DTTP

=**DTTP**=

Image courtesy of [] =Shawnette Williams= =District Technology Training Plan= =EDTC640=

Needs Assessment The Baltimore City Public Schools System district has a technology training plan, and has facilitated numerous technology training workshops and online training for staff and to a lesser extent parents and students. In the BCPSS there is only one high school which is technology based schools. From previous assessment of training needs in the city through the climate survey, 2009- 2011, 80% of teachers including administrative staff think that there is not sufficient technology inclusion or training in schools. Deterrent to this process is the fact that not many schools have more than two technology labs. Of the 4,250 surveys collected, 78% of the teachers think that there needs to be training on how to use assistive technology for instruction. The city has recently adapted the grading online system Power Teacher grade book produced by Pearson, in an attempt to synchronize grades throughout the city. This program being new has caused some technology concern for the district, administrators and teachers who are not familiar and whom have not been trained sufficiently to use the program. In light of this it is imperative that training for teachers become one of the major focuses of the District. This would be align to the National Technology Standards for teachers; “Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.” (ISTE, 2007)Already in the system is the Software SMS which was initially used to enter grades and attendance. With the implementation of the new grade book the need arises for training to make the systems communicate synchronously and asynchronously with each other. Therefore some training is necessary as teachers have been calling and sending daily requests to the district’s information technical department for assistance. The district also has an online training called Data Links which allows teachers to generate exams according to content areas and content standards. The district has adapted the Blackboard technology online system; as such students, teachers and other staff access information via the web from this program. Parents are also given an opportunity to enroll in the program to access information about schools, the district office and their children. There is need for extensive training for using these programs to enhance the efficiency and cohesiveness in the district. The District has an IT support office which completes and addresses online requests by schools, and staff. With the No Child Left Behind law, the district has also facilitated inclusion education where students who have IEP as well as special education students are included in the regular education program. While some schools have a phase in basis, where the student is gradually transferred to the regular education program at the school upon assessment of progress, other schools have more exclusive classrooms. The fact is that all schools have significant numbers of students with special needs or special education needs. It is therefore //au fait// that the district technology training program includes an aspect of training in assistive technology, where all stakeholders are prepared and equipped to facilitate learning. “The performance of high school special education students in the Baltimore City Public Schools System (BCPSS) is reaching a critical point. Starting with this year’s freshman,high school students must pass Maryland’s new High School Assessments (HSA) in order to graduate. Roughly a third of special education students in BCPSS graduate, and now those students who would otherwise graduate may be denied diplomas.” (BCPSS performance assessment data, 2011) After conducting interviews with the office of student placement and the Teacher support; it is evident that there is no structured training in assistive instructional technology. In light of this need training in assistive instructional technology will be implemented in this plan. Purpose and Audience The intent of the district plan is to provide the information and instructions for technological equipment, technological resources and staff training in order to enhance and increase the proficiency instructional technology. In so doing a culture of innovation and increased digital awareness is inevitable. Training should be ongoing and should reflect new methodologies and in this respect technologies that will enhance proficiency levels aligned to the curriculum for each target subject. In light of the increased need for instructional technology to collect data align grades, and improve performance, it is imperative to train all persons who directly and or indirectly affect learning in schools. The training is intended for; administrators, teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals and other administrative staff within the school buildings. Administrators such as principals should have in depth knowledge of the technologies used in his or her building to understand the requirements set out by the school policies and district policies, as such principals should be able to use technology to check grading, attendance, to conduct internal and external surveys, make presentations and if necessary facilitate learning. Teachers are the main target group that needs to be trained. Teachers have always been the core group as they are the ones who have and will implement instructional technology. Importantly and as will be focused in this plan is the training of teachers to administer learning through assistive technology. As previously mentioned, many teachers have no idea how to effect change through assistive technology in their classrooms. It is with great challenges that the teacher who has no idea how to correctly administer this accommodation facilitates learning daily. “Assistive technology training has traditionally been the realm of occupational and physical therapies and speech and language pathology. However, teachers have a pivotal role in the implementation of assistive technology as they carry out the integration of the AT plan. Unfortunately, teachers do not typically receive training in assistive technology at the pre service or postgraduate levels.” (Carney & Cynthia, 1992). Another important yet forgotten group of people who need to be trained to administer assistive technology are the paraprofessionals. Often these are the people who offer one on one aid to students with special needs and who should receive efficient guidelines on how to help the students with access and use these technologies with success and efficiency. Finally all other staff member; attendance monitor, who records and keep data of attendance logs, guidance counselors who do scheduling and who need to access student information on line and secretaries who deal with student records and need to use the online database to conduct transfers/withdrawals, accessing demographic data of students and contacting parents. Students and parents to a lesser extent, who need to access grades and teachers’ emails on line.

