THE
Head of School
The
Technology Plan
(Reviewed
and Approved by NYSAIS)
(Revised - April, 2002)
135 Academy Road
Fax
http://www.albany-academy.org
The
Margaret G. Goold (Chair) .......................... Chair,
Learning Resources & Technologies Department
Victoria Blaisdell ................................................................................... Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten
Coyote Blue............................................................................................. Chair,
Fine Arts Department
Virginia M. Dorwaldt ............................................................................................ Head Librarian
Kenneth E. Ebert ............................................................................................ Lead Teacher, History
Kenneth L. Goold .......................................................................................... Lead Teacher, Music
David N. Hass....................................................................................... Parent,
Lucas & Max & Alex
Anthony Huntoon ................................................................................. Teacher, Computer Science
Peter D. Hughes ................................................................................................ Business Manager
Rick McCormick ................................................................................... Middle/Lower School Head
Sunil Gupta .............................................................................. Network Administrator/Web Master
Scott M. Milliken ...................................................................................... Lead
Teacher, Mathematics
Susan Mumford....................................................................................
Technology Coordinator, AAG
Robert H. I. Neudel ........................................... Chair, Science/Math Department, Teacher,
Science
Douglas A. Parker ............................................................ Curriculum Coordinator, Teacher, English
Marlene D. Silbergleit........................................................................................... Teacher,
Grade Four
Original members of the Technology Planning
Group (1994-95).
Members of the
Technology Management Team (TMT). The
TMT is charged with the day-to-day implementation of The Plan and all the
initiatives and details attendant to The Plan.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 5
Forward......................................................................................................................................... 6
Executive Summary
Rationale.................................................................................................................................. 7
Benefits.................................................................................................................................... 8
Timing of Expenditures............................................................................................................ 10
Governing Assumptions................................................................................................................ 11
Recommendations........................................................................................................................ 12
Training........................................................................................................................................ 18
Conclusion................................................................................................................................... 20
Appendices
A: Albany Academy Mission Statement................................................................................. 22
B: Albany Academy Educational Goals ................................................................................. 22
C: Learning Resources & Technologies Dept. Educational Goal Statements…….................. 23
D: Curricular Proposal Criteria.............................................................................................. 23
E: Computer
Science Curriculum ......................................................................................... 24
F: 24 X 7 Learning Place Plan .............................................................................................. 31
G: Web Site Policy ............................................................................................................... 33
H: Technology Specialists’ Job Descriptions.......................................................................... 35
I: Acceptable Use Policy...................................................................................................... 43
J: Network Specifications..................................................................................................... 47
K: Recent Network Evolution................................................................................................ 53
L: Pending Technology Expansions........................................................................................ 54
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The “Long Range
Technology Plan” was researched and first written by the Albany Academy/Albany
Academy for Girls Technology Planning Group during the 1992-1993 school
year. It was then incumbent on each
school to develop initiatives appropriate to its unique needs, interests and
expertise and, at the same time, coordinated with the other.
This Technology Plan
outlines the concrete, Albany Academy-specific strategies and procedures with
which we will implement the goals and philosophies put forth in the joint
plan. The Planning Group believes, with
great conviction, that the increased use of technologies in the educational
process, judiciously implemented as outlined here, will result in important and
essential advancements in the substance and excitement of teaching and learning
at The Albany Academy.
We thank the writers of
all the technology integration plans we reviewed for generously sharing their vision with us. We are particularly indebted to the planning
teams in the East Ramapo and Farmingdale Public Schools and the Brunswick
School. With their permission, much of
their clear thinking and some of their clear prose has enriched this document.
The Planning Group
would like to acknowledge with gratitude all the people who participated in the
process. The Plan would not have been
possible without their input. This Plan
reflects the ideas, comments and vision of all participants.
FORWARD
“Digital technology is on the verge of transforming teaching and
learning and it is imperative both for its own sake and for the healthy
survival of our private schools that we be in the forefront of these seminal
changes. The skilled teacher of the
future, even the immediate future, no longer cleverly imparts and explicates
and coaxes (although there will always be a place for performance
teaching). Rather, he designs a learning
experience through the sight and sound and text of digital technology in which
several students relate to each other and to the medium in a dynamic
collaboration. Grounded in her knowledge
of her field, the teacher as organizer becomes the coach as strategist.
“But the difference ...
is not cosmetic. ... I believe, we have
taken a millennial step beyond which students will learn much more, much
faster. The coming of interactive learning,
I believe, will also be the catalyst for the long overdue fundamental revision
of the American curriculum. Digital
technology gives us the chance to break up the old Gutenberg system of studying
and reproducing and adapts easily to the specialization of knowledge within
great contexts that I believe is the wave of the future.
