>From the web page http://microsoft.com/education/k12/roadmap

                     Technology Roadmap 

(_)---Table of Contents---

                                  (_)Introduction
                                  (_)1. Making the Connection
                                  (_)2. Getting Started
                                  (_)3. Defining Your Vision and
Mission
                                  (_)4. Planning the Technology
Program
                                  (_)5. Planning the Technology
System
                                  (_)6. Planning the
Infrastructure
                                  (_)7. A Window to the Platform
                                  (_)8. Planning the Network
                                  (_)9. A Window to the
Administration
                                  (_)10. A Window to the
Classroom
                                  (_)11. Engaged Learning
                                  (_)12. Ensuring Equitable
Access...
                                  (_)13. Planning ...Staff
Development
                                  (_)14. Planning Technology
Costs
                                  (_)15. Securing Funding and
Support
                                  (_)16. Evaluating
Your...Technology Plan
                                  (_)17. Realizing the Vision
                                  (_)About the Authors
                                  (_)Index
                                  (_)Permission to Reprint


Technology Roadmap is exactly that--a map that shows you how to
get to your destination: a connected learning environment in
which teachers, students, and staff have access to productivity
tools and advanced network Technology that support:

1 improved learning and teaching,
2 efficient administration, and
3 unlimited information access between schools, homes, and the
global community. Throughout the guide, you'll see how
pioneering schools and school districts have successfully
initiated the Technology journey.

Introduction

Table of Contents:
1. Making the Connection
2. Getting Started
3. Defining Your Vision and Mission
4. Planning the Technology Program
5. Planning the Technology System
6. Planning the Infrastructure
7. A Window to the Platform
8. Planning the Network
9. A Window to the Administration
10. A Window to the Classroom
11. Engaged Learning
12. Ensuring Equitable Access to Educational Technology
13. Planning a Successful Staff Development Program
14. Planning Technology Costs
15. Securing Funding and Support
16. Evaluating Your School or District's Technology Plan
17. Realizing the Vision
About the Authors
Roadmap Index


Permission to Reprint:
If you are a K-12 learning institution, a school Board member, a
non-profit association, a member of a community Technology
committee, a Microsoft Solution Provider, a Microsoft Authorized
Education Reseller, or a Microsoft Authorized Academic Training
Center you may use the Connected Learning Community Technology
Roadmap pursuant to the terms of the permission letter (13KB,
RTF format). If you or your organization do not fall within one
of the above categories you must obtain special written
permission from Microsoft. Please send your request via fax to
Education Customer Unit, K-12 Technology Roadmap Reprints (425)
936-7329 . Your request should include your name and
organization, nature and purpose of your request, full
description of the portions you require and in what quantities
you would use these materials. Requests will be considered on a
case-by-case basis.


(c) 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of
use.
Last Updated: October 1, 1998

----------
Introduction  |

Just as there are
multiple highways and streets you can take to reach a
destination, there are multiple ways to implement Technology. It
all depends on how far you want to go, how much time and money
you have, and where you're starting from.

Throughout the guide, you'll see how pioneering schools and
school districts have successfully initiated the Technology
journey. Most schools and districts develop solutions for
implementing Technology that are unique to their particular
learning environments. Technology Roadmap can be your guide to
Choosing the best route for your school or district's unique
journey.

Who Can Use the Roadmap?
Technology Roadmap is intended for the team of Technology
decision-makers at your school or school district. This
includes, but isn't limited to, the following:
  * Curriculum directors
  * Heads of schools
  * Lead teachers
  * Media specialists
  * Parent-teacher associations/organizations
  * Principals
  * School board members
  * Superintendents
  * Technology committee members
  * Technology coordinators
  * Business and community partners

Although not all topics addressed in Technology Roadmap will
apply to every member of your Technology team, reviewing the
roadmap will give the team a better understanding of the
components that must be considered when implementing Technology
in a school or district.

How to Use the Roadmap
Use Technology Roadmap as a guide for your unique situation. If
your school or district is just beginning its journey, this
document will orient you to the key issues you'll face and help
you "hit the ground running." If you are an experienced
Technology planner, you'll find helpful strategies for enhancing
and expanding your current use of Technology. We have included
success stories from schools that have already traveled down the
Technology integration road and references that will point you
to resources beyond this guide. From creating a vision and
planning your network to securing funding and approval, the
materials contained in Technology Roadmap are ultimately
intended to help you fulfill your school or district's
particular education goals and vision.

We hope the roadmap helps you overcome the Challenges of the
road ahead. With its assistance and a bit of perseverance, the
vision of a connected learning environment will become a reality
in your school or district. We encourage you to use this guide
just as you would any map. Add your own notes in the margins.
Mark your own route along the way.

----------
Chapter 1: Making the Connection: Technology and Improved
Education  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Destination: The Connected Learning Community
  * Validating the Impact of Technology on Education
  * Research Findings
  * Changing the Way We Teach and Learn
  * Changing Roles
  * Facilitating Change
  * To Change or Not to Change
  * Traveling the Integrated Technology Interstate to Improved
    Schools

This chapter examines technology's potential to improve
learning; explores how the roles of administrators, technology
coordinators, teachers, and students must change to support that
potential; and provides strategies for facilitating the change
process.

In a progressive society, change is constant.
    -Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister of Great Britain,
1874-1880

Computers and communications technology are changing the way
knowledge is transmitted as dramatically as the Gutenberg
printing press did in the fifteenth century. As computers
revolutionize the way people process and disseminate
information, they are bringing about a paradigm shift in the
education process.

Destination: The Connected Learning Community

In the Connected Learning Community--Microsoft's vision for
technology in education--students, teachers, parents, and
communities are linked in a global environment that offers
compelling new opportunities for learning.

Today, the education community has an unprecedented opportunity
to move toward this vision because of two technology milestones:

1 The rapid and continuing evolution of the personal computer
from a productivity tool into a full-fledged, accessible
learning tool

2 The creation of the Internet, a worldwide network of learning
resources easily accessible through personal computers at low
cost

Those developments make it possible for students, teachers,
parents, and communities to create a new learning environment of
connected personal computers. In turn, that connectivity can
serve as a powerful vehicle for enhancing education by providing
students, teachers, parents, and the global community with
unlimited information access. By using advanced networks,
communications technology, and productivity tools, schools can
improve administrative efficiency and transform the teaching and
learning process into one characterized by interactive,
collaborative, student-centered, global exploratory activities.

Core Elements of the Connected Learning Community
1 All students and teachers have access to a computer,
productivity software, and the Internet.
2 Each student is empowered to pursue his or her own learning
path.
3 Students, parents, educators, and the extended community are
all connected by technology.

Learn more about how schools are building Connected Learning
Communities by visiting Microsoft's education Web site at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/ and by joining the K-12 Connection.

For more information on research that shows the positive impact
of technology on student performance and motivation, see the
article "Research Supports Effectiveness of Hi-Tech Classrooms"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/clcfeb97.asp.  |  |

Validating the Impact of Technology on Education

Although an increasing body of research suggests the effective
use of technology can be a catalyst for improving education,
definitive results are not yet available.

Many researchers contend that effective technology use requires
more sophisticated and complex instructional designs; but the
more complex the design, the more difficult it is to evaluate.
They believe new methods of evaluation must be developed to
assess the various benefits of technology on teaching and
learning. Additionally, they argue that the use of computers in
the classroom requires a different style of teaching. While the
focus of research has been on the effects of technology on
students and the way they learn, researchers contend that more
attention should be paid to the effects educational technology
has on the way teachers teach.

But educators, parents, and policymakers are not waiting around
for research-based evidence: Districts and schools throughout
the nation are making multimillion-dollar investments in
technology. A recent U.S. Department of Education report notes:
"Support for the use of technology to promote fundamental school
reform appears to be reaching a new high." Technology spending
for public schools is expected to reach $5.2 billion in the
1997-98 school year, up from $4.3 billion in the previous year,
and President Clinton has called for an additional $2 billion in
public funds over the next five years.

So, will educational technology lead to improved student
achievement? Do computers have a positive impact on the way
students learn and teachers teach? While these fundamental
questions are yet to be definitively answered, there is mounting
evidence that the answer is yes.

Research Findings

The RAND Corporation's report on the effectiveness of technology
in education concludes that schools use computers in many
different ways; consequently, it is difficult to draw broad
conclusions concerning their effectiveness. The report suggests
that researchers must examine the various ways technology is
being used in education and evaluate its effectiveness on the
basis of whether it helps students and teachers achieve
educational goals, rather than on its impact on traditional
measures of learning. The RAND report indicates that technology
is being used in education for the following:
  * To tutor students
  * To support collaboration among students and teachers
  * To facilitate acquiring educational resources from remote
    locations
  * To aid teachers in assessment of student progress and the
    management of instruction
  * To help students write and compute

The RAND report includes the research of James Kulik, who has
spent over a decade analyzing more than 500 studies of the
effectiveness of computers for instruction. These studies
focused on different uses of the computer with different student
populations. Kulik concluded the following:
  * Students usually learn more in classes in which they receive
    computer-based instruction.
  * Students learn their lessons in less time with
    computer-based instruction.
  * Students like their classes more when they receive computer
    help in them.
  * Students develop more positive attitudes toward computers
    when they receive help from them in school.

Although Kulik's work provides preliminary support for the
positive impact of technology on education, it is significant to
note that the cases that served as the basis of his research
involved instructional programs developed before 1990 that
emphasized drill and practice. The use of technology in
education is far more diversified today. From that perspective,
Kulik's findings provide only a narrow view of technology's
educational impact.

A more recent study, commissioned by the Software Publishers
Association, summarizes the findings of research on educational
technology conducted from 1990 through 1995 on a variety of
instructional technology uses. It provides a picture that is
more representative of current uses of technology in schools.
The major findings are as follows:
  * Educational technology has a significant positive effect on
    student achievement in all major subject areas, in preschool
    through higher education, and for both regular education and
    special needs students.
  * Educational technology has positive effects on student
    attitudes toward learning, such as motivation and
    self-confidence.
  * The impact of educational technology is dependent upon the
    following:
    * Specific student populations
    * Software design
    * Teacher's role
    * Student grouping
    * Degree of access to technology

Researchers question the usefulness of evaluating technology
programs by measuring student outcomes on standardized tests.
When the North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL)
surveyed experts about traditional models of technology
effectiveness, respondents noted:

Effectiveness is not a function of the technology, but rather of
the learning environment and the capacity to do things one could
not do otherwise.

The reliance on standardized tests is ludicrous...Technology
works in a school not because test scores increase, but because
technology empowers new solutions.

To learn more about how technology helped maximize students'
potential at Thomas Jefferson Science and Technology Magnet High
School in Alexandria, Virginia, see "Individual Learning Paths
Maximize Every Student's Potential" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek15.asp.

To learn more about the evolution of "smart classrooms" at
Blackstock Junior High School in Oxnard, California, see
"Building a Connected Learning Community from the Ground Up" at
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/clc2jan97.asp.  |  |

Changing the Way We Teach and Learn

If research is beginning to reveal that technology, when used in
innovative ways, supports the kinds of changes in curriculum,
pedagogy, and organization that are critical to the improvement
of schools, what does that mean for the educational community?

Technology-rich schools have shifted the educational process
from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered learning,
the advent of the Internet facilitating this shift to learning
through exploration and investigation. In the student-centered
model, teachers empower students to be responsible for their own
learning and encourage them to use technology to follow
individualized paths of learning. This process supports the
development of lifelong learning skills that allow the students
to adapt to change.

Changing Roles

In a technologically advanced world, it's essential to have the
skills to adapt easily to change. How can educators redefine
their roles in ways that will transform schools to meet the
needs of today's students--tomorrow's citizens, workers, and
leaders? And how will the roles of administrators, teachers, and
students need to change in order to use technology effectively?

Administrators are typically charged with implementing the
change process in their domain. To support technology use,
administrators will need to become facilitators, consultants,
and mentors rather than top-down supervisors. As instructional
leaders, they must promote new models of instruction that
technology supports. And with the dramatic changes in the roles
of administrators, teachers, and students that student-centered
learning will require, administrators must be cognizant of the
uncertainty that change creates and facilitate the change
process by providing leadership, direction, and support.

Teachers who make use of cooperative learning and project-based
activities will become learning coaches, no longer the "sages on
the stage," the purveyors of information. Rather, they will
assume the role of the "guide on the side," someone who helps
students navigate through the information made available by
information technology. Technology becomes the tool that assists
the teacher in creating a learning environment that is
interactive, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and exploratory.

When students use technology as a productivity or communication
tool, they will become active learners, engaging in a
higher-order thinking process in order to make choices and
decisions about how to gather, organize, analyze, and share
information. When technology is used to engage students in
performing authentic, challenging tasks, the students will
cultivate initiative, design their own learning processes, and
regulate their own learning pace.

Facilitating Change

Facilitating change can be a difficult task. However, the
barriers to change can be overcome if a school leader is willing
to create a climate that supports change. In general, a leader
(whether an administrator or a teacher) should:
  * Have a clear vision of technology in the educational
    environment.
  * Provide a clear rationale for the implementation of
    technology.
  * Communicate the school or district's vision for technology.
  * Provide staff with the information they need to understand
    technology's merits.
  * Provide numerous professional development opportunities to
    learn about technology.
  * Explain the change process and the timelines.
  * Recognize the human issues related to change.

Administrators can also promote change by creating and nurturing
a small group of early technology adopters. These pioneers and
their enthusiasm for new ideas are essential to build the
critical mass of support necessary for technology adoption. The
progress of any change effort is ultimately dependent on not
only the eager and willing teachers and staff but also those who
are not so eager. The two groups must work together to transform
anxiety to proficiency and proficiency to mastery.

Instead of thinking in the short term, both administrators and
teachers must look at the bigger picture. Although this at first
seems difficult, creating a clear vision for learning and
setting measurable educational goals is one of the keys to
success. Set your sights on what you would like to accomplish in
seven years, five years, three years, and next year. Think big!
Think about your learning objectives and outcomes, and find ways
to use technology to assist you in achieving them. Time spent
planning for long-range goals is time well spent. The rewards
will be beyond what you thought possible.

To learn how parental involvement and family understanding of
technology in education increased at Sunman Elementary School in
Sunman, Indiana, see "Parents, Teachers and Students Use
Technology to Buddy Up for Education" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek16.asp.  |  |

To Change or Not to Change?

Computer networks and electronic mail connect teachers to one
another, to students, and to homes in ways that were merely a
dream five years ago. Once a level of familiarity with
technology exists among faculties, shared experience and the
potential of exploration may be the enticing bait that hooks
everyone in the school or district. Technology is about breaking
down barriers and moving beyond walls, and its use in schools
will eventually bring together those who once thought isolation
was the key to success.

Traveling the Integrated Technology Interstate to Improved
Schools

If you recognize the powerful role that technology can play in
helping schools reach their education goals, you are ready to
journey on the Integrated Technology Interstate.

The Integrated Technology Interstate gives you a glimpse of how
classroom teaching and learning can be transformed through
technology. Traveling on Ideal Way requires that teachers and
students take a more active part in the learning process: The
"way" is characterized by independent learning activities,
student to student interaction, cooperative learning
experiences, and investigation and discovery. Beyond Ideal Way
lies the Discovery Zone, a place where children are motivated to
learn through their natural inquisitiveness. There, students are
active participants in the Connected Learning Community and
critical thinkers who possess the skills for lifelong learning.

As you journey through Technology Roadmap, we offer directions,
but ultimately you will choose your own path. It is our hope the
roadmap provides the information necessary for your school or
district to successfully reach Ideal Way.

----------
Chapter 2: Getting Started  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Selecting a Leader
  * Leadership Challenges and Strategies in the Technology Age
  * Establishing a Strong Technology Committee
  * Establishing the Timeline

The first step in the technology planning journey is to identify
and select a "driver." This chapter offers strategies for
choosing an appropriate leader and provides road signs to mark
the challenges that lie ahead. Included is practical advice for
establishing a strong technology committee to serve as the
driving force for the planning process.

A leader is best
When people barely know that he exists,
Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,
Worst when they despise him,
"Fail to honor people,
They fail to honor you";
But of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will all say, "We did this ourselves."
    -Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu, sixth century B.C.

TIP
If you would like outside assistance in developing your
technology plan, Microsoft Solution Providers (MSPs)-independent
companies that work with Microsoft-offer education organizations
information, technology, and support services for Microsoft
products, platforms, and technologies.
Microsoft Solution Providers are well versed and up to date on
the latest Microsoft strategies, development directions, and
products and can round out the expertise of your technology
leader by providing the following services:
Application development

Consulting

Integration

Software customization

Technical training
To learn more about Microsoft Solution Providers, visit the
Microsoft partner Web site at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/partner/
resource/guide/solution.htm  |  |

Selecting a Leader

If you are beginning your school or district's technology
journey from "mile zero," the first step is to choose an
individual to lead the planning process. Just as the success of
a cross-country road trip depends in large part on who is behind
the wheel, the success of your technology plan depends upon its
"driver."

If you are in the process of updating an existing plan to
incorporate newer technology, it is equally important to have a
qualified individual lead the process. Ultimately, the success
of any effort depends upon the talents, experience,
personalities, vision, enthusiasm, and creativity of the people
involved.

Who should lead the planning process for the technology
initiative depends on your school or district's unique situation
and its available resources, but the following considerations
are applicable for any school or district:

Appoint from a high level. If a districtwide technology plan is
being created, the district superintendent should choose the
leader; if the technology plan is school-based, then the
principal or his or her designee should assume the leadership
role. This involvement of the highest administrators in the
selection process elevates technology planning to a prominent
level and ensures that a broad range of interests and needs is
considered. Additionally, it gives the technology team the best
chance to foster the support needed to secure funding for and
implementation of a technology plan.

Decide what credentials and attributes your leader needs to
have. If your priority is to motivate and mobilize an education
community that may be resistant to change, choose a leader who
has strong, charismatic leadership qualities and a high degree
of credibility in the community. If your district places a
priority on community involvement in planning efforts, consider
choosing a leader from the business world. A leader from the
private sector may also neutralize--or, at the least, not
aggravate--internal school district politics.

Don't feel you need to choose an expert in computer and
networking technologies. If your designated planning leader is
an expert, that's great; consider yourself lucky. If your leader
is not a technology expert, be prepared to support him or her
with outside expertise. Either way, it is important that the
technology leader have a clear vision of how technology can
improve education.

Leadership Challenges and Strategies in the Technology Age

Once the leader is in place, the next step is to begin setting a
course that takes your school or district to its intended
destination with a minimum of detours. In introducing a
technology plan, the leader is likely to face not only the
familiar challenges related to any change process, but also
significant cultural, procedural, and philosophical challenges.
The following strategies are intended to assist the technology
leader in overcoming those challenges:

Promote a climate that supports collaboration and innovation. An
effective leader must--from the start--create an environment
that supports collaboration, innovation, and experimentation by:
  * Encouraging collaboration at every step in the technology
    planning and implementation process. Research shows that
    collaboration is one of the factors most commonly associated
    with improving schools, bringing about positive change, and
    winning approval from various constituencies.
  * Increasing opportunities for collaboration by reorganizing
    staff, resources, time, and space. Teachers involved in the
    technology initiative should not have to "fit in" technology
    planning. The administrative budget should be reallocated to
    fund 1) joint planning periods and common planning time, 2)
    shared classrooms and resource rooms, and 3) support staff
    for classroom teachers as they take on additional planning
    responsibilities.
  * Creating a safety net for risk-takers. Experimentation is
    unlikely to occur if risk-takers feel the leader will not
    support their efforts. A good leader acknowledges at the
    outset of a program that mistakes will be made and that
    valuable lessons can be learned from mistakes.

Galvanize the key stakeholders. Key stakeholders typically
include parents, students, teachers, administrators, technology
experts, district-level personnel, government officials,
community and nonprofit organizations, the private sector, and
the general public. Stakeholder groups can create innovative and
strategic alliances that provide a valuable pool of diversified
strengths, knowledge, expertise, and resources.

It is the technology leader's role to initiate cooperative
efforts among stakeholders to leverage personal, technical, and
financial resources for a project. To get stakeholders involved,
the leader must:
  * Develop the technology vision in collaboration with the
    stakeholders, not in isolation.
  * Start small rather than wait until all the various
    stakeholders are on board to begin planning. A strong core
    group will bring others to the table.
  * Embrace the notion of collaborative ventures to bring the
    technology vision to reality. Others will see the merit of
    the goals and work to help achieve them.

Develop a plan for sustaining leadership. The success of your
school or district's technology program depends on sustained,
consistent leadership that provides direction and maintains
momentum throughout the planning and implementation process.
Because it can take several years to bring together the funding,
infrastructure, professional development, curriculum, and
support elements of a successful technology program--and
personnel turnover may likely occur during that time--it is
critical to establish a succession of leadership plan that
ensures continued support for the technology plan.

Involve a majority of teachers. How does a school get all or
almost all its teachers involved in--not to mention,
enthusiastic about--the technology initiative, particularly when
many of those teachers have little or no experience with
technology? The following are a few suggestions:
  * Create a core group of early adopters. Take advantage of
    those teachers who are interested in technology and eager to
    learn about and use it with their students.
  * Strive to extend computer access to all teachers. Place
    computers in areas where teachers have easy access to them.
    If possible, implement a loan program in which teachers can
    check out a computer for home use on a limited-time basis.
    Using computers in a relaxed home setting may help teachers
    overcome any anxiety they feel about technology. Their
    increased comfort and proficiency level will, in turn, help
    them to see ways technology can support classroom projects.
  * Provide teachers with incentives and recognition for
    designing good instructional uses of technology. Reward
    those teachers who are quick to undertake the challenge of
    using technology in innovative ways.
  * Look for candidates with successful experience in the
    integration of technology and curricula when hiring new
    teachers.

Integrate existing technology plans. If you are developing a
technology plan for your individual school site, it is important
to consult first with your district. In most districts, a
broader technology plan is already in place, and "piggy-backing"
on that existing plan may save a lot of time, money, and other
resources. There may even be district funds available to help
implement your school's plan.

Knowing what the district's technology priorities are helps
define the school's technology learning goals and leads to more
cost-effective solutions for the entire district. With an
integrated approach to systems development, each school in the
district will be able to benefit from bulk purchasing agreements
and an overall lower cost of implementation and ongoing support.
Integrated systems based on common technologies also make future
expansion and connectivity less expensive and easier to manage.

State the guiding principles. The technology plan you create
will be a statement of philosophy about what technologies and
applications will work best in your school or district and why.
Whether you are writing an initial technology plan or expanding
a current one, the following are critical issues to consider:
  * Standardization. Market-driven standards cover virtually
    every technical aspect of the computer industry: microchips,
    operating systems, computer architectures, networking
    protocols, and so on. Industry standards help ensure
    interoperability and compatibility, protect consumers
    against obsolescence, and reduce the costs of training and
    support. Similarly, using a standard computer and
    applications in a district or school cuts training and
    support costs significantly. If your school or district has
    no existing computer technology, there may be little or no
    objection to specifying standards in each appropriate
    category, but if some technology is in place, standards may
    cause short-term disruption, especially if existing
    equipment doesn't meet them.
  * Integrated system. Networked computing technology can
    benefit all members of your teaching community, from
    teachers to administrative assistants. While the immediate
    emphasis of your technology plan may be to get computers
    into the classroom, a flexible, multipurpose system will
    better serve your district in the long run. However, a
    single, districtwide system may be a hard sell. Because of
    financial constraints, districts are often tempted to start
    with dedicated educational or administrative systems.
    Unfortunately, such cost-saving measures often cause more
    problems than they resolve. Who gets access to the system
    first? Which administrative and educational needs will be
    judged as critical and which will be postponed pending
    additional funding or time? Capabilities and access issues
    can easily stall your technology program in an endless
    series of political battles. And in the future,
    incompatibilities may arise between existing and new systems
    designed with different technologies and agendas.

How do you get around this problem? Plan on an infrastructure
that can support a wide range of users across as many locations
as possible given the initial funding. Integrated systems based
on Internet/intranet technologies have become the leading form
of information distribution in the corporate arena for two
simple reasons: compatibility and scalability. Those two issues
will challenge your school or district throughout its technology
journey. The more you plan for flexibility at the beginning, the
more benefits your school or district will realize as its system
is expanded and maintained into the future.
  * Policies. Who has the right to use the computer system?
    When? Under what conditions? How can you provide security
    against unauthorized use? You will need to establish such
    policies before the system is installed. The use of
    technology often raises difficult ethical questions. That's
    very much the case when it comes to personal computers and
    the information society. Consider your school or district's
    position on controversial topics such as access before they
    become a crisis. Your policy can then serve as a
    guideline--rather than a reaction--to difficult situations
    as they occur.
  * Safeguards on personal use. The Internet provides--through
    news groups, Web sites, and other Internet locations--an
    exciting educational resource but one that must be handled
    with great care. Your students' parents will certainly want
    to see that your technology plan bars student access to
    inappropriate material. "Firewalls" or buffers that limit
    electronic access to your district and schools can also
    limit access to objectionable materials outside them. And
    instead of providing "live" or direct Internet access, you
    can provide access only to a subset of Internet materials.
    Data screening services are now available, and new
    technologies allow you to "copy" a Web site for students to
    browse offline.
  * Confidentiality. Certain information on your server, such as
    student health and academic records, should be private. A
    combination of technology and policy can prevent
    inappropriate access or exposure of confidential
    information. With advanced operating system software, such
    as Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R) Server, you can restrict
    access to authorized users and set several levels of
    security, allowing users to access only those parts of the
    system to which they have legitimate claims.
  * Intellectual property. A school system has a special
    responsibility to teach young people to respect the law,
    including the laws of copyright and intellectual property:
    Copying software for home use and installing unlicensed
    software on school district machines are illegal.

Provide technology support for use and maintenance. A technology
plan must include provisions for continuous on-site technical
assistance and user support. Machines that do not print or
computers that display a constant stream of error messages
discourage technology users. Responsive assistance means not
only correcting hardware or software problems in a timely
fashion, but also providing "just-in-time" support to meet the
skill development needs of technology users. On-site trained
support staff can make the difference between a program that
works and one that doesn't. Microsoft Solution Providers can
help train your in-house technical support staff or provide
technical support services for system maintenance and day-to-day
troubleshooting.

