● DestinyOneSearch&PebbleGo:student-friendlysearchenginesthatallowforpersonalizedandproductivelearningexperiences.PebbleGoisspecificallydesignedforelementarystudents.
● SafariMontage:ourdigitalmediamanagementanddistributionsystem.Safarimontagealsohostscontentincludingstreamingvideoandlearningobjects,someofwhicharesubscriptionservices.
● Soundzabound:housesawidevarietyofcopyrightcompliantmusic,audiothemesandsoundeffectsforgradesK-12.Themusiccanbelegallyusedinpodcasts,presentations,videos,newsshows,digitalstorytelling,TVbroadcasts,andwebdesign.
● Voicethread:aweb-basedplatformthatenablesteachersandstudentstouploadimages,video,ordocuments,recordaudio,video,ortextcomments,andtheninviteotherstorecordcommentsaswell.
● Wixie:webauthoringtoolsforelementarystudentstodisplaytheirknowledge.
Variousresearchtoolsareavailableforstudentstoconductscholarlyresearch.Thesetoolsinclude:GALILEO,GALE,WorldAlmanacOnline,andtheWorldAlmanacforKidsOnline.TheTechnologyDepartmentprovidesaccessforstudentsandteacherstoanumberofauthoringandskillbuildingtoolsaswellincludingCode.org,EduBlogsandTyping.com.
Digitalcontentandcurriculumareavailabletoteachersandstudentsfromanumberofsources,freeandsubscriptionbased,includingCK-12DiscoveryEducation,HMHJourneysandCollections,KhanAcademy,andPearsonEnvisionMath.
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Allweb-basedresourcesprovidedbythedistrictareaccessiblewithinClassLink,asinglesign-onportalthataggregatesalldistrictandschool-baseddigitalapplicationsandresourcesusingprotocolssuchasOAuth,LTI,ADFS/SAMLandpasswordvaulting.
AcompletelistingofdigitalresourcescanbelocatedinAppendixBandathttp://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/49222.
Instructional/AdministratorUses
Ineachschool,allteachersandadministratorsareprovidedequalaccesstotechnologyresourcesandtechnologyservices.Equivalenthardware,softwareapplications,andtrainingareprovidedtoeveryschool.Withineachclassroom,thefollowingtechnologydevicesareavailable:aninteractivewhiteboardthatisconnectedtotheteacher’slaptopcomputerandaprojector;10Chromebooks;andasoundsystem.Withineachschool,additionaltechnologyresourcesarealsoavailableforinstructionincludingthefollowing:Chromebooks,digitalcameras,digitalmicroscopes,documentcameras,studentresponsesystems,andabroadcastsystem.
LevelofUse
Observationsareconductedtodeterminetheleveloftechnologyintegrationoccurringateachschool.Theseobservationsassistschooladministratorsinmakingbetterdecisionsconcerningprofessionaldevelopmenttoensurethatteachersarecreating21stcenturyclassrooms.Inadditiontothesewalk-throughs,thedistricthascreatedanonlineinstrumenttoassistadministratorsinrecordingteacherobservationstoensurequalityteaching,alignmenttodistrictinitiatives,andstandards-basedclassrooms.
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Parent/CommunityUse
Parentscanviewgrades,homeworkassignments,progressreports,andotherinformationprovidedbyteachersviatheInternet.Familieswithoutacomputerathomeareencouragedtousethecomputersinthelocallibraryormakeuseoftheschool’smediacentercomputers.Over25,000parentsareregisteredfortheonlinestudentinformationsystem’sParentPortalwithinInfiniteCampus.Parentsarealsoabletoreplenishlunchmoney,receivealertsandschoolnotices,andaccessbusroutesandtransportationpickuptimesviatheInternet.MiddleandHighSchoolstudentshavePortalaccountsaswellandcanviewtheirownprogressathome,oratschoolincaseswherehomeInternetconnectionisnotavailable.Advisorsorcounselorscanworkwithstudents,viewingtheirassignmentsandperformance.Inaddition,ForsythCountySchoolshaspartneredwithComcasttoprovideComcastInternetEssentialswhichprovidesalow-costhomeInternetconnectiontostudentsreceivingfreelunch.
