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Camera, and students in the 2nd Google Classrooms. Students now the criteria of the NJ Future Ready
-6th grades now participate in a 1:1 regularly use Google Docs and Slides Schools Initiative, the New Jersey
chromebook initiative. Moreover, the to collaborate, a key 21st century skill. Student Learning Standards for Tech-
library was transformed into a Re- This school-level decision-making nology, and the Partnership for 21st
search and Technology Center that process could very well serve as a Century Learning. The following key
includes a SMART table, 3D digital district-level model. Conversely, in themes emerged, digital collaboration,
printer, 14 desktop computers, and the absence of a unified district vison creation, and digital citizenship. Insofar
an Epson Projector accessed through for digital teaching and learning, best as staff proficiencies, curating digital
the teacher workstation. Classrooms practices may remain “siloed.” The content/building shared resources,
schedule time in the center to conduct Partnership for 21st Century Learning designing digital lessons, delivering
research for project based learning was founded “as a coalition… to digital/blended lessons and operating
activities, and the Gifted and Talented position 21st century readiness at within a learning management system
program utilizes the space to complete the center of US K-12 education and were designated as core skills. The
coursework. to kick-start a national conversation team also concluded that a mindset
The acquisition of this technology was on the importance of 21st century shift for staff relative to 21st century
not conducted in an extemporaneous skills for all students.” (Retrieved teaching and learning was equally im-
manner. Rather, a circumspect ap- from http://www.p21.org/about-us/ portant placing greater emphases on,
proach was taken to ensure that it was our-history on January 2, 2018). Since for example, inquiry-based education,
financially responsible, and that it also this landmark occasion, districts have application, and student centeredness
permitted ample time for staff engage- encouraged the use of technology (Hixon & Buckenmeyer, 2009).
ment and training. For example, all and frequently supported it with The next step was to identify the
of the chrome books were purchased large scale “roll outs” of hardware. In programs and applications that staff
through effective management of the 2017, K-12 education spending on would utilize within this new environ-
school budget, and a pilot year took technology related items ballooned to ment. This is crucial not only as it
place in the 5th and 6th grades. Incre- 12 billion dollars. (Retrieved from http:// articulates very clear and specific
mental expansion occurred over the www.centerdigitaled.com/navigator/ expectations; but also informs the
next two years resulting in students numbers/2017-education-it-spend-k- planning of professional learning.
across five grade levels enjoying daily 12-vs-higher-ed_70.html on January Once the core values and proficien-
access to their own chromebook. 2, 2017. However, the infusion of cies were defined, a timeline was out-
The use of such technology yielded devices is not always accompanied lined. Considering the “second order
immediate gains in student achieve- by a cogent plan. The result can be a changes” (Watzlawick, Weakland, &
ment. During the 2016-17 school year, haphazard proliferation of technology Fisch, 1974) to bring about this para-
3rd-6th grade students typed respons- creating various challenges (Groff, J., & digm shift, as well as the requisite
es to the district-wide, monthly, writing Mouza, 2008). First, within the faculty a professional learning, a conservative
prompts, which were aligned with the tremendous diversity in knowledge and four-year plan was recommended.
PARCC ELA units of Narrative, Literary usage may have developed. Second, The primary focuses of year one were
Analysis, and Research Simulation. the applications which are being used communication with stakeholders and
The 89% school-wide proficiency on the school and classroom level may assessment of technology proficiency.
achieved on PARCC ELA that year, not necessarily represent the most A presentation outlining the plan was
which was a 41% increase from the appropriate options for larger district- shared with the superintendent, the
previous year, may be attributed in wide implementations. Board of Education Curriculum and
part to these exercises. The procedural framework laid out in Technology sub-committees, admin-
In many cases, well-intentioned initia- the following section represents one istrators, staff, and community. The
tives fail due to a lack of “buy-in” from district’s technology strategic planning district’s supervisors were charged
staff, making appropriate staff training process. On a macro level, it may be with distilling the larger vision into
a top priority before the initial rollout worthy of replication in districts that department plans. A survey was then
(Mumtaz, 2000). To maximize the use are deliberating over a 1:1 initiative, created and administered to the entire
of the chromebooks, two teachers on the verge of large hardware district staff. This enabled the creation
attended a Google Apps for Education rollouts, or evaluating their current of cohorts by proficiency level to tailor
training that led to the Google Level 1 device strategy. On a micro level, the PD to various entry points.
Educator Certification. A peer-to-peer underlying process may become a Year two is labeled, a time of experi-
turnkey then took place within the filter, through which to run decisions mentation for all staff, the identification
school’s PLCs, so all staff members relating to technology purchases. and support of early adopters is also
were informed of the many features. The first step was to assemble a crucial. A high profile guest speaker
Subsequently, students were provided “Delta Team” to craft the district digital would be invited to the opening district
with Gmail accounts to foster com- learning vision. The team reviewed convocation, and staff members who
munication with their teachers through the district’s existing technology plan, distinguished themselves as early

Educational Viewpoints -74- Spring 2018