AACPS Enhancing Education Through Technology (EdTech)

• How will the grant funds be used?
  In alignment with the federal initiative "No Child Left Behind", the Maryland Plan for Technology Education, National Staff Development Council Standards (NSDC) for Staff Development, and Anne Arundel County's Department of Instruction and Student Services Improvement Plan, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) proposes a project to support federal, state, and local initiatives and plans. This project will provide access to computer equipment, supplies, and software in the One Computer in the Classroom (OCC) environment, as well as extensive professional development for effective instruction in the OCC classroom. In addition, the project will expand and enhance communication among the school, parents, and the wider school community.
• Type of technology to be acquired
  In order to improve student learning, funds for this project will be used to provide equipment, supplies, software and professional development for the teachers of 25 elementary, 11 middle, and 2 non-public schools. Each school will receive a portable learning/presentation station that consists of a computer loaded with appropriate software, a projector, and a cart (One school is new construction and does not require the station. They will receive professional development opportunities.) This station is designed to accommodate the OCC prototype.
• Activities to be implemented and Professional Development
  With the advent of the four-period day in six of the middle schools during the 2002-2003 school year, many teachers will be facing challenges to their traditional teaching methods. The extra instructional time will provide more opportunities for active teaching that could involve technology. In order to facilitate the inclusion of technology into classroom instruction and reflect Anne Arundel County's technology vision, exemplar lessons must be made available to these teachers. During summer of 2002, twelve master teachers representing each tested content area and each grade level will develop "promising practice" technology lessons to be shared with middle school teachers from these six schools. The same opportunities will be afforded middle schools adopting the four-period day in the school year 2003-2004 during the summer of 2003.
  In addition, tiered professional development for teachers will be offered in all selected schools. This professional development will focus on the various instructional uses for the computer in the classroom. The first stage of professional development will include the "Train the Trainer" model. Two teachers (school-based technology leaders) from each school will participate in a one-day workshop designed to provide an overview of how to effectively evaluate and integrate technology, adhere to county Internet policies, manage the one computer classroom, assess student products, and use software applications, particularly databases and spreadsheets. They will also be exposed to technology assistive strategies and materials. Following this will be a one-day workshop in which the same teachers will concentrate on integrating technology-related higher-level thinking activities into selected lessons. Trainers and resource teachers will then use an electronic learning community to reflect and assess the implementation of lessons. In four two-hour workshops, these school-based trainers will replicate aforementioned training with the teachers in their individual schools. Throughout the year resource teachers from the Office of Instructional Technology will conduct frequent site visits and will review, select, and edit exemplary lesson plans developed by grant efforts. Using these model lessons, resource teachers will offer four two-hour regional-based workshops that will give teachers from non-grant schools similar experiences. During these workshops teachers will develop technology-based lessons and supporting materials. "Promising practices" will be posted on the Anne Arundel County Public School website and shared at the MICCA conference.
• How do activities relate to improved student learning
  In reviewing the Maryland Technology Inventory, Anne Arundel County Public School's (AACPS) Computer Lab Usage forms, and through discussions with school-based Technology Liaisons, it is clear that while students are using technology frequently they are spending the majority of their time typing with word processing programs and creating graphics to enhance their writing. In order to achieve state and local technology goals more time needs to be spent on higher level thinking activities.
  Therefore, this project aims to improve student learning by integrating technology into the classroom, by providing teachers with extensive professional development, and by developing models and proven successful lessons that can be replicated throughout the school system. Throughout the year students will be using spreadsheets, databases and the resources of the Internet to meet the performance standards set by the Maryland Learning outcomes, particularly in the areas of math, science and social studies. Lessons developed will use technology to enhance achievement of Maryland Learner Outcomes in each participating teacher's classroom.
• Parental involvement
  Grant funds will be used for each school to create and maintain a webpage that will enable the schools to better communicate with parents and the local community. While many schools have existing skeleton web pages, they have neither the personnel nor the funds to update them with current information, student products, and appropriate instructional resources. Funding provided through this project will allow one teacher (Web Developer) from each school to participate in a day of web page development training. Web Developers will plan, create and submit drafts of web pages for review and evaluation by resource teachers. Based on input from resource teachers, Web Developers will revise school pages appropriately, complete the web page, and post them on Anne Arundel County Public School's home page. Monthly updates of the school web page will be required. This enhanced communication within the wider school community encourages parental participation, resulting in improved student learning. Offering two workshop opportunities for parents will further communication between the school and parents and promote parental engagement. Trainers from each school will offer a school-based evening workshop to acquaint parents with Anne Arundel County's Internet policies and approved sites. The Office of Instructional Technology will offer parents regional-based workshops to share content specific sites and school web pages. Through these experiences, parental understanding and knowledge of available resources and policies will be broadened. With the guidance of a resource teacher, one of the school-based trainers and the school-based support technician will plan and execute a Technology Showcase Night. This Showcase will highlight student achievement and learning resulting from the technology lessons implemented by grant participants.