Goals and Objectives
 * Goals ||
 * # Train all teachers to use different types of instructional technology to enhance learning throughout the district.


 * 1) Train teachers to administer education through instructional technology, to students with IEPs and special educational needs in order to prepare students for the High school assessment in Biology, English and Algebra.
 * 2) Update long-term technology professional development so that educators are able to administer educational technology standards as established by this district and state.
 * 3) Put in place strategies to monitor program effectiveness and efficiency, by referring to the needs assessment to counteract future support needs and newer technologies and resources.
 * 4) Implement and use numerous formal and informal assessment tools to ensure functionality of the technological resources by educators, students, and the community.
 * 5) Integration of district technology resources by continuous strategies to ensure normalcy and standardization of all instructional technologies and data collection of all hard ware and software tools in the district. ||
 * Objectives ||
 * # All teachers create grade books using Power Teacher Grade Book in order to keep online and accurate records which will align with the district’s requirements for recording grades.
 * 1) At least 90% of teachers attend and participate in training how to use a variety of assistive technologies to instruct students in the varying subject areas.
 * 2) All teachers create an initial technology infused lesson plan in their content area showing how the specific technology can be used to improve a previous lesson taught without technology.
 * 3) All administrators and teachers complete training online doing the Data Links program to know how to generate online tests in content area aligned with content standards.
 * 4) All technology support staff develops a database which highlights how the systems in schools can be design to collect online data through a help desk.
 * 5) Teachers create and implement diagnostic and evaluative testing generated on software such as data link.
 * 6) Teachers and support staff learn to operate and use assistive technology to facilitate instructions for students with learning disabilities.
 * 7) All staff compiles portfolios of resources created and practiced during the workshops for achievement units towards end of year evaluation. ||

