Jackie's+Work+Space


 * March 18, 2012**
 * Performance Improvement Plan**
 * __Walden University__**

Beacon Hill Elementary School was established in 1967. The school is located within the Kelso School District in Longview, Washington. Students attending the public school are in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. The Parent Teacher Organization at the school has an impact on the funding of equipment, field trips, and supplies for the school. The Kelso School District proposed a levey for technology two years ago which was passed but funding for up to date computers inside the classroom still remains an issue. As a classroom teacher it is difficult to integrate technology instruction into the subject content when the computers inside the classroom do not have the capabilities to keep up with the memory and ram required to process information from the internet, or download current software programs. The students are often frustrated as they try to do research, play a __learning__ game, use manipulatives, or create presentations because the programs often shut down. The Kelso School District puts technology as a high priority and the schools are current with 21st century technology standards but as innovations are developed the requirements to implement them increase. Beacon Hill Elementary is in the process of obtaining a new server to help with internet issues. Unless the classrooms are equiped with up to date computers having a new server will only enhance teacher accesablity to online grade books, attendance reporting, and communication. The servier will do nothing to enhance technology integration and engagement for the students. The school webpage is:[|Beacon Hill Elementary School]

My history and cause analysis are included in the PPII template. Please open the file to read the up to date information on my perforance plan.
 * Perfomance Improvement Plan**
 * Module 2 assignment**

The lowest cost solution to having up to date computers available for student access would be to redistribute existing up to date computers. All fourth and fifth grade classrooms have eight or more up to date computers in their classrooms. Several of the teachers do not use the computers on a regular basis. Taking half of the computers from each of the classrooms and redistributing them into lower grade classes that do not have up to date computers available for the students would be a low cost solution but would cause teacher resistance. The only cost that would be incurred would be the cost of labor for moving the computers and hooking them up. The next solution to the computer problem would be to create a computer lab with up to date computers. In the past there has been a computer lab at the school. Scheduling conficts became a problem. The computer lab ended up being used the majority of time as a meeting room and as a testing lab. This limited teacher/student access to the computer lab. Eventually the computers became out of date and would not work. The computer lab with new up to date computers would be an option that could be imposed with the budget amount of 16,000 dollars that the school has been allotted, but unless the scheduling issue is solved the lab would be of no use to the teachers/students who really need to use it. The best possible solution but the one with the highest cost would be to provide at least 5 up to date computers for each classroom. Teachers who integrate the use of computers into their daily routine would have access to them. There would be no schedule conflicts or teacher resistance. Those who use them daily would not have their day interrupted by transfering students to another classroom, the time waisted transfering students could be spent on using the computers for classroom activities and assignments. The cost of implementing this solution would be more than the school's allotted budget for technology but __grants__ could be written.
 * Three Solutions for my Performance Improvement Plan:**
 * Low Cost**
 * Medium Cost**
 * High Cost**

The solution that I feel would best solve the problem would be to purchase up to date computers for the classrooms that do not have them. I feel that this would be the best solution because it would eliminate teacher conflicts and resentment although the cost of implementation would be the highest. After speaking with Sean Scattergood, the technology specialist at the school he agreed with this solution but offered a different alternative. His proposal is to have one up to date computer in each classroom and connect five monitors with keyboards to the computer. Sean believes that is would solve the problem but does not believe he can get teachers to go along with the concept because if the one computer goes down there would be no computers available to use. He also believes that the district might not go along with the idea because it would be a quick fix with a low cost but the problem will eventually have to be fixed with a long term solution. An article about effective technology use states, “When technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress” (“Effective”, (n.d.). Having computers available for student use inside the classroom would strengthen their ability to perform a project goal daily not at scheduled times. With up to date computers inside the classroom, available at all times throughout the school day, students would be using them closing the performance gap. The low cost solution would allow technology monies to be used on supporting other technology needs of the school but would cause resentment among teachers which would create other problems within the school environment. Teachers already have issues with loosing tools and supplies. The medium cost solution would be ideal because there would be a centralized location for students to work on computers at the same time but loss of time due to transferring students from one location to the next would become an issue, and scheduling conflicts would become an issue. The school already faces scheduling conflicts when planning every year for library, physical education, and music. The school has previously had a computer lab that was not utilized to its fullest potential.
 * Justification for Intervention Strategy**

My role as a manager for my intervention plan is located inside the below attached document.

As a change agent I will be taking on a participative role. My change agent role is outlined in modules 1-5 of the attached document.



__**Leandra to Jackie**__ I'm trying to understand the difference between your low and high costs solutions. They sound similar. Is there a difference with the equipment since both are being referred to as up to date computers. Is there still a chance for teacher resistance with the high cost solution? __**Jackie to Leandra**__ Leandra, the difference between the two is the fact that the low cost option would be to take computers from other teachers and place them in lower grade level classrooms. That means that the amount of computers available for student use in each classroom would be limited to 3 or 4. The upper grade level classrooms have available 9 computers for student use. The high cost option would allow 9 computers to be purchased for all of the lower grade level classrooms replacing the out of date computers that do not work efficiently. There would not be resistance from teachers maybe a little bit of jealousy.
 * __Final PII Project__**