Promote adequate and equal technology access. Technology can be
the great equalizer, but only if all children have access to it;
therefore your technology plan must address providing every
student population in your school or district with equal access.
For example, computers can help eliminate learning barriers for
special needs students by providing a rich environment that is
highly adaptable to their individual needs.

Seek consensus on the technology plan. Complete consensus is
impossible, but the more support the plan has, the easier it
will be to implement. It is important to gain as much internal
and external support as possible. Communicating the technology
plan early and often can boost its chances of success.

Establishing a Strong Technology Committee

The next phase of the journey involves assembling a strong
technology team. Although the technology leader will drive the
planning and implementation process, a hardworking and
knowledgeable technology committee is essential. Committee
members bring to the table a broad array of perspectives,
insight, and resources and are more than just "backseat
drivers"; their roles can include:
  * Helping drive the planning process.
  * Obtaining needs assessments in a timely way.
  * Developing and reviewing the written plan, including
    ensuring that the plan addresses established goals and
    objectives and meets everyone's needs.
  * Helping gain consensus for the plan from both internal and
    external constituencies.

Selecting the Committee Members

The technology committee should be composed of individuals from
your school or district's stakeholder groups. A well-balanced
technology committee would include members that represent:
  * All affected parts of the school or school district. Include
    representatives from a variety of departments at both the
    school and district levels. Draw school-site representatives
    from curriculum development, administration, technology,
    academic and vocational education, and the media center, as
    well as teachers from various grade levels. If your school
    has computer-literate students, consider including one on
    the committee. Team members from the district level should
    include the superintendent, school board members, technology
    coordinators, and curriculum personnel.
  * Outside stakeholders, especially those who can contribute
    resources or expertise, or whose support will be crucial to
    the plan's acceptance. These include parents, school board
    members, business leaders, college and university persons,
    and community representatives.

Establishing the Timeline

One of the first tasks of the technology committee is to set up
milestones to mark its progress. As part of the planning
process, the committee proposes the timeline needed to implement
the plan, establishing the time by which each step in the plan
should be completed.

How long should the planning process take? If you were the only
one you needed to satisfy, you might design your technology plan
in a single afternoon. But you're not, and you won't. The
hardest, most time-consuming part of planning is building
consensus--or the closest thing to it--among all relevant
groups. It's also the most important, because that general
agreement is the foundation on which you gain approval and move
ahead with implementation. So the larger and more diverse your
constituencies, the longer your planning process will likely
take. A single school or small district may conceivably develop
a complete plan in a few weeks and implement it over the course
of a few months. A medium- to large-sized district may require a
year for the planning process, and several years to fully
implement a technology solution that includes networked
computers throughout the district.

Keep in mind that although you will need consensus from your
constituents regarding your overall plan, you won't have time to
reach agreement on every element of implementation. The
technology leader may need to make tough decisions concerning
the actual details of the plan.

----------
Chapter 3: Defining Your Vision and Mission  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * The Technology Plan
  * The Vision Statement
  * The Mission Statement
  * Achieving Buy-in for Your Vision and Mission
  * The Mission Statement
  * Looking Forward: Getting on the Road
  * Communicating Your Vision and Mission
  * The Road Ahead

The vision statement captures the destination of your technology
planning and implementation process. The mission statement
describes your plans for fulfilling that vision. This chapter
explores the importance of the vision and mission statements,
provides strategies for their development, and presents tips for
communicating those statements to your key constituencies.

The Technology Plan

Just as you would not begin any long-distance trip without the
help of a good roadmap and an informative guidebook, you should
not undertake the journey of implementing a technology
initiative in your school or district without the assistance of
similar tools. Your first--and best--guide is a technology plan
written by your school or district's technology committee. This
document will serve as both a compass to point you in the right
direction and a roadmap to show you how to get there.

Plan Components

To serve as an accurate roadmap for realizing your school or
district's technology vision, the technology plan must address
the issues specific to your school or district; articulate goals
and objectives; and define a course of action. While every
technology plan is unique, a comprehensive plan should include
the following:
  * Vision and mission statements
  * Standards of excellence and/or performance requirements set
    by state and local departments of education, school boards,
    and other relevant governing agencies
  * Objectives, educational (learning) goals, and strategies
  * Networking needs--functional requirements, required
    resources, inventory of current/legacy networking systems,
    assessment of infrastructure, network topologies, and
    standards
  * Hardware needs--functional requirements, required resources,
    inventory of current/legacy hardware that will need to be
    integrated into the plan, and required servers and
    workstations
  * Software needs--functional requirements, required resources,
    current software standards, operating systems, network
    applications, and selection policies
  * Implementation plans
  * Budget/funding plans
  * Timelines
  * Policies
  * Professional development
  * Use and maintenance
  * Support
  * Equity and access
  * Monitoring and evaluation

Avoiding "Reinventing the Wheel"

First, research other schools or districts that have
successfully implemented a technology plan. Obtain copies of
their plans if possible, or consult with members of their
technology teams. By looking at what others have done, your
technology committee can learn from their experiences and might
find a good organizational model to use in drafting its own
plan. Contact superintendents and technology specialists at
districts of similar size and circumstance to yours. They may be
willing to share their plans and insights.

Other resources include:
  * Your state department of education, which may have an
    established technology plan or technology implementation
    goals, SCANS skills, curriculum frameworks, assessment
    standards, and other guidelines.
  * The U.S. Department of Education's Secretary's Commission on
    Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) at
    http://www.tier.net/tcenters/scans.htm .
  * Your own school or district. Leverage the mission statement
    and long-term plan (if any) of your own school or district.
    Ultimately, a good technology plan must support the broadest
    non-technology plans, goals, and visions already in place
    for your school or district.
  * The Internet. Model technology plans from schools across the
    nation are available on the Internet.
  * Professional technology and education organizations, such as
    the International Society for Technology in Education at
    http://www.iste.org/resources/#planning.

For sample technology plans, visit http://
www.nctp.com, the Web site of Mississippi State University's
National Center for Technology Planning, a clearinghouse for
technology planning information, including state, district, and
school technology plans.  |  |

The Vision Statement

A vision...articulates a view of a realistic, credible,
attractive future for an organization, a condition that is
better in some important ways than what now exists. A vision is
a target that beckons.

    -Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies for
Taking Charge

Every journey has a destination. The vision statement captures
the destination of your planning and implementation process,
providing your constituencies with an inspiring glimpse of where
you are trying to lead them. To motivate others to follow you on
this journey, the vision statement must be clear and compelling,
creative yet realistic, and, most important, connected to
improved learning outcomes.

The vision statement:
  * Clarifies the technology committee's mission and provides a
    sound basis for short-term decisions to meet the committee's
    goals.
  * Establishes shared values, which serve as the foundation for
    consensus building throughout implementation of the
    technology program.
  * Establishes an agenda for action.
  * Serves as the primary document shared with funding sources
    to solicit their support.
  * Serves as the standard to which the technology committee
    continually returns over the course of planning and
    implementation, a yardstick against which the committee can
    measure new ideas and proposals.

Creating the technology vision statement is not an esoteric
exercise. The statement is the basis for the entire technology
plan and should be thought out very carefully. It should be a
concise, yet comprehensive picture of the desired destination of
your technology plan. It does not contain details such as how
many computers of what type will be connected to what networks,
but instead stresses the benefits and results of technology.
Finally, it must be accessible and understandable to all your
constituents, even those without technological knowledge.

Getting Started: Drafting Your Vision Statement

The vision statement for your school or district's technology
plan should contain the following three elements:

1 A concise, clear statement of the overall vision for using
technology

2 An indication of who will use the technology, as well as where
and how it will be used

3 A statement related to the benefits, direct and indirect, that
will accrue to students, teachers, administrators, and support
staff from the use of technology

For the purpose of illustration, take a look at the following
technology vision statement developed by the Spring Branch
Independent School District (SBISD), in Texas, a school system
with over 29,000 students in 36 schools.

For more information on the Spring Branch Independent School
District technology plan, see http://
www.nctp.com/
#building.

TIP
The word vision means the conception of an image. The word
mission refers to a commitment to action. Although the correct
choice of words is important, so is a carefully chosen image.
It may be best to draw a simple diagram that shows your vision
and mission graphically. Don't worry about communications
bandwidths, gigabytes of memory, or processor speeds. Just show
how you expect technology to flow from the classroom through the
school, the school district, and, ultimately, out into the
community. Also, include the major steps in the process required
to get there.
This diagram does more than summarize your vision and mission-it
helps communicate them to the various constituencies with whom
you'll interact.  |  |

Vision

The Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) recognizes
the increasing need to know more, to know how to access
information, to understand, and communicate. By including
technology as a component of a well-balanced K-12 program, SBISD
will provide students with the opportunity to develop lifelong
learning skills through the use of technology. By using
technology as a tool, teachers, administrators, and support
staff will become more efficient and effective in facilitating
and managing the learning environment.

Here's how the SBISD statement addresses the components of an
effective vision statement:

1 A concise, clear statement of the overall vision. The SBISD
vision statement is straightforward, succinctly stating the two
core elements of the vision: 1) providing "students with the
opportunity to develop lifelong learning skills through the use
of technology," and 2) providing teachers, administrators, and
support staff with technology to become "more efficient and
effective in facilitating and managing the learning
environment."

2 An indication of who will use the technology, as well as where
and how it will be used. The vision statement specifically
mentions students, teachers, administrators, and support staff.

3 A statement related to the benefits, direct and indirect, that
will accrue from the use of technology. The vision suggests that
technology will provide lifelong learning skills for the
students and more efficient and effective facilitation and
management of the learning environment for teachers,
administrators, and support staff.

The Mission Statement

While the vision statement expresses what a school or district
can and should become, the mission statement describes the plan
for fulfilling that vision for technology in education. It is
not as broad as the vision statement and is more measurable in
many respects.

The mission statement:
  * Outlines what must happen to realize the vision.
  * Coordinates the stakeholders' actions and efforts by
    establishing clearly articulated common goals.

Getting Started: Drafting Your Mission Statement

Since the mission statement is more specific than the vision
statement, it should describe what your school or district is
trying to accomplish through technology and for whom. The
mission statement should flow directly from the vision statement
and include the following three components:

1 What the school or district will do to make its technology
vision a reality

2 Why the school or district wishes to do this

3 For whom the school or district is doing this

Take a look at the following mission statement from the Spring
Branch Independent School District. The statement is
deconstructed afterwards to show how it fulfills the
requirements of an effective mission statement. This example can
help you evaluate your school or district's technology mission
statement and refine it for completeness, clarity, and
consistency with the vision statement.

Mission

The Spring Branch Independent School District will incorporate
technology as a natural part of education through an integrated,
comprehensive framework to govern acquisition, application, and
evaluation of technological resources to ensure that all
students will have the opportunity to develop lifelong learning
skills necessary to be productive citizens in an
information-driven, global society.

By using technology as a tool, the students can:
  * Expand their knowledge base.
  * Improve their critical-thinking, problem-solving, and
    decision-making skills.
  * Access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in
    expedient and efficient formats.
  * Work ethically, independently, and collaboratively with a
    diverse and changing population.

By using and facilitating the student use of technology as a
tool, teachers can:
  * Improve instructional strategies to increase student
    achievement and narrow the gap between high and low
    achievers.
  * Accurately and efficiently assess, monitor, and communicate
    student progress to parents.
  * Continuously improve professional skills through staff
    development in technology and the sharing of skills and
    resources with colleagues.

By using and facilitating the use of technology as a tool,
administrators can:
  * Provide, solicit, and seek adequate funding, maintenance,
    support, training, and equipment.
  * Demonstrate leadership and a vision for the use of the
    technology to increase student achievement and staff
    productivity.
  * Provide immediate and easy access to, and manipulation of
    equipment and data sources for instructional and
    administrative decision making.
  * Integrate technology into procedures and guides.

Here's how the SBISD mission statement addresses the components
of an effective mission statement:

1 What the district will do to make its technology vision a
reality. The first part of the mission statement says that SBISD
will "incorporate technology as a natural part of education
through an integrated, comprehensive framework..."

2 Why the district wishes to do this. The mission statement
provides an extensive list of the educational goals technology
will be used to support.

3 For whom the district is doing this. The mission statement
clearly says that technology will be integrated throughout the
education program to serve all students.

The mission statement provides an outline of the process
required to attain your vision for technology in education.
Together, the vision and mission statements serve to point
toward the intended destination while lighting the way.

Achieving Buy-in for Your Vision and Mission

The technology planning committee not only creates the vision
and mission statements, but should also help achieve buy-in for
the key stakeholders. Develop enthusiasm and support for your
vision and mission by using the following strategies:
  * Share the vision and mission with the stakeholders, using
    any and all means of internal and external communications to
    get the word out.
  * Make the communications process interactive: Listen to
    responses, and be prepared to modify the vision and mission
    statements as appropriate.
  * Get the endorsement of key people who have influence among
    your key constituencies.
  * Bring the vision and mission to life for outside
    constituencies with scenarios and examples that show
    technology in action and what it takes to get there.
  * Keep the vision and mission statements in mind as the
    technology planning journey continues.

Don't wait for a finished technology plan to approach your
school board for formal approval. Try to win the board's
approval for your plan from the start by bringing them your
vision and mission statements before the rest of the plan is
written. When there are no purse strings attached, it's easier
to get an endorsement from the board. Sharing your ideas early
also provides an opportunity for the board to give input as to
the direction the plan should take. When you approach the board
again to approve the budget, they will be on record as
supporting the ultimate goals of the project, which may make it
easier to obtain funding approval.

Looking Forward: Getting on the Road

The "big picture" is now finished. Or is it? As your
constituents see the vision and mission begin to take form,
questions will naturally follow. What kind of technology tools
will we use? How much assistance do we need, or should we
expect, from outside the school or district? What is our current
technology status? What are our resources? What will our
hardware, software, and infrastructure needs be? What kind of
staff development programs will we implement? Those and other
critical questions will need to be addressed as you build and
strengthen consensus on the technology plan.

By starting with an assessment of your current situation and
comparing it to your vision, you will begin the process of
translating that vision into technology terms. However, before
diving into the intricacies of technology system requirements,
make sure everyone involved feels they have ownership of the
vision and mission. Public recognition of and familiarity with
the proposed technology program will help reinforce its
importance to the community, gain access to those you want to
reach, and solidify your mission. So, take the time now to make
sure the vision and mission statements are well publicized.

Communicating Your Vision and Mission

The power of marketing and public relations can be experienced
along the roadside of any journey: Billboards pitch everything
from a $1.99 "Best in the West" breakfast to the "last chance"
to fill our stomachs and gas tanks for the next 200 miles.
Marketing draws ambivalent people to commitment. On the road, it
compels us to stop and experience a product or attraction, or to
keep on going. Similarly, if you want people to partake in your
technology vision, you must communicate that vision early and
often to boost the chances for its success. Your technology
committee can implement and refine the communications effort,
but it's useful to outline that effort from the start.

Remember that communicating your technology vision:
  * Garners public recognition and appreciation for that vision.
  * Enhances your consensus-building efforts by getting the word
    out.
  * Encourages support for the vision.
  * Attracts potential business and community partners to your
    school or district.
  * Encourages cash or in-kind contributions.
  * Serves as a vehicle for celebrating your success.

Targeting the Message to Your Constituents

How you deliver the message behind your technology vision and
mission statements depends on where the constituents reside.
Internally, address those aspects that support the district's
vision and mission; externally, emphasize the aspects that are
particularly beneficial and relevant to parents, businesses, and
community groups.

Your technology program has goals that your constituents can
agree are important and critical to their future, whether they
are familiar with the application of technology or are new to
computing. By pointing out the relationship between your
technology efforts and those key concerns, you increase the
impact of your message and a sense of its relevance to your
constituencies. Key messages you can convey to emphasize your
plan's relevance include:
  * Both regular and special needs students in technology-rich
    environments experience positive effects on achievement in
    all major subject areas, preschool through higher education.
  * In the absence of improved learning, students will lack the
    skills and knowledge necessary for jobs in the coming years.
  * Increased technology use has been correlated with decreased
    dropout rates and decreased attendance and discipline
    problems.
  * Providing students with access to modern technology requires
    partnerships between business, education, and the community.

Developing a Communications Strategy

A successful communications program requires the full
involvement of your technology committee, key staff, and other
interested parties. Meet with those groups, and determine your
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and the potential
obstacles to implementing your vision. Then, prepare a
communications plan and train the people carrying out that plan
on the importance of being knowledgeable, courteous, and
responsive to questions from the public.

Effective, economical ways of reaching out to your
constituencies are available in every community. Try as many of
the following as are practical given your time and resources:
  * Speak to parent groups.
  * Speak at PTSA, club, business, and community meetings.
  * Produce a newsletter that touts your vision for technology
    in education.
  * Write articles for the district newsletter.
  * Develop a school or district brochure that explains your
    technology vision.
  * Advertise your technology vision on school or district Web
    sites.

TIPS FOR PUBLICIZING AN EXISTING TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
If you already have a technology program, the following
strategies will help gain recognition and support for the
program and for new technology initiatives. When properly
implemented, these strategies create a sense of pride among
staff, students, administrators, and community members.
Produce a regular newsletter to update locally influential
people on the technology program's latest work. Be sure to
highlight student contributions and achievements wherever
possible.
Encourage students to publish a newsletter of their own about
technology accomplishments.
Enter technology awards contests offered by school boards,
associations, state legislatures, the governor's office, student
organizations, community groups, or the media.
Speak before local community groups about the technology
program; arrange for students to make presentations of their
work.
Provide opportunities for people to have hands-on experiences
with the technologies and activities that are part of your
educational program.
Devote a special section of the school yearbook to the
technology program.  |  |

Generating Publicity

Include in your communications plan some of the following
strategies for promoting--internally and externally--your
school's technology implementation efforts.

School publicity. The strategies listed below are particularly
useful for informing your audience of your school's technology
vision and mission:
  * Place a technology committee spokesperson on local radio and
    television interview programs. Most local-access cable
    stations give free airtime to schools and other nonprofit
    organizations.
  * Produce a regular newsletter to update locally influential
    people on the technology committee's latest initiatives.
  * Print regular articles about your technology vision and
    mission in district or school newsletters.
  * Forward news clips on your technology initiative to locally
    influential people, including school board members, business
    executives, and college leaders.
  * Speak before local community groups about the progress of
    the technology initiative; arrange for committee members to
    make brief presentations on their work.
  * Participate in or organize a communitywide "career fair" or
    "career day" designed to interest students in technology
    jobs. Include representatives of different
    businesses/industries discussing how technology relates to
    their work.
  * Arrange to have local elected officials declare a
    "Technology in Education" week or month to publicize the
    importance of technology in education.
  * Arrange for a special section of school media centers to be
    devoted to technology-related materials.

Publicity for small business and community partners. Although
many businesses support education efforts out of their
commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities
in which they do business, they also appreciate positive press
regarding their support of schools. The following suggestions
provide cooperative marketing opportunities--ways your business
partners can promote their community involvement and your
program to their customers (your constituents) at the same time.
Each of these strategies supports the dual purposes of
publicizing your technology vision while publicizing your
supporters' good deeds. They create win-win outcomes.
  * Encourage technology committee members to write brief
    articles about their experiences for corporate in-house
    newsletters.
  * Ask utility companies, banks, credit card companies, and
    other organizations to include a note or an article about
    your school or district's technology vision in their monthly
    direct-mail flyers, statements, and bills. This is a great
    way to reach a lot of people, and some companies will do it
    as a public service.
  * Recognize businesses and business employees who are
    supportive of the technology initiative in school or
    district newsletters or by school "volunteer appreciation"
    activities.
  * Ask the president of a sponsoring company or organization to
    write an editorial about the technology initiative for the
    local newspaper.

The Road Ahead

Congratulations! You have developed vision and mission
statements that will serve as a guide for action for your
education stakeholders. Sharing and communicating your vision
and mission among your constituents helps them to become keepers
of the vision. More important, your vision and mission
statements serve as a framework for your technology goals and,
as such, will motivate, coordinate, energize, and guide your
education stakeholders in achieving the vision.

Where do you go from here? Your next challenge is to translate
that vision into specific technology requirements and actions
that will mark your progress along the road to realizing your
school or district's vision of a Connected Learning Community.

----------
Chapter 4: Planning the Technology Program  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Determining How Technology Will Support Your Educational
    Vision
  * Translating Technology Goals into Technology Requirements
  * Assessing Your Resources
  * Establishing a Timeline
  * Identifying Milestones
  * Keeping Everyone Happy
  * Putting It All Together

This chapter describes the process of planning your overall
technology program. Included is a series of guiding questions
and strategies to assist you in 1) translating your educational
goals into technology requirements, 2) assessing resources, and
3) establishing timelines.

With your school or district's technology vision statement
drafted, the technology team and your education stakeholders
have a picture of broad technology goals as they relate to the
needs of your students and staff. Those goals (which align with
district, state, and federal educational goals) establish the
general direction for planning your technology program.

The next technology planning activity is to define the
technology systems that will help achieve your goals. That
process involves:
  * Translating the school or district's technology goals into
    technology requirements.
  * Assessing your school or district's present resources.
  * Setting guidelines and establishing timelines for achieving
    the technology goals.
  * Planning (including budgeting) for ongoing maintenance,
    support, and future expansion.

Determining How Technology Will Support Your Educational Vision

Your vision statement provides a broad, comprehensive
description of your school or district's overall educational
goals and expectations from technology. The next challenge is to
translate those goals into definitions of the specific kinds of
technology needed to support that vision.

To begin this process, consider how technology will be used to
accomplish the following goals:
  * Provide and support a challenging curriculum.
  * Support learning programs for all students.
  * Support the changes in the roles of students, teachers,
    administrators, parents, community members, and others
    necessary to achieve the technology vision.
  * Support an organizational structure that is consistent with
    the vision of learning.
  * Support and provide meaningful professional development
    experiences for staff.
  * Support your school or district's accountability and
    assessment system.
  * Enhance home-school-community collaboration and
    communication.

Translating Technology Goals into Technology Requirements

When you have determined how technology will support your school
or district's educational vision, it's time to begin defining
the requirements of the technology system. It is important to
document those requirements to achieve widespread agreement and
acceptance among your constituents. Documented technology
requirements will also be important to everyone who implements
and works with your network, as certain requirements will affect
the network design. A successful requirements list represents
the needs, expectations, and goals of all the users of the
system. By creating the list, you will be able to give your
network designer a more complete picture of your system
requirements and, ultimately, determine the physical design of
your school or district's technology system. Keep in mind that
the requirements list should be flexible enough to allow for
emerging technologies and technologies that are not yet
affordable but will be in the future.

To develop the requirements list, ask yourself how you expect
students, teachers, administrators, and community members to use
technology to make your school or district's technology vision a
reality. Begin by considering the following questions as they
relate to instructional, administrative, and community
technology use:

Instructional use
  * Will computers be in every classroom? In specified places
    only? Will this change over time?
  * Will your system provide access to a broad range of
    information (such as information stored at the school
    library and/or public library and on the Internet) from
    every computer, or only from selected locations?
  * Which programs and information will students and teachers
    have access to?
  * Will students, teachers, and parents have access to the
    system from home?
  * Will there be access to the school library or other network
    resources from home as well as from the classroom?
  * Will your system provide distance learning capabilities?
  * Will students have the ability to submit homework
    electronically?

Administrative use
  * Who will use electronic mail--students, teachers, parents,
    administrators, the community?
  * What data should teachers and staff have access to?
  * How will technology automate administrative tasks to
    increase productivity and decrease use of paper for progress
    reports, attendance forms, and memoranda?
  * What information (for example, files, databases, and
    applications) should be shared within the school or
    district?
  * Will the system provide online professional development
    programs, available anytime and anywhere?
  * Will everyone be required to use the same basic software
    tools, regardless of whether the individual uses an Apple
    Macintosh computer or a computer running a Microsoft
    Windows(R) operating system?

Community use
  * Will classes, the school, and/or the district use online
    newsletters to communicate with the community?
  * What types of information does the school or district want
    to share with the community?
  * What aspects of the system will community members be able to
    use?

TIP
Assessing your school or district's resources and inventory can
save you real money-and it can make the total costs of your
technology plan more palatable to key constituencies and funding
sources, thus increasing the plan's chance of success. Why?
Because it's likely you won't raise all your capital equipment
costs from outside sources, like bond issues. But with careful
assessment of your resources, you may be able to redirect some
of your current expenditures to support the technology plan.

TIP
One benefit of implementing a network running Microsoft Windows
NT operating system is the availability of remote
asset-management tools-you'll never have to take a manual
inventory again. Microsoft Systems Management Server (http://
www.microsoft.com/
products/prodref
/155_ov.htm) will inventory computers on your entire network,
identifying the system specifications, software, available
peripherals, and more.  |  |

Assessing Your Resources

The extent to which you will be able to meet all your technology
system requirements depends in part on the resources at your
disposal--that is, time, funding, personnel, district/state
support, special skills, and so on. To assess your current
resources, examine the following areas of your school or
district: 1) technology, 2) personnel, and 3) facilities.

The questions that follow will give you an understanding of what
is already available and what is still needed in each area to
implement your technology program. Remember, the greatest hidden
cost of technology systems is the human cost--the personnel
needed for network design, installation, training, support, and
maintenance.

Technology inventory
  * What technology is being used now, and how much of that
    technology can be redirected to support the technology plan?
  * What personal computers are in place now? If they match your
    planning criteria, can these machines be incorporated into
    the plan?
  * What is the current data processing capability, and can it
    be used to support the proposed server-based activities?
  * What is the current communications system, and how much does
    it cost? You may be able to fund your computer network
    infrastructure without any new spending by replacing the
    current analog phone system with a digital system that
    handles the same voice traffic plus the new data needs.

Personnel inventory
  * Does the school or district currently have computer-literate
    staff who can help design the network, or will outside help
    be required?
  * Can parents or other community resources contribute
    expertise, or can volunteers assist with the installation
    under the guidance of network experts?
  * After the network is installed, who will handle
    troubleshooting problems, repairing broken hardware,
    reconfiguring software, backing up important data, upgrading
    software, and planning upgrades to equipment as technology
    improves?
  * What is the current skill level of the staff? What are their
    desired skill levels? Who will train staff on how to use the
    equipment? Will outside trainers be required?

