Professional Development of Staff
Professional development in technology is an ongoing practice at Pioneer School. It includes specific practices to deal with specific goals, new software and other new technologies. It also addresses the basic and ongoing requirements to maintain existing programs using technology (such as Accelerated Reader) and help staff keep their equipment and maintenance skills updated, as time and budget allows. It will incorporate lessons, workshops, training videos, etc. as needed to help educators successfully incorporate technology into the classroom curriculum.
Pioneer School’s Professional Development Plan for Technology includes, but is not limited to:
- Providing staff with appropriate ongoing training of the network, software and hardware at the school.
- Providing training on software as it is acquired to facilitate integration into classroom instruction and learning.
- Training staff and informing the community of appropriate use of e-mail in the school setting, especially as a mode of communication between school and home
- Budgeting for classes at the Community Education Center, or other reputable learning center, or hire qualified individuals to lead workshops. The school seeks to encourage teachers to develop their interests while supporting their curriculum with effective use of available technologies.
Plan Evaluation:
This plan is to be used as a guideline in managing funds appropriated for technology and directing the course technology will take at Pioneer School in a comprehensive and meaningful way. The plan will be updated annually, near the beginning of the school year. At this time, funding will, for the most part, be known with relative confidence. Also, we will have a sense of what worked from prior years and can build on past projects, or change our direction, as standards and experience dictates. We will conduct needs inventories (staff, students and community) to determine our priorities and set our goals for the year. The remainder of the year will be spent carrying out those tasks necessary to the achievement of our goals and evaluating the effectiveness of our efforts as we look ahead to the next year.
Budget Considerations
Funds used to carry out plan goals come from a variety of sources including:
- Taxes-Depreciation
- School funds
- Title VI (REAP) Grant
- Timber Grant
- Title IId Grant
- Gifts/Donations
- Other Grant Programs
See Appendix A to view a spreadsheet for specific budget proposals.
