MCCSC Tech Plan 2 : Mission

MCCSC Ongoing Technology Plan

Mission Statements

Organization
Finance
Professional Development
Curriculum/Technology Integration
Maintenance/Upgrade/Replace
Technology Selection

Conclusion

Organization

The Monroe County Community School Corporation views technology as a catalyst for the improvement of educational quality and shall work with schools and the community to incorporate technology into teaching and lifelong learning to enhance the overall com petitiveness of the community and ultimately the quality of life and standard of living of each citizen in the Bloomington-Monroe County telecommunity.

Finance

The Monroe County Community School Corporation, understanding the value and importance of technology in teaching and learning, is committed to investing necessary financial resources for integrating technology into the curriculum, for providing profession al development, and for incorporating, updating, supporting and maintaining up-to-date, appropriate, technology to support lifelong learning goals.

Professional Development

The MCCSC believes that technology must be an integral, not tangential, part of the teaching and learning process. It must be sustained and supported by curriculum leadership and professional development directed at learning how to use technology, how to design instruction, how to relate in new ways to students and to the learning environment, and how to assume new roles as learners and researchers. Professional development will be ongoing and focus on tools, curriculum strategies, and research strategies .

Curriculum / Technology Integration

The MCCSC believes that technology literacy is more than just keyboarding or computer literacy. It is the ability to access and select from an avalanche of information, to take advantage of new means of accessing information, to analyze, synthesize, and a pply that information to decision making and problem solving, to apply technology to the creative process, and to exploit technology to increase one's understanding. Integrating information technologies into the MCCSC curriculum in this way will provide a n optimal learning environment that will foster the higher-order thinking skills expected of today's graduating seniors.

Maintenance / Upgrade / Replace

The MCCSC will develop and implement a flexible schedule for appropriately maintaining, upgrading and replacing up-to-date technology.

Technology Selection

The MCCSC will implement a minimum technology standard that will provide the capacity for appropriate technology functions, guide us in the acquisition of appropriate technology resources, and support and enhance the instruction and management systems of the schools.

Conclusion

Competence in information processing and in using technology will partially define the success of our graduates. Students need to know how to access and select from an avalanche of information, to analyze, synthesize and apply that information to new know ledge, comprehension and products, to make decisions and solve problems. Students and staff need to be able and capable of communicating with peers and mentors in this building or across the globe. Faculty and administration need to have an integrated tec hnology system that meets instructional and management objectives.

MCCSC is committed to making available, providing access to, supporting, and integrating complex combinations of technologies which enhance and support the content, roles, institutional climate, effects, results, and outcomes in a restructured learning en vironment. This requires the purchase of new and updated equipment.

Such an integrated technology system is, however, more than infrastructure and new and more equipment. Unless we provide adequate technical support for maintenance, management, and operation, unless we actively pursue professional staff development and su pport integration of technology into the curriculum, and unless we have an ongoing committment to capitalizing system upgrades and additional purchases, wiring and computers become an additional burden or distraction in the daily life of the staff and adm inistration.

Our integrated technology system recognizes these priorities:

Our second priority is to assure equitable access for everyone (teachers, students, administrators) to the necessary technologies for lifelong learning.

Third, we will acquire and maintain -- on an ongoing basis -- the equipment necessary to support this learning environment.

MCCSC has started with functions -- that is, the value of education, the potential of the individual, a foundation of knowledge and skills, development of logical and creative thought processes, the need for access to information and essential knowledge, and professional growth -- and identified equipment and resources which individually and collectively will enhance and support those functions. MCCSC is planning a technology framework which focuses on equitable access to information, opportunity for crea tivity and exploration, and the need to provide ongoing financial, technical, professional development, and curriculum support.

Questions? Comments : e-mail webmaster@mccsc.edu