Facilities inventory
  * Does the school or district have the electrical wiring and
    infrastructure necessary to support a significant increase
    in personal computers and servers? Will this become your
    first capital expense?
  * What is the state of the school buildings, and how easily
    can the wiring required for networks be installed?
  * Do the buildings have the necessary air conditioning and
    room security systems?
  * Which buildings and which rooms will be connected?
  * Is there the physical space for routers, hubs, servers, CD
    towers, and other key network equipment?
  * Is the district planning to construct new schools? New
    facilities can be built in ways that reduce the cost of
    technology adoption later on; for example, incorporating
    appropriate wiring or at least wiring ducts in new schools
    greatly reduces the cost of adding technology later.

Other resource-related questions
  * Is school enrollment increasing or decreasing rapidly?
  * Does the school or district have a significant
    English-as-a-second-language (ESL) population?
  * Does your school and/or district enjoy strong community
    support? What is its track record with funding bond issues?
  * Is your school board likely to increase millage to support
    technology initiatives?
  * What is the morale of teachers and administrators and their
    likely acceptance of technology changes?

For more information on Port Townsend School District, see
http://web.
ptsd.webnet.edu/.
For more information on Issaquah School District, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek7.asp.
To learn more about Tucson Unified School District, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek4.asp.  |  |

Establishing a Timeline

Now that you have translated your school or district's
educational goals into technology requirements and assessed the
available resources, you are ready to set a timeline for
implementing the technology plan. A timeline is an important
part of the plan because it helps the technology committee stay
on track and easily assess its progress toward any goal.
Additionally, a timeline allows a school or district to mark
accomplishment milestones that can be communicated to
constituents, and to update the technology plan to reflect
technology advancements.

There are two approaches to setting timelines: 1) by priority,
that is, deciding which goals and needs demand immediate
attention and which can be put on hold, and 2) by logical order,
that is, a step-by-step implementation. You will likely work on
numerous goals simultaneously and use both approaches.

How long will it take to implement the technology plan? Of
course, it depends on many variables. If your school or district
has money, personnel, and modern facilities, implementation may
proceed quickly. A smaller district may proceed quickly as well,
making up for a lack of resources with a leaner, more dynamic
administration. The relatively small school district of Port
Townsend, Washington, with 2,000 students and 200 computers,
implemented its system in six months, while the school district
of Issaquah, Washington, took four years and the human resources
of its students to build a districtwide information
infrastructure. Tucson Unified School District established a
plan that covered seven years of implementation activity for
63,000 students in more than 100 schools, with 7,200 full-time
employees and 1,900 part-time employees.

Consider spending your resources--money and energy--in a
bell-curve pattern: During the first year, operate slowly on a
small scale to gain experience, and then "scale up,"
implementing technology more quickly, as you gain more
knowledge. After the bulk of your school or district is on the
system, you can take your time to connect less crucial sites
that don't directly reflect the goals of your vision statement.

TIP
For a catalog of exemplary state, district, and building level
technology plans, visit the National Center for Technology
Planning at http://
www.nctp.com/.

SUCCESS STORIES
With the enthusiastic support of New Haven mayor John DeStefano,
Jr., and superintendent of schools Dr. Reginald Mayo, the New
Haven, Connecticut, board of education adopted a long-range
technology plan, incorporating a vision of using new
technologies to improve school district as well as city services
and communication. As part of the plan, New Haven joined with 13
neighboring school districts in the development of a regional
network, managed by two Microsoft Windows NT Server sites, for
which New Haven is the central city.
For more information, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek18.asp.

For information on how Microsoft Solution Providers can assist
your school or district with the planning and implementation of
a technology program, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/partner/
resource/guide/
solution.htm.  |  |

Identifying Milestones

When you know where you're going (technology goals and
requirements) and where you are now (assessment of resources),
the final step in planning a technology initiative is to
identify key milestones, the "landmarks" by which you'll judge
progress toward your destination. In visual terms, key
milestones are a series of "snapshots" that chart the journey
between your school or district's current status and the vision
diagrams suggested in Chapter 3.

Pilot or demonstration project. Whether you are starting with no
technology experience or a strong technology base, a good first
step is a pilot or demonstration project. A pilot project
involves much of the hardware, software, and infrastructure
elements of the full technology plan but on a smaller scale.
Think of it as a 16-year-old's test drive around the parking lot
before attempting the city streets. Through a pilot project, the
technology committee will do more than learn about the
technologies it plans to implement. It will be able to work out
the "bugs" before full implementation, gain the confidence to
move ahead to the next implementation phase, and have the
experience to adjust the technology plan appropriately.
Completing the project successfully will also boost the
technology team's credibility with both internal and external
constituencies.

School or district implementation. After gaining experience with
a pilot project, the next milestone may be implementing the
technology plan for a school or administrative building. The
system complexity is an order of magnitude above that of the
small trial, but still far simpler than the final structure of
your full technology system. The length of time required to wire
a particular school varies considerably depending on the
physical condition of the buildings.

Community implementation. Your school or district's vision
statement may draw the borders of its technology community well
beyond the physical borders of the school or district.
Milestones might include expanding the system to the local
community (parents communicating with teachers by e-mail), the
state (joint teaching and staff development activities with
other districts), and the world (student access to the Internet,
electronic mail correspondence with international students, and
research via international databases).

Keeping Everyone Happy

You can't implement network technology everywhere at once, so
how do you keep everyone happy over the course of a long
implementation period? The timeline and milestones previously
described may look great to the teachers and students in the
classrooms or schools scheduled to get the new technology first,
but not so great to those who have to wait for several years.

One solution is to distribute stand-alone computers evenly
throughout the school or district. That way, everyone has some
technology to work with while waiting for a connection to the
network. In a districtwide system, you'll be implementing
personal computers and networks in elementary schools, middle
schools, and high schools. Does it matter where to start? If
you're planning on using students to help you manage your
networks, yes! Start with the upper-level students; they can
then help you introduce technology to the lower levels.

Putting It All Together

Congratulations! You have completed the process of planning your
school or district's technology program. This plan maps the
design and implementation of the overall program. It's a
dynamic, living, working document, and as such, it may be
changed as adjustments are needed. Like any good map, it shows a
variety of possible routes for arriving at your destination,
serves as the boundaries of your creative thinking, and ensures
that all your stakeholders will be (literally) on the same page
in the planning and implementation process.

----------
Chapter 5: Planning the Technology System: An Overview  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Construction Ahead
  * The Building Blocks
  * Network Basics
  * Network Advantages
  * Network Terminology
  * Network Topologies

This chapter presents the advantages of networks in educational
settings and introduces the basic elements of a technology
system and network terminology and configurations.

Construction Ahead

Throughout this guide, planning a technology system has been
compared to planning a road trip. The analogy holds in many
ways, but so does another, because trip planning merely requires
you to decide which roads to travel down, which motels to stay
at overnight, and where and when to make stops for rest and
refueling.

Now imagine having to make that same trip, but this time the
roads haven't been laid out. In some towns, the motels haven't
been built. The rest stops--well, they may or may not exist,
depending on your location. Getting from here to there is more
difficult in some areas, easier in others. Your ability to get
from place to place greatly depends on what pieces of the
infrastructure are already in place. Yet existing infrastructure
may limit your options--if there is no infrastructure to work
within, you have a much broader range of choices.

The Building Blocks

In your technology planning journey, you are the architect of
the territory you're about to traverse. And your technology
system, when completed, will resemble a city or state or
country--any area of organized human activity. The components
are as follows:
  * Personal computers, scattered throughout the system and
    organized into networks, are like houses or housing
    developments in various communities.
  * Servers, much like the business districts and public
    utilities of any town, provide basic services. These
    services include communications (electronic-mail or
    voice-mail servers), databases, productivity software tools,
    software libraries (CD-ROM servers), remote administration
    and asset management tools, and so on.
  * Local area networks (LANs), the high-speed communication
    systems connecting servers, personal computers, and
    peripherals, are like the streets within each community.
  * Wide area networks (WANs), collections of LANs linked by
    high-speed modem connections, are the state or interstate
    highway systems that link the communities into a productive
    whole.

Assembling the system will require informed decisions about the
following:
  * Communications infrastructure--the "backbone" of your
    network, including the cables and wiring that connect the
    network's various parts. The infrastructure provides the
    bandwidth--or carrying capacity, such as that provided by a
    water main in a public water system--to carry multimedia to
    each computer on the network.
  * Hardware and software systems--the tools that run and
    support the instructional, administrative, and productivity
    software: personal computers, servers, networking hardware,
    networking software, and workgroup software like electronic
    mail, scheduling, and connectivity to the information
    highway.
  * Productivity software--tools that teachers and
    administrators use to simplify and manage tasks, and which
    students can use to research, write, analyze data, and
    present their work.
  * Specialized applications--tools designed to meet specific
    needs, for example, supplementary curriculum applications
    like multimedia CD-ROMs; library automation; and
    administrative automation solutions for student records,
    accounting, and state reporting.

System components are described in more detail in following
chapters as they relate to network and school administration and
classroom use. Included are discussions of the choices you face,
tips on integrating components into the education setting, and
guidelines on costs and budgeting.

To learn more about successful school networking solutions, see
the following Web sites:
Kern High School District (California) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek6.asp

Houston Instructional School District (Texas) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/case22.asp
Tucson Unified School District (Arizona) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek4.asp

Campbell Hall School (California) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek10.asp
Oswego City School District (New York) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/case21.asp  |  |

Network Basics

In the simplest terms, a computer network is a collection of
computers that communicate with each other. Specifically, a
network allows users to share three things: resources, files,
and applications.

1 Sharing resources. A network allows users common access to any
equipment (such as disk drives, printers, and CD-ROMs)
regardless of the physical location of the equipment or the
user.

2 Sharing files. On a network, files can be shared in three
ways: 1) computer-to-computer transfers, 2) temporary storage,
and 3) long-term group editing and archiving.

3 Sharing applications. One network copy of a software program
(licensed for a specified number of users or desktops), such as
a school's electronic card catalog, can be used by all the
licensed users or computers on the network. That provides a
potential cost and time savings compared to using a stand-alone
copy at each computing location: For example, software licenses
purchased for multiple users or desktops are typically much less
expensive than the same number of individual copies of a
program, and network versions of software can be centrally
administered, making it easier to update and manage software
configurations over time. Additionally, with network programs,
students and staff can access the programs they need from any
computer in the school.

Network Advantages

Local area networks within schools allow students to share their
work with other students; teachers to access student work from
anywhere within the school; and administrators and staff to
share student records, memoranda, and other information. With a
district network, those same capabilities can be expanded so
that data sharing takes place among schools throughout the
district. Once the district or school network connects to the
Internet, the opportunities grow even larger.

Benefits of a local area network for administrators, students,
and teachers include the following:

For administrators
  * Central storage of administrative records, with access from
    anywhere on the network
  * Decreased cost of record-keeping and management functions
  * Easier update of software, backup of centrally stored data,
    and protection of data from accidental damage
  * Cost savings from use of shared network resources such as
    disk drives and printers
  * Easier and more effective internal and external
    communications
  * Ability to offer new classes or to supplement current
    classes through video conferencing and Web sites
  * Access from home during inclement weather and off-hours

For students
  * Ability to share work with others around the world through
    Internet connectivity
  * Remote access for homework help
  * Ability to submit assignments while traveling or during
    illnesses
  * Access to active information sources such as weather
    satellites, news bureaus, and working scientists
  * Interactive and collaborative learning through access to
    multimedia, video conferencing, and e-mail
  * Exposure to national and global perspectives
  * Encouragement of verbal communication, writing skills, and
    articulation of ideas because of the text-based nature of
    networks

For teachers
  * Ability to facilitate open-ended student learning using the
    Internet
  * Access to informational postings and student data
  * Access to the latest information and materials to update
    curricula and to keep teaching skills fresh
  * Access to video conferencing for question-and-answer
    sessions between students and teachers or experts in
    different locations
  * Ability to communicate with other teachers, parents,
    administrators, and curricula experts on a one-to-one basis
    by e-mail

Network Terminology

A server is the computer that contains the disk drives, CD-ROM
drives, files, printer, and other resources to be shared among
the network computers. The server acts as an information manager
and as a centralized source of one or more services for network
users, such as data or voice-mail applications, shared software,
and other productivity tools. The options available are limited
only by the hardware and software installed to provide these
resources. In general, the server:
  * Manages interactions between computers on the network.
  * Manages interactions between networks (LAN to WAN to
    Internet).
  * Allows multiple users to run programs that take more than
    one computer to use (e-mail, Web access, networked CD-ROMs).

A client (or workstation) is any computer on the network that is
not a server. The client looks to the server to get part of its
job done for its user, whether that be actual processing (as in
the case of network computers or mainframe access terminals) or
simply gaining access to a program executing on the server and
delivering information across the network. Clients act as an
access point for one or more users to share data, programs, and
services.

Local area networks (LANs) are the high-speed communication
systems that include personal computers, nodes, wires, and
servers. LANs typically are systems in close proximity, usually
within the same building. A LAN provides the capability to share
programs, information, and resources such as disk drives,
directories, and printers among personal computers. LANs are
generally of two types:
  * A server-based LAN, also referred to as a client/server,
    typically consists of a single dedicated server that shares
    its resources with other computers (also called nodes)
    connected to the LAN. The other computers in the network are
    configured as workstations and may use only the shared
    resources of the server. When the server is dedicated in
    this fashion, its purpose is to serve the needs of the
    network; it does not typically serve a workstation role.
    Server-based LANs have high performance, allow for easy
    centralized administration of resources, and provide the
    most options for security and access control.
  * A peer-to-peer LAN allows every computer on the network to
    act as a nondedicated server so that any one of them can
    share its resources with any other. Additionally, every
    computer can act as a workstation. Peer-to-peer networks
    allow the greatest flexibility for the location of
    information but make administration of data resources and
    access control more difficult. Constant signal traffic
    between all points in the network can also cause performance
    (speed) degradation in larger peer-to-peer configurations.

A wide area network (WAN) is a collection of LANs that is not
geographically limited in size. WANs use high-speed modem
connections via telephone lines to connect to LANs. The networks
of computers that make up the Internet are connected to form a
WAN.

Network Topologies

Topology is the way computers are linked together in a LAN. The
three most common topologies are bus, star, and ring.

Bus network. In this, the simplest type of LAN topology, coaxial
Ethernet cable is strung as the "backbone," connecting all
computers, printers, servers, and other hardware. The cable can
be laid out on the floor, in the walls, in the ceiling, or in
any combination of these, as long as it is one continuous line.
A bus network is probably the simplest and least expensive to
install because it uses a minimum amount of cabling. However,
any failures in common cable will disable computers and other
hardware along the line. Because such failures can be difficult
to locate in a large bus network, this topology is no longer a
popular one.

Star network. In a star topology, the most common type used
today, personal computers and other devices are connected to a
central "hub," a hardware device with several ports, into which
a network cable connection can be plugged. This arrangement
limits possible disruption of the network: If a cable breaks,
only one spoke of the network is disabled, making it easy to
locate the problem. Each personal computer is a "point" on the
star, radiating out from a hub that connects to the LAN. As the
number of personal computers increases in a given location, you
can connect clusters of them together and then connect each
cluster to a hub.

Ring network. In this topology, the computers are linked in a
ringlike loop. As with bus networks, information is passed from
computer to computer. By using "repeaters"--hardware used to
boost the signal--a ring network can cover a much greater
distance. The ring network is a compromise in cost between bus
and star networks, although speed decreases as computers are
added to the ring.

Which network topology is right for your school or district? The
choice will be driven by any existing infrastructure and by
performance. New installations should favor newer technologies,
both for greater performance and reduced maintenance costs. Most
new sites build in star and ring configurations to maximize
performance and ease of maintenance. Segments of a star network
(defined by centralized hubs) can be easily isolated for repair
while not affecting other users on the network. Older bus
technologies are at a disadvantage here. Bus topology is usually
not a first choice, except for modest improvements to already
existing bus configurations, because of reduced speed (compared
to ring topology) and troubleshooting difficulties--one disabled
node can easily affect the traffic on the entire network.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the various network
terms and components, you are ready to move on to planning the
actual infrastructure that will support your network.

----------
Chapter 6: Planning the Infrastructure  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Your Network's Nervous System
  * Informed Decision Making
  * Connectivity Within Schools
  * Bringing Your District Together
  * Accessing the Internet
  * Cost of Infrastructure
  * Pre-Purchase Considerations
  * Implementation Advice

The most visible part of a network-the servers and client
computers-depend on a less-visible infrastructure to share data
and to access the outside world. This chapter describes some of
the key components of the network infrastructure and provides
planning tips to help you build a system that meets your school
or district's current and future needs.

Your Network's Nervous System

It's easy to take for granted the hidden structures and
processes that make networks work. All the services you use on
the network depend on a hidden web of cables and hardware whose
sole job is to move information from place to place. Like the
nerve fibers that transmit messages to our muscles and initiate
an action, your network's infrastructure turns a click of the
mouse in your classroom into a multimedia show, an e-mail
message, or access to data on a shared server.

Imagine for a moment if it took several seconds for a message to
pass from your brain to your hands, or if you could initiate
only one movement in your body at a time. Simple tasks like
writing a letter or eating breakfast would quickly become
frustrating-perhaps even impossible. In the classroom, lack of
adequate bandwidth (capacity) or speed in your network's
infrastructure can create similar frustrations. Poor planning
today can result in limited services in the future-or expensive
retooling to keep basic services functioning as your user base
expands.

Informed Decision Making

The ability to upgrade your school or district's network to
embrace more services, more users, and more geographically
distant segments will depend on some of the decisions you make
when first planning and installing the network infrastructure.
The tips in this chapter will help you plan an infrastructure
that is right for both your current needs and future expansion,
but they are just a starting point. Infrastructure choices
determine the future of your network and are among the most
expensive to change if a mistake is made. Careful planning
depends on your ability to communicate your school or district's
needs effectively to technology professionals, and on being an
informed consumer in the network hardware marketplace.

When you consult with technology professionals in your school
district or among your corporate partners, be familiar with both
your needs and the relevant hardware necessary to make
connections within your school, across your district, and to the
Internet. Also be thoroughly familiar with any infrastructure
already in place so that your technology consultant can make an
informed decision about whether to expand an existing topology
or consider an upgrade for the entire system.

View the Networking Diagram.

For a listing of Internet service providers that support Web
development with Microsoft FrontPage(R) 98 server extensions,
see the Internet service provider list at http://
microsoft.saltmine.com/
frontpage/wpp/list/. For further information about Microsoft
FrontPage 98, see The Micrsoft FrontPage web site at http://
www.microsoft.com/
products/prodref/
571_ov.htm.

Connectivity Within Schools

Take a look at the diagram above, a "local map" of a basic
district networking system. Each school is a virtual "town"-a
Connected Learning Community. Exploring the Connected Learning
Community begins by leaving the local hard disk drive; you can
move from computer to computer or send electronic mail by
sending signals down cables. As new services (like a CD-ROM
server or centralized database) become popular and receive more
users, classrooms or labs will need to centralize and route
traffic to avoid a tangle of cables and crossed signals. Hubs
are the link between key shared resources and the individual
computers in the classroom, lab, or office.

Good planning -- in the Connected Learning Community sense-means
understanding how to optimize the network and avoid bottlenecks
and accidents. Let's take a look at the elements that carry the
traffic for students and staff.

Cabling

Cables are the wires that connect individual computers, enabling
them to transmit data from one point to another. These include
not only the wire that runs from the interface card in a
computer to wall- or floor-mounted network cable jacks, but also
the wires between those jacks and the nearest hub. These wires
may run under floors, behind walls, above ceilings, or all of
the above. Remember: It is always cheaper to install an access
point (jack and cable running within a wall to a specific room)
for your computer networking cable during the initial
installation than to add connections to an existing system
later.

Cable types. The most up-to-date information-highway building
materials have high speed limits and can handle a significant
traffic volume. The most capable cabling for local routes (from
personal computers to hubs and on to the server) is Category 5
twisted-pair cabling, made up of four pairs of wires twisted
about each other to eliminate electrical noise.

When purchasing this cable as part of your total infrastructure
installation, look for certification (through a cable test
report produced by the installer) that the cable has been tested
to handle the highest possible transfer speeds (up to gigabit
transfers). Most cabling should handle a minimum speed of 100
megabit data transfer. The installer should be able to test and
certify the speed the cabling can truly handle.

To give you an idea of just how fast the transfer is, let's look
at 100 megabit, a speed rapidly becoming the standard. At this
cable speed, the network can move the entire contents of 100
floppy disks from one place to another every second! Gigabit
speeds are 10 times faster, allowing the transfer of up to one
gigabyte of data (the equivalent of an entire hard disk in 1996)
every second.

The highway you build to connect segments of your network (such
as between floors in a building or across a local campus) will
likely be made up of fiber optic cable. Fiber optic connections
are typically made between specialized types of hubs built to
handle and relay traffic between segments of your network.

Unlike twisted-pair copper wire, which, like standard telephone
wiring, conducts electronic signals, fiber optic cable transmits
your school's data at very high speeds using pulses of light.
Because of its price (about 10 times the installation cost of
twisted-pair cabling), fiber optic cable is rarely used for
connections directly to the desktop. However, its high
transmission speed and very large traffic capacity make it ideal
for moving multimedia and other large flows of data from one
part of your network to another. Ask your network installation
professionals about using fiber optic cable as a backbone for
the key transfer points in your network.

Cable prices vary, but are usually presented in a proposal as a
calculation of cost per foot, connections required, and the
labor necessary to run the cable above ceilings, under floors,
and behind walls in your unique environment.

Hubs

Once a cable has been connected to a computer's network
interface card, where does the other end go? In most networks,
the cable bundles coming from one or more classrooms and labs
eventually wind up linked to a hub. Hubs are central points of
connection in your network that manage traffic and pass data
between servers, client computers, and peripherals such as
shared printers. Hubs are the traffic managers on the
information highway, ensuring that many requests for services
coming from many computers are sent to the right place at the
right time. Hubs can also boost signal strength and link
segments of a widely dispersed network. As you can see in the
district network map, hubs are the last local stop for data
before it is passed to another device (such as a CSU/DSU, in the
case of relaying data over analog leased lines) for transmission
out of the local area network.

Hub types. If your school or district has an existing network,
you may be familiar with other devices, such as repeaters and
bridges, which are not mentioned here. Today's hubs can handle a
number of communication management tasks. Simple hubs (sometimes
referred to as shared hubs) provide a physical connection for
input cables, combining their signals for transfer down one or
two cables that link to the servers. Look for intelligent hubs
and switched hubs to accomplish that task and more. They can
handle the highest capacities (gigabit or at least 100 megabit
Ethernet) and the latest protocols (such as 100bT Ethernet,
TCP/IP, and switched networking) to get the most performance out
of your cabling.

Purchasing Tips

When purchasing cables and hubs, keep in mind the following:
  * Buy for the future. Plan to purchase the highest capacity,
    highest quality possible. As both software and hardware
    advance, the demands on your network for data transmission
    will grow dramatically. That "special of the week" offered
    by network installation vendors is often designed to clear
    older technologies from inventory to make room for
    state-of-the-art products. Look for manufacturers that offer
    flexibility (for example, 10/100 megabit switchable or
    upgradable hubs), and don't be reluctant to shop around.
    Your local telephone or cable provider may well be entering
    this market and looking for your business at an attractive
    price.
  * Build in flexibility. Today's activity room may be
    tomorrow's classroom; yesterday's hall closet may end up
    containing the hubs for your network. Whether you plan on
    using classroom computer sites or centralized labs, run
    cable to every room that could conceivably hold computers in
    the future. An investment in installing network connection
    points today is far less expensive than patching cable and
    ports into an existing network in the future. For hubs,
    choose a centralized location when building a wiring closet.
    Avoid locations that would be physically impossible to
    expand or very difficult to connect by cable to your
    servers.
  * Get more than one quote. Hub and cable installation prices
    vary dramatically, based on both your needs and a vendor's
    resources. Ask for referrals from other schools or business
    technology professionals. Your local Microsoft Solution
    Provider can be a resource for determining your cabling and
    other network hardware needs.

To learn more about Microsoft Solution Providers, visit the
Microsoft Education Web site at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/partner/
resource/
guide/
solprov.htm.  |  |

Bringing Your District Together

Once your local school is wired, you'll soon look toward tying
your district's other schools into one integrated Connected
Learning Community. Your local area network will need to have
access to higher-capacity "highways" that can make sending
e-mail, accessing administrative data, or browsing a Web page at
a remote location as easy as accessing the server down the hall.
Once those connections are built, each school LAN shown in the
boxes at the bottom of the district network map can be
integrated into the larger wide area network (WAN).

WAN Connectivity Infrastructure

Connecting distant points to a centralized network presents a
different set of technical challenges than wiring a two- or
four-building local campus. You'll need to invest in new
hardware and software to provide access to data transmission
lines, provide data relay to remote locations, and manage
security for connections to the Internet.

Routers, relatives of hubs, provide traffic management and relay
services between your network and the telephony network that
will move data to and from other schools or the Internet. The
latest routers provide high transmission capacities and feature
hardware-level error checking, firewall services, data
compression/encryption, and more. You will need one router,
along with one or more channel service units/data service units
(CSUs/DSUs).

The CSU/DSU manages how different kinds of data are interpreted
and passed to the routers linking to the LAN. How many CSU/DSU
units you will need depends on the type of high-speed connection
lines available between the district LAN sites you want to link
to a WAN.

In the sample district network map, a CSU/DSU is acting as a
translator between each school's network and the higher-speed
line available between sites. At the district level, a second
CSU/DSU for each incoming school traffic stream stands ready to
"decode" the highly compressed, high-speed signals coming over
the T1 line and to relay that information to the district's
router for relay to and from the Internet.

