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Technology Planning Paper
Technology Planning Paper
The world is calling for 21st Century visionaries. Technology is changing daily and we as
teachers need to learn to keep up. Collaboration and creativity foster a culture where students
feel comfortable experimenting and investigating. Ridgely Middle School, located in Timonium
Maryland, currently hosts 1188 students and a faculty of 80 teachers. Ridgely Middle School is
a Blue Ribbon-award winning middle school that serves students in sixth through eighth grades
Ridgely is a dynamic learning environment where students are encouraged to use 21st
Century skills in order to become college and career ready. We provide enriching opportunities
for all students through a well-rounded curriculum. Ridgely consistently demonstrates deliberate
In September, 2013, Ridgley Middle became a lighthouse school. The pilot program’s
focus was to begin the integration of 1:1 devices for staff and students. Teachers and staff
received devices immediately along with sixth grade students. In 2014, sixth and seventh grade
students received devices and in 2015, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students were now one to
one.
Ridgely’s staff communicate openly, with the idea of promoting a positive, healthy, and
supportive environment. Many teachers took the initiative when we received devices to embrace
their usefulness in the classroom, but many remained stagnant. Over a four year period,
Ridgely’s staff received school and county-wide professional developments which were aimed to
support technology introduction and effective implementation. To kick off our 2015 school year,
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a SAMR representative delivered an introductory speech to our entire faculty. This was the first
time we were asked to evaluate our lessons with respect to its model. Almost 100% of the
teaching faculty admitted they felt their current lesson planning with respect to technology
resembled the substitution phase of the SAMR model. It was evident we needed more
Roger’s Perceived Attributes Theory focuses on how and why people in a social situation
may want to adopt a new technology or innovation. His diffusion theory consists of five
proposed innovation is to create new ways to help educators professionally develop themselves
when it comes to utilizing and implementing the technology tools used in Baltimore County’s
there is very little or no follow up. Teachers have very little support on a daily basis when it
comes to implementing the tech tools. There are very limited pathways for teachers to take when
momentum and diffuses (or spreads) through a specific population or social system. The end
result of this diffusion is that people, as part of a social system, adopt a new idea, behavior, or
product. The key to adoption is that the person must perceive the idea, behavior, or product as
new or innovative. It is through this that diffusion is possible (LaMorte, 2016). This is where I
began thinking of how I could help. How could I support the integration of technology tools,
support curriculum, and make teachers feel the innovation could be valuable and effective? The
idea of creating a better way to professionally develop teachers came to mind, but I needed help.
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Creating a technology committee and involving the right stakeholders was going to be key to our
have been shown to affect the rate of its adoption in a community. The rate of adoption is
educators and administration addressed the relative advantage stage of the theory. Currently,
professional development is provided by administration and teachers have little input when it
comes to what is being presented. The current tech developments are only good for teachers who
are ready at that moment to use the technology. It does nothing for teachers who are not ready
for the technology or have no idea how to implement it in their classroom or how it supports
their curriculum. Once the development has taken place, there is generally no follow up
sessions. Teachers are on their own to work with the tech and figure it out. Besides the STAT
teacher, there is nowhere to get help when you are ready. No organizational folders have been
created to support blended learning access to the tech tools. Teachers are currently not able to
address and access past professional developments, there exist no tutorials to model integration,
and there is no monthly follow up. The proposed innovation would address teacher input along
with continued year-long follow up, digital storage for tutorials and teacher created tech
implemented lessons. Compatibility is also addressed with this proposed innovation. Teachers
are able to use a learning management system which is already set up by their county. The
county also supports a cloud-based storage unit, OneDrive, where support-based tutorials and
lessons can be stored. The administrative staff will create school-time for these meetings and
supports to occur. Complexity is hypothesized to be easy to adapt to. The new idea of teacher-
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leader professional developments will support the staff along with creating a structure for
continued learning. Trialability will allow for the innovation to be adopted by the users. It is the
opportunity to work with teacher-leaders, tech tools, and support a self-paced learning
atmosphere. Users have the opportunity to participate and provide feedback in case the
innovation needs to be edited or modified. Observability will result from potential users sharing
their experiences with others. Word of mouth will be one way to support adoptability. School-
wide professional developments will also be created in order to keep staff informed. We will
we identify each of Ely’s Eight Conditions, we want to analyze how the school is currently
fulfilling each of the eight. The use of a rating scale of 1 to 10 is used to quantify fulfillment.
