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Stillwater Central School District Technology Plan

Instructional Technology Vision

We are striving to create an inclusive culture with diverse and enriching technology opportunities that promote student success through continuous improvement of our instruction, technology and community involvement.

Technology Committee

  • Patricia Morris, Superintendent
  • Chris Lynch, Information Technology Director
  • Timothy Hulihan, Middle School Principal
  • Dr. Michael Johnson, High School Principal
  • Amy Carpenter, MS/HS Librarian
  • Sara Baker, HS Teacher
  • Angelica Robinson, HS Teacher
  • Renee Callanan, MS Teacher
  • Stephanie MacArthur, MS Teacher
  • Joy Wilson, MS Teacher
  • Rebecca Wlazlo, ES Teacher
  • Susan O’Malley, ES Teacher

Stillwater Central School District Instructional Technology Goals:

1. Staff will understand and integrate blended learning and apply blended learning instructional strategies to facilitate student learning.
2. Students will develop keyboarding skills through increased exposure and practice time over three years.
3. Stillwater will provide opportunities for all students to have equitable access to learning resources.

Instructional Technology Plan Process​:

The district instructional technology team met several times to create the 2018-2021 instructional technology plan. The meetings are listed below:

1. NYS Model Schools Liaison Meeting – overview of new NYSED 2018-2021 Instructional Technology Plan
2. NERIC meeting – NYSED Instructional Technology Plan workshop
3. Stakeholder meeting #1 – outline the planning process
4. Stakeholder meeting #2 – create instructional technology vision and goal topics
5. DTC – review vision & goal topics; create goal statements
6. DTC – create action plans for each goal
7. Final meeting – complete district instructional technology plan and finalize information for the NYSED 2018-2021 Instructional Technology Plan portal submission.

The planning process for the instruction technology plan aligns with district strategic planning process.

Professional Development Plan

The professional development practices at Stillwater Central School District engender a commitment to building a collective capacity that requires the school environment where the professional learning of educators is ongoing and sustained and specifically aligned with New York State’s school and district goals, including, but not limited to, technology goals. The Stillwater Central School District looks at multiple factors in determining professional development needs. An analysis of these needs assists in planning activities for the year. Goals and needs are aligned with the New York State Professional Development Standards, and district and building goals. The Professional Development Advisory Committee comprised of Pre K-12 teacher representatives, administrators, and the Superintendent of Schools will meet and make recommendations regarding the focus of professional development opportunities that should be considered and reflected in this plan. This plan includes, but is not limited to, technology goals and professional development.

Goal Measurement and Evaluation

The Stillwater district technology committee will evaluate the goals using surveys and data collected from different instructional programs used in the district.

Goal Action Plans

Goal #1: Staff will understand and integrate blended learning and apply blended learning instructional strategies to facilitate student learning. State Goal Alignment: Provide technology-enhanced, culturally- and linguistically responsive learning environments to support improved teaching and  learning.

Target Student Population: All Students

Action Plan:

  • Create a committee
  • Create & distribute survey for staff, students, parents, community
  • On-going Staff professional development to include:
    • Full staff professional development
    • Department and Grade Level professional development
    • Individual/small group professional development
  • Pilots
  • Full staff implementation
  • Assess (same survey again for growth?)

Goal #2: Students will develop keyboarding skills through increased exposure and practice time over three years.

State Goal Alignment: Provide technology-enhanced, culturally- and linguistically responsive learning environments to support improved teaching and learning.

Target Student Population: Pre K-5

Action Plan:

  • Create a committee
  • Providing keyboards for K-4 iPads
  • Research programs
  • Pilot program(s) at each grade level
  • Select keyboarding program
  • Meet with grade level leaders to show program
  • Staff PD
  • Implement program
  • Assess program (teacher perspectives, usage data from program, growth)

Goal #3: Stillwater will provide opportunities for all students to have equitable access to learning resources.