Leasing Lines

How are these high-speed connections between schools and
district gateways to the Internet built? As mentioned, schools
use existing parts of the telephony network to interconnect the
individual networks that make up the WAN. Since most schools (or
private companies, for that matter) do not have the resources to
install and maintain their own private, high-capacity links for
voice and data across a large geographic area, telephony service
providers lease these links for an installation fee plus a
monthly subscription. Choices are fairly limited, but somewhat
sophisticated in how they can be configured to meet your needs.
Your district or outside technology consultant can assist you
with your decision. Some of the options include:
  * T1 line. This entry-level WAN and Internet access link is
    the most common solution for data transmission. It is also
    one of the least expensive, since it can be used for both
    voice and data traffic. In fact, you can "discover" funds to
    allocate to T1 leasing by moving your regular telephone
    traffic from its current configuration over to the T1. In
    the sample school district map, this link provides
    high-capacity data transfer (1.54 megabytes per second)
    between schools and the district.
  * T3 line. The T3 is the same type of link at a significantly
    higher transfer rate (45 Mbps) and correspondingly higher
    cost. Districts with very high traffic loads coming from
    many locations may find this the most cost-effective
    solution in the long run, but will endure significantly
    higher start-up and leasing costs.
  * Fractional line. If your school or district's budget is too
    tight to afford a T1 or T3 line, consider leasing a
    fractional line. Both T1 and T3 lines can be "split" among
    several customers, a way of "sharing the road" with other
    computer traffic headed to the same general area. Think of
    it as being allowed to drive in one or two lanes of a
    four-lane highway. Later, when your school or district's
    usage rates and budget expand, you can add "lanes"
    (capacity) to improve performance.

For information about the Education Rate, or E-rate as it's
called, a telecommunications discount program for schools
starting in January 1998, see Microsoft's Education Web Site at
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcdec97.asp.  |  |

Accessing the Internet

Making the connection to the Internet requires the same hardware
investment as connecting to the wide area network. The primary
difference lies in where the data connection ends. In a WAN, a
physical connection runs between each school in your district.
To provide access to the Internet, one or more LANs must connect
directly to an Internet service provider (ISP), typically via a
fractional or dedicated T1 or T3 line.

Cost of Infrastructure

So how much will it cost to put all these technologies in place?
Prices for installation and ongoing service vary dramatically by
region, provider, and your school or district's unique needs
and/or hardware configuration. Be sure to seek recommendations
and benchmarking data from other school districts and
businesses, and get multiple proposals before you invest.

The table that follows gives a general idea of the current cost
of making the network connections illustrated. However, keep in
mind that regional price variation and quickly changing
technology make estimation difficult. Be sure to investigate
government initiatives and corporate sponsorships for price
reduction options that allow schools to access the Internet more
easily.

You can also contact your local Microsoft Solution Provider,
telephone service (local and/or long distance), cable company,
and Internet service providers for quotes on the cost of access
and for information about the Universal Service Fund and other
incentives that may be available in your area.

For more information about Microsoft Solution Providers,
 see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/partner/
resource/
solprov.htm
Infrastructure item/service  |

Approximate cost

Leased T1 (school to school or school to ISP)  |

$1,000 installation fee plus $300-$400 per month, depending on
fractional capacity and traffic carried

Router and CSU/DSU  |

$2,500-$3,700 per location (required at each end of the
connection, whether school or ISP)

Internet access  |

$1,500-$2,000/month for direct connection via leased line

For an example of a responsible computer use agreement
implemented in a K-12 school, see "Setting Boundaries" on
Microsoft K-12 Connection Web site at the http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcmar97.asp.  |  |

Pre-purchase Considerations

Before you purchase your school or district's network equipment,
be sure to consider the following:
  * Total cost of ownership (TCO). It's easy to get caught up in
    the features of individual technologies and lose track of
    the need to purchase with an eye toward cost management.
    Look for equipment that offers remote administration tools
    and usage reports and that can be configured to take
    advantage of your cost/use data. As with your client and
    server computers, investing in as few brands or types of
    expandable hardware as possible limits support costs and
    ensures you get the most for your computing dollar.
  * Physical space needs.The number of routers, hubs, and cable
    can expand quickly as users and access are added to your
    network. Consider equipment security, temperature control,
    cable access, and floor space that will be needed to
    comfortably store and troubleshoot your equipment.
  * Usage policies.You will need to establish usage policies-who
    has the right to use the computer system? when? under what
    conditions? how can unauthorized use be prevented?-before
    the system is installed. Having considered usage questions
    in advance, you'll have a preemptive answer to those people
    concerned about data security and system misuse.
  * Internet access policies. Decisions about how to limit
    access to sites deemed inappropriate to educational settings
    need to be made early in the infrastructure planning
    process. Some ISPs offer screening or blocking services;
    other options include hardware and software tracking, and
    blocking of Internet content.
  * Support needs. A technology program must have a provision
    for technical support. Some of the technologies involved in
    WAN and Internet connectivity can be provided by contracting
    with service providers. However, you will need a
    knowledgeable on-site resource to work with the
    infrastructure of your LANs. Invest in staff or training to
    ensure that, at the least, basic troubleshooting skills
    (such as use of a Fluke or other network diagnostic meter
    and cable repair/replacement) are available to keep your
    network in peak operating condition. A technology plan must
    include in its design provisions for continuous on-site
    technical assistance and user support.

For tips on retaining outside expertise, see "Hiring a
Consultant" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcaug97.asp.

For more information on how Microsoft Solution Providers can
assist your school or district with the planning and
implementation of a technology program, see Microsoft Solution
Providers at http://
www.microsoft.com
/education/partner/
resource/guide/solution.htm .

For more imformation about Network Blueprint Papers, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/
k12/nb.htm.  |  |

Implementation Advice

Advice on network implementation is available from a variety of
sources, including hardware/software consulting teams and online
resources.

Microsoft Solution Providers (MSPs) are program partners and
members who offer education organizations information,
technology, and support services for Microsoft products,
platforms, and technologies. Microsoft Solution Providers are
well versed and up to date on the latest Microsoft strategies,
development directions, and products and provide excellent
service and support.

Microsoft Certified Solution Developersis a Web tutorial
designed for school and district technology coordinators in K-12
schools. It is most valuable to those in the process of
installing Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0. Each paper
has a different focus-from networking basics to technical
administrative operations.

Network Blueprint Papers is a Web tutorial designed for school
and district technology coordinators in K-12 schools. It is most
valuable to those in the process of installing Microsoft Windows
NT Server version 4.0. Each paper has a different focus-from
networking basics to technical administrative operations.
    * Getting Started with Windows NT: The Network
      Blueprintprovides an introduction to networking issues and
      step-by-step instructions to configure Windows NT Server
      4.0 for a simple five-computer network or model school
      network. Specifics on installing and configuring the
      network are included.
    * From Intranet to Internet-Learning Web Publishing and
      Management briefly explains in nontechnical terms
      introductory Internet issues such as browsing and
      publishing; covers Microsoft's Internet products; and
      provides a glossary of Internet-related terminology.
    * Configuring Your School's Existing Computers for the
      Windows NT Intranet provides step-by-step procedures to
      install and configure client services for Windows NT
      Server 4.0. These include client services for Windows 95,
      Windows for Workgroups, Windows 3.11, and Macintosh.
    * Windows NT Primer and Administration Guide for Schools, a
      49-page guide, briefly reviews important network
      management concepts and the more technical aspects of
      managing small- and large-scale networks with Windows NT
      Server. Topics include domain models, domain name systems
      (DNS), dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), and
      Internet transmission protocols.

----------
Chapter 7: A Window to the Platform  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Choosing a Network Operating System
  * Evaluating Windows NT Server Operating System
  * Moving On

This chapter discusses the issues you'll need to consider when
choosing a network operating system-from cost and ease of
operation through flexibility and interconnectivity. It also
looks at how Microsoft products can fit into your school or
district's network, as the sole platform or as a complement to
your existing network operating system.

Once you have introduced the infrastructure necessary for
networked computing, the potential of your technology program is
limited only by the strength and flexibility of your
platform--as defined by your choice of a network operating
system.

Choosing a Network Operating System

Platform selection is a critical decision. If your school or
district has an existing network, everyone will be concerned
about potential downtime, the costs of reconfiguring the
existing systems, and the capabilities of any new platform.
Those schools and districts starting new networks face the
daunting challenge of making decisions that will affect many
users and maintainers of the network for years to come.

Whether your school or district is just starting out on its
technology journey or already has a mature network in place,
your choice of network software will be driven by similar
issues: for example, flexibility, security, ease of integration
and use, and cost, not to mention available expertise and the
time constraints on your technology coordinators or
technology-savvy teachers. So how do you go about choosing the
"right" platform for your network? Given the reality of often
limited staff to support academic networks, you are unlikely to
have the luxury of time to configure or troubleshoot a highly
complex system. You'll also probably have difficulty justifying
the cost of frequent platform changes to support new hardware or
to compensate for the limitations of older systems.

Keep It Simple

It's easy to get carried away by the options available in
platforms and operating system tools. Each tool on the market
has (and aggressively advertises) unique strengths or key tasks
it performs very well. Parents, teachers, corporate sponsors,
and administrators may also have had positive experiences with
specific platforms and want to add their preferences to your
school or district's computing environment. The pressure to add
more and more platforms can come from every conceivable
constituent in your Connected Learning Community.

While mixing platforms can produce rich, dynamic computing
environments, the resulting configuration and support needs may
prove beyond the time or financial resources available in your
school or district. If you are just laying the groundwork for
your network, consider the time and financial savings of using a
single platform. If you are working with an existing network,
plan to bring in technology that can help integrate your
heterogeneous environment while moving you toward the technology
system you want in the future.

For tips on working with vendors, resellers, and consultants,
see "Hiring a Consultant" in the August 1997 issue of Microsoft
K-12 Connection at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/clcaug97.asp.  |  |

Ask the Right Questions

Choosing a platform for your network goes beyond the technical
details of minimum RAM or required server hard disk space.
Depending on the level of technical expertise and financial
resources at your disposal, you or your technology
implementation team will probably seek advice from a software
reseller or network consultant when making your purchasing
decision.

When you speak to a reseller or consultant, keep in mind that it
will be up to your technology champions to maintain the system
in the long run. Knowing the key issues to consider when
evaluating operating system software, and asking the right
questions, will give you the input you need to make an informed
purchase. The table that follows outlines those key issues and
questions.

Key platform issue  |

Key questions

Ease of use  |

Is the software easy to learn, use, and manage?

Will users need to learn new interfaces, or can they take
advantage of prior knowledge to get started right away?

Integration  |

Can the software be integrated easily with the existing network?

Can it communicate with the computers and peripherals already in
place?

Can it provide all the necessary services for the users?

Cost  |

What are the up-front costs? Is licensing a factor?

Are there other costs incurred when the software is deployed?

Communication  |

Does the server software include tools to link to the school's
intranet and the Internet?

If not, what else has to be bought?

Acceptance  |

Is this a tool that many people understand?

Is there a wide resource base for assistance, configuration, and
maintenance?

Can the experience of parents and community volunteers be
leveraged?

Can students and staff communicate with parents and the
community over the network?

Security  |

Does the platform support easy-to-use security tools that can be
customized to keep students away from restricted resources and
prevent accidental (or intentional) tampering?

Reliability  |

Does the operating system have a reputation for "crashing," or
can it reliably interact with hardware and other software to
provide a reasonably stable computing environment?

Flexibility and expandability  |

Does the product have the state-of-the-art tools necessary to
meet the students' and staff's needs now and in the future?

For more information about Microsoft NT Server, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
products/prodref/
427_ov.htm.
To learn more about Microsoft Windows 95, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
products/prodref/
426_ov.htm. More information about Windows CE can be found at
http://
www.microsoft.com/
products/prodref/
120_ov.htm.

For an example of the ease of setup for a model school network
using Windows NT Server 4.0, see "Getting Started with Windows
NT: The Network Blueprint" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/
k12/nb.htm.

For tips on integration between Windows NT and NetWare servers,
see "Adding NetWare Servers to an Windows NT Domain" and
"Connecting with Windows NT" at http://www.
microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
net2may97.asp.

For more information on TCO and a case study of how TCO was used
to justify the cost of a conversion to Windows NT, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/netoct97.asp.

To learn more about ZAK, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
windows/zak/
default.htm. To learn more about Zero Administration initiative
for Windows, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
windows/innovation/
tco_ppt.htm.

For the latest features in Internet Explorer, see http://
www.microsoft.
com/ie/.
To read about a school district in Virginia that used Microsoft
Proxy Server to get quick and economical Internet access, go to
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/intmay97.asp or see "Security and Proxy Server" at
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/intoct97.asp.

See Microsoft K-12 Connection articles "Setting Boundaries" at
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/clcmar97.asp and "Locking Down the Desktop" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/dessep97.asp for tips on using the Policy Editor to
control access to system settings and customize the rights
granted to teachers, administrators, and students. See also
http://
www.microsoft.com/
ntserver/guide/
propolicies.asp.

For a description of how Proxy Server can be used to enhance
Internet security, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/intoct97.asp.

Read about creating district intranet and Internet sites with
FrontPage at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/intfeb97.asp.  |  |

The impact of the answers to these key questions on your
platform choice depends on your school or district's unique
situation. But to give you a basis for comparison and to support
your decision-making process, let's look at the answers for
Microsoft Windows NT Server and its related family of products.
Along the way, we'll give you tips and information on how to
implement these products in your network.

Evaluating Windows NT Server Operating System

The Windows operating system continues to grow and evolve.
Today, Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT are providing a
stable, reliable platform for a large share of corporate and
academic servers and desktops around the world. Windows-based
solutions for every kind of information delivery-from handheld
computers running Windows CE to laptops and other devices
running new Network PC applications-are and will be a
significant part of the world's information infrastructure. This
strong presence and potential for the future translate into a
good choice for your students today.

Ease of Use

Is Microsoft Windows NT easy to learn, use, and manage? If
you've been exposed to the Windows 95 interface-or even the
older Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups-you've seen the
basic interface for everything from user administration to
printer configuration. Those who have had little or no exposure
to Windows but have worked with the Macintosh operating system
will also find themselves at home with a minimum of retraining.
This consistency of interface reduces learning time and
increases the likelihood that administrators can be brought up
to speed with lower investments of time and money.

Setup, management, and many periodic maintenance tasks can be
completely automated by using step-by-step administrative
wizards that guide even novice users through key procedures.
Windows NT Server also supplies ready-to-run tools for dial-in
remote server control and provides a central control point for
your entire network.

Integration

Abandoning your existing network components for new products
isn't a practical alternative, from a financial or an
educational point of view. But adding capabilities to your
network by expanding to new platforms is a realistic strategy if
your school or district has a large investment in existing
servers, clients, and software.

Windows NT offers the expected seamless compatibility with
Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups clients. In addition, the
operating system supports the integration and sharing of
services (such as messaging and printing) and data between
Novell, NetWare, AppleShare, and Windows server and client
computers. The Windows NT Server platform also offers full
support for UNIX and OS/2 servers and clients and supports a
wide range of peripherals from literally hundreds of
manufacturers.

Cost

The rapid rise of new technologies--and their equally rapid
obsolescence--has led to a new approach to assessing the cost of
computing. Rather than focusing strictly on price tags and
depreciation, technology professionals are taking a more global
approach to measuring and managing expenses. The new approach,
called total cost of ownership (TCO), examines the relationship
between how much the product costs originally, its installation
and maintenance expenses, productivity gains and losses, and its
overall value in terms of getting things done. In other words,
how much performance are you getting for your money, from
installation through user training, equipment maintenance, and
ongoing support?

Calculating total cost of ownership. Total cost of ownership
calculations are not going to give you an exact figure to target
when you browse for network operating systems. Rather, your
focus should be identifying those products that reduce the total
cost associated with installing, maintaining, upgrading, and
using the product. These cost savings can also be expressed in
terms of productivity gains--realistic savings in time or
significant gains in the ability to complete tasks. In the realm
of network operating systems, a product with a lower TCO should
do the following:
  * Provide centrally managed upgrades for clients and servers,
    including automated licensing or version control tools
  * Require a minimum installation time
  * Require the minimum in training for novice users
  * Include complete, accessible performance support through
    manuals, online help, and online support tools such as
    wizards and troubleshooting applications
  * Provide a broad spectrum of services to meet your school or
    district's needs without additional software investments

Beyond total cost of ownership: Zero Administration initiative
for Windows. Microsoft's answer to Lowering Total Cost of
Ownership is its Zero Administration Initiative for Windows.
Zero Administration initiative for Windows is a set of
technologies that will give network administrators greater
levels of control by automating such routine but time-consuming
tasks as operating system updates and application installation.
School administrators can also exert more control over client
desktops, restricting access to the Windows registry and other
configuration options. That allows the computing staff in your
school to spend more time creating innovative learning
environments and less time resetting control panel options and
system settings changed by creative students. It also simplifies
technical support by enforcing system configurations so that
your technology expert has a predictable set of settings to work
with on every computer. Zero Administration initiative for
Windows will be available in Windows NT Server 5.0 and is also
available now as the Zero Administration Kit (ZAK).

Communication

Another key factor to consider when choosing a network operating
system is its ability to let students and teachers communicate
with each other and access the Internet. Windows NT includes all
the software necessary to access your TCP/IP-based intranet or
the Internet, plus tools for setting up a school site on the
World Wide Web. These tools include Microsoft Internet Explorer,
Internet Information Server, and FrontPage. The latest versions
of these programs provide unparalleled access, security, and
features for introducing students to the Internet.

Acceptance

The Microsoft Windows platform has emerged in recent years as
the most-used software platform in the world, serving as the
interface to 87 percent of the world's computers. This
translates into a greater variety of products and expertise
available to assist you in your network development and
administration. Parents working in technology-rich business
environments are very likely to have experience with Windows and
may have direct experience with Windows NT. Vendors of support
services, software, and other infrastructure products have also
followed the success of Windows NT and offer a wide array of
products to help your school or district reach its technology
goals.

Security

Given a networked computer and enough time, many students can
find a way to make network administrators' lives a bit more
interesting. Academic network administrators should be prepared
to cope with system files disappearing mysteriously, unusual
display settings, and the occasional attempt to change a score
on the last history exam. Your choice in network operating
systems should give network administrators easy access to tools
that help them stay one step ahead of overly "creative"
technology-savvy students. A number of teachers and technology
coordinators have used the Policy Editor and related tools
supplied with Windows NT to provide a consistent, secure
interface and controlled file access for their students.

Stability, Flexibility, and Expandability

Making a good investment in any computing product means striking
a balance between stability today and flexibility for the
future. No product is guaranteed to meet your school or
district's needs as well five years from now as it does today.
However, you should expect a reputation for delivering
consistent performance today plus innovative upgrade paths and
companion products to help your school or district's technology
base expand in the future.

Windows NT Server is just one of a group of products designed to
take care of the "behind the scenes" work that makes the
Connected Learning Community's promise of interactivity and
communication possible. The Microsoft BackOffice(R) provides a
set of highly integrated tools designed to expand the
capabilities of Windows NT Server to meet your school or
district's needs in the future:
  * Microsoft Proxy Server provides additional security features
    while integrating with Internet Explorer to bring Internet
    access to every desktop on your network.
  * Microsoft Exchange Server enhances the messaging
    capabilities of Microsoft Exchange to facilitate advanced
    information distribution across your network. Schools can
    expand the capabilities of centralized data repositories to
    include updates and queries by electronic mail,
    sophisticated calendar and time tracking systems, and
    customized information broadcast services using existing
    e-mail clients.
  * Microsoft FrontPage helps students create interactive Web
    pages and entire sites without HTML programming.
  * Microsoft Systems Management Server is a powerful set of
    tools to facilitate remote asset management and track
    software and hardware inventories for your school or
    district.
  * Microsoft Systems Architecture Server provides services for
    host connectivity.
  * Microsoft SQL ServerTM is a powerful database system for
    managing and distributing large amounts of information.

Moving On

Finalizing platform decisions brings you one step closer to
realizing a Connected Learning Community. Now what? The criteria
applied to choosing a platform are fairly straightforward, given
an existing set of hardware and clearly defined goals. But what
if some of that hardware isn't quite in place? The next chapter
examines the tools you'll need to "connect" the Connected
Learning Community.

----------
Chapter 8: Planning the Network  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Planning for the Future
  * Computers: Clients and Servers
  * Client Computers: Price, Performance,
      Purpose, and Life Span
  * Servers: Price, Performance, and Life Span
  * Choosing Hardware
  * Upgrading or Adding to an Existing Network
  * Assessing the Status of Existing Components

Planning your school or district's network is more than choosing
the right brand names of hardware and software: Planning for the
future is as critical a task as meeting user requirements today.
This chapter presents guidelines and resources to help you plan
the capabilities of a new network or enhance the performance of
an existing one.

Planning for the Future

Previous chapters described the hardware and software critical
to the success of your school or district's network. But which
of the many configuration options available makes sense for you?
What capabilities should the client computers, servers, and
other peripherals have to ensure success in the classroom, today
and tomorrow?

Network planning is largely a matter of preparing for the
future. In other words, what should your school or district buy
today that will meet its needs tomorrow? Deciding what to buy
depends on 1) the type of software you intend to run, 2) the
school or district's ability (in terms of financing and
expertise) to support certain types of hardware and software in
the future, and 3) any restrictions you anticipate in coming
years. Purchase each component of the network with those
constraints in mind.

Computers: Clients and Servers

Computers will serve two roles in your school or district's
network: 1) managing information and 2) acting as the interface
to students and staff. The information managers, or servers,
centrally store software, communicate with other computers, and
safeguard student and administrative data. The interface
computers (sometimes called clients) receive data from the
server and in turn serve as the conduit for creating and sharing
projects throughout the school, district, and larger community.
Each role requires a slightly different mix of hardware and
software, resulting in very different purchasing strategies.
Let's start by looking at the client side of your network-the
computers your students will interact with every day.

Client Computers: Price, Performance, Purpose, and Life Span

What type of client computers should your school or district
buy? How much should be invested in each one? What is the ideal
combination of internal hardware for a student personal
computer? Or for a library research station? What trade-offs
should be made if price becomes an issue? And how can
older-technology computers be creatively re-used in your
network? The answers to most of these questions depend on a
thorough investigation of your existing resources and some
serious thought to your strategy for deploying learning
technologies in the future. Ideally, how a computer will be used
should matter far more than how much it will cost.

Windows Solutions: Designed for the Real World

In an ideal world, money would be no object, every student and
teacher would have access to a computer, and every component of
the academic computer would be state of the art. Unfortunately,
budget constraints are the reality in almost every school
district.

The real world of academic computing also comprises a wide range
of hardware types. After all, how many schools can afford to buy
state-of-the-art technology every year? The typical K-12
environment has everything but the kitchen sink playing a role
in the network.

With Microsoft Windows-based solutions, you can be assured that
a common set of interfaces and tools links all your computing
hardware. Windows solutions provide your students, teachers, and
administrators with access to all equipment, with minimum
retraining and with minimum configuration and maintenance
necessary to keep all components in working order. This critical
link of compatibility and commonality across equipment types is
known as scalability, and it's the cornerstone of
lower-maintenance, lower-cost computing.

Different clients, different strengths-same Windows. As you can
see in the preceding chart, there is a wide range of tools you
can use in your network, from "repurposed" older equipment to
state-of-the-art personal digital assistants and notebook
computers. Before looking at the most established client in
academic networks, the desktop personal computer, take a quick
look at these options:
  * Personal digital assistants (PDAs)run the Windows CE
    operating system and are effective as teacher administration
    aids, student data-gathering devices, and even simple Web
    browsers. This newest entry into the academic computing
    environment will find its niche in effective file transfers
    of field trip notes and pictures to desktop computers for
    eventual inclusion in school intranet sites. A variety of
    models is available for $300-$900.
  * Windows-based terminals.Your school or district may have
    older so-called dumb terminals (with no local processor or
    storage drives) left over from its mainframe access era.
    Windows NT Server has all the tools you need to provide
    remote processing power to these old friends so they can
    take on new roles as library catalog terminals or research
    stations.
  * Network computers (NCs). The modern equivalent to the old
    diskless terminal is the network computer. Marketed as the
    low-cost (about $1,000), low-administration solution for
    larger networks, NCs can serve as research stations or Web
    terminals in your school's library, driven once again by the
    remote host processing capabilities of Windows NT Server. As
    computer prices continue to fall and zero administration
    tools improve, however, the long-term role of the NC and its
    attractiveness remain to be seen.
  * Portable computers represent the ultimate in anytime,
    anywhere learning for your classroom, lab, or field
    experiment site. Flexible, innovative portables, which
    continue to decrease in price and improve in performance,
    can be integrated into your network using either Windows 95
    or Windows NT Workstation.

Desktop computers: Purchasing Strategies

When education technology teams first consider computers for
their schools, desktop solutions come most readily to mind as a
practical balance between price and performance. So what is the
best strategy for adding these dependable student learning tools
to your school or district's network?

The most common strategy in school districts today is purchasing
with an eye toward keeping the same computers in place for a
long time. This is the "brute force" method: Buy as much
capability as you can afford, and hope the computers can be
upgraded across a reasonably long life span. To ensure that your
client computers can keep up with the demands of today's
educational software, each new personal computer purchased for
your network in 1998 should have a minimum of:

As of January 1998, the average cost of the configuration
shown-including monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers-was about
$1,350.

  * An Intel Pentium 166 megahertz (MHz) processor with MMX
    technology (or equivalent)
  * 32 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM)
  * 2.5 gigabytes (GB) of hard disk space
  * 10X CD-ROM drive (1998: DVD-ROM drive)
  * 64-bit video card supporting MPEG standards and 3D video
  * Sound card supporting wavetable stereo sound
  * USB, parallel, serial, and network interface ports

That is a standard mid-level multimedia, stand-alone system and
efficiently runs almost all leading educational and business
multimedia software on the market today. Keep in mind that
system prices will continue to fall, just as the demands of your
software will continue to increase. The ideal configuration will
depend upon the unique needs of your technology plan and budget.
Regardless of the configuration, matching your systems with the
appropriate scalable operating system tools-such as Windows NT
Server-will ensure that your students can enjoy their
computer-aided learning experience with the minimum of system
crashes or delays.

So, how long will a PC with those specifications last as an
effective part of your network? Only time-and the creativity of
software developers-will tell. Many companies are beginning to
depreciate the cost of computers over life spans as short as two
years. However, your school or district can extend the life of
its client computers through low-cost upgrades that require
little or no technical expertise to install, thanks in part to
the Plug and Play technology built into Windows 95. In the table
that follows, notice that the cost to upgrade RAM, hard disk,
and video card is significantly lower than for other key system
components.

