Effective Integration of Technology into School Districts

Effective Integration of Technology into School Districts
John Burk, Ph.D.
January 16, 1996

School districts spend millions of dollars each year on technology. School districts purchase hardware, software and networks to increase administrative efficiency and enhance instruction in the classroom. There are many pieces of the technology puzzle which districts must consider, the least of which is equipment purchases. School districts need to effectively integrate technology into their facilities to benefit the students, teachers and administrators (the end-users) who need the technology. In short, school districts need to plan for technological integration and planning requires money. Any public money dedicated for technology should include planning dollars. Planning ensures that money dedicated for technology is wisely spent.

Most school districts already have a significant amount of technology in their facilities. How much the technology is utilized is questionable. School districts need to assess how often and for what purpose technology is used during an instructional day. To often, the equipment is underutilized and quickly depreciates in terms of actual and perceived value. For example, if an elementary school has three computers in each classroom, how often are the computers used to support the curriculum being taught? What percentage of the instructional day are the computers used to the benefit of the students? Just having computers in classrooms does not mean, they are an integral part of the instruction occurring in the classroom. School districts should not purchase technology for the sake of having it. The technology should be fully integrated into the curriculum and instruction occurring within schools districts. Curriculum planning should precede technology purchases.

Technology integration involves determining data, voice, and video requirements. Most school districts focus on data requirements which includes computers, retrieval systems, networks, and Internet access. Voice technology is the phone system and video technology is typically thought of as the TV/VCR and cable TV (but can include much more). Data, voice and video technologies are often installed separately and there are very few people who can manage and support a fully integrated data, voice and video system. Consultants and vendors who have expertise in each area can help school districts address the data, voice, and video needs separately. The best use of money, however, is to install a fully integrated system which allows students and teachers just-in-time access to technology resources via a local or wide area network. Fully integrated, networked systems require significant planning before purchasing equipment.

Compatibility and interoperability are key issues when networking school districts. Often times, administrators at individual buildings within school districts purchase their own equipment without thought as to how it might interface with the rest of the equipment throughout the district (the downside of site-based purchasing authority). School districts must create a technology plan which sets district-wide standards for data, voice, and video hardware and, the concomitant software required. Without a coherent plan, school districts may create "islands of technology" at separate sites which will not be compatible and waste money in site-based purchases which could be saved with district-wide purchases. Effective integration of technology requires strategic planning which can result in substantial cost savings and maximum utilization of technology purchases. Again, planning resources are needed.

An example of a successful planning process is Washington School District in Phoenix. They dedicated $30 million dollars of a bond issue towards technology upgrades and future purchases. They rewrote their curriculum to make technology an integral part of the instruction students will receive. They created district-wide data, voice and video standards to ensure compatible connectivity between facilities. They sought out demonstrations from multiple vendors to preview and test potential hardware and software purchases. They held many meetingsi to gather essential input from parents, teachers, and administrators. Their planning process will pay incalculable dividends in preparing the students of Washington School District to meet the challenges and requirements of the 21^st century.

The bottom line: technology is needed to enhance the curriculum and instruction students receive in the state of Arizona. Money is required to purchase technology over and above the construction and renovation costs of facilities typically paid for by bond issues. Effective integration of technology requires significant planning so that competent purchasing decisions are made and the quality of education is increased significantly. Planning also requires money. Money spent on planning will result in substantial cost savings to school districts throughout Arizona. An ounce of planning is worth a pound of effective integration. If the legislature decides to allocate money for technology some of it should be dedicated for planning. Technology planning and integration is a win/win situation for public education and business in Arizona.

John Burk, Ph.D.
Visions, Inc
2141 E. Camelback Road,  Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602-955-9799
jburk@visions-edtech.com