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Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Ruth Bane
Grand Canyon University
EDU-225
11/06/2015

Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan

Incorporating technology into the classroom is an important part of education in this day
and age. It is important that teachers have the knowledge and understanding to use technology as
a tool to enhance the learning and the instruction. Technology has given the opportunity to
teachers to use it as a tool to help with the students learning and understanding, as well, as well
as use it for lessons, grade book, and communication. In this essay we will talk about the
mission/vision statements, communication plane, integrating instructional technology, and
technology to support assessment. These will all help a teacher understand how to incorporate
technology into their classroom to enhance their instruction and the students learning.

Section One: Mission and Vision Statement

Vision Statement: To positively influence students while instructing them; a teacher that
not only provides a great education to the students, but also believes in them and encourage them
to believe in themselves. To teach in a way every student is able to learn.
Mission Statement: To educate students of the concepts of math; to instruct the students
into a path of success in math and beyond their years in school. To inspire the students to have a
love for learning and to go and above and beyond to educate themselves, With that in my in
mind, it is our mission to incorporate technology into the classroom as it improves throughout
the year in grades 6 - 12th, to provide the students with the tools they need to aid in their
learning. It is our mission to provide the best education possible to our students, by providing
them with the materials and instructors that will help aid them in their educational journey. Every
student is able to learn in a peaceful and safe environment in our classrooms.

Section Two: Communications Plan

Technology is constantly improving and it is becoming more and more properly every
day. Technology plays a much greater role today in schools for communicating with parents,
students, and other staff members in a school. Communicating through technology and teaching
the students the importance of internet safety is an important part of a comprehensive classroom
technology plan; it not only teaches the students how to use the internet safely, but allows the
teacher to communicate with parents, students and other staff members in a convenient way
without having to schedule meetings and phone calls. Technology can support the efforts of a
teacher to communicate with parents and students through social media, email, and the schools
web page.
Social Media: Social media is one of the great tools that schools can utilize to
communicate with the parents. For example, most schools have a face book page. Schools can
utilize a face book to keep the parents up to date on upcoming events, what is going on at the
school, and achievements of the students. The use of social media keeps the parents up to date on
what is happening at their childs school. Many students now days in high school and junior high
have a social media account; the students are able to log onto their social media account and look
at the schools page for upcoming events and look at post at what is going on at their school.
Using social media can also help the classroom participate in global community, since it allows
the students and others to communicate and connect with anyone in the world.
Email: With that in mind, using email to communicate with parents, students, and other
staff member throughout the school is another tool that can be utilized in a classroom. Teachers

can use email as a source of communication with the parents and the students to get in touch with
about events coming up, reminders, or to set up a meeting with the parents. The use of email
communication between the teacher and parent can help ease the strain during parent teacher
meets because any issue, problem or announcement can be communicated at the required time
without waiting for a later scheduled meeting so that the issue can be addressed immediately
(Using Technology, 2015). Email is a great resource teachers are able to use to communicate
with students and parents in grades 6-12th, because it is a quick and an efficient way to
communicate with one another without having to meet in person.
Schools Web Page: The schools web sites can help gets the parents more involved and
we can use it to remind the parents or inform them of what is happening at the school and about
special events. School websites can provide parents with ready access to all kinds of
information, including schedules of events, names of people to contact, rules and regulations,
etc (Paulu, n.d). Parents can get on the schools web page and view what is going at the school.
On the schools web page students and parents/guardians are able to look at the schools calendar,
lunch menus, grades, and other news the school may have up on their web page for parents and
students to view.
Communication Internet Security and Safety: Using the Internet is a great tool to use
in the classroom in moderation and with rules. Teachers need to teach the students, before having
them use the internet, about internet safety. It is crucial that teachers educate students about the
potential dangers of sharing personal information with strangers (Feldman, 2007). When
someone gets online and starts asking a student what their full name is and where they may live,
students need to be aware that this very dangerous to share this kind of information over the
internet. It is crucial that teacher also protects the computers and other technology devices used

in the classroom from viruses and malware, because when a viruses or malware gets on a
computer it can cause damage and personal information saved on the computer could be in
danger of getting in the wrong hands. It is important that the students and the teachers are aware
of the potential dangers of using the internet and be careful and cautious when using the internet.
In conclusion, using technology to communicate with parents and students through social
media, email, and the schools web page can support the efforts of the teacher. Technology is a
quick efficient way teachers and administration can communicate with parents and students. This
helps greatly when it comes to work schedules, because it may be hard to set up a parent-teacher
meeting due to different work schedules. Also, teaching the students the importance of internet
safety will not only help the students when communicating over the internet, but also when
posting on social media. Internet safety is very important for teachers to teach their students
before using it as a tool to communicate class related topics or using it as a tool to participate in
the global community.