One being the lowest and ten being the highest with respect to how well Ridgely has tended to
each condition. The first of Ely’s conditions is dissatisfaction with the status quo. Ridgely has
identified they want to improve the use and implementation of tech tools. They have provided
professional developments during faculty meetings and the STAT teacher has provided several
small group professional developments during grade level meetings and after school. As
teachers appreciate the school and STAT teacher’s efforts, no teacher input was used on deciding
on the content of the developments and little follow up has been provided to the whole group.
Therefore a rating of 6/10 is given. Ely’s second condition, sufficient knowledge and skills
would be rated at a 5/10. We have our STAT teacher and a few teacher leaders who have
provided additional small group professional developments. In order for more teachers to adopt
the knowledge and skills it takes to implement change, we need to create more teacher leaders in
the school. Ely’s third condition, availability of resources receives an 8/10. All teachers have
access to the tech tools through BCPSOne, but we lack the personal necessary to affect change.
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His fourth condition, availability of time, receives a 3/10. Teachers receive little school-time to
analyze the tech tools. Administration and tech leaders ask for little input when preparing
professional developments and schedules. Ely’s fifth condition, reward or incentives receives
6/10. The administration and STAT teacher offer paid professional developments along with
snacks and drinks. These incentives are used to entice educators to come in during their lesson
planning times and after school. Many teachers are also intrinsically motivated to learn. Even
though some professional developments are offered after school, and with no pay, the STAT
teacher still has teachers show up to participate. This brings in Ely’s sixth condition,
participation. This condition would be rated at a 3/10. Participates have little say when it
the school sets up general supports, but we are not surveyed to identify our learning desires.
Commitment, Ely’s seventh condition receives 4/10. Teachers are interested in innovation but
the commitment level tends to fizzle out. Teachers have a lot on their plate and finding time to
meet and learn something new takes a back seat to lesson planning, duties, coverages, family,
and further schooling. Ely’s last condition, leadership receives 5/10. There is observable
leadership from administration and our STAT teacher but it lacks being truly effective since it is
missing the idea of a process. Professional developments initially motivate teachers, but there is
a lack of follow through. People have these great ideas, but no plans are introduced to continue
the great ideas. Teachers are left excited about a product but no clear picture on how to
to take place. The first is availability of time. Administration needs to support the idea of using
school-time to allow professional development to occur. Set times need to be created otherwise
teachers will identify other responsibilities which take priority. I have already spoken with the
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principal about finding a way to create school-time for teachers. We talked about creating a tech
committee which would meet during committee times on Mondays, directly after school. We
also talked about the possibility of using small segments of duty time to work with teachers one
on one. This would allow teachers to develop the tech tool they wish to work with most.