DistricttechnologyresourcesathomeareaccessibletostudentsthroughClassLink,whichenablesthemtoaccesstheirdocumentsandfilesaswellasallotherdistrictresources.SoftwareplatformssuchasOffice365andGoogleAppsforEducationarealsoavailableanytime/anywhere.Wirelessarrayshavebeeninstalledwithineachschool,andthedistricthasimplementedaBringYourOwnTechnology(BYOT)initiativetoencouragestudentstobringtheirownpersonaltechnologydevicesfromhometoaccessdistrictnetworkresourcesinordertofacilitateinstruction.
Student&TeacherUse
AlltechnologyusebyemployeesandstudentsisguidedbytheResponsibleUseGuidelinesforStudentsandStaffmembers.PleasevisitthefollowingwebsitetoviewResponsibleUseGuidelineshttp://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/40831.Additionally,allemployeesofForsythCountySchoolsareexpectedtocomplywithExpectedCommunicationGuidelinesfoundathttp://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/page/544.
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Communication
CommunicationandMarketing
TheForsythCountySchoolsthree-yeartechnologyplanwillbepostedontheschoolsystemwebsite.Additionally,theplanwillbesharedwithadministrators,InstructionalTechnologySpecialists,andMediaSpecialists.
IntegrationandCoordinationwithLongRangePlanningInitiatives
ForsythCountySchoolshasguideditsworkviaastrategicplanprocesssince1995.Technologyplanninghasbeenanintegralpartofstrategicimprovementinthedistrictthroughoutthattime.Thistechnologyplanisreflectionofthatprocess.
Meetingsarescheduledonaregularbasisbetweenthetechnologydepartment,systemlevelprofessionaldevelopmentstaff,curriculum,media,Title1,specialeducation,andESOLpersonneltocoordinatetheimplementationofthestrategicplan(includingtechnologyinitiatives).
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ProfessionalDevelopment
ForsythCountySchoolsadherestoajobembeddedapproachforhighqualityprofessionallearning,implementedondistrictwideEarlyReleaseDays,tohelpstandards-basedpracticesbecomearealityinallForsythCountyclassrooms.
SchoolssubmitaprofessionallearningplaneachyearalignedtotheirschoolimprovementgoalsandtheseplansarereviewedbyCurriculum,Title1,ProfessionalLearning,Technology,SpecialEducation,andESOLpersonneltoensurefitwithdistrictaswellasschoolgoals.Viewtheschoolimprovementplansathttp://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/41330.
Inaddition,theDepartmentofInstructionalTechnologyleadsprofessionallearninginitiativesintheareasof:
● ISTEStandardsforTechnologyCoaches● Online,Blended,andPersonalizedLearning● TechnologyIntegrationMatrix(TIM)
IdentificationofClassroomImplementation
ForsythCountySchoolsusetheISTEStandardsforTechnologyCoaches(ISTEStandards-C)asabasisfortrainingandguidingtheworkofourlocalschoolinstructionaltechnologyspecialists.InstructionalTechnologySpecialistscollaboratewithdistrictstaffandpeerstounpacktheISTEStandards-Ctodeterminestrengthsandweaknessesforthemselvesandtheirschools.ISTEStandards-Cprovidestandards,attributes,andexemplarsforthefollowingtopics:
● Visionaryleadership● Teaching,learningandassessments● Digitalagelearningenvironments● Professionaldevelopmentandprogramevaluation● Digitalcitizenship● Contentknowledgeandprofessionalgrowth
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TheTechnologydepartmentseekstoextendtheworkstartedwiththeInvestinginInnovation(i3)grantawardedtothedistrictin2010byfocusingontheareasofonline,blended,andpersonalizedlearning.MonthlytrainingsoccurinthesethreeareasateachschoolbydistrictInstructionalTechnologySpecialists.Additionally,summertrainingsandtheGeorgiaOnlineEndorsementclassisofferedtoteachersonaregularbasis.
Insubsequentyears,theTIMMatrixwillbewillbeintroducedtoinstructionaltechnologyspecialistsandmediaspecialistsasabasisformeasuringtheleveloftechnologyintegration.TheTIMmatrixisusedtoenhancelearningfork-12studentsbyincorporatingfiveinterdependentcharacteristicsoflearningenvironments(active,collaborative,constructive,authenticandgoal-directed)withlevelsoftechnologyuse(entry,adoption,adaptation,infusion,transformation).ForsythCountySchoolsseekstoestablishtheTIMMatrixascommonlanguagethroughoutthedistrictwhenmeasuringlevelsoftechnologyuse.
