Introduction Purpose Process Structure Full Work Plan
This strategic work plan will guide the development of a Comprehensive Report of Findings (CRF) that will serve as a blueprint for development of the West Virginia Department of Education’s Educational Technology Plan. The Comprehensive Report of Findings will be completed in alignment with applicable guidelines, policies, rules, regulations, and requirements from the following organizations:
• West Virginia Board of Education (WVDE)
• West Virginia Legislature
• United States Department of Education (USDE)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• West Virginia Governor’s Advisory Council on Educational Technology (GACT)
The WVDE Strategic Work Plan for Educational Technology for 21st Century Learners incorporates the following:
• Commitment to work with all stakeholders and partners; e.g., Center for Professional Development (CPD), Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC), Governor’s Office of Technology (GOT), Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs), County Boards of Education, Edventure, AEL/Edvantia, business/industry and the community, to maximize efficiency of effort and resources;
• Inclusion of 21st Century Learning Key Elements;
• Summary of current status and degree of equitable access of equipment, infrastructure, software, professional
development and technical assistance;
• Identification of defined areas of need;
• Determination of interventions to address needs;
• Flexibility to adjust plan based on developing technology, federal and state requirements and changing local school and county needs; and
• Commitment to obtain external expertise to review work plan and subsequent reports to gain validation of the process
and conclusions.
The Comprehensive Report of Findings (CRF) will be completed by May 2006 to present to the West Virginia Board of Education.
The findings will be incorporated into the completion/revision of the Educational Technology Plan that will be formatted consistently
with the online 5-year strategic plans developed by West Virginia’s school systems and schools. The revised Educational Technology
Plan will be submitted to the West Virginia Board of Education in accordance with federal and state guidelines.
Purpose
The West Virginia Board of Education has the responsibility of providing all children with a thorough and efficient education; therefore, it is
important that plans for necessary programs, services, and staff are based on the best data and empirical evidence that clearly define areas of
need. The purpose of this strategic work plan is to generate a process for defining areas of need, analyzing appropriate data and identifying
findings related to necessary resources (e.g., hardware, software, professional development, infrastructure and technical support) to meet the
needs of 21st century learners in West Virginia schools.
To acquire 21st century skills, students and teachers must have access to technology tools and resources in order to access information, solve
problems, communicate clearly, make informed decisions, acquire new knowledge, and construct products, reports and systems. This strategic
work plan is designed to determine the necessary resources for the 21st century learner and will consider the following in the process of
determining findings and recommendations within the Comprehensive Report of Findings (CRF):
• Rigorous content knowledge expectations;
• Relevant contextual instruction;
• Acquisition of information and communication skills;
• Thinking and problem solving skills;
• Interpersonal and self-directional learning skills;
• Proficiency in 21st century tools, and
• Student performance assessments that reflect the elements of a 21st century education.
The Comprehensive Report of Findings will support West Virginia State Board Policy 2520.14 that establishes the following technology standards
for all K-12 students:
• Sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems;
• Proficiency in the basic operations and concepts of technology;
• Understanding of the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology;
• Responsible use of technology systems, information, and software;
• Positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity;
• Use of technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity;
• Use of productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing publications, and producing other
creative works;
• Use of telecommunications to collaborate, publish and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences;
• Use of a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences;
• Use of technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources;
• Use of technology tools to process data and reports results;
• Evaluation and selection of new resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks;
• Use of technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions;
• Use of technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.
