Candi Partridge

FRIT 7430

Technology Integration Assessment

Burke County is a county containing an abundance of technology

resources. I completed my technology assessment on Burke County, the

county in which I teach, more specifically the technology resources available

at Burke County Middle School. I have taught in Burke County for one year.

Burke County is one of the largest counties in Georgia and benefits from the

many financial advantages that come with having a large power plant in the

county. Plant Vogle provides additional funds to the Board of Education that

many counties do not have the opportunity to receive. The information in

this technology assessment was collected from Burke County Middle School’s

Technology Director, Bobbie Jean Wilson and the Technology Director at the

Board of Education, Cliff Battle.

Burke County does have a technology plan in place, however it is

currently being renewed for a new three-year term. The plan focuses on

academic needs and improvement strategies to assist with integrating

technology into classroom instruction. Based on the 2005 – 2008 plan,

approximately $464,000 was proposed to aid with in upgrading and

extending LAN connections and WAN electronics and cabling for increasing

the network resources. Approximately $150,000 was proposed to assist in

purchasing wireless laptops for instructional uses and approximately $54,000

to assist with software applications for improved student learning. Another

$40,000 was proposed to assist with the student data information system,
known as SASI XP, email, and school websites. Thirty five thousand dollars

was proposed to assist with professional development of technology

resources to all certified staff and $13,000 to provide updated training for

technology support technicians.

Burke County Middle School has three hundred and eleven desktop

computers and thirty-four laptop computers on site. The newly built wing

has a computer lab containing approximately forty to fifty desktop

computers. There are three mobile computer labs, one per grade level. The

labs consist of a classroom set of thirty Dell laptop computers that students

are allowed to use in the classroom. Each classroom at the middle school

consists of four to five in-class desktop computers, approximately seven

students to each computer. The special education classrooms consist of

approximately five computers, which averages two students to each

computer. Students also have access to approximately thirty desktop

computers housed in the media center. My personal classroom has four

student desktop computers, one teacher desktop computer, and all special

education teachers are provided with a laptop to complete IEP’s and other

paperwork throughout the year. We are allowed to let students use the

laptop computer under close supervision. Burke County Middle School has

high speed Internet and wireless Internet access.

Students have the opportunity to check out additional technology

equipment from the media center including digital cameras, video cameras,

and microphones. Teachers have access to a number of other technology

media center. Additional equipment includes printers and scanners, which

can be networked if needed, digital cameras and video cameras. We also

have access to televisions, VCR’s, and DVD players to use for classroom

instruction. LCD projectors are also available to teachers who may be

working in a room that does not have a projector already installed.

Overhead projectors are also available for use. The school also has one

interactive, mobile Promethean board available for teachers to check out and

use during classroom instruction. Approximately ninety-five percent of

classrooms are equipped with an interactive Promethean board.

Burke County supports teaching and learning standards across the

curriculum. Teachers are encouraged to integrate as much technology as

possible into lessons and to utilize the technology resources that are

available. The county strives to narrow the achievement gap and provide

hands on individualized technology instruction to all students. Technology

instruction is especially helpful to students who struggle to learn using

textbooks, workbooks, and lecture style teaching. Teachers are required to

turn in weekly lesson plans that contain an essential question and GPS

standard for each lesson. Our county is a learning focused county and use

learning focused strategies for instruction. Administration completes regular

drop in visits and annual evaluations to assess classroom instruction. The

county also ensures that all teaching certificates are up to date as well as

paraprofessionals’ certificates/licenses.
 Burke County Middle School has a math program called IPass and a

reading program called Reading Plus. Teachers have access to these two

programs and can track student’s progress within the programs from their

own computers. Burke County also has a progress-monitoring program

called Achievement Series, which teachers can access with log in information

from any computer. Students complete pre and post tests to track academic

gains or regression. They also complete nine weeks benchmark tests to

assess learning and these scores are also posted and tracked in

Achievement Series showing gains and regressions in learning the

curriculum.

Burke County schools each have an Instructional Technology Director

who is responsible for all technology equipment, check in and check out

procedures, and maintenance to the technology equipment. Technology

Directors set up all in-classroom computers, network printers when needed,

and assist with school email maintenance. The county also has an

Instructional Technology Director who is housed at the Board Office and

oversees each of the Technology Directors at the individual schools. Two

technology specialists assist the technology director at the Board Office.

Technology-related training is provided to staff. As a new teacher in

the county, I completed a thirteen-week training session on how to use the

Promethean Board. Other technology development hours are provided on an

as needed basis. Professional development is provided to teach staff

members how to use technology related programs such as IPass, Reading

an annual Professional Learning course designed to improve technological

literacy. Training is also provided as new technologies are brought into the

county. Training is carefully administered to ensure teachers understand

how to align technology instruction with curriculum standards.

I feel teachers and students are proficient in the use of technology at

Burke County Middle School. The mobile labs are always checked out to one

of the teachers on each of the hallways and every teacher uses their

Promethean board daily for classroom instruction. White boards and

chalkboards are slowly being extinguished. The Promethean board provides

increased interactivity to instruction, student’s benefit far greater than the

use of the whiteboards. The classroom laptop sets are consistently used to

aid classroom instruction and assist students with research, projects, papers,

etc. Teachers also utilize the televisions, VCR’s, and DVD’s available for

check out on a regular basis.

I believe Burke County is at a level five ISTE Level on the Technology

Implementation Framework. Burke County is constantly updating technology

and purchasing new equipment to better the education of our students. Our

technology specialists and administration are up to date on the most current

research of teaching and learning and technology use in the classroom. We

are always looking for ways to expand technology use and implementation

during classroom instruction. For me personally, I believe I am at a level 4b.

I routinely integrate technology into my lessons and strive to meet the

board on a daily basis to assist students with the understanding of the

curriculum. Special Education students benefit greatly from technology

incorporated into learning therefore, I strive to better myself every day at

this task.