Professional Development Assessing one’s progress is an avenue to build on one’s success through continuous training. All staff should conduct ongoing assessment of instructional technology through professional development. As such the following is pertinent; have the teacher and other staff members benefitted greatly from the training so much so that the there is an improvement in the implementation of new resources garnered from the training. Have the teacher and paraprofessionals been able to effectively facilitate assistive technology as will be indicated by improved scores in the students’ performance? How has the training influenced changes in the activities the teachers have prepared for the target subject through more interactive and autonomous assessments? How did the teachers use the information and technology skills learned to create a more communicative environment which also links to the all subject standards and the technology standards? What further training is needed and which ongoing training programs will the staff participate to further professional growth? What further training in assistive technology is needed? This is very important in light of all inclusive classrooms and not fall into the norm of being untrained, as is supported here; “Assistive technology training has traditionally been the realm of occupational and physical therapies and speech and language pathology. However, teachers have a pivotal role in the implementation of assistive technology as they carry out the integration of the AT plan. Unfortunately, teachers do not typically receive training in assistive technology at the pre service or postgraduate levels.” (Carney & Cynthia, 1992 in Morrison, 2007). Training Schedule Principals || April 20, 2012 April 27, 2012 May 4, 2012 May 11, 2012 May 18, 2012 || By the end of the training all participants will know how to access and navigate the new grade book. || Teachers will be asked to set up sample grade books, with all the features taught in the training sessions and will share their work through peer reviews. Teachers will complete evaluative quizzes and worksheets testing the information learned. || administrative staff/Librarian/Attendance Monitor/ parents || May 25, 2012( teachers and school staff) May 27, 2012- ( students’ and parents’ session) || Participants learn how to use the software for teaching, sending data, submitting assignments, accessing grades. || Continued use of the program evident through everyday practice || Special educators/ case mangers of students with IEPs Para professionals || Two weeks in Summer; June 12-26, 2012, initially then once per quarter for the rest of the school year. || Teachers and Support staff can facilitate and guide students through using assistive technologies by operating and showing students how to use these devices to improve their learning. || Teachers use of AT improved so much so that it is reflected in the performance of the students ||
 * Workshop Topic || Audience || Date || Objectives || Evaluation ||
 * Power Teacher Grade Book || All teachers/
 * SMS || All teachers/Attendance Monitor/Administrators || May 24, 2012 || By the end of the training; all participants will know how to manipulate students’ attendance and how make these attendances align and synchronize with the Power teacher grade book. || Attendance data is more cohesive as a result of training for efficiency ||
 * Blackboard || All teachers/
 * Assistive Technology || Teachers who have inclusive classrooms/
 * Website building || First come basis || June, 30, 2012 || By the end of the training participants will be able to create websites through [|www.yolasites.com][|www.googlesites.com] and [|www.edmodo.com] || Websites are used to host classroom instructions ||
 * Cisco Networking || Technology teachers, other classroom teachers and staff who are conducting videoconferencing and virtual classrooms || June, 30, 31, 2012. || By the end of the training participants conduct videoconferencing and practice implementation || Teachers create virtual classrooms to host classroom activities ||
 * Online training to conduct testing and High school recovery programs. || Teachers and Administrators and tech support staff || May 2012- July 30 || Participants will learn and put in practice how to administer online testing through the apex program and TestNav software. || All participants administer tests and recovery programs efficiently. ||
 * Data Links || Teachers, administrators and tech support staff || May 2012-July 30 || Teachers will be able to generate online tests and worksheets by connecting them with standards and units of study. || Teachers create more balanced testing which are geared towards assessing the core subjects ||
 * Continuous training || All members of staff || Dates to be determined based on survey results of present training || All members of staff will continue professional development || All members of staff implements and learn new materials to enhance management, teaching and learning in schools. ||

Rationale for workshop for training in assistive technology The greatest need for training in the district is assistive technology because the district has already started training in most of the programs previously mentioned. Assistive Technology Assistive Technology according to the Tech Act may be described as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. (29 U.S.C. Sec 2202(2), the AssistiveTechnology Act, 2004). The inclusion of assistive Technology therefore, incorporates software like the writing pen, Intellitalk and Intellitools, and computers. “Broadly defined assistive technology (AT) is any technology that allows an increase, maintenance or improvement of the functional capabilities of an individual with a disability” (Edyburn, 2000; Hitchcock, 2001; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997; Lewis, 1998).

Universal Design for learning Differentiate instruction is the core of Universal design for learning; the class room environment is created with the teacher being the facilitator and the students the center of the learning process. It is intended that the instruction and learning is varied and meet the needs of all students tapping into their different learning styles and abilities. It is therefore imperative that the teacher or educator is a//u fait// with the assistive technologies and programs available in order to increase student performance in the inclusive classroom. McIntyre and Pickering (1995) encourages that when implementing the Universal Design for learning method, one should complement assistive technology with “Multisensory Structured Language or the Orton-Gill in gham Approach, which research has shown helps students to learn and reta in foreign language s. Students can benefit from a highly structured, multisensory, direct and explicit approach that helps the m to see and understand how language is structured and provides ample opportunity for practice.”(McIntyre and Pickering, 1995) Instructional materials are often referred to as the “media”through which content is disseminated and through which learners design and demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of the content taught. IEPs Students with learning and physical disabilities have the right by law to receive public education, “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE)” (Department of Education, 2011) In light of this; the school district has to implement strategies and develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for every student who requires such services resulting from their learning and physical disabilities. “The specific special education services, including assistive technology, that are outlined in the IEPs should reflect the individual needs of the student.” (Depart of Education 2011). One week workshop training in assistive technology. Perform software analysis to ascertain functionality of software. Create activities and lesson plans to use tool as instructional assistive technology. || Monday, June 18, 2012- 8:30am -3:30pm ||
 * Workshop || Hardware/software || Synopsis/feature || Evaluation || Date ||
 * Reading and writing tools || Clicker || Clicker is a multimedia tool that is compatible with Windows. This tool allows the user to write in whole words and phrases and links images to concept || Teachers will install and conduct trial run of the program.
 * Reading and Writing tools || -Co:Writer 4000

