Media+&+Tech+Plan

Deerfield-Windsor School Media and Technology Plan

 * Present Status:**

Technology continues to change at a remarkable rate of speed. Teachers must believe that technology will enhance their classroom and benefit them and their students. Staff development, adequate resources, and positive attitude will help the faculty facilitate the learning process. In order to keep pace with emerging technologies, Deerfield-Windsor must continually revisit and revise its strategies and methods.


 * Vision: Optimize learning and teaching through use of media and technology**.

Deerfield-Windsor School will expand digital resources in the classroom to add context and reality to the learning process. Utilizing digitally driven technologies, teachers will guide students to be self-directed and self-motivated learners. Teachers and students will aspire to be fluent users of technology by developing skills in collaboration, communication, and higher order thinking. Teachers must integrate technological resources into educational practices appropriate for their discipline. The use of technology will be seamless and integrated with the learning process. Administrators will encourage coordination and cooperation among educators and educational systems to promote practices that are effective, efficient, and equitable. Access to information and technology will continue to provide learning opportunities for all students and teachers to become life-long learners.

The Deerfield-Windsor School media program is designed to develop a community of learners centered on the student and sustained by a creative library media program.

The program provides:


 * Intellectual access to information through learning activities that are integrated into the curriculum and that help all students achieve information literacy
 * Physical access to information through a carefully selected and systematically organized collection of diverse learning resources
 * Learning experiences which encourage students to become discriminating consumers and skilled creators of information
 * Leadership, collaboration, and assistance to teachers in applying principles of instructional design to the use of instructional and information technologies for learning.
 * Resources and activities which contribute to lifelong learning while accommodating a wide range of differences in teaching and learning styles.
 * A program that functions as the information center of the school
 * Provide resources and activities for learning that represent a diversity of social and cultural perspectives and to support the concept that intellectual freedom and access to information are prerequisite to effective and responsible citizenship in democracy

(Adapted from Information Power: Building Partnership for Learning [1998]. P.6-7)


 * Mission: Providing learning opportunities for all.**


 * Deerfield-Windsor School exists to inspire in its students a passion for learning, a commitment to personal integrity, and a sense of social responsibility**.

Educating students has become even more challenging in light of the digital environment explosion and importance of 21st century literacies. It is our mission to pursue the goal of providing a high quality and effective use of technology in the classroom and integrating 21st century skills into the curriculum. Technology is one of the fastest changing fields of learning in our world today. It is imperative that careful planning is done for technology curriculum integration, wise budgetary planning for hardware replacement, new purchases and upgrades both in hardware and software, software licensing, security filtering, ongoing staff development, acceptable student use policy, and student safety. Technology is an integral part of the educational budget, curriculum, and teacher preparation at Deerfield-Windsor School.

The mission of the Deerfield-Windsor media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. This mission is accomplished as follows:


 * Intellectual and physical access to materials in all formats,
 * Instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in reading, viewing, and using information and ideas, and
 * Learning strategies designed in collaboration with other educators to meet the needs of individual students.

This mission focuses on offering programs and services that are based on information literacy and are designed around active, authentic student learning. (Adapted from Information Power Building Partnerships for Learning [1998].p.1)


 * Technology Proficiency Goals for Our Students**:

K4-5 (Lower School)

In K-2 the primary focus will be on introducing students to the basic skills necessary to use media and technology in daily learning activities through the following activities. By the end of the 2nd grade students will be able to:
 * Operate computers with adult supervision
 * Demonstrate a minimum competency of skills relating to proper use and care of computers
 * Demonstrate proficiency in basic word processing functions
 * Use developmentally appropriate multimedia resources (interactive books, educational software, etc.)
 * Visit and use educational Internet sites with teacher assistance
 * Identify uses of technology in the home and community
 * Recognize an individual’s right of ownership to computer generated work
 * Use the online public access catalog
 * Demonstrate awareness of basic Internet safety

In grades 3-5, the primary focus will be to reinforce and expand computer technology skills taught in levels K-2 with additions in the following activities. By the end of 5th grade students will be able to:


 * Demonstrate proficiency on the full keyboard. Students will strive to demonstrate a typing proficiency of 20 WPM on the whole keyboard with 85% accuracy.
 * Demonstrate basic Internet search techniques, navigational skills to locate and to collect information
 * Use GALILEO for research projects
 * Understand copyright regulations
 * Properly evaluate Internet Sites
 * Create simple multimedia presentations and desktop publications
 * Become familiar with Web 2.0 tools and basic uses
 * Practice responsible use of technology systems
 * Demonstrate basic knowledge of Windows platform
 * Manipulate a variety of simple hardware and software tools
 * Transfers skills of usage of one type of hardware/software to another
 * Use appropriate and accurate terminology when discussing basic technology components used in any learning environment
 * Navigate the Internet safely and demonstrate general awareness of Internet dangers and threats

Grades 6-8 (Middle School)

Middle school students by the end of the 8th grade year will expand their proficiencies through the following activities:
 * Create more complex desktop publishing and multimedia presentations.
 * Introduce use of spreadsheets with charts and graphs to manage and analyze data
 * Demonstrate the correct MLA research paper format design using NoodleTools, word processing tools, and a variety of information sources such as online research tools, GALILEO, and Internet search engines
 * Use technology productivity software suites to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity
 * Utilize Microsoft Word and Excel on a regular basis in 6th – 8th grades
 * Utilize PowerPoint to complete at least one or more assignments/projects in 6th - 8th grades
 * Utilize Publisher to complete at least one project in 8th grade
 * Utilize GoogleDocs to complete one assignment/project in 6th – 8th grades
 * Expand knowledge of Web 2.0 tools to collaborate, communicate, and interact with peers
 * Use technology tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, apply, and communicate information
 * Demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts related to the legal, ethical, and secure use of technology
 * Adhere to copyright laws by citing sources of copyrighted material
 * Diagnose and correct/report a variety of common technology problems
 * Understand implications of cyber bullying, online privacy, and potential dangers of social networking
 * Understand need for and the application of the school’s Acceptable Use Policy

Grades 9-12 (Upper School)

Upper school students by the end of the 12th grade will, in addition to K-8 skills, demonstrate proficiencies through the following activities:
 * Use advanced word processing techniques
 * Create, manage, and utilize information using spreadsheet tools and applications
 * Create and share multimedia presentations
 * Select from a variety of Web 2.0 resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, communication, and productivity
 * Produce larger and more complex individual and group projects incorporating research, problem-solving, and decision-making techniques
 * Make informed choices between technology systems and resources based on the capabilities and limitations of the systems and requirements of the task
 * Use technology tools to interact with a group or class in a different country or culture
 * Have the ability to transfer technology skills to a significantly new situation
 * Evaluate the credibility and validity of information obtained through a variety of technology resources
 * Use calculator, scientific calculator, or graphing calculator for problem-solving
 * Use appropriate technology tools to efficiently collect, record, analyze, and present data
 * Demonstrate proper use of copyright laws and advocate ethical and legal use of technology and information