DEVELOPING THE STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PLAN

Chess players often rely on their knowledge of what has been actually tried, the probability of its success (or failure), and are continually alert to new actions, incorporating this information into their next move. They may take a risk with an untried method or stick to one or more methods that have proven to be successful in the past. This strategy is similar to planning for the use of technology in information services.

There can be opportunity or danger in the unknown and unseen. Think about the use of technology as portrayed in some science fiction television shows. What may seem to be empty space to the inhabitants of a spaceship may actually be an area filled with information (i.e. another spaceship) "cloaked" or hidden from view. Being aware that such information may exist and being prepared to deal with it is critical, whether it is actually encountered or not.

Similarly, it is necessary to develop a strategy for information services to also anticipate technology as yet unavailable or easily seen as applicable to current and future needs.

This section describes the technology planning process and provides strategies and resources for developing components of plans for integrating ICTs into teacher education programmes. The development of the technology plan involves three phases, including:

  

         Organizational phase

The technology planning team is formed with representatives from key stakeholder groups. The scope of work is determined and the planning tasks to be accomplished are identified.

Development of a strategic plan for technology begins with getting full support from appropriate senior management within the unit or entire organization, preferably the highest level executive such as the president. The support should be in the form of appointment of a team to develop the strategic technology plan and appropriation of resources needed to complete the plan.

To manage the organizational phase has to select a qualified person to lead the planning effort. The person should be chosen by the chief executive of the institution or government organization responsible for development of the plan. The person selected should have the commitment and support of the organization’s highest administrators, and have high credibility in the organization as well as the teacher educators and other important stakeholder group. The person selected need not to be a technology expert, but should be someone who understands the potential as technology to improve education and has the communication, management and interpersonal skill to lead the team and communicate with stakeholder groups in developing the plan.

The members of the team should be chosen carefully because it is important to establish a team has the commitment, leadership and needed expertise in teacher education, ICTs, and K-12 education. The planning team should be composed of individuals from the teacher education institution or agency developing the plan and representatives from external stakeholder groups. The team should include the teacher educators, administrators, pre-service and in-service teachers, and members of the key stakeholder groups who will be affected by the plan. Participation in the planning process by these members ensures that the technology plan coincides with the mission and goals of the organization as a whole, takes advantage of resources throughout the institution, and meets the needs of the information services' constituents.

  

           Assessment and analysis phase

A needs assessment is a systematic exploration of the way things are and the way they should be. These things are usually associated with organizational and/or individual performance.

An analysis is made of the present situation including the present level of technology knowledge and skill of teacher educators, the teacher education curriculum and performance results, national teacher technology standard, condition of teacher education facilities, and the current technology resources and infrastructure within teacher education program or institutions. A powerful vision for ICTs in teacher education is developed focused on improving teaching and learning. Specific goals and objectives are developed to achieve the vision.

In this phase, the team will determine the present status of ICTs in the teacher education programme or institution that is the focus of the planning effort. This involves assessing the status of ICTs in teacher education and developing a powerful vision of learning with technology.  The vision describes the destination in teacher education in team’s country, region, or institution. The plan serves as the “road map” to help the programme move from the current state to the desire state. The major tasks of the assessment/analysis phase of the planning process include:

·         Understanding current trends in the application of technology to learning.

·      Assessing the present status of the teacher education programme related to technology and learning.

·         Examining student performance results.

·   Assessing the technology resources and facilities currently available in the teacher education program.

·         Identifying current levels of technology use and competency of teacher educators.

·    Reviewing national, provincial or state standards for student and teacher technology competency.

·         Identifying teacher educator technology training and technical support needs.

·         Developing a plan for communicating with stakeholder.

      Formulation phase

Based  on the vision, goals and objectives, a technology plan is developed including standards and models for technology and learning, hardware and software requirements, staff development plans, technology support services to be provided, facility improvement requirements, project timeliness, areas of responsibility, and detailed budget. These items are integrated into a comprehensive technology plan that is submitted for review and approval.

