Bristol County Agricultural High School

2005-2010 Information Technology Plan

James Costa, Computer Facilitator

 

Bristol County Agricultural High School’s Technology plan is a long range plan for the use of information technology at Bristol County Agricultural High School, Dighton, Massachusetts.  The plan proposes a technology infrastructure that will allow our educators to meet the curriculum standards and prepare students for the information society of today and tomorrow.  It rest upon the assumption that the successful application of technology to teaching and learning requires three critical elements; access to hardware and software, professional development for educators and staff, and on-going support.

 

VISION

This plan is built on a vision of education in which students and educators have access to appropriate technologies for meeting the school system’s curriculum standards.  In this vision, Bristol County Agricultural High School students are not passive users of technology; but are instead active and creative users who know how to problem solve and are life-long learners.

 

This vision is also one in which technology is used to connect Bristol County Agricultural High School’s students, parents and staff to each other and to the world to make learning and educational management more relevant and efficient.  At all times, technology is used in ways that are safe, equitable and ethical.

 

BELIEFS

·        Technology is vital to teaching and learning for the 21st century.

·        Technology will be available to every class and integrated throughout the curriculum.

·        Teachers and students will be equipped with current technologies that make learning interesting, motivating and relevant to the real world.

·        Professional staff will use technology tools for teaching and managing information.

·        Professional Development will play an important role toward integrating technology into teaching and learning.

·        Technology will be accessible and in working order at all times for teaching and learning.

·        Comprehensive needs assessment will be used to develop the goals and objectives used to reach our vision of integrating technology into teaching and learning.

 

PRESENT

Many Bristol County Agricultural High School’s teachers use computers as an integral component of their curriculum.  Creating multimedia presentations, word processing and researching with the Internet are the predominant uses. Computers are an integral part of the administrative work done in the school.  Grades, attendance, discipline, purchasing, DOE reporting, email, and instant messaging have made computers a necessity. 

 

The school’s nine buildings are connected through a high speed fiber optic network. This offers each building high speed access to the internet and other network resources. There are presently 170 computers in use at the school with processors that range from Pentium 2 to Pentium 4. Each one of these computers can share files, information, and software.  They all have internet access.  The computer to student ratio is currently 3:1.  This ratio has improved from 8:1 four years ago.  The Business Office has recently been connected to the County Treasurer’s Office via the web and a virtual private network which provides very good security and the ability to transmit financial information effortlessly.

 

During the last several years professional development has significantly increased the growth of the school’s web site and the use of presentation software. Support for this professional development, day-to-day use, and troubleshooting / repair are provided by a Computer Facilitator/Teacher.

 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

In an effort to obtain or move closer to our vision, Bristol County Agricultural High School sets the following goals:

  • Bristol County Agricultural High School’s technology planning process will be conducted with widespread input from students, parents, teachers, administrators and various segments of the community.
  • This planning process should be followed by an evaluation process to determine if our plan is on track.
    • Determine each teacher’s level of technology proficiency using DOE’s TSAT survey.
    • Determine the students’ level of proficiency based on Massachusetts Instructional Technology Standards.

 

  • With the use of technology, increase the communications between Administration / Teachers / Parents / Students / Community.
    • Email addresses for all teachers
    • Teachers’ email addresses posted on our website
    • Create the ability to email all parents on a regular basis
    • Email report cards to parents

 

  • Increase the use of our website to disseminate information.
    • Make course content available on our web site for all majors
    • Use the web site to collaborate with other schools or institutions
    • Integrate the school’s newspaper into the school’s web site
    • Post this plan on the school’s web site

 

  • Provide on-going support and encouragement to technology users.
    • Recognize technology leaders and their accomplishments.
    • Provide professional development that includes using technology across the curriculum.

 

  • Continually upgrade and improve our computer network’s infrastructure.
    • Upgrade server to Windows 2003
    • Create roaming profiles or desktops for teachers and students

 

 

BENEFITS

At the high school level, the higher order of skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information should be addressed.  In the major content areas, through research technologies networked throughout the school via the computer lab and school library, students will develop the ability to access, analyze, filter, and interpret information resources.  By increasing access and diversifying research projects using technology, students will develop their potential to be life-long learners.  Technology education will also involve the use of technologies too prepare students for employment in emerging occupations for post-secondary education, and lab experiences that will assist them in making informed decisions and in applications of practical life skills.

 

EVALUATION

An evaluation of the implementation of the plan will be conducted each year focusing on the following: (1) What has been accomplished? (2) Which objectives are of the highest priority? (3) What changes need to be made? (4) What is the best way to achieve our goals?