Additional resources such as representatives from third parties could be utilized. Having a
excitement. Participation is the second condition which raises concern. Teachers want to be
involved in the decision making process. They want to have a voice on how they are spending
their time. Not everyone needs the same tech tools. Surveys will be utilized to identify the tools
the tech committee will present. We will find cross-curricular opportunities for teachers who are
looking for tools to help support specific curriculums. With this, teachers can work together,
communicating their needs and successes. The third condition which requires attention is
commitment. Since the new endeavor will take time, teachers and staff will need to make a
commitment to making it work. Implementation of the innovation will need to be celebrated and
shared in order to keep teachers motivated and dedicated. The fourth condition which will need
work is leadership. We have great leaders in the building. Our administration and STAT teacher
are great supports, but what we need is more teacher-leaders to step up and buy in to supporting
each other. I have already begun to invite teachers who have observable motivation to develop
themselves. I have spoken with members from several departments and shared my vision. They
seemed excited and motivated to be part of the process. They see the need for change and want
to be part of it. We can also reach outside our school. The Guidebook mentions utilizing
community resources. Support does not need to be monetary. Since Baltimore County supports
and pays for technology tools, additional representatives could be asked to come to the school
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and provide detailed professional developments. The PTA could be involved by volunteering to
help with incentives and donations. With more teacher-leaders and community resources we can
models for change. Ridgely Middle School teachers fall into all levels of the ACOT model.
There are still a few teachers in the Entry level of the ACOT model. Some teachers have still not
taken opportunities to develop and gain experience with technology. They are learning the
fundamentals but are not taking it upon themselves to elevate their learning. It is only a small
percentage of teachers but I do still hear them talk in faculty rooms about how frustrating
incorporating the technology can be. Since we became a 1:1 school with devices in 2013, most
teachers have developed fluency with the technology. We are held accountable by administration
through formal and informal observations to show an incorporation and use of technology.
Therefore a large part of the faculty has made it to the Adoption level of the ACOT model.
Several teachers from different contents have joined together to attend our STAT teacher’s after
school meetings. This has enhanced their ability to incorporate technology into their lessons. A
few teachers have reached the Adaption level, showing they have expanded instruction to include
project based learning. A team of teachers worked together to create lessons to have students
create an outdoor space for leisurely activities. Students used their devices appropriately to
calculate necessary measures, design architectural aspects, investigate and research structures,
and communicate with others through collaborative electronic settings. I am not sure if anyone
has reached the Invention level of the ACOT model. I have not seen evidence of such, but
ACOT model. She felt she was creating more engagement in her lessons and using the
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technology to support math instruction. She used Geogebra to have students investigate the idea
of the midsegment of a triangle. Nothing new was invented, but the technology enhanced the
“what do you notice, what do you wonder” portion of instruction. A second teacher I
interviewed was one of the teachers involved with project based learning. He used the
technology to enhance the creation of an outdoor space. Students had an outline, but had to
investigate, design, and build the space. They used the internet along with programs to support
their work. By observing these characteristics, this teacher most aligned with being in the
Appropriation level. A third teacher I interviewed is in the Entry level of the ACOT model. He
still uses handwritten lesson plans, gradebook, and worksheets when delivering instruction. He
mentioned how his content leader was using Skype to compare and contrast living conditions in
another country. He chose to use the textbook and a worksheet to have students compare and
contrast. While the textbook had appropriate pictures, he did not take advantage of the
included. I imagine the activity would have been memorable and authentic to students, allowing
Stakeholders
Stakeholder groups I would like to have involved in the planning process is our STAT
librarian, and a few tech-savvy teachers. These are the staff who are going to help support
creating, planning, evaluating, and revising. We want educators who are open to collaborating,
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developing, and sharing. It may eventually be appropriate to have a PTA representative there to
In order to form the technology committee, I would like to have our STAT teacher, who
has already been offering specific professional developments to individuals as well as the entire
staff during faculty meetings. I would have myself along with two additional math teachers who
are tech savvy. We have been using four specific tech tools this year through BCPS One and
want to share and develop our findings with additional school staff to support instruction.
Additionally, I have a specific science teacher in mind, two reading teachers, our social studies
department chair, and our 8th grade team leader. All of these educators are teacher-leaders or have
the potential to be. I would also like to see our principal be part of the tech committee along
with our librarian. They could help support the committee with possible funding and resources.