Section Three: Integrating Instructional Technology

Technology is constantly improving and it is becoming more and more properly in our
everyday lives. Technology plays a much greater role today in classrooms then it ever has before.
Technology can be used to enhance instruction by using it as a tool to help the students with the
learning. There are many different forms of technology that can enhance the instruction, such as,
computers/internet, smart boards, and Quizlet that aid in the students learning.
Computers/Internet

There are many different ways the internet is used in the classroom to facilitate and
enhance instruction. The grade levels students will be able to use computers to access the internet
in the classroom is 5th-12th grade. Teachers are able to assign homework or class work to the
students that needs to be done on a computer using the internet; for example, having the students
type an essay out on the computer. Computers allow students to learn by doing rather than
trying to absorb lines of information from a textbook (Educational, 2011).Computers and the
internet not only help enhance the instruction, but also help the students obtain more information
than they would by just reading the text book.
Smart Boards
Addition, smart boards is used in classrooms to facilitate and enhance the instruction.
Smart boards can be used for grades 5th-12th. Smart boards enhance the instruction by allowing
what is on the screen of the computer/laptop to be displayed on the smart board by using a
projector. For example, a teacher can display a sideshow or notes using a computer and projector
to display it on the smart board. The teacher can touch the board to change the screen this allows
the teacher to use the white board as a tablet; since it can be used by touching the board. This
helps the students interact with the lesson by allowing them to draw or work on a problem on the
smart board by having the problem displayed on it.
Quizlet
Also, websites are used in the classroom to enhance and facilitate the instruction. Web
sites are flexible and easy to access to use in a classroom or at home to enhance the learning.
There are many websites that can be used as an educational tool; for example, one web site that
is used in some classrooms is Quizlet. . We help students with things like memorization and
recall of key concepts, and basic practice in everything from vocabulary to math to language

learning (Our Mission, n.d). This site will enhance the instruction by allowing the students to
study, practice, or play games about the different lessons. They can get on this site any time at
home or school, so they are able to do it on their own time. Quizlet provides all the materials
needed for studying, such as tests, quizzes, flashcards, and educational games.
Pros and Cons
Alternatively, Technology in the classroom enables the use of more interactive
educational tools, which allows for a dynamic learning experience that directly benefits students
(Boundless, 2015). There are many benefits of using technology to enhance the instruction, such
as, it is flexible to use and it helps aid all the different types of learners. With that in mind, there
are also some drawbacks to using technology to enhance instruction; for example, students using
technology for personal affairs instead of using it for learning in the classroom. There are many
times students are texting in the classroom or on social media while the teacher is teaching or
while they are supposed to be working. With technology being used in the classroom there needs
to be rules set in place, so the drawbacks will not happen as often and effect the students
learning.
Wired and Wireless Classrooms
Further, a wired or wireless classroom gives the teacher and the students access to the
internet for school purposes. Wired classrooms use an Ethernet cable, which is safer than using a
wireless networks. Wireless networks are more convenient and flexible to use in a classroom,
because multiple devices can log on to the wireless network to gain access to the internet. Most
schools are turning to a wireless classroom, because of the convenience and now wires. These
two access methods impact teaching and students learning for the grades 5-12, because they both
allow the students and teachers to access the internet for school purposes. With the advances

that have been made in wireless technology over the past decade, wireless has become an easier
and less cumbersome set-up in the classroom and provides outstanding mobility that enhances an
interactive learning model (Varley, 2007).
In conclusion, technology can enhance the instruction in a classroom by using
computers/internet, smart boards, and Quizlet. Teachers can use the different types of technology
to help aid the instruction and use it as a tool to help with the students learning. Also, teachers
need to know and understand the difference between wireless and wired network and which they
will be using in their classroom. This will help the teachers understand how they can be safe
using the network and how they can get the students to use the network in the classroom to
enhance their learning.

Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Incorporating the use of technology recourses into the classrooms is an important part of
learning process now days. Teachers are able to use technology to help support the students
learning in a classroom. Differentiating instruction through technology uses technology, so every
student is able to learn at different speeds and levels based on how they learn. When assistive
technology is appropriately integrated into the classroom, students are provided with multiple
means to complete their work and focus on achieving academic standards (South Carolina,
2015). There are many different ways teachers can differentiate instruction through technology,
such as through PowerPoint, tablets, and power my learning.
PowerPoint: a teacher would use PowerPoint to differentiate instruction for grades 6-12.
It provides the students the opportunity to learn visually while listening to the instruction.