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InternetSafetyPlan&DigitalCitizenship
BackgroundInformation
In2008,CongresspassedtheProtectingChildreninthe21stCenturyAct.TheFCCsoughtcommentonspecificsectionsofthisact,specificallyasitrelatestotheE-rateprogram.Asaresult,theFCChasreleasedanordertodefinewhataschools’CIPApolicymustinclude.
InadditiontotheCIPAcertificationsrequiredofschools,theProtectingtheChildreninthe21stCenturyActrequirestheschool,schoolboard,localeducationalagency,orotherauthoritywithresponsibilityforadministrationoftheschooltocertifythat,"aspartofitsInternetsafetypolicy,[it]iseducatingminorsaboutappropriateonlinebehavior,includinginteractingwithotherindividualsonsocialnetworkingwebsitesandinchatroomsandcyberbullyingawarenessandresponse.”
TheFCCdeclinedtodefineorinterpretthetermsprovidedinthestatutorylanguage,suchas"socialnetworking"or"cyberbullying."Inaddition,theFCCdoesnotdetailspecificproceduresorcurriculumforschoolstouseineducatingstudentsaboutappropriateonlinebehaviorbecause"thesearedeterminationsthatarebettertobemadebyschoolsimplementingthepolicyinthefirstinstance."
ProcedureforLocalSchools
Beginninginthefallof2011,eachschoolinForsythCountySchoolssubmittedanInternetSafetyPlan.Eachschoolupdatestheirplaneachyear.PlansareduetotheOfficeofInstructionalTechnologybyNovember30thofeachyear.
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ProcedurefortheDepartmentofInstructionalTechnology
TheDirectorofInstructionalTechnologymaintainselectronicarchivesofallsubmittedplans.Archivesaremaintainedforaperiodofsevenyears.
TheDirectorofInstructionalTechnologyreportstotheChiefTechnologyandInformationOfficerthestatusofschools’InternetSafetyPlans.TheDirectorofInstructionalTechnologymaintainssamplesandonlineresourcesavailabletoschoolsinthedevelopmentoftheplan.
DigitalCitizenship
StudentsmustbewellroundeddigitalcitizenstomeettheattributesoftheLearnerProfile.TheTechnologyDepartmentprovidesvariousresourcestoschoolstoensurestudentsareprovidedthenecessarytoolstobeexhibitdigitalcitizenshipskills.
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NewTechnologiesandInitiatives
DataAnalyticsEngine
ForsythCountySchoolsseekstoprovideteachers,administratorsandstudentswithactionable,current,andrelevantdata.Asaresult,thedistrictseekstoestablishadataanalyticenginethatwillcombinedatafromnumberofsourcesintoonesystem.Thissystemwillallowdistrictstafftocreatereportsthatwillproducepredictiveanalytics.Suchanalyticswillallowthesystemtoidentifytrends,forecastacademicprojectionsandanswerquestionsaboutfuturestudentperformancethatwerepreviouslynotpossibletoanswer.
PersonalizedLearning
AcommitteeofdistrictandschoollevelrepresentativesarecurrentlyworkingtoestablishaplantobringPersonalizedLearningacrossthedistrict.Thusfar,thecommitteehasidentifiedfourfocusareasincludingStudentOwnership,PassionsandInterest,SocialandEmotionalLearning,andMasteryBasedEducation.ThetechnologydepartmentwillworkcloselywiththiscommitteeandtheTeaching&LearningdepartmenttosupportPersonalizedLearningwithtechnology.
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AppendixA-OrganizationalChart
CTIO Mike Evans
Dir. Of Technology Tim Fleming
BookkeeperStephanie Bruce
Systems EngineerSean Fowler
Coordinator Hold for 2018-19
Network Operations Coordinator Curt Godwin
Sr. System AdminChad Abbs
Lead TechTodd Small
Project Mgr.Keith Whitten
Contract Techs 8 Positions
Jr. System AdminTony Guevara
Network Support Spc Roger Demerieux
Network Services Client Services
Technicians7 Positions
Warehouse Mgr. Josue Mendez
Parts Mgr.Richard Breitenbach
Logistics
Technology Integration Coordinator Julie Stearns
Integration Services
Technology Services
Tech Assist. Spec.Shannon Bayer
Technicians: Ben Bryan, George Combes, Marilyn Funke, Armando Gonzalez, Jim Lorusso, Thomas Shortnacy, David Soto
Contract Technicians: Rob Chavous, Kevin Jackson, Albert John, Chris Koller, Efrain Ledesma, Matt Miller, Sam Ray, Chris Walker, Kenneth Watkins
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AppendixB-DigitalResourceList