Component and Upgrade  |

Average Price
(Example from mail order price as of January 1998)

RAM: Add 16 MB of SyncDRAM

$50-$60

Hard disk: Add 3.0 GB of EIDE disk space

$210

Video card: Replace with new- generation multimedia card with 2
MB VRAM

$200

Processor: Replace with 200 MHz processor with MMX technology

$300

System board: Replace to update interface technology, CPU type

$350 plus CPU ($300+), memory ($220+ for new type), and related
components

If price is a strong consideration when mixing and matching PC
components, direct your initial purchase toward faster CPU
speeds and more advanced interface technologies. Invest in 233+
MHz MMX or Pentium II processors, DVD-ROM drives, and SCSI or
ATA hard disk drive interfaces. Select these and the latest
internal connection bus technologies, such as Universal Serial
Bus (USB) and accelerated graphics port (AGP), with your initial
purchase rather than more memory (RAM) or hard disk capacity. As
shown above, memory and hard disk capacity can be easily and
inexpensively added at a later date.

Don't feel compelled to purchase all your computers at the same
time. That might spell disaster in a few years when you suddenly
discover a need for significant upgrades and are faced with
replacing every computer in your network! Remember, system
prices will continue to drop over time, so in the near future
you may be able to invest in Pentium II processors or other
advanced system features. A "more advanced is better" approach
to selecting processors, interfaces, and disk/CD drive
technologies for each generation of computers you purchase will
prove to be more valuable than more RAM or hard disk space in
the long run.

Servers: Price, Performance, and Life Span

Servers require a slightly different approach to system
configuration. They can take on a number of roles: software
"provider," central storage space, e-mail processor, and
Internet gateway, to name just a few. As a result, your hardware
requirements may vary dramatically. For most applications,
however, hard disk space and RAM will be more important here
than on the students' desktops.

A low-budget server capable of running Windows NT can be
configured almost exactly the same way as your client computers,
with the exception of added hard disk capacity. However, to
provide a reasonable range of services for your school's data,
your server computer should have a minimum of:
  * An Intel Pentium or Pentium II 200 MHz processor with MMX
    technology (or equivalent)
  * Support for multiple processors
  * 64 MB RAM
  * Two 4-GB hard disks (using the fastest interface you can
    afford, such as PCI SCSI-2)
  * 10X CD-ROM (1998: DVD-ROM)
  * USB, parallel, and serial ports
  * Network interface adapter (fastest allowed by your
    infrastructure)
  * Network operating system software and server management
    tools, such as Microsoft Windows NT Server and Microsoft
    BackOffice products
  * 24-hour support options for both the hardware and the
    network operating system provided by the vendor

Server prices can range from as low as $2,500 to $10,000 and
more, depending upon the storage capacity and number of
processors and redundant components included in the system. The
system you select will depend on the specific applications you
have in mind; however, it's important to choose a system that
has components (such as multiple disks that can back up your
critical data) and one that allows for future growth. Initial
hard disk capacity and the capability to add disks, processors,
and RAM in the future are more important than actually having
multiple components at the start.

Servers tend to have a longer life span in a network than client
PCs. Why? As the technologies that drive a server age, the
server can take on less demanding roles in your network. What
was a state-of-the-art file server two years ago today acts as a
database server. And today's student multimedia software server
may be reconfigured as a proxy server for Internet access or a
file storage location for your district office in the future.
Servers are also designed with frequent upgrades in mind: The
average server has several drive bays and support for a larger
number of add-in device cards than most desktop computers have.

Choosing Hardware

Before you start shopping for hardware, be sure to evaluate the
exact components-including interfaces and expandability-you need
to get the job done. The best computer purchase decisions are
based on an evaluation of suitability to the task, environment,
and budget.

Suitability to Task

It's easy to get blinded by new, interesting technologies and
forget the need to answer one critical question: How will this
computer be used? Check the minimum hardware requirements of
your students' graphic presentation package, the administrators'
spreadsheet, or the teachers' grade-tracking programs, and
exceed those requirements to ensure that the software will run
efficiently.

If you intend to use a new server for a specific application
(such as a CD-ROM server), make sure you are looking at the
right combination of hardware to get the job done, and be
prepared to ask the right questions of vendors or resellers.

Suitability to Environment

Will your new systems be compatible with your existing servers?
If you are using the Microsoft Windows platform exclusively, the
answer is probably yes. However, if you are using UNIX, Apple,
or other network operating systems, be sure your server can
communicate with those existing resources. If multiple platform
support is your primary concern in a server, consider using
Microsoft Windows NT Server and Microsoft BackOffice to ensure
easy configuration and communication between components.

Suitability to the environment also includes where your new
hardware will be used. Will the system be used in a classroom, a
computing lab, or at home? The choice of how best to deploy
computers for student use depends on the resources and
constraints of your school or district. Hardware selection
should follow the guidelines your school intends to follow for
local versus remote file storage, hardware security, and local
versus server-based CD-ROM availability.

Suitability to Budget

Budget constraints have significant impact on the kind and
number of computers purchased to support an education technology
plan. Here are some quick tips for saving money on computing
purchases, giving you more flexibility in building your
Connected Learning Community.

For more information on partnerships see, "Return Through the
Looking Glass: Developing Business Partnerships in K-12 Schools"
on the Microsoft K-12 Connection Web site at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcoct97.asp. Also see "Partnering with the Business World" in
the February 1998 issue of Microsoft K-12 Connection at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcfeb98.asp.

For an example of one school district's experience with
purchasing and updating network technology, see "Reality Bytes
Back" in the September 1997 issue of Microsoft K-12 Connection
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clc2sep97.asp.

See the Windows NT White Paper on Setting Profiles and Policies
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
/ntserver/
guide/pdcwp.asp  |  |
  * Look into direct purchasing. Several computer manufacturers
    have made reputations for themselves by providing low-cost,
    high-quality computers by mail. These companies can offer
    custom configurations and significant discounts over retail
    computer outlets.
  * Seek out corporate sponsorship.Companies are often willing
    to donate technical assistance or to underwrite the purchase
    of computers as a contribution to your Connected Learning
    Community.
  * Team up with other schools for volume purchases. Almost
    every computer manufacturer offers price breaks for multiple
    system purchases. Your neighboring district or school may be
    able to combine your order with theirs to reach order
    quantities that qualify for these discounts.
  * Research best practices. Take advantage of the experience of
    others, through your own contacts or research. Other schools
    that have purchased similar equipment or are farther down
    the road to the Connected Learning Community may have
    valuable insights to share.
  * Explore relationships with Microsoft Solution Providers or
    Solution Developers, who may be able to provide a complete
    solution. Your system and budget may benefit from
    single-source solutions for installation, maintenance, and
    support.

Upgrading or Adding to an Existing Network

And how about adding devices to an existing network? You may be
interested in adding a new server to bring much-needed network
storage to the sixth grade, or in adding a shared printer to the
district office to serve administrators. Here are some quick
tips that will help you with some common network upgrades.

Adding a CD-ROM Server

CD-ROM servers are designed to provide access to multimedia
software over a network. Investing in a CD-ROM server may be a
cost-effective alternative to purchasing and tracking many
copies of a multimedia program for your school (prices depend on
the number of drives, interface type, and options; typically a
4- to 10-drive server costs $3,000-$10,000). Before investing in
a CD server, apply the same decision criteria used for other
computers in the network:
  * Suitability to task. Can the software you wish to serve over
    the network be accessed by more than one user at a time? If
    not, how many drives will you need to meet user demands?
    Remember that Windows NT can provide shared access to one or
    more CD-ROM drives within an existing server. Is investing
    in the server necessary, or can you add a CD-ROM drive to an
    existing server to meet demand?
  * Suitability to environment. Does your network have the
    bandwidth and hardware necessary to handle multiple
    multimedia titles executing over the network at once? Which
    is more important based upon your current computing
    policies-one copy of the software administered from a
    central location, or multiple copies stored in many
    locations (to restore to local hard disk drives)?
  * Suitability to budget. What licensing fees will you need to
    pay or what special versions of software will you need to
    buy to meet demand? What are the cost implications of
    upgrading multiple single-user copies versus upgrading one
    network-capable copy plus any relevant per-site or per-seat
    usage agreement fees?

Adding Printers and Scanners

Networked printers and shared scanners are becoming popular in
academic computing environments, especially for support of
student presentations or Internet development projects. Adding
those components in a Windows NT platform environment is
relatively easy. Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation users can
"see" printers and scanners connected to computers where
share-level access has been made available.

Mixed-platform environments can benefit by connecting the new
device by means of a Windows NT Server, which can provide the
necessary file and print services to NetWare servers or UNIX
print queues (with the purchase of additional software).

Assessing the Status of Existing Components

How can you tell when it's time to upgrade a portion of your
school or district's network? Do the client PCs seem too slow?
Are the servers running out of space or stalling when a certain
number of users are online to the Internet? As with the physical
world, the Connected Learning Community can sometimes benefit
from well-planned expansion.

Planning for renovation rather than outright replacement of the
network is a far more complicated process than starting from
scratch or adding new capabilities. Each of the existing
computers (and other devices) in your network can be judged by
the same criteria discussed earlier for justifying and planning
hardware purchases. This time, you are trying to judge whether
or not the hardware is meeting current needs, and what has to be
changed, what must stay, and what needs to be done to bring the
whole network in line with future requirements.

Getting Help

Like urban renewal projects in the real world, major renovation
projects in the Connected Learning Community should not be
undertaken lightly. Just as in the initial technology planning
process, each member of the community has a stake-financial
and/or educational-in your school or district's technology
overhaul. Their concerns will need to be addressed while
reconciling with the all too familiar constraints of time,
money, and expertise. Fortunately, a lot of resources are
available to help you-especially if your school or district
already has or is considering computers, servers, or other
devices using the Windows platform.

Microsoft online resources.In addition to this roadmap, there
are several Microsoft Web sites that can help you evaluate,
implement, and support your network:
  * Network Blueprint for Using Windows NT at
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/nb.htm
  * Evaluating Windows NT and Windows 95 in Academic
    Environments at
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/resource/windows.htm
  * Training and Technical Support at
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/training.htm and
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/support.htm
  * Online Product Support at
    http://www.microsoft.com/support/
  * Installing and Maintaining Windows NT Server at
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/articles/netjan97.asp

See Connecting with Windows NT at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/netmay97.asp.

For more information on Microsoft Solution Providers, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/partner/
resource/
guide/
solprov.htm.  |  |

Microsoft Solution Providers. Microsoft Solution Providers are
private industry resellers and consultants who have partnered
with Microsoft to meet a standard of excellence in designing
Windows-based solutions and providing technical support.

----------
Chapter 9: A Window to the Administration  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * The Business of Education
  * Doing Old Work in New Ways
  * Centralized Data Administration
  * Remote Access
  * Tools for Building the Foundation
  * On the Desktop: Productivity Software
  * Microsoft Office
  * Foundations for Learning

This chapter looks at the ways specific networking technologies
and tools can benefit administrative staff, the "behind the
scenes" players so important in maintaining the growth and
health of your school or district.

The Business of Education

The development of a Connected Learning Community involves
technology, people, planning, and a commitment to serving every
constituent. The benefits of technology for teachers and
students are obvious. Less obvious but just as important are
those efforts aimed at bringing administrative staff into the
technology improvement picture.

When discussing technology planning, many educators are quick to
point out the differences between business and education.
However, both face challenges common to any group organized to
achieve a goal. One of those challenges is maintaining an
efficient support structure for those responsible for the end
"product." In the business of education, that means providing
the school or district administration with the management tools
necessary to ensure a quality education for each student.

Creating knowledgeable students ready for the challenges of the
workplace or higher education does not start and end in the
classroom. Why should your technology effort?

Doing Old Work in New Ways

The productivity gains realized by computerizing American
businesses have been incredible. Creative ideas for doing old
work new ways using computer technology have led to an
unprecedented era of growth and innovation. The next era of
innovation is just getting under way, with businesses taking
advantage of networked computers to collaborate, innovate, and
discover cost savings in every aspect of their operations.

So what will happen when your school or district administration
gets "wired" to the information superhighway? The results are up
to you and your administrative constituents as you implement the
school or district's technology plan. Regardless of the
technical details, the key to success will be building a solid,
consistent technology foundation to support productivity and
communication.

Centralized Data Administration

Dedicating one or more servers to a central data repository will
simplify record administration, streamline information requests,
and reduce the overhead associated with archive space management
and lost-item replacement. Student data, such as transcripts,
health records, and government compliance data, can be
electronically stored for easy access and report generation as
needed.

In library administration, networked computers make school
interlibrary loans possible, provide a platform for computerized
card catalog searches, and expand the breadth and depth of
information services available to the students.

Remote Access

As your school or district network grows to merge with or
embrace other schools, you have an unprecedented opportunity to
get all staff "on the same (electronic) page." With a wide area
network, administrative staff can instantly communicate on a
variety of financial, procedural, and logistical issues, from
multischool purchases to getting the word out about the latest
influenza outbreak. And this information is not limited to the
district or school sites. Dial-up accounts give your "wired"
staff the opportunity to work from the comfort of their home
offices or to check in from conferences, seminars, or district
events by using their laptop computers.

Schools not yet ready to take on your advanced technology can
dial in to the network from stand-alone stations to learn about
the direction of your school or district's newest initiatives.
And your administration can learn from the successes and
failures of other districts by accessing education-related
Internet sites. Administrators can also connect to the district
intranet to see what innovations other schools have discovered,
from technology integration to the sharing of new lesson plans
and online tutorials.

Centralized administration is just the beginning of a process
that can remove a lot of the headaches associated with school
and districtwide scheduling-from staff and faculty schedules to
in-service days to building maintenance-as well as facilitate
dissemination of information-from policy changes to procedures
for lunchroom monitors.

Remote administration by dial-up access also gives your school
or district the most for its technology-troubleshooting dollar.
Remote dial-in accounts can simplify diagnosis and allow fewer
technology administrators to cover a larger geographical area
for routine diagnostics or simple troubleshooting tasks such as
restarting a stalled print server.

Tools for Building the Foundation

Each member of your district or school's administration can
become more productive through the technology initiative. This
section looks at some of the ways technology can be deployed to
realize productivity gains, and how Microsoft Windows platform
products, in particular, can energize your staff and help them
save time and money.

The Intranet/Internet

The information highway can speed administrative communication
and serve as a platform for many productivity initiatives.
Setting up an administration Web page is a great way for a
school or district administration to clarify policy and
encourage frequent contact between teachers and staff. If you
are using a Windows NT Server environment, you already have
access to the Internet Information Server (IIS) to create a
"home base" for your school's intranet site. IIS can function as
a single, stand-alone server providing access to the World Wide
Web, FTP services, and more, or it can be part of a more
sophisticated system of servers providing gateways, security,
and domain name system (DNS) services.

For an example of how one academic site gave its administration
safe and secure Web access using Proxy Server, see "Security and
Proxy Server" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
intoct97.asp.

Like Windows NT, IIS is scalable from very low to very high
volumes of traffic for a mix of Internet and intranet access
management. You may also want to configure Microsoft Proxy
Server to add security features and restrict access to the World
Wide Web.

Microsoft Proxy Server can also provide a quick solution to
limited Internet access or slow connection speeds by caching
(capturing and locally storing) Web sites for later use in the
classroom. For example, if 25 third graders all access NASA's
Web site (http://www.nasa.gov) as part of their in-class
assignment to see the shuttle launch, usually 25 separate
connections-one for each student-would be necessary. With Proxy
Server, only one connection to the Internet is necessary. Proxy
Server caches the first student's Web connection, storing it
locally so that the remaining students can access a copy of the
site from the local cache. Each student sees the same
information faster and with fewer demands on your school or
district's Internet connection, thus saving money, bandwidth,
and time.

Administrators and staff can create their own Web pages for the
school or district intranet by using Microsoft FrontPage, a Web
site creation and management tool also included with Windows NT.
FrontPage is a development tool that requires no hypertext
markup language (HTML) programming knowledge. Automated WebBot
components and templates make search engines, supply order
forms, online registration, and multimedia catalogs easy to
create and maintain. FrontPage server extensions can be loaded
onto existing Windows NT servers to provide a full range of
discussion threads, chats, and more, without the need to learn
common gateway interface (CGI) programming.

Electronic Communication

Before stepping into the world of Web page development, you'll
likely want to look at how messaging and data management can be
simplified using your existing electronic mail system. Wouldn't
it be great if an automated reminder could be sent to all
teachers advising them of the next professional development day?
Simple messaging services can get text or a file from here to
there, but often lack the ability to add "intelligence" to the
system-such as forwarding a principal's messages to an assistant
while the principal is on vacation, or generating automated
bulletins to key staff based on approaching deadlines.

For more information about Microsoft Exchange Server at http://
www.microsoft.com/
exchange/. To learn more about NetMeeting at http://
www.microsoft.com/
netmeeting/.

You can find a description of how the Kentucky Department of
Education uses Microsoft Exchange Server to manage its
electronic messaging system at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek2.asp.

Learn more about Microsoft SQL(R) Server client-server database
management system at http://
www.microsoft.com/
sql/. For examples of ways schools and businesses have used SQL
Server to build creative data management solutions, see SQL
Server Case Studies at http://
www.microsoft.com/
/education/k12/
schools/casek1.asp.

See examples of how schools and districts are using Microsoft
Access and Microsoft Excel at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek3.asp and http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek7.asp.  |  |
Microsoft Exchange Server can provide finely tuned, proactive
control of your school or district's e-mail system. An extensive
menu of services helps streamline communication, simplifies
administration, and reduces the paperwork and labor associated
with traditional mass communication methods. Imagine automated
warnings to e-mail users to clean out cluttered mailboxes or
sending rich text format (RTF) e-mail to users of different
e-mail clients or collaborating on documents online across your
entire district! The latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server
includes all those capabilities and more, as well as Microsoft
NetMeetingTM conferencing software.

Centralized Data Management

Products such as Microsoft SQL Server can provide a common
"home" for a variety of databases, from attendance records to
Scholastic Aptitude Test score trends. Microsoft SQL Server
includes high-capacity and powerful database development tools
that can create user-friendly reports and provide simultaneous
access to many users over the school or district intranet. It
can also serve as the development platform for document
management systems, is highly scalable, and can effectively
communicate across platforms to be a comprehensive solution for
data management applications.

For administrations with data management needs that are not
quite as sophisticated, Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel
offer a variety of data collection, querying, and analysis tools
for the desktop. In addition to being strong stand-alone
analysis tools, these applications can provide easy access to
your central data application by serving as clients to Microsoft
SQL Server applications.

On the Desktop: Productivity Software

Chapter 7, "A Window to the Platform," examined the benefits of
a standardized network and classroom client operating system.
But what about the world of work outside the classroom? In most
businesses, sets of desktop productivity software, called
"suites," are the norm. In a school or district, these packages
offer administrators (and teachers looking for personal
productivity aids) a streamlined set of tools with a common
"look" that goes beyond conforming to the widely accepted
Windows platform.

Selecting Office Productivity Software

What should you look for in productivity software suites for the
district or school office? Your choices should be driven by the
needs of your administration, compatibility with your existing
infrastructure, and cost-effectiveness. Consider the following
when reviewing office productivity software:
  * Cross-platform compatibility. Does the software have a
    version available for the core operating system platforms in
    use at your school and district? Are file formats
    compatible?
  * Cross-application consistency. Administrative staff on a lot
    of software programs. Do the programs in the productivity
    package share a "look and feel" that makes learning them
    easier?
  * Cross-constituent use. Can files be shared easily with
    parents, teachers, other schools, and business partners? Or
    will time and/or money have to be invested in file
    conversions or reformatting when documents are shared?
  * Large market share. Have business and home users invested in
    this product in large numbers? Greater market share means
    more support, training, and troubleshooting resources for
    your school.
  * Interoperability. Is the software ready to use for Internet
    and intranet applications? Can you link to data from the
    World Wide Web in a grant proposal document or quickly
    publish a budget for collaborative editing using NetMeeting
    over your intranet?
  * Links to your network, the community, and beyond. Is the
    software ready to use for Internet and intranet
    applications? Can you link to data from the World Wide Web
    in a grant proposal document or quickly publish a budget for
    collaborative editing using NetMeeting over your intranet?

Chapter 9: A Window to the Administration

For more information, see "In and Out of the Classroom with
Office for Windows 95" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/curric/
office/i&o95/
p1_intro.htm. This guide provides self-paced lessons to help you
explore the features of Microsoft Office 95.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office 97, a state-of-the-art productivity toolbox,
meets all the requirements discussed above for an easy to
deploy, easy to use solution in an administrative computing
environment. A set of powerful applications designed to work
together as one program, Microsoft Office can help a school or
district administration concentrate on what is really important:
working with information and sharing it with students, teachers,
and other administrators, quickly and efficiently.

Microsoft Office 97 Academic Professional Edition integrates the
following intelligent applications with the power of the Web:
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint(R)
presentation graphics program, Microsoft Access, and OutlookTM
messaging and collaboration client. Built-in Web features
include the ability to save Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint,
and Microsoft Access documents in HTML format for Web
publishing, and easy-to-add hyperlinks between any Microsoft
Office application and documents on a LAN, or even out to the
Internet. A brief outline of the administrative productivity
features of Microsoft Office (Microsoft Access is included only
in the Professional Edition) follows:
  * Microsoft Word. With Microsoft Word, the possibilities are
    really unlimited for communicating with students, parents,
    and faculty. Many types of documents can be created, edited,
    and formatted quickly and then saved as templates for future
    use.
  * Microsoft Excel. This electronic spreadsheet's ease of use
    and power make tracking student achievement less burdensome.
    And its charting capabilities give a school, district, or
    technology planning committee an effective way of
    communicating data that otherwise might be too confusing or
    complicated. When it comes to persuading your audience on
    the basis of complex information, a picture really is worth
    a thousand words!
  * Microsoft PowerPoint. Administrators often need to make
    presentations during the course of the school year.
    Developing overheads, creating graphics, and writing text
    for a presentation take time, but without some visual aids
    to explain and reinforce the message, a presentation simply
    won't be as successful. With Microsoft PowerPoint
    presentation graphics program, all the tools needed to
    develop an effective presentation are right at hand.
  * Microsoft Outlook manages e-mail, calendars, contacts,
    tasks, and documents or files on the hard disk drive. It
    helps users communicate through e-mail, phone support, and
    group scheduling capabilities, and helps users share
    information by means of public folders, forms, and Internet
    connectivity. Microsoft Outlook juggles scheduling,
    GroupWare, personal information (such as contacts and
    tasks), e-mail, and documents-all in one place-and allows
    users to create and view that information using a consistent
    interface.

Foundations for Learning

In considering the critical need for technology in schools,
school and district administrations don't necessarily come to
mind first. The Connected Learning Community, however, relies on
these members of the education team to "lead by example"-through
adoption of state-of-the-art technologies outside the classroom
and by seamless integration with the student learning
environment. One of the great truths of the computerized school
is the need for flexibility and the ability to re-use
technologies to fulfill a variety of needs. The tools and
technologies discussed here are no different from those that
play such a vital role in the classroom-only their application
and the tasks performed vary. In the next chapter, "A Window to
the Classroom," these same technologies and tools are
reconfigured and blended with new resources to realize and
enrich the Connected Learning Community.

----------
Chapter 10: A Window to the Classroom  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Productivity Software in the Classroom
  * Microsoft Office 97 in the Classroom
  * Classroom Specialty Software

Productivity and specialty software can streamline classroom
administrative tasks, support the development of exciting
curricula, and provide students with innovative and interactive
learning experiences. This chapter discusses selecting and using
technology classroom tools and how Microsoft products can
contribute to creating a Connected Learning Community.

The hardware that powers your school or district's network
provides the potential for transforming your students' classroom
learning experiences. However, transforming that potential into
the time savings and innovative teaching that define the
Connected Learning Community depends on the successful
application of the right software.

Productivity Software in the Classroom

Office productivity software suites are no longer limited to
business use. Today, they provide teachers and students with a
streamlined set of tools that includes word-processing,
spreadsheet, graphics, database, and electronic mail programs.
Teachers can use the tools to become more productive in their
classroom administration and teaching activities, and students
can use them to discover new ways of learning while preparing
themselves for technology use in the world beyond school.

Selecting Productivity Software

So, what should you look for in productivity software suites for
the classroom? The needs of teachers and students, ease of use,
compatibility with your existing infrastructure, and
cost-effectiveness should drive your choices. Consider the
following criteria:
  * Cross-platform compatibility. Schools often have different
    types of computers in their networks (for example,
    Intel-based computers running Microsoft Windows and Apple
    computers running Macintosh system software). If that is the
    case in your school or district, look for a productivity
    suite that provides cross-platform compatibility.
  * Intelligent automation. The new performance standards in
    productivity software demand an understanding of context.
    State-of-the-art products recognize user intent and
    automatically deliver the required functionality (that is,
    intelligent automation). With the right productivity
    package, people can "delegate" tasks to the computer more
    than ever before.
  * Consistency for easy learning. A suite of software products
    that work and look alike enables people to learn faster,
    minimizes training and support costs, and stimulates users
    to take full advantage of every feature available to improve
    their productivity. For true user benefit, consistency must
    permeate the products; for example, they should have similar
    menus, menu structure, dialog boxes, and icons, as well as
    common keystrokes and commands.
  * Integration for greater productivity. Integration in a
    productivity software suite means two or more applications
    can work together to accomplish a task. According to
    Forrester Research, Fortune 1000 companies consider
    application integration to be the most important
    criterion-more important even than individual product
    features-when they evaluate productivity suites. Maybe it
    should be at the top of your list of criteria, too.

True integration in a productivity suite is built on open
industry standards. Standards to look for include OLE
(Microsoft's object-based technology for sharing information and
services across process and machine boundaries), AppleEvents
(interapplication messages introduced with Apple System 7), Open
Database Connectivity (ODBC), and messaging interfaces,
including MAPI (messaging application programming interface) and
Apple Open Collaborative Environment (AOCE).
  * Development tools. Prepackaged office applications will meet
    many classroom productivity tool needs, but they won't meet
    all of them. You'll need customized applications, too, such
    as interfaces that provide easy access to databases of
    student records. Today, many productivity suites include
    reusable building blocks of software objects and easy-to-use
    but powerful development tools, so custom applications can
    be created quickly and simply.
  * Quality applications. The The foundation of a productivity
    software suite is its individual products. Consequently, the
    applications that make up a productivity suite should be
    leaders in their product categories. The other criteria
    shouldn't force you to settle for compromises in quality.
  * Vendor reputation. The software vendors' policies,
    licensing, and support are important purchase criteria-more
    so than with single-application purchases.

For examples of putting productivity software to use in your
school or district's curriculum, see Microsoft in Education /
Scholastic's Productivity in the Classroom at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/
curric/activity/.

Learn more about Microsoft Press at http://mspress.
microsoft.com.