PowerPoint can be used for a students project, so the students are able to create a PowerPoint
and go over their PowerPoints in from of the class. This tool is student centered because it helps
every student learn and also gets them involved in the learning when they are allowed to create a
PowerPoint. This tool will help me create differentiated lessons by allowing me t make them in a
way that is engaging and interesting for the students. This tool connects to the ISTE (NETS-S)
by allowing the students to be creative. The students are allowed to create original works as
means of personal or group expressions (ISTE, 2015). This tool helps every student learn no
matter their speed or level of learning.
Apps/Math Ref: Secondly, Math ref is an amazing tool that can be used in the classroom
or at home, because it allows students to download the app and gives them access formulas and
examples for math. Students are able to study using this app. This tool not only helps the teacher
out, but also helps every student learn in a way they are able to no matter how fast they may
learn or what level they are on. This tool can increase the students knowledge and skills in the
classroom. This tool connects to the ISTE (NETS-S) by allowing the students to use critical
thinking, problem solving, and decision making on their own.
Power my learning: Third, is power my learning. This tool is an educational web site
that allows students to watch educational videos, play games, and study using interactive content.
The teachers are able to monitor their student progress and ability through this site, as well as,
modify lessons based on how the students learn. This tool Meets students needs by designing
and assigning personalized playlist of digital content (Power, 2015) for every learner and
different level. This tool connects to the ISTE (NETS-S) by inspiring the students to learn and
look for ways to improve.
Pros and Cons

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When differentiating instruction through technology there are both pros and cons the
teacher needs to take into account. Using technology to differentiating technology can be very
helpful, because it allows every student to learn at their own speed and level. It is also very
flexible and easy to use at home or at school. With that in mind, there also cons to using
technology to differentiate instruction, such as it can be confusing to use sometimes. In addition,
technology can be expensive where it is difficult for some students to use technology at home
due to the expense of it.
In conclusion, every student learns differently, but using differentiate instruction through
technology; such as, PowerPoints, tablets, and power my learning, can help every student learn
at their own speed and level. Technology is an amazing toll that not only helps the teacher with
the lessons, but also helps the students learn more and increase their knowledge. With that in
mind, when using technology in such a way, the teacher does need to take into account the pros
and cons of it before incorporating it into the lessons. These are only a few examples a teacher
can differentiate instruction through technology; there are many other ways teachers can
incorporate technology into their lesson, so every student is able to learn effectively.

Section Five: Software to Support Assessment

Technology is constantly increasing, while improving; it is becoming more common in

our everyday lives. Technology has a great role in modern day classrooms in this day and age. It
used to enhance the instruction and help with the learning process. There are many different
software tools that are available to schools and teachers to enhance the instruction, such as,
utility software, word processing, and educational games software.

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Technology to Facilitate Ongoing Efforts to Assess Student Learning

Teachers can utilize technology to facilitate the ongoing efforts to assess student learning
n the classroom, by incorporating technology into the lesson plans and getting the students
familiar with using technology as a tool to enhance their learning. When assistive technology is
appropriately integrated into the classroom, students are provided with multiple means to
complete their work and focus on achieving academic standards (South Carolina, 2015).
Software used in the classroom can be a good tool to use to enhance the instruction and learning,
because it can block certain sites from being used and is safer to use, security wise. Software also
allows the teacher to keep track of the students grades and progress in the classroom.
Utility Software: Teachers can use utility software to assess students learning by creating
test, quizzes, and worksheets to help with the students learning. Utility software also allows the
teachers to create a grade book. It keeps track of the grades of each student, while providing
information on the students to progress to the teacher. This will help the teacher see where every
student is at in the learning process, while seeing what needs to be gone over more by looking at
the students scores. The teacher is able to do more with the instruction when using the
information provided from utility software for keeping track of the students results.
Word Processing: Secondly, teachers could use word processing software to assess
student learning, by creating word documents. Teachers can use a word processor to create
many documents for the classroom, such as lesson plans, worksheets, or to develop tests
(Software, n.d). Teachers would use word processing in their classroom by creating worksheets
or having the students use it as a tool to enhance a project or essay. For example, teachers can
assign an essay that has to be typed using word processing software. There are many different