Overall, the educators who come to mind are ones who have shown they are risk takers and
When it comes to stakeholder roles, there are a handful which need to be identified. I
would initially take the role as leader. Since this is my vision, I want to make sure it is
organized, well structured, and identifies specific goals. I would work with the teacher-leaders to
develop and categorize specific tech tools we feel would best support teachers and our
innovation. Our STAT teacher would record and organize professional development tutorials and
model lesson plans. Using OneDrive, she would create folders to help share materials with
others. I would work with administration to schedule meetings at a time that is convenient for
stakeholders. Teacher-leaders and I would create job descriptions and together we would decide
on the most appropriate person for each. There is nothing saying people couldn’t switch jobs as
they continue to grow. Administration and I could work together to schedule times to visit other
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schools which already have tech committees in place. We would analyze our observations and
feedback in order to recommend changes and updates. As far as I can see, this is the only
Some stakeholders are going to have to find and develop additional PDs for participants.
Others, like administration, will concentrate on funding and incentives. The teacher-leaders in
the building are the ones who will concentrate on the focused tech tools. These participants are
the ones who have surveyed, identified, and created the targeted professional developments
The educators I have in mind are self-motivated and probably need little reinforcement to
remain involved. But in order to keep them motivated, I would be a good listener and find ways
to provide them with the resources they require. It would also be great to be able to offer
participants funds to keep them interested. They are the ones who will be collaborating, creating,
and planning the professional developments. It would be nice to show them their time is
appreciated by also offering them school-time to work. Instead of going to a weekly grade-level
meeting, we could alternate meetings, allowing the tech committee to gather and create targeted
PDs per instructional needs. This school-time would allow for opportunities for implementation
and follow-up.
In order to keep the involvement going, I would request support from administration and
PTA members. Parents and community members could provide feedback about how tech
implementation is having a positive effect on student success. Administration could also offer
incentives and additional professional developments provided at county and state levels. These
PDs could be used to support and enhance members who are already part of the tech committee.
Continual support and finding new ways to utilize technology is important at all levels.
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Ideally, it would be sensible to have a secretary present during our committee meetings to
help organize and record data. Even though this role will be handled by our STAT teacher, her
time is more valuable spent working with other teachers and technology. It would also be
helpful to have a secretary help us with schedules and adjustments. This would allow the teacher
leaders time to concentrate on creating and collaborating with peers. At the moment, this would
be the only difference from the “ideal” stakeholders listed in the Guidebook.
Since I will be enlisting the help of other stakeholders to make this innovation successful,
we will have to work together to support some of Ely’s conditions. We will first work on
participation. Teachers have been asked to change and change and change again. While many of
these changes seem reasonable, too many of them have fizzled out from lack of support and
follow through. We want participants involved in the identification of the tech tools and how
they wish to receive professional development. If we can make it focused on their needs and
work within their schedule, we will have their support. We want to open the doors of
communication and allow learners to have more ownership of their professional developments.
The second of Ely’s conditions we need assistance with is availability of time. We need
administrators to carve out school time for us to meet. Teachers’ plates are full. I do not want
this to be one more thing that cuts into their valuable time. Having dedicated committee meeting
times is essential to success. The third condition which needs support is leadership. Not just
leadership from me and administration, but leadership from out teacher leaders. These teachers
are the ones helping to create the materials, lessons, and tutorials necessary to help others
implement the tech tools. Not only do they need to show others how the technology works, they
also need to provide pedagogy strategies. Within all this will fall rewards and incentives and
commitment. We will need a strong core in order to branch out from here.