In order for technology to be effective, it must be tied to leadership, core visions, professional development, time, and assessment. The following goals are statement of ways with regard to its use of technology:

·      To improve student academic performance through the integration of curriculum and  technology

·               Increase administrative uses of technology

·             Utilize technology as a medium to create an interactive partnership between the system, parents, community agencies, industry, and business partners

·           To utilize technology to support the professional growth of all staff, which will result in maximum learning to all students

The objectives are tied to the mission and vision statements. Each goal has objectives and indicators. The objectives state in specific and measurable terms what must be accomplished in order to reach the larger goal.

The Technology plan splits the objectives into categories:

·         Teaching and learning

·         Educator preparation and development

·         Administration and support services

·         Infrastructure for technology

·         Integration of technology with curricula and instruction

Only by having the proper equipment can staff development take place. Effective technology plans should not just focus on the technology but also the applications. This will provide teachers and administration with the information on what they should be able to do with the technology. Professional development is the most important elements in implementing technology into the classroom. Teachers must be able to have strategies to change the way they teach and integrate new technology. They only way to do this is to provide the hardware, software and the training. Teachers and administrators should be able to use a variety of technology applications such as: the Internet, video cameras, iPods, and multimedia presentations.

In the strategic plan there is an itemized budget, evaluation method, and funding source/amount/timeline. The itemized budget is broken down into the years of the plan. Money is divided up into amounts that will be used for each year. The evaluation method collects data and disaggregates it to determine the outcomes.

Examine student performance results

The goal of technology infusion in school is to improve students’ learning. One of the first tasks in the development of a technology plan is to identify the strength and weakness of current teacher education programmes.

One way to determine teacher education programme performances result is to examine the data from exit assessments, certification test used for graduating teachers, or other relevant data. It is important to determine the knowledge and expertise of teacher education students in using technology in instruction. This may be done in various ways such as by observing pre-service or in-service teachers using technology in instruction by examining electronic portfolios of students’ academic work, or  by examining technology competency  evaluations by supervising or mentor  teachers.

In examining student performance data, it is important to assess the technology knowledge and expertise of graduating teachers in using technology in instruction. One way to do this is to ask pre-service teachers to compile an electronic portfolio of their work that demonstrates specific technology competencies.

Identify teacher educator technology training and technical support needs

ICTs represent new tools for many educators and there is sample evidence that providing teachers or teacher educators with technologies without training or technical support results in poor or limited use of ICTs to enhance the learning environment. As part of the analysis, it is important to understand the technology training that has been previously provided to teacher educators. Based on the assessment of the present levels of the teacher educator knowledge and skill in using technology, the planning team can be better determined the professional development needed to help the teacher educator develop the desire competencies. It is also important to determine the present levels of technical support provided to teacher education faculty and to identify the level and types of support needed to facilitate increased and effective use of technology in instruction.

Communicate with the stakeholders

In developing the technology plan, it is important to keep the stakeholders informed throughout the entire planning process by sharing information on the current situation of ICTs in teacher education, the identified needs, and the vision, mission, and objectives of the plan. Stakeholders consist of:

    *Superintendent

    *Principals/Assistants

    *Teachers/Special needs teachers

    *Parents/students/community members

    *Director of Technology

    *Director of Instructional Technology

    *Teaching and learning design team

They help build support and advocacy for the technology plan. Many impressive technology plans have failed because of lack of effective communication with key stakeholder group.

Conclusion

 Each organization is unique and has unique requirements; common steps are involved in developing a good accessible technology plan. The technology planning process and provides strategies and resources for developing components of plans for integrating ICTs into teacher education programmes. The development of the technology plan involves three phases, including: Organizational phase, Assessment and analysis phase, and Formulation phase.

REFERENCES

Anonymous. 2009. Strategic Technology Plan. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Technology_Plan. Accessed on 18 June 2011.

Hulser, Richard P. 1998. Integrating technology into strategic planning. Available at: http://www.sla.org/pubs/serial/io/1998/feb98/hulser.html. Accessed on 18 June 2011.

Syafrizal. 2010. Material collections on English for science and technology. Untirta: serang.