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ways teachers are able to use word processing software to enhance their instruction and the
students learning.
Educational Games Software: Lastly, Teachers could use educational games software to
assess student learning, by allowing the students to play educational games using the software
during their free time or if they are done early. The software will not only help the teacher give
the students something to do during their free time, but also help with the students learning in the
classroom. Teachers could use educational games in their classroom to enhance the students
learning, while keeping them interested, as well as, students are able to download the educational
games software and use it home too.
Further, Formative assessments are assessments that happening during a lesson, which
helps with the students learning. They are used to monitor the students progress, so the teacher
knows where every student as in the learning based on a formative assessment. A summative
assessment is given at the end of the year, such as, a final exam or an exit exam. The summative
assessment shows what learning goals have been reached in the class by looking at the scores of
the summative assessment the students take at the end of the year. Technology can assist in
accomplishing both types of assessments by calculating the students scores, keeping the
assessments and scores organized, creating test and quizzes for the students, and communicating
with parents and students about their scores/grades. Research has demonstrated that when
teachers use student progress monitoring, students learn more, teacher decision making
improves, and students become more aware of their own performance (Safer, 2005).
Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Assessment
When using technology to facilitate assessment there are both pros and cons the teacher
needs to take into account before using it. Using technology to facilitate assessment is more

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convenient, more efficient, and faster at getting the scores of the students assessments. This
helps the teacher figure out where every student is at in the leaning process and where students
may be struggling at. Using technology to facilitate assessments also is not time consuming,
because teachers do not have to grade each assessment from every student by hand, which allows
the teacher to spend more time preparing lessons, and helping the students. the main con to using
facilitate assessments it is limited on how assessments are given, such as, how students are able
to enter their responses/answers; whether it be multiple choice or entering the answer by typing
it.
Addition, teachers should not rely on only technology to assess student learning, but use
other resources other than technology to assess students learning. When using technology to
assess students learning in the classroom, it is important that it meets up t the ISTE standards.
Many of these softwares allows the students to create original works as means of personal or
group expressions (ISTE, 2015). Most software used in the classroom meets up the ISTE
standards, because it helps every student learn, be creative, and provides opportunity for the
students to use critical thinking skills.
In conclusion, there are many different softwares available to assess in a students
learning and the instruction that can be used in a classroom, such as, utility software, word
processing software, and educational games software. Softwares used in the classroom can be
used to enhance learning, by allowing the students to study, practice, or take assessments using
the different softwares. With that in mind, the teacher needs to take into account the pros and
cons of using software in the classroom, as well as, not depend solely on software to assess the
students to learning. The teacher also needs to make sure the software used in their classroom to

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assess the students meets up to the ISTE standards before using to enhance the learning and the
instruction.
Reflection Essay
After completing this document, it was a sigh of relief and excitement for accomplishing
it. Each part was simple to complete, since most of it we worked on throughout the course. Just
some touch ups needed to be made here and there. The most difficult part was going through all
the different tools that can be used to enhance the teaching and learning in the classroom. This
was the most difficult, because there was so many to choose from and read up on.
With that in mind, this plan will be used to improve productivity and efficiency in the
classroom, school, and district for both as a teacher and the students. This plane will be
productive and efficiency, because it explains the importance of integrating technology into the
schools. Teachers need to join the technology bandwagon and bridge the gap between the
technologies students use at home and those teachers use in the classroom (Rafool, 2012).
Teachers need to learn the importance of integrating technology into their lessons, not only to
enhance the teaching and the learning; but also to get the students interested and excited about
the learning. Teachers need to conceptualize how the use of various programs which facilitate
teaching and learning (Bitner, 2002). This essay explains a variety of different tools teachers
can use in the classroom to enhance the teaching and the learning the classroom using
technology.
Addition, There are many different tools available to teachers to incorporate into their
lessons to enhance the learning and teaching. This plan explains the different tools that I will
incorporate into my future classroom when I become a teacher. Also, with this plan I can learn
how to use the different technologies available ahead of time, so I know how I can incorporate

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the tools into my lessons. Teachers need to learn how to use the technology tools first, so they are
able to teach effectively using them. Teachers are learning how to teach with emerging
technologies (tablets, iPads, Smart Boards, digital cameras, computers), while students are using
advanced technology to shape how they learn (Cox, 2009). When teachers know how to use the
technology, they are able to teach the students how to use the technology for educational
purposes. Students are also able to use the technology devices they have available to them at
home to enhance their learning at home too.
In conclusion, I have learned about the many different ways technology can be used in
the classroom to enhance the learning, instruction, and communication between teachers,
parents, and students. I knew technology was becoming an important tool to use in a classroom,
but I did not know it can be used in so many different ways that not only helps the students learn,
but also the teacher with the instruction, and communicating with the parents. This has opened
my eyes to the different ways I will be able to use technology as a tool to enhance my teaching
and communicate with the students parents. This course has taught me a lot of ways I will be
able to incorporate technology into my lessons, my communication, and my organization plans
from this benchmark and other assignments for my future classroom.

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References
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