For more information, see "In and Out of the Classroom with
Office 97 for Windows 95"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/curric/
office/I&O/
P1Intro.htm.
This guide provides self-paced lessons to help teachers and
students explore and use the features of Microsoft Office 95.

For more information on Microsoft Solution Providers, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/partner/
resource/guide/
solution.htm.
McGraw-Hill School Systems at http://
www.mmhschool.com/ is one such independent Microsoft Solution
Provider in the education market.  |  |

Learning to Use Productivity Software

Students learn how to use productivity software tools by 1)
taking computer application courses to learn the features and
functions of specific tools, and 2) completing lessons that use
the software as a key tool. The most successful schools use both
methods.

Computer application courses. Productivity software courses give
students basic software knowledge and technology skills
training, providing a foundation they can expand on as they
uncover the power of technology. Microsoft Press publishes Step
by Step books and practice file sets that can be used in
application courses.

Integration of technology and curriculum. Integrating
productivity software into existing curricula as a learning tool
is based on the goal of preparing students for the workforce:
Just as employees use computers to do their work, students use
computers to do their learning. When properly integrated into
the curriculum, software and computers become essential tools,
making the relevance of technology in the students' lives
obvious. Teachers generally find that students using technology
as a tool for learning complete their work faster and produce
higher-quality results.

Microsoft Office 97 in the Classroom

If preparing students for the workforce is a primary goal for
schools, then it makes sense for schools to use the productivity
tools that predominate in the workforce-and more than two
million people in the workforce use Microsoft Office. That's
about 80 percent of all such productivity suites in use today.

The technological reasons schools are selecting Microsoft Office
are just as important. Microsoft Office provides schools with a
single productivity tool standard regardless of the type of
computer being used: That is, teachers who use Macintosh
computers can share data created in Microsoft Office with
administrators who use PCs running Microsoft Windows.

Educators like the software's features, which are powerful yet
very easy to learn and use. IntelliSense(R) technology automates
many common tasks, enabling users to focus on their projects,
not on the computer tools they need to accomplish them. And
because consistency is built into the various Microsoft Office
applications, once a user has learned one, he or she knows
enough to get started in any of the others. Last, the price of
Microsoft Office is very attractive. Microsoft Office is far
more powerful than "Works"-type applications, yet only slightly
more expensive than purchasing Microsoft Works or individual
productivity applications.

Teachers and students using Microsoft Office 97 Academic
Professional Edition will benefit from Microsoft Excel,
Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Access, and the
new Microsoft Outlook messaging and collaboration client.
Built-in Web features include the ability to save Microsoft
Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access documents to HTML
for Web publishing, and easy-to-add hyperlinks between any
Microsoft Office application and documents on a LAN, or even out
to the Internet. For a brief outline of the classroom
productivity features of Microsoft Office (Microsoft Access is
included only in the Professional Edition), read on:
  * Microsoft Word. With Microsoft Word 97, teachers and
    students can quickly create and modify various types of
    documents used in the classroom, edit and format them in
    interesting and dramatic ways, and save them as templates
    for future use. Microsoft Word can help teachers create
    accurate tests and efficiently track student performance.
    Students can use Microsoft Word to publish a weekly or
    monthly newsletter that provides information on class
    projects, upcoming events, test dates, student of the week,
    and so on.
  * Microsoft Excel. For teachers, an electronic spreadsheet
    adds a whole new dimension to recording and reporting
    student performance. With Microsoft Excel, teachers can make
    their grade books look the way they want and track student
    data in different ways. Both teachers and students can use
    Microsoft Excel to create interesting and useful charts. And
    students can take a Microsoft Excel chart and insert it into
    a Word for Windows 97 document, giving real impact to
    research papers and reports.
  * Microsoft PowerPoint. Teachers and students can use
    Microsoft PowerPoint presentations graphics program to make
    effective presentations with overheads, graphics, and text.
  * Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Outlook messaging and
    collaboration client manages e-mail, calendars, contacts,
    tasks, and documents or files on the hard disk drive. It can
    help students and teachers communicate through e-mail, and
    help them share information by means of public folders,
    forms, and Internet connectivity.

A Teacher Productivity Toolset

Teachers can use Microsoft Office 97 to automate many of the
tasks for which they're responsible, freeing themselves to focus
on more creative activities. For example, with Microsoft Office,
it's easy to record student grades and attendance
electronically, automate progress reports, create newsletters
and calendars, and share information, like worksheets and tests,
with other teachers.

Microsoft Office includes templates and wizards that simplify
and even automate many administrative tasks. For example,
Microsoft Access (included in the Microsoft Office 97
Professional Edition) includes a sample database that educators
can easily customize to keep track of students' grades.

One of the most exciting uses of technology for educators is
electronic presentation in the classroom. Each application in
Microsoft Office has tools to facilitate electronic presentation
of course materials, from the Web publishing tools in Microsoft
Word to the animation and other visual effects available in
Microsoft PowerPoint.

Multimedia Presentation Options

It's fun to create multimedia documents and presentations using
Microsoft Office 97, but of course teachers' main interest in
creating these teaching aids is to share them with students.
Office 97 supports a wide range of output types, from
screen-based presentations to color transparencies made with an
ink jet printer. To make the most of multimedia, though,
teachers and students will need hardware to go along with the
software. Let's take a look at screen-based display options:
monitors, LCD overhead projection panels, and LCD projectors.

Monitors. The 15-inch and 17-inch monitors shipped with most
computers are adequate for one or two students, but are not
suitable for sharing an image with an entire class. You may need
to add hardware to the computer you plan to use for classroom
presentations. Fortunately, there are a number of inexpensive
ways to put your image on the "big screen":
  * Video output standards. The latest generation of PCs and
    notebook computers offers video cards that generate NTSC
    and/or S-Video formatted output for direct connection to
    large-screen televisions. If your computer does not have the
    right ports, video "daughter cards" that connect to the
    existing display adapter can be added for as little as $100.
  * Signal converters, available from a number of vendors, offer
    PC-to-TV signal conversion and are often bundled with video
    capture and editing software. Prices start at about $150 and
    may be even less expensive for basic, no-frills models.
    Newer notebook and desktop computers may have signal
    converters built directly into their video hardware, making
    the connection to your TV as easy as setting up a VCR.
  * Large-screen monitors are becoming more affordable as
    technology continues to drive down manufacturing costs.
    Standard CRT-type monitors in 19-inch diagonals are
    available starting at $900. Large-diagonal (42-inch) LCD
    monitors thin enough to hang on a wall are currently
    available for around $11,000. Industry experts expect prices
    to drop dramatically over the next few years.

LCD overhead projector panels. These devices sit on top of a
standard fixture in many classrooms-the overhead projector-and
act as a dynamic "slide," displaying whatever is on the PC
monitor. The highly portable units (most weigh less than 10
pounds) support Super VGA or XGA resolutions and at least 256
colors to reveal multimedia programs and projects in all their
splendor. Prices range from $800 to as much as $10,000 for more
advanced models. A midrange model displays PC or video signals
at Super VGA resolution for about $2,000.

If a projection panel is the best solution for your classrooms,
be sure the overhead projector is bright enough to display an
image in a wide range of light conditions. Most LCD panel
manufacturers suggest an overhead projector with an output of at
least 5,000 American National Standards Institute (ANSI) lumens.
Overhead projectors with this output range in price from $700 to
$1,000.

LCD projectors. Once considered beyond the reach of all but the
most well-funded presenters, LCD projectors have become
surprisingly affordable. Entry-level projectors (which include
both a light source and the LCD matrix to project your image)
start at $2,500. Models that project the highest quality output
from TV, video, or PC input are available for $4,000 to $10,000;
they include stereo sound, crisp images, and the ability to
project easily visible images in normal lighting conditions.

For a complete description of Microsoft supplemental curriculum
software, see Microsoft's Academic Products and Pricing Web page
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
products.htm or call the K-12 Education Information Line at
(800) 555-4K12. This free service provides educators with easy
access to up-to-date information on the full-range of
Windows-based education applications. You can also call the
information line for free review software. The K-12 CD Sampler
for Windows 95
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/wsc/ highlights 25 Windows School Connection member
software titles designed for Windows 95. You can also order the
free Education Product Guide-a comprehensive directory of more
than 1,500 Windows-based solutions for K-12 schools from leading
software publishers.

For more details on activity guides for Microsoft titles, see
the Lessons, Activities, and Tutorials Web page at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
resource/lessons.htm. Many of the guides are available online.
For examples of how teachers are using both productivity and
supplemental software titles from Microsoft in the classroom,
see Microsoft K-12 Connection's Classroom Corner at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
cc.asp.  |  |

Classroom Specialty Software

No single vendor can provide a technology solution for every
educational need. However, there are companies that are experts
in specialized solutions for education. Microsoft is teaming up
with these independent organizations to create new products and
services for the classroom computing environment.

Microsoft and independent Microsoft Solution Providers can also
work together to create specialized applications-like Student
Information Management Solutions-using Microsoft Office products
as building blocks.

Supplemental Curriculum Software

Obviously, productivity software is not the answer for every
curriculum enhancement. In history and mathematics classes, for
example, specialty software products can be highly effective
additions. Look for software that pushes learning experiences
beyond existing materials while drawing clear relationships
between subject matter in text, videos, and multimedia.

Interactive multimedia CD-ROMs can assist the classroom teacher
in a variety of subject areas. But how do you decide which
titles to select and how to use them? The following tips will
help:
  * Leave it to the experts. Teachers, librarians, and
    curriculum developers are the experts when it comes to
    selecting appropriate support materials for the classroom.
    They should take the lead in choosing textbooks, videos, and
    CD-ROM software titles. Be prepared to offer assistance if
    requested.
  * Evaluate potential titles on a range of criteria. If you or
    your instructional experts are evaluating CD-ROM titles for
    the first time, be sure to look at these criteria when
    choosing a program: Does the softwarea
    * Address an instructional need?
    * Engage the viewer and warrant repeated use?
    * Have high-level design and multimedia production values,
      or is it simply "shovelware" (text and graphics hastily
      put together)?
    * Offer timely and accurate content?
    * Offer superior performance and functionality; that is, is
      it reliable, easy to learn, and easy to use?

  * Can the CD-ROM be served over your network? Should you buy
    one copy of the new title for every computer, every
    classroom, every library? The answer depends on the network
    capability of the software and how the teachers plan to use
    the program. If the software is primarily for independent
    research, a copy in each library might suffice. If the title
    will be part of classroom instruction, copies in each room
    are necessary. If you have networked computers, you may need
    to purchase only one CD-ROM for the server and additional
    licenses for individual computers to access the server.

Remember that the performance of any multimedia CD-ROM title
running across a network with multiple users depends on the
quality of the software (was it designed to be run in that
fashion?) and the quality and speed of your network.

Supplemental Curriculum Software and Resources from Microsoft

In addition to productivity software, Microsoft has published a
wide range of multimedia software that can supplement your
school or district's curriculum. Microsoft also publishes
activity guides for Microsoft titles typically used to
supplement curricula. These guides help teachers incorporate
technology into their curricula by providing simple activities,
more extensive lesson plans, and guided tours and training
lessons. The guides are included in the product box as posters,
activity cards, or booklets when you purchase the Academic
Edition of Microsoft software titles.

----------
Chapter 11: Engaged Learning  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Reinventing Today's Classrooms
  * The Engaged Learning Classroom
  * Using Technology
  * Using the Web

The growth of the Connected Learning Community in your school or
district is a building block of a new model for student
learning. This model, engaged learning, represents a fundamental
change in the way learning takes place in the classroom. This
chapter looks at the components of the engaged learning model
and at ways in which the integration of technology into
curricula supports engaged learning.

Reinventing Today's Classrooms

Recent advances in technology have shifted classroom learning
from a passive mode to a new engaged model in which students are
doers as well as thinkers. The engaged learning model is based
on the simple belief that students of all ages learn better when
they are active participants in what they are studying. Being
actively engaged in the learning process means students are
making their own decisions, thinking critically, and learning
within contexts that are meaningful to them. When students are
presented with authentic, challenging, and multidisciplinary
tasks and allowed to explore a subject from their own particular
point of view, they grasp the subject matter better.

Today's computer and telecommunications technologies are
powerful tools that can be used to support engaged learning. In
fact, the very nature of Connected Learning Communities provides
constant opportunities for active participation in learning.
Specifically, they provide opportunities for:
  * Authentic, project-based, investigative learning
  * Access to global information resources
  * Increased interaction among students, teachers, and the
    global information community
  * Transformations in the roles of students and teachers

CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGAGED LEARNING

Students are self-regulated learners who define learning goals
that are meaningful to them and understand how specific
activities relate to those goals.

The teacher is a facilitator in learning.

Learning tasks are authentic, challenging, and multi
disciplinary.

Students participate in interactive modes of instruction.

Students learn through exploration.

Students work collaboratively.

Students are grouped heterogeneously.

Assessments are based on students' performances of real tasks.

For more information about the engaged learning model, see
"Meaningful Engaged Learning" at http://
www.ncrel.org/
sdrs/engaged.htm.

For examples of engaged learning, see the following sites:
U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and
Improvement at http://
www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/
Ursuline Academy of Dallas (Texas) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek19.asp
Snohomish School District (Washington) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek24.asp
Clovis Unified School District (New Mexico) at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek26.asp

For examples of online lesson plans, see Microsoft K-12
Connection's Classroom Corner at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
cc.asp.  |  |

The Engaged Learning Classroom

Teachers in engaged learning classrooms serve as facilitators of
learning. Rather than spending the entire class dictating notes
on the subject of the day, they help students explore with the
aid of a variety of teaching tools.

For example, a history teacher may use multimedia software to
instruct a group (large or small) for a brief lesson and then
spend most of the period circulating among the students, guiding
them in their work at various learning stations. While some of
that work will include practicing what the teacher has taught,
students will apply and extend what they have learned through
collaboration or individual work. Engaged in a guided
exploration of the subject area, they investigate and gather
information through primary sources, online experts, and the
Internet. Computers, textbooks, hands-on activities, and a
variety of other resources are used every day, with
instructional software and computer simulations used to
re-create real-world problems and scenarios, and more
traditional educational software providing drill and practice.

The engaged learning classroom is a stimulating multidimensional
learning environment in which technology adds variety of
presentation and a greater depth and breadth to satisfy
individual curiosities.

Using Technology to Create an Engaged Learning Environment

The improvement of teaching and learning is the single most
important goal of your school or district's technology program.
As you design and implement the program, it's important to avoid
the temptation of delving into the depths of the tools
available. Remember that the whole point of introducing
technology into your school or district is to create more
effective learning environments, not to make every student an
expert on networking!

A study by the Software Publishers Association found that the
school environments that used technology effectively to enhance
learning had the following characteristics:2
  * A high degree of district-level involvement
  * A high degree of leadership from a school-level computer
    coordinator
  * Extensive teacher training in the integration of technology
    and curriculum
  * Collaborative work among the computer-using teachers
  * Software acquisition funds available for teachers
  * Ongoing opportunities for students to engage in
    self-directed learning experiences and cooperative learning
    activities

Those characteristics are all key elements for creating an
engaged learning environment. The findings of this study provide
a basis for ensuring that users get the most out of your school
or district's technology investment.

Technology Integration

Integration of technology throughout all areas of the curriculum
is a critical component of engaged learning. It is also vital to
the success of your technology program. An integrated curriculum
has the following characteristics:
  * Focuses on basic skills, content, and higher-level thinking
    skills
  * Is student-centered
  * Provides connections among the various curricular
    disciplines
  * Captures, motivates, and challenges learners
  * Encourages active participation in relevant real-life
    experiences
  * Accommodates a variety of learning styles and intelligences
  * Offers opportunities for small group and individualized
    instruction
  * Incorporates technology as an integral part of learning
  * Encourages lifelong learning
  * Incorporates authentic assessment

Challenges For Teachers Teachers must receive sufficient
training to help them effectively plan and execute projects that
integrate technology across the subject areas. This teaching
model requires them to rethink and reshape their curricula. For
many, learning to integrate technology and curricula means
mastering a series of challenges, including:
  * Learning how to use a variety of technology applications.
    Given the wide variety of software packages that can be
    integrated, it is time-consuming and difficult for teachers
    to learn about the potential power of each technology
    application.
  * Designing technology-enhanced curricula to meet students'
    needs. Teachers must become curriculum developers and learn
    how to select applications that will be most effective in
    meeting their teaching goals.
  * Using and adapting online curricula. Teachers must become
    familiar with online lesson plans and adapt those lessons
    for their students.
  * Expanding their knowledge of their subject areas. Teachers
    must expand their own subject-area knowledge base so that
    they don't limit students' experiences and exploration.
  * Taking on the new roles of curriculum designer and coach.
    Teachers must shift from a knowledge-transmission role to
    inquiry-based teaching.

Guiding Questions For Curriculum And Technology Integration To
begin the process of integrating technology and curriculum, the
following questions should be addressed:
  * Which software applications are appropriate for integration
    into the curriculum?
  * What are the best ways to employ technology to enhance
    curricular content and concepts?
  * How can technology be used to help support an
    inquiry-oriented curriculum model?
  * How can technology be used to promote student collaboration?

For a guide to using Microsoft Office 97 in the classroom, see
"In and Out of the Classroom" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/
curric/
office97/.

For more tips on curriculum integration, see "Bringing It All
Together" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/ccoct97.asp.  |  |

Overcoming the Challenges. Although adapting to new ways of
developing and delivering a curriculum may present challenges,
most teachers feel the rewards of teaching and learning through
integrated curricula are worth the extra effort. The following
are a few suggestions that will help ease the process:
  * Integrated software packages. A suite of software products
    that work and look alike enables teachers to learn the
    applications faster-minimizing training and support-and
    helps them use the applications synergistically.
  * Familiarity with software applications and online resources.
    Teachers need to be able to suggest the appropriate tools
    for students to use at different points in their inquiry
    process. Learning the software is not enough; teachers need
    to be able to use it in various formats such as for
    presentation purposes, as part of student assessment, and so
    on. Also, teachers should become familiar with the vast
    array of online curriculum resources that can support
    learning objectives.
  * Use of different inquiry-oriented curriculum models.
    Integration of technology and curriculum can be accomplished
    by:
    * Integrating a particularly exciting technology application
      into existing curricula.
    * Constructing a curriculum around a theme or topic, using a
      variety of technology applications.
    * Accessing a complete and comprehensive multimedia
      curriculum online.

  * Flexibility in the use of technology applications and online
    resources. Teachers cannot and should not expect to have a
    total grasp of the content related to every topic. Instead
    they should feel they can learn alongside their students.
    Teachers need to learn how to connect to relevant resources,
    how to organize student groups, how to guide students in
    asking probing questions, and how to give students the tools
    to store, retrieve, manipulate, and analyze information.

Using the Web as Curriculum

It seems that every year teachers are asked to take on more
responsibilities and to try new ways of reaching students. Given
the burden of everyday classroom and administrative functions,
they may well ask, "How will I ever find the time to learn and
integrate these new technology skills with my curriculum to
improve student learning?"

The answer can be found on the information superhighway. Access
to the vast resources of the World Wide Web opens up a world of
opportunity. Today, the Internet provides an array of classroom
lessons, student projects, supplemental information resources,
and guides to new teaching strategies. The Web has become a
veritable warehouse of lesson plans.

Like any learning tool, the Web has both great potential and
limitations. There is so much information on the Web, that
teachers and students must learn to be highly selective and
highly proficient at finding selected information. Having a
warehouse full of valuable goods is of little value if you don't
know where things are shelved or how to determine what is a
useful item and what is not. To use the Internet as an effective
resource for teaching, teachers will have to:

For guidance on finding and using good teacher resources, see
"Untangling the Web of Online Curriculum Resources" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
cc2may97.asp.

For tips on assessing the value of a Web site, see "Comparing
and Evaluating Web Information Sources" at http://
fromnowon.org/jun97/
eval.html.

For examples of curricula links, see Bellingham Public Schools
(Washington) Web site at http://
www.bham.wednet.edu.  |  |

  * Learn to evaluate good Web sites on the bases of
    selectivity, reliability, quality, organization, questions,
    instructions, and sequences of activities.
  * Set measurable learning objectives, and use online
    activities that support the attainment of those objectives.
  * View curricula as an adventure.
  * Use Web lessons that focus on problem-solving skills and
    that require hunting for and gathering of information.
  * Look for curricula that pose major questions.
  * Expose students to worthwhile topics that will motivate them
    to learn.
  * Teach students the research process.
  * Teach students how to "surf" the Internet, scan material,
    and screen out the irrelevant.
  * Challenge students to develop their own insights while
    reading and critiquing resources on the Internet.
  * Develop curriculum pages on the school Web site that list
    and annotate good sources and provide suggested activities.
  * Provide links on the school Web pages to other resources
    (see the Web sites listed below, for example).

Online Resources

The following resources may be of use to both teachers and
students in creating and participating in engaged learning
experiences.

Organizations
  * National Council for Geographic Education
    http://www.oneonta.edu/~baumanpr/ncge/rstf.htm
  * National Geographic Society
    http://www.nationalgeographic.com/main.html
  * United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
    (UNICEF), Voices of Youth
    http://www.unicef.org/voy/

Education agencies
  * Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
    http://www.aspensys.com/eric/
  * Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)
    http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/
  * U.S. Department of Education
    http://www.ed.gov/

Commercial sources
  * Microsoft
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/

Television
  * CNN Newsroom and Worldview
    http://www.cnn.com
  * Public Broadcasting System Teacher Connex
    http://www.pbs.org/learn/tconnex/

Search engines
  * Alta Vista
    http://www.altavista.digital.com/
  * Web Crawler
    http://www.webcrawler.com/
  * Yahoo
    http://www.yahoo.com/

Online lesson plans
http://cn.com
  * Access Excellence Activities Exchange
    http://www.gene.com/ae/AE/AEC/AEF/
  * Classroom Connect
    http://www.classroom.net/
  * Columbia Education Center's Mini Lessons
    http://www.col-ed.org/cur/
  * Encarta Online/Encarta Lesson Collection
    http://www.encarta.msn.com/schoolhouse/lessons/default.asp
  * Global SchoolNet Foundation
    http://www.gsn.org/
  * McREL-Internet Connections/Lesson Plans and
    Activities/Language Arts
    http://www.mcrel.org/connect/index.html
  * Microsoft K-12 Connection Classroom Corner
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/cc.asp
  * Microsoft in K-12 Education Classroom Resources
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/resource/lessons.htm
  * Microsoft in Education/Scholastic's Productivity in the
    Classroom
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/curric/activity/
  * Montana State University /National Aeronautics and Space
    Administration CERES Project-Webquest Mars Page
    http://www.math.montana.edu/~steph/demo/dcmars.html
  * NASA Spacelink-Instructional Materials
    http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/
    Curriculum.Support/
  * Organization for Community Network Academy Curriculum
    Exchange
    http://www.ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/
  * Scholastic Classroom Activities and Reproducibles
    http://www.scholastic.com/repact/index.htm
  * U.S. Government Regional Educational Laboratories Table of
    Contents
    http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/Labs/Profiles/

----------
Chapter 12: Ensuring Equitable Access to Educational Technology
|
Sections of this chapter:

  * Vision
  * The Challenges
  * The Power of Unlimited Access
  * Guiding Questions
  * Strategies

The Connected Learning Community offers one of the most powerful
means available for breaching the barriers of class, race,
income, and physical disability. For students to realize the
benefits of education technology, however, teachers,
administrators, and policymakers must ensure that all students
have adequate and equal access to the technology. This chapter
presents two strategies for ensuring that access: appropriate
technology funding and professional development for teachers.

The Vision

Throughout Technology Roadmap, we have shown you how the
Connected Learning Community harnesses the power of technology
to transform the education experiences of students, teachers,
and administrators into exciting, engaging, and productive ones.
In the schools and districts highlighted, the Connected Learning
Community is a reality. In those schools, students are using the
Internet to access information and talk to people around the
country and the world. They are learning about science and math
by conducting online experiments with scientists and
mathematicians and using productivity and multimedia software to
sort, analyze, and present their findings. They are
communicating and collaborating with peers whose backgrounds and
environments may be radically different from their own, and
traveling online to far-off lands to learn about other cultures
as well as exploring the richness of their own. Finally, they
are creating their own Web sites and sharing their work and
creativity with their peers, their parents, the community, and
the world at large.

The Challenges

Unfortunately, the vast majority of American schools have yet to
fully realize this vision. Many schools lack the funds to buy
new multimedia computers, create a network infrastructure,
upgrade software and hardware, and train teachers to use
technology to support meaningful learning. Without appropriate
funding, schools cannot effectively implement technology
programs that support engaged learning experiences or allow
teachers to fully assist special needs students in overcoming
barriers to learning. Consequently, these basic inequities in
school funding lead to vast inequities in access to education
technology.

Equitable opportunity is about having access not only to
technologies, but to the effective use of technologies; here the
key is teacher training. Technology-savvy teachers are able to
provide their students with meaningful, engaged learning
experiences and opportunities to interact with a wealth of
resources, materials, and data sets. They use technologies such
as the Internet, distance learning, CD-ROMs, and video to help
students achieve challenging educational standards. In the
absence of adequate, high-quality professional development,
teachers cannot provide students with those opportunities.

Because today's technology has the potential to equalize the
educational opportunities of all children regardless of their
class, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or individual
limitations, it is of paramount importance that your school or
district's technology plan ensure your students equitable access
to technology and its effective use.

For more information on Fairfax County School District's special
needs program, see "Integrated Technology Services Dedicated to
Special Needs" at
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek14.asp.  |  |

The Power of Unlimited Access

Technology has the ability to free learning from physical
constraints. Even the most geographically isolated school, when
online, can tap into the same universe of information available
to other schools. And with the help of communications devices
and adaptive hardware, students with limited mobility, vision,
or hearing can communicate and collaborate with others. The
Fairfax County School District in Alexandria, Virginia, for
example, uses technology in its Special Needs Vocational Program
to maximize the potential of students with varying degrees of
special needs. Teachers match students with appropriate software
and hardware training based on individual needs, and a mentoring
program enables the students to put their skills to work in the
local business community.