State Goal Alignment: Increase equitable access to high-quality digital resources and standards-based, technology-rich learning experiences

Target Student Population: All Students

Action Plan:

  • Develop a committee
    • Develop & distribute survey for adequate access at home
      • Paper based and online options: newsletter home, email sent out,
        SNN, letters, open houses, parent night(s) include in student
        registration packet
  • Research devices/programs & other districts
  • Research, compile, & distribute a list of WiFi locations in town/surrounding areas (same means as in #2)
  • Research after school/weekend access at the school (Buses? possible? how?
  • Select a device/program
  • Develop a policy/procedure for:
    • i. bringing the devices/programs to school events (off campus)
    • ii. Loaner program for WiFi & Chromebook survey
  • Pilot device/program
  • Staff PD (inform staff) – June 2021 (starting Fall 2020)
  • Student PD (inform students)
  • Assess program/device

District STEM/STEAM Programming

Elementary Building​:

  • 2013-Present: After school program for 20 fifth grades students to participate in Lego robotics and coding
  • 2017: Piloted extracurricular after school STEAM program for 20 fifth graders through WSWHE BOCES co-op program.
  • 2018-19: STEAM program expanded to include 3rd, 4th and 5th grade
    • 20 third grade students participate in fall Makerspace program “Makey Makey”
    • 20 fourth grade students participate in fall science related workshop
      “Marine Biology
    • 20 fifth grade students participate in fall and spring program workshop

Middle School Building:

  • 2015-Present: 10-15 students participate in after school LEGO Robotics Club.
  • Technology in-school programming grades 7 and 8
  • Using Computers-6th grade in-school programming

High School building:

  • 2015-Present: 1-10 students participate in after school Web Club
  • 2017: In-school computer technology course available
  • 2012-Present: Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering, electronics in school
    curriculum 9-12th grade

Stillwater has been steadily upgrading Network and Classroom devices utilizing a multitude of funding streams including: Smart Schools Bond act, WSWHE BOCES Learning technologies CoSer and Stillwater State aided computer funding to maintain the highest levels of connectivity, security and classroom technologies possible. Recent upgrades include replacing outdated wireless and switching infrastructure with plans in place to update the district firewall during 2018-19 school year.

District Technology Network and Classroom Updates

2016-17 Network Upgrades:

  • Replaced and upgrade wireless access points district wide
  • Replaced and upgraded network switch infrastructure district wide
  • Began replacing and updating district surveillance cameras
  • Expanded HS student Chromebook Cart availability to 10 carts

SSIP Approved Purchases 2017:

  • Added iPads and carts for Grades K-2
  • 420 Chromebooks and 14 carts for the Middle school student use
  • New storage and software for Digital Surveillance system
  • Installed New strobe alert system-districtwide
  • Increased HS Chromebook carts to 15

SSIP Approved Purchases 2018:

  • Replace 22 Middle school smartboards with new 75” Smart interactive touch panels
  • Expected fall or spring 2019 approval to replace at 66 Elementary and High School
  • Smart Boards with new 75” Smart interactive touch panels

2018-19 Network Upgrades:

  • Purchasing new District firewall through Category 2 E-rate funding.

Current Stillwater District Technology

Stillwater is rich in technology resources for staff and students, with many different options available to utilize in the classroom. The district operates on a five year technology update cycle.

Districtwide:

  • Teacher Desktops: 98
  • Teacher iPads: 42
  • Student iPads: 444
  • Teacher Chromebooks: 27
  • Student Chromebooks: 1,028
  • Student Chromebases: 73

Elementary School:

  • Teacher Desktops: 42
  • Teacher iPads: 42
  • Student iPads: 319
  • Student Chromebooks: 115
  • Student Chromebases: 27

Middle School:

  • Teacher Desktops: 21
  • Teacher Chromebooks: 21
  • Student iPads: 75
  • Student Chromebooks:441
  • Student Chromebases:32
  • Student iPads for sign out: 25

High School:

  • Teacher Desktops: 35
  • Teacher Chromebooks: 6
  • Student Chromebooks: 472
  • Student Chromebases: 14
  • Student iPads for sign out: 25