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In order to connect with teachers, I want them to feel how important and necessary
innovative change can be. My vision statement would focus on making teachers believe we
value their time and how we want it spent effectively. We do not want teachers to be afraid of
technology tools. We want to show them new opportunities when it comes to their role in the
classroom. They do not to do all the work. Placing more responsibility of learning on students,
setting goals, and connecting to real world applications is what we want our future classrooms to
resemble. The mission statement will focus on how we can customize our learning. Targeted
professional developments to help us achieve our goals. Integrating technology will engage and
enhance learning environments. Students will become more self-reliant and communicate
openly to promote healthy learning environments. These are several issues students currently
struggle with. The confidence and ability to ask questions when needed will increase. Teachers
can collaborate with students and staff creating a more blended learning environment. In order
An action step I would have to take to support staff development and one of Ely’s
conditions is to work in school time for teachers to have time to work with and ask questions
about the new technology. It is obvious there is a need and desire for change. There is a
dissatisfaction with the way things are. Teachers want more attention to detail when they are
learning new technology, especially when trying to implement it. They are looking for more
targeted instruction along with support from administration for more school-time to work on new
tech tools. They also want support from tech leaders in the school. They want to feel their time is
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spent effectively. If administration cannot offer them school time, teachers are asking to be
compensated for their time. They also want to have a voice in what they are learning. One person
mentioned meeting for faculty meetings and having materials dumped on them, even if the
material did not pertain to them at the moment. This is not the type of professional
In order to help deliver new technology to teachers and staff, I have come up with a few
ideas to help us get started. The first is to meet with administration and create a technology
committee. My hope is the committee could meet during committee times which is once a month
on Mondays. This would create school time to work on learning and implementing new
technologies and would also allow for follow-up. In talking with other teachers, many feel as
though technical PDs are delivered and then never talked about again. There is no whole group,
small group, or individual follow-up. The tech committee could meet these needs while
delivering small group and individual support. I have already begun recruiting tech leaders to
help deliver instruction. I plan on sending out a survey of up to 5 tech tools teachers would like
to work with the most. After receiving feedback, the tech leaders could choose three to begin
researching and developing. Tech leaders would work together to create face to face and online
tutorials. Teachers and staff would remain involved because they would be receiving follow-up
and direct instruction from the committee. Meeting during committee times would also keep
them involved since we are required by Baltimore County to meet as a school once a week.
Teachers and staff would also have a say in what they are learning since instruction would be
developed from the surveys. The Guidebook also suggests considering establishing collaborative
and cooperative learning experiences, developing instructional methods to meet individual needs
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and learning styles, establishing methods of contribution, and developing ways to evaluate and
assist others in learning. These considerations are essential for the success of the innovation.
In order to evaluate the technology plan’s development, I took a look at two plans from
moodle. One plan which was helpful was the one from Franklin High School in California. The
action plan aligned with mine, reinforcing the idea of beginning a technology team. It also
focused on providing faculty with collaboration time to assist each other with planning for
integrated lessons. This is something I hope to accomplish. I am surprised to see there is only
one resource listed for the tech team. I am thinking of enlisting the help of teacher leaders and
our STAT teacher. Generally speaking, the more support we have, the more successful we can
be.
The second plan written for Briarmeadow Charter School in Texas, focused on tech skills,
engagement, resources, and assessments. I would have like to see more teacher involvement
included but one aspect I did like was the focus on assessment. They outlined specific objectives
and assessment goals. As I continue, I want to think about how I am going to measure our
progress.
Conclusion
Overall, I feel I am off and running. The idea of a technology committee along with
blended learning, and support from stakeholders will motivate and guide our journey. Another
concept I am reminding participants of is the idea that this is a process. It is going to take time
for all involved to develop. We need to support one another and set realistic goals which are
measurable and attainable. We have a supportive and invested staff at Ridgely. Working
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together we can redefine how we professionally develop ourselves and in turn, develop our
students.
References
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Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309479883_Perceived_Attributes_of_Diffusion
_of_Innovation_Theory_as_a_Theoretical_Framework_for_understanding_the_Non-
Use_of_Digital_Library_Services
http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPHModules/SB/BehavioralChangeTheories/Behavioral
ChangeTheories4.html
Ridgely is a dynamic learning environment where students are encouraged to use 21st Century
skills in order to become college and career ready. (2018, March 10). Retrieved from
http://ridgelyms.bcps.org/