Guiding Questions

Merely setting up computers and networks is not enough to ensure
students and teachers equitable access to the full benefits of
technology. You have to develop policies and procedures that
provide everyone with equal opportunities to reap the rewards of
your technology systems. You can begin thinking about this issue
by asking the following questions:
  * How can technology resources be distributed among schools
    and/or classrooms to ensure equitable access?
  * How will budget and funding constraints affect equitable
    access and use?
  * How can professional development activities enhance access
    to and ease of use of technology by teachers and students?
  * How can we address the special needs of students with
    disabilities and students whose first language is not
    English?

Strategies

Ensuring equitable allocation of resources. The most important
factor in ensuring equity in the division of technology
resources is, of course, having the appropriate level of funding
for your technology program. The following is a list of
strategies you should consider:
  * Seek outside funding for the acquisition of technology.
  * Enlist community support.
  * Develop a scalable system that will grow with new
    technologies, as new funding becomes available.
  * Set policies that ensure all classrooms have the same level
    of resources.
  * Lobby policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels
    to develop policies that ensure universal and equal access.

Ensuring physical access to and availability of technology. In
addition to equitable sharing of technology resources, teachers
and students must have equitable and convenient physical access
to the technology. Again, an appropriate level of technology
funding is the most important factor in ensuring access. Your
technology plan should provide the following:
  * A districtwide network to connect school sites, classrooms,
    and homes
  * Access to school networks from within and outside the school
  * Convenient physical access to computers and printers in
    schools
  * Electronic mail, bulletin boards, and Internet access
  * Appropriate access to extensive information resources for
    all staff and students
  * High priority to integrating technology across all subject
    areas so that all students have access in all classes
  * Opportunities for students and staff to use school-owned
    equipment at home or to have access to equipment during
    nonschool hours
  * Opportunities for students and teachers to access school
    information resources electronically during nonschool hours

Ensuring equitable access to effective technology use. The best
way to ensure equitable access to the effective use of
technology is to provide comprehensive, ongoing professional
development opportunities for all teachers and staff. Teachers
and staff must have knowledge of and experience with a vast
range of education technology equipment and its applications,
and they must learn strategies for using it effectively in the
classroom. The following is a list of professional development
steps your technology plan should address:
  * Develop training models based on helping teachers identify
    the most efficient use of technology in ways that support
    learning goals.
  * Provide teachers with hands-on practice with technology
    tools.
  * Provide teachers with ongoing technical support.
  * Establish objectives for teacher training that address the
    development of skills in integration of technology and
    curriculum.
  * Provide personnel to train teachers, administrators, and
    staff in the use, management, and maintenance of the
    schoolwide network.
  * Integrate technology into district curricula, classroom
    instruction, and staff development activities.
  * Use multimedia presentations to model the integration of
    technology in the curriculum.
  * Develop a long-term technology-training plan.
  * Create a flexible cycle of training to accommodate
    employees' schedules and work calendars.
  * Provide a site-based network of support.
  * Reward and recognize staff who demonstrate the effective use
    of technology in their classrooms.
  * Help reluctant teachers move from technology refusal to
    technology acceptance.

Ensuring equitable access to special needs students. Technology
can help redress inequities traditionally suffered by special
needs students. Students with learning disabilities may reap the
greatest benefits from technology; however, they may require
special programs and equipment. Your technology plan must also
ensure that the technology program does not widen the gap
between high- and low-achieving students. The plan should
provide for the following:
  * Development and/or purchase of special technology-based
    products and programs for special needs students
  * Programs for individualized learning that are adjustable to
    different styles
  * Resources for students whose first language is not English
    so that they can master the capabilities of technologies

Remember, equitable access to technologies and their effective
use can be achieved only through ongoing commitment to teacher
training and appropriate levels of funding. Ensuring access
should be a goal of your school or district's technology
plan--and achieving it, one of the indicators of your program's
success.

----------
Chapter 13: Planning a Successful Staff Development Program  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Investing in Teachers
  * Professional Development Guidelines
  * Key Support Needs
  * District Practices
  * Best Practices
  * Putting the Pieces Together

The implementation of an organized, well-funded staff
development program is critical to the effective use of
technology in a school. This chapter provides an overview of
some common "best practice" concepts that have succeeded in
school districts throughout the nation. Despite local
differences in philosophy, budgets, and technology resources,
teachers and administrators can implement some or all of these
practices to promote the effective integration of technology and
education.

When it comes to technology in education, you can create it, you
can design it, you can produce it, you can integrate it, you can
order it, restructure it, give it standards, and write outcomes
for it. But the bottom line is, that if it is going to happen,
teachers have to make it happen.
    -JACQUELINE GOODLOE, WASHINGTON, D.C., TEACHER

Investing in Teachers: Why Staff Development?

Andrew Blau, director of communication policy at the Benton
Foundation, has stated that a recent study by the foundation
found that "the single most important variable for making the
investment in educational technology pay off is teacher
training." Unfortunately, professional development is often the
first item eliminated when money is short. Since the results of
staff development programs are hard to document, they are often
the most difficult to "sell" to a school or district's
constituents. The end result may be rooms full of shiny, unused
machines, confused teachers and students, and a school board
asking difficult questions about recent hardware expenditures.

How can you avoid this dangerous detour from your goal of a
Connected Learning Community? Again, think of staff development
in terms of a road trip across the country: Putting someone who
has never used an automobile behind the wheel and asking that
person to drive without any instruction may get you somewhere,
but probably not to your desired destination! Almost everyone
agrees that learning to use technology is a good idea.
Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that the right training is
worth the expense. Gaining credibility among your constituents
depends upon having concrete goals for your learning program and
having the flexibility to achieve those goals in a number of
different ways.

A unique approach to professional development: At Blackstock
Junior High School in Port Hueneme, California, teachers were
given resources and extended periods of time to develop smart
classrooms that made significant use of technology. For more
details, see e http://
www.huensd.
k12.ca.us/
blackstock/
index.htm.

At Christopher Columbus Middle School in Union City, New Jersey,
teachers are supported by training from Bell Atlantic and from
Education Development Center for Children and Technology.
Teacher preparation involves continuous training throughout the
school year and emphasizes the value of teacher-coaches, who can
give responsive assistance to their peers at the school site.
For more details,
see http://
www.ed.gov/
Technology/
TeleComp/
jersey.html
.

For more information on practices in staff development at the
district level, see "Successful Staff Development" in the
January 1998 issue of Microsoft K-12 Connection. http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/ccjan98.asp  |  |

Professional Development Guidelines

Professional development programs vary widely from state to
state, district to district, and school to school. The
guidelines governing these programs vary as well and will likely
evolve over time. For example, until last year, Florida required
every school district to devote one-third of its technology
funding to teacher training; Nebraska and North Carolina are
currently developing standards for technology and teacher
competencies; and Texas lawmakers recently introduced an
initiative that increases the number of contract days for
teachers every two years, to allow time for technology-related
training. In short, legislation will have an impact on some of
the details of your program. So will the demands of your key
constituents, and each will change over time.

Those details aside, there are key issues common to every staff
development program that must be addressed to ensure the
successful implementation of your school or district's
technology plan:
  * How will teachers' training needs be met?
  * Will teachers have adequate professional development and
    time to learn how to integrate new tools into their
    instructional practices?
  * Will teachers have access to ongoing technical support?
  * Will staff development be updated regularly to deal with
    rapid changes in technology?
  * How can everyone in the school or district be taught to use
    technology effectively?

Key Support Needs

The RAND Corporation's workshops on professional development and
effective technology-assisted schooling provide valuable
insights on the support teachers need to integrate technology
and curricula effectively in the classroom. The workshops
suggest three goals to support teachers:

1. Adequate time to acquire technology-related skills and to
plan technology-integrated curricula and activities. Teachers
need time away from their classroom responsibilities to attend
training and workshops, experiment with hardware, and explore
software. Teachers also need the opportunity to meet with other
teachers to share successes and collaborate on new
technology-related teaching strategies.

2. Responsive assistance. Teachers need assistance that is
available based on their needs rather than on the convenience of
support staff. Responsive assistance and "just in time" staff
development provide ongoing help and support in a timely
fashion-when teachers need it. On-site, trained coordinators can
play a key role in providing this responsive assistance.

3. Links between professional development and educational goals.
The professional development of teachers must have a clear sense
of purpose linked directly to the school's educational vision
and goals. As such, all professional development activities
should be designed to produce positive, measurable results that
support the vision and goals.

District Practices

School districts often have greater staff resources to implement
professional development programs than individual schools have.
Many districts have trained staff dedicated to providing
professional development workshops to individual schools. If
this is true for your district, ask for their assistance.

If the district does not have the staff resources to assist your
school directly, find out what training strategies have been
used in the past. Then leverage the district's expertise and
experience to create a professional development program for your
school. To build on your district's technology professional
development expertise and experience, investigate the following:
  * What has worked?
  * What hasn't worked?
  * Which district people might be tapped as facilitators and
    leaders?
  * Which school-site people might be good trainers?

Best Practices: Developing a Training Infrastructure

Time and/or budget constraints may prevent some schools or
districts from introducing a formal curriculum and classroom
approach to skill building. But staff development cannot be an
isolated activity. A common trait of districts with strong
technology integration is the development of a training
infrastructure-a support system for the introduction and
communication of technology skills. This support system can
consist of a variety of tools, both formal and informal, used at
both the district and school levels. No one of the following
tools is effective as a delivery system for technical knowledge;
however, a combination of these practices can enhance the
effectiveness of your staff development program and help
maintain enthusiasm for technology integration.

Train-the-trainer programs. SSelect teachers are given in-depth
training and support. They, in turn, serve as resources and
trainers for their peers. The trainers may forge their own set
of goals, or they may follow the guidelines established by the
district. In either situation, the trainers generally develop a
hands-on program that includes applications training,
information sharing, and integration of technology and Internet
resources into the curriculum.

Model technology classrooms and schools. Technology-rich
classrooms or schools are developed that showcase various
applications of technology. Constituents see new teaching
strategies modeled during routine school days, and visitor
participants are able to interact with teachers and students
engaged in making changes in their classrooms.

Expert resources. Experts representing various staff positions
(such as librarians and technology coordinators) or volunteers
from business, parent, and student groups serve as resources at
school sites.

Vendor resources. A variety of commercial staff development
resources exist, from self-study curricula to off-site
instructor-led skills training. Although many of the
instructor-led services are beyond the budget of smaller
districts, self-paced training by paper and/or electronic media
is a cost-effective addition to almost any size technology
program.

Gurus. Every teacher and staff member will find his or her own
comfort level with one or more key technologies. As these
interests evolve, other teachers will naturally seek out the
individuals who are "experts" on a particular software or
hardware tool. With encouragement and support, those individuals
can develop into strong complements to your formal technology
support infrastructure.

Online teacher support groups. Teachers can draw pedagogical,
curricular, and emotional support from colleagues. Face-to-face
support isn't always possible given the constraints of the
teaching environment. However, some can be facilitated by
technology itself: Teachers can create, share, and evaluate
materials online; mentor one another or engage in discussion
groups from afar (using distance technologies like CU-See Me);
and observe on video or CD-ROM other teachers at work in
classrooms.

Other online resources. The Internet is a rich resource for
technology-related professional development, lesson plans,
technology integration tips, and even technical content for
skills-development classes. See the sidebar for sample sites.

Administrative commitment. Any armed forces commander can tell
you that the leader of inspired troops leads from the front. In
education, administrators can lead by attending training
sessions with teacher teams and providing extra time and
resources for teachers to work together, reflect on what they
are learning and doing, and assist their colleagues in
technology activities.

Putting the Pieces Together

Just as there is no one correct route to most destinations on a
cross-country trip, there are no formula answers to the "best"
staff development program. An effective professional development
program must be tailored to fit your school or district's unique
constraints and technology environment, and must be, at the
least, acceptable to all those constituents affected by the
funding or implementation of the program.

Many combinations of the "best practice" tools cited may be
effective at your school or district. Technology implementation
is exciting, and you may well be tempted to try everything at
once, with the enthusiastic support of your teaching staff. Keep
in mind that the end goal of the journey is arriving at the
Connected Learning Community-the environment in which exciting
and innovative technologies open new worlds of learning for your
students. Choose your route carefully to avoid detours into
Hi-Tech Teacherville and other technology tourist traps.

Finally, when setting staff development goals, be sure to recall
lessons learned from the more "tangible" aspects of your
technology plan. Marketing, budgeting, and leadership are just
as important to realizing the vision of empowered teachers as
they are to achieving the overall Connected Learning Community
at your school.

----------
Chapter 14: Planning Technology Costs  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Budgeting
  * Identifying Costs
  * Continuing Costs
  * The Challenge Ahead

School boards, parents, and education stakeholders invariably
ask "How much will this technology cost?" To ensure the success
of your school or district's technology program, it's important
to estimate the total investment that will be made in its
various components. This chapter provides an overview of the
types of costs incurred in both the short term and the long term
as you build your Connected Learning Community.

Budgeting

No magic formula exists for estimating the costs associated with
creating a technology-rich learning environment. Costs depend on
how much technology is to be introduced in your school or
district and how often you plan to upgrade to take advantage of
the latest technical innovations.

Technology--and its price--has and will continue to change. The
price varies not only with the cost of equipment, but with the
savings or costs associated with taking advantage of new
capabilities. For example, technological advances may reduce the
cost of existing software and hardware but spur the development
of more sophisticated software that requires even greater
hardware performance. And, of course, new technologies also
present new opportunities for learning. For instance, CD-ROM
technology and the Internet were virtually unheard of in schools
just a few years ago.

It's difficult to develop a formula for assessing the costs of a
multiyear technology plan when you're uncertain what technology
will become available and what its costs will be. So, how does
one budget for the learning environment of the future?

Identifying Costs

One way of gaining experience in forecasting future technology
expenditures is to measure where your school or district's
technology dollars are being spent today. While no one checklist
can capture every possible school environment, general
categories can be monitored to track current expenditures and
plan for future ones. Costs associated with implementing school
and district technology programs fall into the following
categories:
  * Hardware. The purchase and installation of computers,
    printers, scanners, and networking components constitute the
    largest up-front cost. The primary factor affecting total
    hardware cost is density, most commonly measured by the
    student-to-computer ratio. Existing networks may require new
    hardware such as file servers and printers to be fully
    functional.
  * Software. This category includes server software; specialty
    and productivity software; educational content, such as
    remote databases of information and video programming; and
    software needed to adapt technology for special needs users.
  * Infrastructure improvements. Wiring and cabling, improved
    ventilation and cooling systems, enhanced security systems,
    additional telephone lines, and other modifications to
    school buildings, such as asbestos removal, electrical
    system upgrades, and even renovation, can represent a
    significant portion of the technology budget, depending on
    the current infrastructure, age, and condition of the school
    facility. Retrofitting is the largest one-time cost for
    starting a network. The quantity, distribution, and
    condition of any existing technology infrastructure in the
    school or district also affect costs.
  * Telecommunications costs. Wide area network connections
    among schools and to the Internet may involve initial hookup
    fees and ongoing charges for telephone lines, satellite
    connections, cable connections, and Internet access fees.
    The range of the bandwidth that a school purchases will also
    influence costs.
  * Ongoing technical support for teachers and administrators.
    Many teachers are reluctant to use technology in their
    lesson plans unless they have immediate access to help
    during the school day. While initial training programs will
    get teachers up to speed, an ongoing support structure and
    personnel are necessary to help them make use of the network
    and classroom computers for instruction and administration.
    That may include providing on-demand help when software or
    hardware problems arise. Technical support for the network
    is also needed.
  * Professional development. An extensive training program is
    necessary for teachers and other school staff to become
    productive using software tools and to integrate technology
    effectively with the curriculum. Each teacher must receive
    between 20 and 50 hours of initial up-front training.
  * System maintenance and upgrading Maintenance and upgrading
    of hardware and networks are necessary to preserve the
    school or district's investment in technology.

The budget categories presented here are a starting point and
focus on an array of technologies found in networked
environments. The extent of your school or district's plan and
its starting point will determine the influence of these factors
on your total budget.

Chapter 15: Securing Funding and Support

TIP
The majority of school spending is currently devoted to
"instructional support," such as instructional supervisors-for
example, the head of the math department. Consider redeploying
some of those resources to address teacher training and support
needs. For example, instructional supervisors could focus on
helping teachers integrate technology-based tools into the
curriculum.  |  |

Continuing Costs

Funding the maintenance and improvement of your school or
district's technology system and the skills of its staff is an
important component of your initial technology budget. However,
you should view technology costs as a recurring expense because
technology is central to your school and district's operations.

Moreover, it is likely that increased use of technology will
profoundly affect the roles and work of school and district
staffs. This may involve trade-offs among expenditures for
equipment, software, connections to data resources, and
personnel. Consequently, in making the transition to a
technology-rich learning environment, local school staffs must
actively participate in deciding how to acquire and use the
technology.

The Challenge Ahead

You're headed down the home stretch: The technology plan is a
reality, and its costs have been determined. Now you are ready
to explore various avenues for funding. It is likely that
funding for your school or district's initial technology
investment will come from a variety of sources. Chapter 15,
"Securing Funding and Support," will provide you with strategies
for financing the costs of creating and sustaining a
technology-rich school.

----------
Chapter 15: Securing Funding and Support  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Getting Started
  * Rethinking School Funding
  * Bonds
  * Grants
  * Business Partnerships
  * Federal and State Programs
  * Parent and Student Fundraising and Support Building
  * Reaching Out
  * Resources

Now that your school or district's technology plan has been
created and its costs determined, you're ready to seek funding
and support. This chapter explores financing the costs of
creating and sustaining technology-rich schools and offers
budgeting tips and guidelines to ease your journey.

You can travel several different routes in search of funding for
your school or district's technology program. The best strategy
for navigating the financial side streets is to develop multiple
funding sources. Possible sources include the following:
  * School and district budget restructuring
  * Bond measures
  * Grants
  * Donations from businesses
  * Categorical funding from federal and state programs
  * Parent and student fundraising

The unique financial and political condition of your state,
school district, and individual school will determine the best
funding sources for your technology plan.

Getting Started: Restructuring Budgets

Your school or district may not receive money earmarked solely
for technology implementation. However, it can spend its
available funds more creatively. Many technology expenses can be
funded by reallocating money for expenses that will no longer be
applicable when the new systems are implemented. If school
personnel and parents feel that such reallocations will improve
the education of students, you are more likely to gain support
for your restructuring proposal. Therefore, good strategies for
engaging your constituents--and conveying to them the positive
impact of technology on teaching and learning--are critical to
the success of reallocation initiatives.

Resource Management

Once you've gained support for the idea of reallocating existing
funds, structure expenses in such a way as to minimize the
amount of dependence on any single source, especially if that
source relies heavily on tax revenue. Certainly, more money is
the key to jump-starting your technology plan, but having more
sources of funding is critical to maintaining programs into the
future. Therefore, it is important to diversify your funding
streams. Spreading out the funding burden is as important as
sharing the wealth or the reward.

Reallocation of Categorical Funds

Here's where the assessment of your school or district's current
technology resources--conducted as part of your initial
planning--will be especially useful.

Knowing your starting point allows you to readily assess your
funding needs. The next step is to look at the existing budget
to identify categorical funds that can be redistributed for
technology expenses. An excellent source of such funds is the
supplies category. Generally, at least 50 percent of those
resources are devoted to textbooks. Many school districts allow
the reallocation of a portion for the purchase of instructional
software.

Other sources of funding available to offset the costs of
technology programs include budget allocations for teacher
planning time and professional development days. In some states
and school districts, up to 10 or more days per teacher are
allocated. If those resources can be procured from the district
or state, they can be used for staff training programs
supporting the development of skills needed for technology-rich
learning environments. The budget categories for professional
and technical services and other contracted services may also be
potential funding sources for staff development and technical
assistance.

For an in-depth look at how Greynolds Park Elementary School in
Miami, Florida, galvanized its stakeholders to build and fund a
technology infrastructure, see: "Three Cheers for Change"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcsep97.asp and
"Fundraising at a Florida Elementary School"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcmay97.asp.

For an example of expense reallocation, see "K-12 Real School
Stories: Houston Industrial School District"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/case22.asp.

For an example of cost savings through technology synergies, see
"K-12 Real School Stories: Rockdale County School District"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/case23.asp.

For an example of an electronic information resource, see
Microsoft Encarta(R) 98, Deluxe Edition
at http://
encarta.msn.com/.

For an example of minimizing expenses through technology, see
"K-12 Real School Stories: Tucson Unified School District"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek4.asp.

For more information on the Issaquah School District, see "K-12
Real School Stories: Issaquah, Washington, School District"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
schools/casek7.asp.  |  |

Maximizing Human Resources

Schools with adequate levels of autonomy can make critical
reallocations in staffing and staff responsibilities. New
positions, such as district and school-site technology
coordinators and systems support technicians, can be funded by
redefining existing staff positions. Of course, efforts such as
these are most successful where there is strong school and
public support for investing in technology.

Transferring Technology Costs from the Old to the New

Computing systems are like highways-you have to constantly
invest in their repair and maintenance to ensure smooth, safe
journeys for future travelers. To offset some of those costs,
try to anticipate and eliminate expenses that will no longer
exist once your technology-rich learning environment is in
place.
  * Identify and reallocate expenses associated with obsolete or
    duplicated systems. If your new system is replacing a
    mainframe or minicomputer, you may realize a cost savings
    from discontinuing unneeded maintenance and training costs.
    Even if you choose to retain your existing centralized host
    for some administrative functions, you can eliminate the
    preexisting data network in the schools, relying instead on
    the LANs installed for instructional purposes.
  * Take advantage of technology synergies. Your new
    infrastructure or systems may be able to provide services
    that are currently hosted on costly, dedicated equipment.
    For example, if you are installing a wide area network, the
    dedicated leased lines may be able to handle voice as well
    as data, and a cost savings may be realized by moving voice
    traffic to those lines. The cost savings can then be
    reinvested in the maintenance and support of your teaching
    technologies.
  * Recover the cost of traditional tools to finance new
    technologies. For example, multimedia instructional
    materials (interactive encyclopedias, almanacs, and other
    reference materials) can replace current expenses for
    printed reference materials. Printed library materials get
    lost, destroyed, and go out of date quickly; electronic
    information resources, which are shared electronically and
    readily updated at little cost to the consumer, are less
    susceptible to ongoing replacement costs.

Minimizing or Eliminating Expenses Through Technology

Time, money, and accurate and up-to-date information are all
valuable commodities in any school or district. Computing
systems can maximize those resources by eliminating expensive
and time-consuming personnel tasks. Through instantaneous
paperless communications, district and school staff can access
the latest memoranda, financial reports, and student data
without the need for labor intensive processes and informational
meetings.
  * Photocopies. While it's difficult to quantify exact savings,
    you'll find that electronic mail minimizes the need to send
    memoranda to faculty and staff. In the Lebanon, Connecticut,
    School District, for example, a single broadcast electronic
    mail message replaces the 350 photocopies previously
    required for staffwide memos.
  * Personnel time. Electronic mail and workgroup software
    enable employees to communicate faster and more effectively
    than ever before. In the Issaquah, Washington, School
    District, the bookkeeping staff has saved time on
    communication tasks, allowing them to concentrate on more
    important aspects of their job; the assistant superintendent
    reports being two to three times more efficient because of
    the electronic tools he uses, including electronic mail and
    voice mail; and new systems and tools mean a portion of the
    time formerly needed for staff meetings is now freed for
    other purposes, resulting in less overtime and other
    personnel expenses.
  * Business/administrative forms. Electronic mail and workgroup
    software reduce the need for expensive, multipart forms such
    as purchase orders. In the Lebanon, Connecticut, School
    District, purchase orders are now handled electronically. As
    a result, purchase order processing time has been reduced
    from a week to just one day. This centralized system also
    facilitates site-based management in which department heads
    and administrators can review up-to-the-minute financial
    reports that reflect all current purchase orders at any
    given time.

Rethinking School Funding: External Resources

To meet the challenge of funding your school or district's
technology plan, the technology team, administrators, teachers,
and parents must be willing to tap external sources of funds and
embrace innovative approaches to fundraising. Alternative
funding avenues are a critical way of significantly
supplementing and expanding the funding base for your technology
program. Meeting the challenge should include exploring the
following:
  * Bond measures
  * Public and private grants
  * Corporate and local business partnerships
  * Federal and state programs
  * Special-events fundraising programs

You may discover many other significant sources of revenue, but
keep these in mind-they are a potential gold mine awaiting the
right prospector.

Bonds

If your school or district has both one-time capital equipment
investments and ongoing budgetary expenses (such as for training
and support, new software, and/or maintenance), bond issues are
an effective-and the most common way-to generate funds.
Unfortunately, they are also the most complex. Bond issues
require direct approval and funding from the public. Your
success depends on many factors, including proper preparation
for and implementation of your issue:
  * Consider your district's track record with bond issues. How
    voters have responded in the past is the best clue to how
    they'll respond in the future. A hefty public relations
    campaign may be necessary to sway public opinion in your
    favor.
  * Structure your bond issue. Instead of a single, large bond
    measure, consider separating your budget requirements into
    two or more distinct measures. If one passes, at least
    you've got money to get started.
  * Assign expenses. Under which budgets or budget categories
    you assign particular expenses can have an impact on whether
    they are covered by funds from a bond measure. Many of your
    expenses-such as retrofitting older schools-are properly
    considered facilities' expenses and can be assigned under
    those budgets. Wiring and cabling can be considered part of
    the construction budgets for new schools.

Voters may reasonably question what the school district knows
about technology and whether it can invest bond monies wisely.
So it will be vital for your school or district to assure the
community that it has a sound technology plan. Some tips follow:
  * Get others to champion your bond measure. Your technology
    plan will gain more support from voters if business, civic,
    media, parent, and other community leaders champion it for
    you. Get them on board early. If you've included them on
    your technology committee or advisory committee, they should
    already be well aware of your plans. Get their approval
    before you seek voter consent. Encourage them to lobby on
    the measure's behalf, especially if your area has laws that
    prohibit the school district from lobbying directly.
  * Prove your expertise. Here's where your pilot project
    experience can be an invaluable aid. Publicize the results
    of your pilot projects to prove you have the expertise to
    succeed on a broader scale.

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING A FUNDING PROPOSAL
Find the right funding sources for your needs.
Propose projects you believe will work.
Stress ideas, not needs.
Collaborate with your school community for ideas.
Be open to others' viewpoints.
Write clearly and professionally.
Select outside editors for your work.
Allocate adequate time; move all deadlines up 10 days.
Take pride in your project.
Have fun with your project.
Remember that enthusiasm and success seem to go together!

