wazmac || School ICT Planning

School Technology Planning

ICT Planning in Schools

The school ICT planning process revolves around three key areas - curriculum, teacher professional learning, and infrastructure.

As with any other school planning, all school ICT planning should start by considering the school learning environment and student learning outcomes, then work towards the development of infrastructure and PD programs that support these desired outcomes.

The information below considers each of these key areas, as well as some school ICT planning and professional development discussions from (mainly US) school districts and other education organisations.

ICT Planning - Curriculum

ICT Planning - Process Overview (pdf) Curriculum: A flowchart outlining a suggested overview of the school ICT planning process, setting the Curriculum component in the context of the whole-school planning process.
Developing a School ICT Plan: Start with syllabus outcomes and sound pedagogical practice, to develop an ICT plan that reflects an awareness & understanding of current & emerging technologies. Then develop professional development plans, and the necessary ICT infrastructure, to support the curriculum.
ICT & the Cognitive Learning Matrix: Develop an ICT plan that supports learning outcomes, through an understanding of Bloom's cognitive objectives.
ACOT Research: A series of documents and reports on the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow project.
Blooms Revised Digital Taxonomy: A consideration of Bloom's revised taxonomy in an ICT context, accounting for new and emerging technologies.
Learning - Digital v Traditional: From Andrew Churches, the author of the Digital Taxonomy notes above.

ICT Planning - Professional Learning

Professional ICT Skills Review (pdf): Do you make use of current technology to support learning outcomes in your classroom?
Personal ICT Skills Review (pdf): Plan your PD by identifying your personal technology expertise.
ACOT Research: A series of documents and reports on the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow project. The TPL model: Discover, Adopt, Adapt, Apply, Invent.

Related Learning Information

Learning Objectives: Bloom's Taxonomy (Wikipedia)
Background info about the development and the classification of cognitive learning objectives.

Bloom's Revised Taxonomy; An overview of Bloom's Taxonomy. The use of ICT in the curriculum provides a great opportunity for our learning environments to explore higher order levels of thinking - analysing, evaluating, creating.
Learning Styles: Learning Styles (Wikipedia)
Definition of, and theory behind, learning styles.

Learning Styles Chart
Are you a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a kinesthetic learner? Use this chart to help you determine your learning style.

Overview of Learning Styles
By recognizing and understanding learning styles, we can implement classroom strategies better suited to individual learners.

Other ICT Planning Documents

BOS - ICT Skills Mapping (Stages 4 - 5): NSW Board of Studies site that lists the Information and Communication Technologies integrated within the outcomes and content of the mandatory Years 7-10 syllabuses.
ICT Skills Mapping (Stages ES1 - 3) (pdf): Were you using ICT at school in the 1980s? So were the people who wrote this document that maps a narrow range of ICT-related skills to specific NSW syllabus references. (Originally created for the now-defunct CSA6 test).
CAP Technology Guide: The NSW Country Area Program developed this guide to assist in planning for the integration of technology in schools. Based on Bellingham School District's Technology and Learning Implementation Plan.
Revesby PS - Skills across Stages: A bit dated now, but still a worthwhile example of documentation and support of ICT in the primary school curriculum. Includes links to related class activities, which could easily be modified for current classrooms.

ICT Planning- Infrastructure

ICT Planning - Process Overview (pdf) Infrastructure: A flowchart outlining a suggested overview of the school ICT planning process, setting the Infrastructure component in the context of the whole-school planning process.
ICT Infrastructure Review (pdf): Does your school have the necessary hardware infrastructure to support the latest curriculum initiatives?
ICT Planning Workbook: Locally developed ICT Planning Workbook to review existing infrastructure and services, identify priorities, and develop an action plan for implementation.
Wazza's New Year Tips! (2007): Some school technology planning thoughts for the upcoming school year.

School Planning & PD Discussion

Some useful background reading....
Bellingham Schools: Student learning is at the heart of efforts in the Bellingham School District. It is their belief that student learning is improved with the use of ICT.
Developing a School Technology Plan: Some useful reading about planning for the integration of technology in the school curriculum. (US)
Evaluating School Technology: How can you be sure that your school's technology plan will benefit student learning and achievement? (US)

From Now On: Published by Jamie McKenzie. Huge collection of articles which examine various aspects of the implementation of technology in a K-12 environment.

Maine Learning Technology Initiative: Information and research reports from the University of Maine, relating to the 1:1 laptop program implemented in Maine schools. "the evidence indicated that using their laptops in this fashion helped them to become better writers in general, not just better writers using laptops."
Michigan Schools ICT Planning: Includes planning goals and checklists for each grade level.
Planning Good Change: Jamie McKenzie discusses how school leaders might orchestrate a cycle of invention, implementation, testing and adaptation.


Pathway to the Knowledge Society: Relevant readings and resources. (Aust DEST)
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Links and information about the TCO of school technology. (Published by the Consortium for School Networking.)

TechPlan Toolkit: Offers practical help to teachers and administrators in the development and implementation of ICT plans that promote more powerful student learning.
Ten Essential Elements: Ten steps to ensuring a successful school technology environment.

Wazza's Teachers' Lounge: Links to a variety of on-line resources which support the integration of technology in the classroom.
Where2Now: Some thoughts on school ICT planning principles.