Technology Planning part of the Education Reform Network

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Best practice

The processes, practices, or systems identified in public and private organizations that performed exceptionally well and are widely recognized as improving an organization's performance and efficiency in specific areas.

• Reinventing Schools: The Technology is Now
  The National Academy of Science offers ideas about the potential of new technologies to transform learning in schools. Topics include:*The Nintendo Generation: Information technologies permeate the lives of school children.
• 21St Century Literacy in a Convergent Media World
  The goal of this work by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the AOL Time Warner Foundation is to identify and present examples of global initiatives that are addressing the need to develop 21st Century Literacy Skills.
• AccessIT
  AccessIT promotes the use of electronic and information technology (E&IT) for students and employees with disabilities in educational institutions at all academic levels. This Web site features the AccessIT Knowledge Base, a searchable, growing database of questions and answers regarding accessible E&IT.
• Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (Report #7, 1990)
  Though seemingly dated, this archive of reports emerging from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) program provides a foundation for schools seeking information related to the changes required for instructional technology to be effective.
• Assessing the Technology Plan
  After researching and developing the technology plan, it is essential to assess its function and workability. In this critical step, you will evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the design and the impact it will have to the district.
• Center for Applied Special Technology
  CAST is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to expand educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the development and innovative uses of technology. CAST believes that the most effective strategy for expanding educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities is through Universal Design for Learning.
• Digital Transformation - A Framework for ICT Literacy
  In January 2001, Educational Testing Service convened an international panel to study the growing importance of existing and emerging Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their relationships to literacy. The pane had two major themes: to examine the need for a measure of ICT literacy across countries and to develop a Framework for ICT literacy.
• EnGauge
  The enGauge framework identifies Six Essential Conditions- system-wide factors critical to effective uses of technology for student learning, and then provides a comprehensive set of evaluative tools that give schools the opportunity to measure their effectiveness in each of the Six Essential Conditions.
• Equal Access: Computer Labs
  As increasing numbers of people with disabilities pursue educational opportunities that require computer use, accessibility of computing facilities becomes even more critical. The key is simply equal access.
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) - Administrator Standards
  The Technology Standards for School Administrators (TSSA) were developed by ISTE in collaboration with a variety of partners.
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) - Student Standards
  ISTE has been integral in the creation and dissemination of technology standards for the entire educational community. All standards have been created through consortia with distinguished partners and co-sponsors.
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) - Teacher Standards
  The National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers were developed by ISTE with others through a Preparting Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology grant from the US DEpartment of Education.
• K-12 STaR Chart
  The CEO Forum on Education & Technology has developed two School Technology & Readiness (STaR) Charts, one for the K-12 community and the other for colleges of education. Both contain a series of questions that, once answered, enable you to get instantaneous feedback on your institution's level of readiness in using technology.
• Planning for Learning with Technology
  This guidebook offers tools and strategies to help the planning team identify why, when, and how to incorporate technology successfully. A template is provided so that the team can easily transform their ideas into an action plan; online resources are available throughout this guide, in Appendix C, and at http://www.rmcdenver.com/eetnet/default.htm.
• Plugging In: Choosing and Using Educational Technology
  Plugging In: Choosing and Using Educational Technology ,is another older (1995) but still appropriate publication that introduces what we know about effective learning and effective technology, and puts it together in a planning framework for educators and policymakers. After reading about effective learning and technology, educators can follow the instructions in the yellow section to actually use the framework to plan technology and technology-enhanced programs that complement learning.
• Standards
  Currently, 49 states have adopted state standards and most districts are assisting schools in bringing standards-based reform to life in classrooms. As a result, practice is changing and, in many cases, student achievement is increasing.
• Technology in Schools: Suggestions, Tools and Guidelines for Assessing Technology in Elementary and Secondary Education
  This guide was written by the National Forum on Education Statistics under NCES's Cooperative Education Statistics System. Directed toward state and local education agencies, it describes how to measure technology use by examining planning and policies; finance; equipment and infrastructure; technology applications; maintenance and support; professional development; and technology integration.
• Texas Technology Literacy Standards for Students and Educators
  The Technology Applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) found in 19 TAC Chapter 126 describe what students should know and be able to do using technology. As a part of the enrichment curriculum, these TEKS are to be used as guidelines for providing instruction.
• The Alliance for Technology Access
  The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) is a network of community-based Resource Centers, Developers and Vendors, Affiliates, and Associates dedicated to providing information and support services to children and adults with disabilities, and increasing their use of standard, assistive, and information technologies.
• The George Lucas Educational Foundation
  The foundation has created a website to share resources, research, professional development and examples of technology use, even if a person is working alone, so that they understand the uses of technology.
• Virtual Architecture - Curriculum-based Telecomputing Projects and REsources
  University of Texas Professor Judi Harris created a Web site that is rich in ideas on how to mine the Internet for projects. She offers a framework for designing and implementing curriculum-based telecomputing projects.
• Web Accessibility Initiative
  WAI, in coordination with organizations around the world, pursues accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.
• Work essentials for elementary school teachers
  This Microsoft site provides templates and other resources for teachers that are interested in Office Online team collaboration tools. At this time a beta version of Office applications is avaliable for download and testing.