To learn more about successful school-business partnerships, see
"Return Through the Looking Glass: Developing Business
Partnerships in K-12 Schools" at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/clcoct97.asp.  |  |

Grants

A wide range of grant resources is available to help underwrite
your school or district's technology investment. All
enterprising technology advocates need to do is roll up their
sleeves and begin the search. Most libraries have directories of
grant-providing foundations and corporations, conveniently
indexed by interest. Database, online, and Internet resources
are also available to aid you in your search.

If you are interested in federal grants, check The Federal
Register frequently or check the Internet listings of government
agencies. Also, call pertinent state agencies to learn how to
get on the mailing lists for their requests for proposals
(RFPs). At the end of this chapter you'll find a list of
grant-seeking and grant-writing resources.

Successful Grant Writing

Good grant writing is both an art and a science. The hard and
fast rules of grant writing are typically well documented in the
request for proposal materials. While it is important to follow
those rules and regulations, some tips from the experts can make
the grant-writing process a bit easier:
  * Write in one voice. It is a good idea to brainstorm with the
    technology committee to generate initial ideas for your
    school or district's proposal. However, the final proposal
    should be written in one voice, not a chorus of authors. It
    is best to have a principal author, with several
    proofreaders. The committee should agree upon the content of
    the final proposal before it is submitted to the prospective
    funder. A word of caution: The committee should restrict its
    comments to the content of the proposal as it is
    time-consuming to obtain committee consensus on the grant's
    phraseology and style.
  * Set a realistic time frame. Creating successful, persuasive
    proposals takes time. Allow time for drafts to register. If
    possible, put down the draft upon completion and return to
    it after a few days. Returning to the document after some
    time away from it, you will see things that did not occur to
    you upon first, second, or even tenth review.
  * Justify the amount of money you request. Since the proposed
    budget is determined by the scope of the project's
    activities and personnel, it should be the last item you
    complete. Carefully determine all possible expenses
    associated with your technology plan and, if required,
    include a plan of how the project will be continued after
    the term of the grant funding. If you are writing a proposal
    for a grant that provides matching funds, be sure to
    ascertain whether in-kind contributions can be included to
    offset your share of the matching funds. Always ask for the
    complete amount of money the grant allows or slightly less,
    but justify all monies in the budget statement.
  * Follow the submission guidelines described in the
    application. Always follow the formatting and style
    instructions the RFP provides. Remember, the grant reader
    has the difficult task of reading dozens (or even hundreds)
    of proposals. Your potential grant donor has developed a
    process for locating within a proposal packet the
    information needed to judge the merit of a proposal. Your
    "unique" approach may interfere with the reader's ability to
    quickly find the key information to support your request.
  * Copy all your work. Make backups of all your disks, and
    photocopies of all your application materials. You may need
    to refer to specific sections at a later date, and there is
    no assurance your submitted materials will be returned to
    you. You may also discover some potential for re-use if you
    apply to more than one donor. There is nothing wrong with
    pulling out a well-written grant proposal and reshaping it
    to meet the objectives of a new funding source.
  * Get letters of endorsement. Whenever possible, include
    letters of endorsement from those who may help implement
    your grant. Seek written commitments from your local
    business partners. Their letters should endorse the purpose
    of the grant as well as the school or district that is
    submitting the proposal, and indicate a strong statement of
    need.

Business Partnerships

Partnerships are a good way for schools and businesses to attain
common goals. Many businesses and corporations are committed to
re-investing in the communities in which they do business. By
forming relationships with schools, businesses are able to have
a positive impact on the quality of life in a community and
ensure a skilled future workforce; and any financial assistance
or in-kind services businesses provide help give the private
sector a sense of ownership in education. As in any good
relationship, all the involved parties benefit.

Many school-business alliances typically begin with a company
"adopting" a school. This adoption may take the form of a
program under which company employees volunteer as mentors,
tutors, or other contributors. Or a business may prefer to
sponsor the purchase of a specific item or underwrite a specific
program so it can receive some public recognition for its
contribution.

Part of your role in developing business relationships will be
helping corporate investors recognize the substantial impact
their generosity can have on your school or district's
technology plan. Here are some tips for developing solid school
partnerships with businesses and corporations:
  * Make contact personal. Personal visits to businesses help
    establish a sense of trust. Extend invitations to applicable
    school events and to various special meetings, and include
    your partners and their enterprises in decision making about
    technology planning.
  * Know what your needs are. Many businesses have exactly the
    resources you need to solve a particular problem. Businesses
    sincerely want to help but frequently have no idea what a
    school's needs are. They may be hesitant to offer
    assistance, particularly if they fear stepping on someone's
    toes. It is up to you to develop an open relationship with
    business partners so you can feel free to ask for and they
    can feel free to offer assistance. Always be upfront about
    your school or district's needs.
  * Have a plan for how businesses can assist. As you build a
    relationship with a potential partner, you will get a sense
    of their interests and resources. It is important to know
    not only what your needs are, but also how they can
    specifically assist. Some organizations are comfortable
    providing financial assistance alone, whereas others prefer
    to take a more hands-on approach to helping. Be sensitive to
    their corporate giving styles.
  * Publicize the work of your partners. Whenever your partners
    sponsor an event, their business logos should be exhibited.
    At public events, formally recognize your partners and their
    employees who graciously donate their time, services, and
    funds. Make sure you tout their involvement at every
    opportunity.
  * Allow businesses to sponsor something specific. Making a
    donation of cash or a service doesn't necessarily give a
    corporation the kind of community involvement and
    recognition it's seeking. Sometimes businesses prefer to
    sponsor something specific that gives them a sense of
    ownership. Events such as back-to-school breakfasts,
    academic achievement award programs, student competitions,
    and technology nights are perfect ways to showcase your
    partners. Allowing them to sponsor these events provides
    important community recognition for their good deeds.
    Corporations also like to sponsor particular aspects of a
    program, such as a career-shadowing component or a
    scholarship in the name of their business.
  * Try to pair and match businesses. Gaining the support of one
    organization can often bring you the support of another. Be
    aware of the partnerships your sponsors have already created
    in the marketplace. You may be able to provide a perfect
    opportunity for them to publicize their partnership in the
    pursuit of your technology goals.
  * Foster the relationship. Remember, companies are not just
    faceless engines to power your technology plan. The people
    that represent your corporate partner are making a real
    commitment of their time and resources to help you achieve
    your goals. Keep in touch. Don't just call them when you
    need a favor-remind them that your school appreciates their
    personal contributions. Let them know they're on your mind
    by sending them school newsletters, holiday greetings, and
    samples of special student work.

To learn more about Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
policy and education initiatives, see
LearnNet http://
www.fcc.gov/
learnnet/#sites and "Understanding the E-Rate"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcdec97.asp.

The U.S. Department of Education Web site is
at http://www.ed.gov.
You can also call the department at (800) USA-LEARN.  |  |

The confidence to ask for donations should arise from your
belief that the funds will be used for a worthwhile cause.
Education and the improvement of student learning are such a
cause, and corporations should be made to see how important and
lasting their generosity can be.

Federal and State Programs

Telecommunications Discounts for Schools

As mentioned earlier, your power and telecommunications
suppliers (phone and cable) may offer discount programs, and
your state utility boards may have established discounted rates.

As a result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and, in
particular, a section of the act referred to as the Universal
Service Fund (USF), substantial discounts on telecommunications
services, Internet access, and internal connections will soon be
available to K-12 schools and libraries. Information about
official application forms for Universal Service Fund discounts
for schools and libraries can be obtained from LearnNet, the
Federal Communications Commission's informal education Web page.

U.S. Department of Education Resources

The U.S. Department of Education provides a broad range of
resources to assist communities, schools, and school districts
in planning and using technology for teaching and learning. The
department's Web site has program and grant information and a
dynamic map of the United States you can use to identify
resources and services in your area.

Within the department's home page are descriptions of Technology
Challenge Grant winners and this year's Technology Challenge
program. Also, white papers discuss the use and future of
networking technologies for learning, with comments and
reactions from teachers, students, and others around the
country.

Many of the department's programs and initiatives include
technology components, so it is worthwhile to surf the site for
information about applicable programs, activities, publications,
grants, and initiatives. The department also offers EdInfo, a
three-times-a-week e-mail service providing new information and
reports.

EVENT IDEAS
Establish an awards program to recognize outstanding students,
teachers, and administrators associated with your technology
program.
Sponsor a technology career day or career fair or conference for
students or for the community.
Hold a business forum on technology at your school featuring
local business leaders and elected officials.
Offer a series of "power lunches" that technology program
students and the press can attend with local business leaders.
Arrange a technology program night at the local board of trade,
chamber of commerce, or other business organization.

To learn more about fundraising special events, see "Fundraising
at a Florida Elementary School"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcmay97.asp and "Drawing Water from a Stone"
at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles/
clcnov97.asp.  |  |

Parent and Student Fundraising and Support Building

Bringing the Outside In: Special Events

Well-planned, unique events attract publicity and build
community support, including financial support, for your
school's technology program. Here are some tips for planning and
putting on a successful special event.
  * Determine your objectives. Have your overall fundraising and
    program objectives in mind when you begin considering an
    event. Think about who you want to reach and what you want
    them to do.
  * Select an event. Your technology program can inspire many
    different kinds of events-whether fundraising or support
    building-including career days, "technology nights,"
    seminars, contests, and awards. See the sidebar "Event
    Ideas" for specific suggestions.
  * Select a date. Check your school's in-house schedule, the
    event schedules of other community groups, and local and
    national calendars for events, observances, political dates,
    or other significant occasions that would conflict with your
    event; avoid three-day weekends and holidays, when many
    people are likely to have plans.
  * Start planning early. Special events require a lot of work
    and a lot of lead-time-plan on at least four months of
    preparation.
  * Invite guests well in advance. Invite business and community
    partners, parents, school board members, and other education
    stakeholders at least three weeks in advance.
  * Set up media coverage. Draft the press releases and
    promotional materials you plan to distribute. Invite the
    media, and get promotional activities under way early.
  * Work the event. Develop a checklist of activities, and
    assign one person to take the lead in coordinating those
    activities at the event.
  * Follow up. With a special event, it's not over even when
    it's over. Immediately afterwards, send press kits to any
    reporters unable to attend. Then send thank-you notes to the
    volunteers, speakers, entertainers, and
    participants/contributors.
  * Evaluate the event. If the event was a fundraiser, one of
    the measures of its effectiveness is, of course, the amount
    of money raised. Another measure is the publicity the event
    generated. Establish a file of clips from newspapers,
    audiotapes from radio interviews, and videotapes from TV
    appearances. Then, prepare a report that answers questions
    such as:
    * How many media placements did the event receive (number of
      articles, interviews)?
    * Did the media used reach a large number of the target
      audience?
    * Did the coverage convey the key points of the event's
      purpose?
    * What could be done differently for the next event?

Reaching Out

You can't accomplish anything without the help of other people.
    -LIVE AND LEARN AND PASS IT ON, H. JACKSON BROWN, JR.

Schools can no longer exist in isolation from the larger
community they serve. For education to become a better
reflection of the skills, attributes, and collaborative learning
models needed in the adult world, schools must become an
integral part of that world. Establishing partnerships and
networks with people, organizations, corporations, and agencies
brings together all the stakeholders in education with the goal
of significantly improving student learning. Linking the greater
community to share responsibility for the future of children is
the key to achieving a truly Connected Learning Community.

Resources

Online Funding Resources

AT&T Foundation
http://www.att.com/foundation/ed.html
Funds projects that integrate technology training in the
preparation of new teachers

Education Week
http://www.edweek.org/ew/current

Federal Register Digest
http://www.federalregisterdigest.com/
Publishes weekly the complete, unabridged texts of all Federal
Register announcements related to education: funding and grant
opportunities, deadlines, application materials, policies, and
rules

The Foundation Center
http://fdncenter.org
Provides information on private philanthropic giving and
grantseeking

Grant Sources for Educators
http://www.capecod.net/schrockguide/business/grants.htm

GrantsWeb
http://infoserv.rttonet.psu.edu/gweb.htm
Contains numerous links to grants and fundraising sources

Internet Resources for NonProfit Public Service Organizations
http://www.sils.umich.edu/~nesbeitt/nonprofits/nonprofits.html

National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov
Provides publications, press releases, and grant applications

TGC Community Foundation
http://www.tgci.com/foundations/commfdn.htm
Grantmaking public charities that make all their discretionary
grants within a specific geographic area

U.S. Department of Education at http://www.ed.gov/Technology/

Grant-Writing Resources

The Grantsmanship Center
http://www.tgci.com/
Provides training in grant proposal writing and strategic
fundraising for the nonprofit sector.

Designing Successful Grant Proposals. Donald C. Orlich.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD),
ISBN 087120264. Call (800) 933-2723 to order.

The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing. Jane C.
Geever and Patricia McNeill. New York: The Foundation Center,
1993. Grantseeking Primer for Classroom Leaders. David G. Bauer.
New York: Scholastic Inc., 1994.

Foundations

The following foundations have supported many educational
technology projects:

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Emphasis: math, educational technology
630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2550
New York, NY 10111-0242
(212) 649-1649
http://www.sloan.org/

American Honda Foundation
Emphasis: science educational technology
P.O. Box 2205
Torrance, CA 90509
http://www.cerritos.edu/cerritos/development/funders_honda.html

Arthur Vining Davis Foundation
Emphasis: secondary education
111 Riverside Avenue, Suite 130
Jacksonville, FL 32202-4921
(904) 359-0670
http://www.jvm.com/davis/

Carnegie Corporation of New York
Emphasis: science, math, educational technology
437 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 371-3200
http://www.carnegie.org/

The Ford Foundation
Emphasis: educational technology
320 East 43rd Street
New York, NY 10017
(212) 573-5000
http://www.fordfound.org/

----------
Chapter 16: Evaluating Your School or District's Technology Plan
 |
Sections of this chapter:

  * Setting the Evaluation Criteria
  * Evaluating the Success of Your Program
  * Fine-tuning Your Program
  * Keeping Everyone on Track

After your technology plan is in place, how will you and the
community know it's working? This chapter provides criteria for
technology program evaluation, strategies for using evaluation
data to strengthen and refine the program, and tips for keeping
the implementation process on track.

Setting the Evaluation Criteria

Evaluating the progress of your school or district's technology
plan at least once every 12 months will help you chart its
progress and keep the plan on target. Monitoring incremental
progress also helps you know what's working and what needs
improvement. Your technology plan should include an evaluation
section that identifies the criteria on which you'll evaluate
progress toward your goals. Establishing an evaluation rubric
upfront leads to greater consensus among your stakeholders
later.

What should those criteria be? In Chapter 4, "Planning the
Technology Program," you translated your goals into technology
requirements. Revisit those goals, and set evaluation criteria
that relate directly to them. Make sure the goals are as
measurable as possible. For example, did you set an objective
for every student, teacher, and administrator to use the
computer system? If so, then include that in your evaluation
criteria and set a specific time frame by which you expect to
accomplish that objective.

The evaluation of the technology plan should address the
following types of questions:
  * Is the plan meeting the school or district's defined
    educational objectives?
  * Has technology made a positive difference in the teaching
    and learning process?
  * Are teachers and students motivated to use technology?
  * How have home-school-community communications been affected?
  * How has technology improved administrative functions?
  * Have test scores or other indicators of achievement
    improved?
  * Are current tools and techniques being used correctly?
  * Are professional development opportunities adequate and
    meaningful?
  * Can improvements be made in the plan or the implementation?

Evaluating the Success of Your Program

How do you measure computer literacy? On the administrative
side, you can measure success by looking at the automation of
student records. Are these records being accessed electronically
or still by paper? Has the conversion to electronic student data
records increased accuracy and access to this information? Has
the communication of this information improved? If not-why?

On the instructional side, the computer literacy of students is
easy to measure with classroom assessments, surveys, and tests.
At Liberty High School in Issaquah, Washington, for example,
students are required to submit their reports via computer
(sufficient computers are available in the classrooms), making
it easy to confirm basic computer literacy. In determining
computer literacy, questions to ask include:
  * Are students using the software and communications tools to
    think critically, to research, analyze, sort, and present
    information more effectively?
  * Do students access the online information resources (for
    example, CD-ROM reference materials)?
  * Do students know how to use the Internet to retrieve
    information?

At Maxwell Middle School in the Tucson, Arizona, Unified School
District, the School of the Future pilot project was carefully
evaluated on a range of criteria, including rates of enrollment,
absenteeism, and withdrawal; academic performance as measured by
student test scores on reading, writing, language use, and
mathematics (compared to comparable classes without computer
instruction); and surveys of students, parents, and teachers to
gauge their own assessments of the technology implementation.

Fine-tuning Your Program

After you have assessed the status of your school or district's
technology plan, it's important to look at the aspects of the
program that have worked and those that have not. This feedback
mechanism provides the data needed to make the fine adjustments
in the program.

Evaluate progress. Take stock of the progress made in relation
to the original timeline. Look at your staff development plans,
timeline, budget, and acquisition plans. Have you been able to
accomplish all you had planned in the time allotted? You may
have surpassed your original plans in some areas and lagged
behind in others. Adjust the plan and timeline to reflect the
progress made in year one. You will want to begin next year with
plans that reflect where you currently are on the technology
journey and where you need to go.

Reexamine your needs. Use your evaluation process as an
opportunity to determine whether your school or district's
technology needs have changed in any area since the original
drafting of the plan. If they have, this is the appropriate time
to adjust the plan accordingly. Discard components of the plan
that do not work, and add objectives that meet your present
needs. This process keeps your plan relevant to current
conditions in your school or district and in the technology
field.

Be aware of emerging technologies. Take a look at the impact
emerging technologies will have on your plan for subsequent
years, adjusting equipment requirements, budget, and staff
development plans if necessary to incorporate them.

Be aware of any new district, state, and federal grant
initiatives. Funding sources continually change. Constantly
research, reassess, and expand your list of potential funding
sources, planning when and how to access them.

Keeping Everyone on Track

To manage the implementation process successfully, your
technology team must stay involved. This becomes more difficult
once the plan moves from the drawing board into the schools.
Develop specific strategies to keep everyone engaged, including
the following:
  * Continue to hold regular status meetings.
  * Communicate progress to your constituents.
  * Continue to provide quality staff-development workshops.
  * Invite representatives from technology companies,
    universities, and the media to discuss emerging
    technologies.
  * Celebrate your successes.

----------
Chapter 17: Realizing the Vision  |

Sections of this chapter:

  * Leading the Charge
  * Doing Your Part
  * Microsoft's Part
  * The Road Ahead

As we prepare for the new millennium, we are learning a new
language. It will be the lingua franca of the new era. It is
made of ones and zeros and bits and bytes. aas we master it, as
we bring the digital revolution into our homes and schools, we
will be able to communicate ideas and information with an ease
never before thought possible. Let us master and develop this
new language together.
    -U.S. VICE PRESIDENT ALBERT GORE, JUNE 1996

Leading the Charge

President Bill Clinton, in his 1996 State of the Union address,
called for every classroom in the nation to be connected to the
Internet. On February 8, 1996, the president signed the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, which ensures that every child
in every classroom in America will have access to the
information superhighway. Recently, a deadline for this goal was
set-the year 2000. To support this national education goal, the
federal government is earmarking over $2 billion over the next
five years to get schools connected to the Internet.

In addition, the Federal Communications Commission has created
the Universal Service Fund to subsidize Internet access for
schools. The $2.25 billion annual fund, financed by
telecommunications companies, will provide discounts on
telecommunications services for schools and libraries. And on
February 15, 1996, President Clinton and Vice President Gore
announced the Technology Literacy Challenge, a program designed
to provide technology grants to state education agencies and
local school districts.

Never before has there been such a financial commitment to
digital technology at the federal, state, and local levels. The
challenge now is for communities, schools, and families to work
together to achieve a Connected Learning Community and to reach
the national technology goals.

Doing Your Part

By planning and implementing a comprehensive technology program
in your school or district, you are taking the first step on the
journey toward realizing the Connected Learning Community.

Throughout Technology Roadmap, we have attempted to provide you
with practical advice in the two domains we believe are key to
the success of the integration of technology and
education-technical understanding and leadership. It is our hope
you will use the information and strategies provided to pave the
road to achieving your community's education goals. Reaching
that destination will happen only through adequate planning,
vision, professional development, evaluation measures, and new
institutional structures.

For information about Windows 95, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
win95. For Windows NT, see http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
winnt. For details on Back Office, see http://
backoffice.
microsoft.com/.

To learn more about Microsoft Encarta(R) encyclopedia, see
http://
encarta.msn.com/. To learn about Scholastic's The Magic School
BusTM at http://
www.scholastic.com/
magicschoolbus/.

For information on "Libraries Online!", see http://www.
librariesonline.org/.  |  |

Microsoft's Part

Over the past 20 years, the keys to Microsoft's success have
been developing great software, promoting innovation, listening
to what people want, and taking a long-term approach. To fulfill
our vision for the use of technology in education, we pledge to
use those same priorities in helping to build the Connected
Learning Community.

Ongoing development. First and foremost, Microsoft is focused on
creating excellent software. We are researching and developing
operating systems and platforms for voice recognition,
interactive television, and on-demand video access that will
help connect the education community. We'll continue to build
great systems software such as Microsoft Windows 95, Windows NT,
and the BackOffice family of products, and to introduce new
products custom-designed to make it easier for schools to
implement networks, establish electronic mail connections, and
use the Internet.

We'll also continue to create content-rich educational
multimedia products-such as Microsoft Encarta(R) encyclopedia
and Scholastic's The Magic School Bus(R) series-with teacher
guides to help integrate technology in the classroom, and to put
those guides and more on the Internet so that teachers can
easily use them.

Partnering with the community. By recognizing and supporting
innovative use of technology in schools, libraries, museums, and
other organizations, Microsoft wants to provide the springboard
for further adoption and development of innovative approaches
from which others can learn. Through training programs and
planning guides, we're helping districts develop successful
technology plans. With the American Library Association, we've
launched a national pilot project-"Libraries Online!"-to explore
how to make information technology available to underserved
communities. And we will continue to listen to students,
educators, and parents to better understand how they want to use
technology.

As we develop new solutions, we'll have our eye on the future
but won't leave anyone behind. The Windows 95 operating system,
for example, offers a comprehensive feature set for people with
special needs. It also provides compatibility with legacy
hardware and software, which we know is particularly important
for schools. We understand that educators' investments in
technology need to have long-term value.

For information on the Global SchoolHouse, see http://
www.gsh.org. For details on the Windows School Connection, see
http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/wsc/.

The Microsoft K-12 Connection is at http://
www.microsoft.com/
education/k12/
articles.asp  |  |

Fostering industry partnerships. At Microsoft, we are committed
to working with industry partners to help build the Connected
Learning Community. We are working with independent solution
providers, telecommunication companies, and hardware
manufacturers to help create the solutions that schools need.
With the Global SchoolHouse we are sponsoring the development
and organization of educational resources on the Internet.
Another initiative, the Windows School Connection, involving
Microsoft, Compaq, and more than 80 education software
developers is dedicated to helping users learn about new K-12
software solutions.

Leading the way. Microsoft is making a companywide commitment
and challenging our marketing, manufacturing, sales, and support
organizations to speed the development of the Connected Learning
Community. We have increased the educational expertise in our
field offices, established new toll-free information lines, and
created the Microsoft K-12 Connection site to provide
information about new software solutions and innovative
practices.

We're moving rapidly toward the day when the Connected Learning
Community can be realized. Microsoft is committed to leading the
way and doing all we can to make it happen. With the cooperation
of businesses, educators, families, and the community as a
whole, we can turn the Connected Learning Community from vision
to reality and give our children the educational opportunities
they'll need to succeed in the 21st century.

The Road Ahead

It is difficult to foresee the full impact technology will have
on our lives-and those of our children-in the years to come.
With vast amounts of information at their fingertips, our young
people are changing the way they learn, and in the process,
changing the world. In a world where access to information is
universal and learning is not bound by the constraints of time
or place, how will our concept of learning and schools change?
How well will the technology revolution go? Will it be good for
everybody? Will we achieve technology's promise for learning?
The answers to those and many other questions will come only
with time. However, each of us has a part in shaping this
future. As Vice President Gore said, technology is the language
of the new millennium, and it is up to us to develop and master
this language together.

----------
About the Authors

Joan Kuperstein is president and founder of C.A.S.T.L.E.
Technology Consultants, Inc., which provides K-12 schools with
leadership and technical expertise in the planning and
implementation of education technology programs.

Prior to founding C.A.S.T.L.E., she served as an elementary
school teacher, magnet lead teacher, curriculum specialist,
grant writer, technology coordinator, and mathematics, science,
and technology district consultant. As a result of her diverse
experience, she brings to Technology Roadmap a strong practical
knowledge of what works in the classroom and a unique first-hand
understanding of the needs of schools in implementing
technology-based programs.

Mrs. Kuperstein was a featured speaker at Microsoft's 1997
Education Summit and frequently contributes to Microsoft K-12
Connection. She can be reached at joan@castletechnology.com or
through the C.A.S.T.L.E. Web site at
http://www.castletechnology.com.


Christopher Gentile, Ph.D., prior to consulting with
C.A.S.T.L.E., served as a high school teacher, magnet lead
teacher, assistant principal, district supervisor of magnet
programs, education consultant to public and private entities,
and national director of a nonprofit education foundation.

>From 1995 to 1997, Dr. Gentile was district supervisor of magnet
and innovative programs for Dade County Public Schools, Florida,
where he directed the district's federal grant program. As
director of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), he worked
with private industry to develop high school curricula for the
Academy of Finance.

Dr. Gentile can be reached at chris@castletechnology.com or
through C.A.S.T.L.E. Web site at
http://www.castletechnology.com.


Jeff Zwier provided technology consulting for and is a
contributing editor to Technology Roadmap. As a
technology/management consultant, he specializes in improving
performance with and through technology. He has consulted to
Fortune 500 companies and public institutions in the areas of
technical training, change management, corporate education
strategy, technical communication, information technology staff
retention and recruiting, technology integration, and
performance management. His articles on technology, training,
and skill development have appeared in Windows NT magazine and
Microsoft K-12 Connection Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/articles.

Mr. Zwier is currently managing consultant for performance
improvement and instructional systems consulting with Interim
Technology in Oak Brook, Illinois. He can be reached at
jzwier@msn.com.

----------
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