-Wizcom Readingpen

-COM, Challenging Our Minds -Paltalk || These tools assist students in identifying words/numbers they know how to say but do not know how to spell. The tool prompts the intended words by giving clues. Assist students to build thematic vocabulary which align with curriculum goals. The Wizcom Readingpen operates like a scanning tool which reads whole words and phrases, gives definitions and spells words; translate from English to Spanish and Spanish to English, this tool is very beneficial to students who are learning English as a second language, and gives synonyms for words. || Teachers will install and learn features of The Co:Writer, Wizcom Readingpen, COM, Challenging Our Minds, software and create activities to use later in classes. || Tuesday, June 19, 2012- 8:30am-3:30pm || IntelliTalk II supports universal access, provides auditory and visual reinforcement, spell check with auditory support, on-screen palettes, picture items and libraries, sample templates and the ability to create student portfolios, lock text and answer fields, hide or show palettes and view documents one section at a time page view. ||  ||   || Wednesday, June 20, 2012 8:30am- 3:30pm || June 22, 2-12. 8:30am-3:30pm ||
 * Speech and Listening tools || IntelliTalk 1&2 || IntelliTalk II is a full-featured talking word processor that allows you to combine graphics, text, and speech to enhance writing and communication skills. || IntelliTalk II is a full-featured word processor that allows you to combine graphics, text, and speech to enhance writing and communication skills. It includes special features that promote understanding, reinforce concepts, and provide a multi-sensory writing environment for all learners.
 * Tactile tools || IntelliKeys || This hardware works as a “plug and play” device. It may be programmed to fit the students’ needs and is used to replace the standard keyboard and mouse. Additionally it has an alternative keyboard which is compatible with entering letters and numbers, navigating on-screen displays, and commands.. ||  || Thursday, June 21, 2012. 8:30am-3:30pm ||
 * Virtual Classrooms Audio/Visuals/ || [|www.epals.com] / animoto/online games/ Paltalk || The epals virtual classroom allows students to connect with other students worldwide. Other online video and sound creating tools such as Animoto allows teacher and student to make their own instructional videos || By the end of the training, Teachers will have a working knowledge of how to sign up and connect their classrooms through video conferencing with students in other countries or states. Teachers will learn how to make short instructional videos on line. || Friday,
 * Virtual Classrooms Audio/Visuals/ || [|www.epals.com] / animoto/online games/ Paltalk || The epals virtual classroom allows students to connect with other students worldwide. Other online video and sound creating tools such as Animoto allows teacher and student to make their own instructional videos || By the end of the training, Teachers will have a working knowledge of how to sign up and connect their classrooms through video conferencing with students in other countries or states. Teachers will learn how to make short instructional videos on line. || Friday,

References National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (1989, 1996). Assistive Technology. //NICHY News Digest//. Cohen, M.D. of Monahan & Cohen (1998). Comparative Analysis: IDEA, Section 504 and the ADA. Parette, P., VanBiervliet, A, & Hourcade, J.J. (2000). Family-Centered Decision Making in Assistive Technology. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), 45-55. [] Rosenfeld, S.J. (2000). Section 504 and IDEA: Basic Similarities and Differences. Website: [] David H. Rose & Anne Meyer (2002) Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs. Visit the page below to find a history of the ATA, summaries of its provisions, and more. @http://www.ataporg.org/atap/legislative.php Council for Exceptional Children. (2005). //Public policy update: CEC’s summary and update of PL 108-364,// // the Assistive Technology Reauthorization Act of 2004 //. Available online, at: []

Morrison, K. (2007) Implementation of assistive computer technology. A model for school systems. //International Journal of Special Education//, 22(1), 83-95. Retrieved EBSCOhost

Apendices Work Shop Lesson Plan Hand out on Paltalk