A solid vision for technology

My district, GBSD, created a comprehensive tech plan in 2006 and updated it in 2009.  It's scope is impressive.  It includes goals in the areas of accessibility, productivity and integration.  Unfortunately, budget cuts have derailed some of the best intentions.  We have reduced technology staffing as well as a slower rate of technology acquisition and updating.  In my opinion, the goals were and continue to be visionary both in their scope and intention.

My interest is in the use of technology for instruction and in this area some of the tech plan highlights are the recognition that,

"If teachers are to maintain a high degree of effectiveness in the classroom, they require a high degree of technology literacy in order to deal with rapid changes in information and communication technologies."

And the focus on equitable access for ALL students,

"...the district realizes that students who do not have access to technology in their homes, because of poverty or other inequity, are at an increasing disadvantage in school and eventually in the workforce. While addressing the technology needs of high poverty students while they are outside of school is difficult, we must ensure that they get adequate access to technology while at school. Inequity within school environments has a particularly deleterious effect when those inequities exist at schools that are already struggling with high poverty. In this situation, students are doubly in jeopardy; first, they do not have resources at home to enrich their learning opportunities, secondly, they can not catch up because they have fewer opportunities for access at school."

The plan also address detailed action steps including the use of Thin Client to maximize efficiency and minimize cost as well as specific strategies for the format of staff development.

I know the plan is currently being revised and hope that the general goals continue to be pursued and that funding is allocated to support them.....well, one can always hope :-).