Budget and Policy: How will this work into my tech integration plan?
Broadband internet access would slightly impact the Greenwich community, however, it would not cause significant change. If we had broadband it would increase the speed of our wifi, and allow for the building to have quick, reliable service. This would cause less internet crashes during our school year, not deter lessons, and allow kids to complete work more efficiently. However, the district has private, building wifi, which works at an acceptable speed. With that being said, not having broadband access does not cause any current issue. The school addresses this issue with free, accessible wifi for the whole building. This is not considered an equity issue because all students are able to connect as long as they are on their school provided chromebooks. No outside laptops are allowed to connect to the server. Teachers as well as students' chromebooks can be monitored when they are connected to the district wifi.
In ISTE (2020), they talk a lot about professional learning, and how important it is to be ongoing and consistent for teachers. For instance, ISTE (2020) states “The OET Dear Colleague Letter expands on this permitted use by encouraging states and districts to invest in “ongoing, job-embedded professional learning opportunities to improve educator practice”. Consistent and ongoing professional development is a huge part of my plan. A lot of times, we provide teachers with these opportunities, and then it gets brushed off no longer to be visited again. But, if we truly engage teachers with professional learning that is constant and builds upon each other, then we can truly have meaningful instruction. This article can help me effectively implement these professional learning opportunities and ensure they are continuous.
The funding options that would be a good match for my vision and goals are to utilize district funding, and the student support and academic enrichment program grant, which provides 1.38 million dollars in funding. This aligns with my vision and goals of the technology integration plan. In the U.S. Department of Education (2026), this grant was created to “provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy for all students”. This connects to building student-centered, tech enhanced instruction because we can work to formulate instruction around student experience, creating the environment that makes it possible, and getting/creating tools that bring it to life. As well, this helps us focus on providing students with the proper training to become responsible, and ethical AI users. By enhancing this skill, we are building their digital literacy. My next steps for this would be to write and apply for the grant. I would also rework some of the goals to match the grant better, as the instructional plan truly connects with enrichment for students, but also educators.
The technology budget at the district is typically around 26 million. On technology, they spend about 1 million. However, each student has a 1:1, they have private, monitored internet access. I think they have a reasonable budget to carry out my integration plan along with the grant that focuses on student enrichment.
References
U.S. Department of Education. (2026). Student support and academic enrichment program (Title IV, Part A).
https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/formula-grants/school-improvement-grants/student-support-and-academic-enrichment-program-title-iv-part
International Society for Technology in Education. (2018). Using ESSA to fund EdTech: Getting the most out of Title IV-A.
Kaylynn,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post because it feels very real to what a lot of schools are experiencing right now. It sounds like your district has done a great job building a strong foundation with reliable Wi-Fi and a 1:1 Chromebook setup. That alone makes such a difference in the everyday classroom experience, especially when you mentioned fewer crashes and smoother lessons. I can definitely relate to how important that is to us as educators.
One thing that stood out to me is the idea that broadband isn’t really an equity issue in your community. I get where you’re coming from since students have access during the school day, but I’ve seen how access outside of school can still create gaps. It makes things like homework, research, or parents trying to check grades harder without reliable internet at home. So while it may not be a major issue, it might still be something worth thinking about long term.
I really liked your focus on ongoing professional learning too. You’re so right in the aspect that PD often gets introduced and then forgotten. The idea of making it continuous and meaningful really aligns with what the International Society for Technology in Education emphasizes about growing teacher practice over time. When teachers feel supported, the impact on students is so much stronger.
Your funding plan also makes a lot of sense. Using support from the U.S. Department of Education to build both student skills and teacher capacity feels like a smart, balanced approach. Overall, your plan feels practical, thoughtful, and very doable, making it very powerful and worthwhile.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job connecting budget, policy, and your technology integration plan. I like how you explained that while broadband isn't a major issue now, improving it could still enhance efficiency and reduce disruptions. Your focus on ongoing professional development also stood out to me. It is very realistic and important for making technology integration actually work in classrooms. The way you tied in funding, especially the grant, clearly supports your goals and vision. Overall, your plan feels practical and well thought out.