“Although some of our
schools are already in the vanguard, not enough are. The technology revolution in learning
probably presents the greatest opportunity for educational leadership in
several centuries and we must not, at our peril, leave its undertaking to
others.”
Frederick C. Calder, Executive Director of NYSAIS
To maximize teaching
and learning, to better prepare students for the worlds of their future and to
maintain its leadership position as an educational institution, The Albany
Academy must continue to strive to keep pace with the transformational impact
of digital technology.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Rationale
Students and teachers
at The Albany Academy are increasingly involved in the use of technology. New technologies revitalize the faculty and
the curriculum, foster both independent and cooperative learning and creative
problem solving and increase student motivation to learn.
Implementation of this
plan allows the Academy to remain attractive in a competitive market and to
participate in the fundamental changes taking place in response to clearer
insights into the nature of learning and teaching.
Further, understanding
of and skill with various technologies are vital to success in the business and
academic worlds. To the extent this plan
is implemented, graduates of The Albany Academy will be prepared to fully
participate in those worlds.
This multi-phased
Technology Plan is the result of the work of many Albany Academy teachers and
administrators, current and alumni parents, and trustees. The Plan outlines the concrete,
Albany-Academy-specific strategies and procedures with which we will implement
the goals and philosophies put forth in The Albany Academy / Albany Academy for
Girls Long Range Technology Plan.
The committee’s work is
informed by:
• studying technology planning literature,
• visiting schools throughout New York,
• reviewing other schools’ technology plans,
• interviewing faculty/staff members
• surveying many teachers and parents, and
• ongoing analysis and
deliberation.
The Plan outlines a
phased-in, curriculum driven approach.
Technology is integrated into the educational process in a manner
consistent with The Academy’s philosophy as articulated in The Albany Academy
Mission Statement and The Albany Academy Goals (see Appendices A & B).
Benefits
1. Students and teachers will benefit from a greatly enriched and
expanded teaching and learning environment.
a. For students, maximized use of technology will:
·
Facilitate
an ubiquitous learning environment in which there will be more
exploration/discovery, active, student-centered learning experiences,
·
Empower the construction and publication
of new knowledge,
·
Enhance
critical-thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills,
·
Expand
presentation capabilities,
·
Create an
environment for cooperative learning,
·
Enable
independent, self-directed learning,
·
Build
self-confidence and self-esteem through greater use of individualized, self-paced projects,
·
Address
individual needs and learning styles.
·
Enable
collaboration through electronic communication.
b. For teachers, maximized use of technology will:
·
Enrich and
expand the variety of teaching methodologies,
·
Expand
presentation capabilities,
·
Promote
efficiencies in teaching and learning,
·
Provide
easier access to knowledge and information beyond the boundaries of textbooks
and classroom walls,
·
Facilitate
good writing,
·
Enable
collaboration through electronic communication.
c. For the Curriculum (students & teachers) maximized use of technology will:
·
Enable
access to deeper and more varied curriculum-related resources,
·
Develop
new curricular areas,
·
Promote
technological facility for the 21st century at all grade levels.
2. Students
& teachers will prepare for the work of an increasingly technological
society by developing fundamental computer skills and understandings:
·
Information
access and management,
·
Desktop
publishing,
·
Web-based publishing,
·
Interactive
multimedia,
·
Basic
computer science,
·
Robotics/computer
aided design, and
·
Multimedia
information presentation.
3. The administration of the school will be more efficient and
effective due to:
a.
More
closely integrated school administration functions among all
departments/divisions
and between AA and AAG.
b. Better collection and reporting of student information between AA
and AAG, within the school, between divisions and among faculty and
administrators,
c. More efficient and flexible scheduling,
d. More effective communication with parents,
e. Better analysis of student performance,
f. Better portfolio assessment,
g. Better storage and communication of comments about students,
h. Production of more and higher quality projects in-house.
Technology Budget Anticipated
|
1999-2000 |
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
|
|
(actual) |
|
|
|
|
Internet Connection - GTE (July - November) |
13,300.00 |
|
|
|
|
Sch'dy Intranet |
2,250.00 |
3,000.00 |
13,000.00 |
13,000.00 |
|
Concentric Network - Web page Hosting |
|
600.00 |
600.00 |
700.00 |
|
PC Workstation Lease (Phased over three years) |
26,922.00 |
55,000.00 |
95,000.00 |
110,000.00 |
|
Software Upgrades/new |
3,300.00 |
26,900.00 |
9,000.00 |
18,000.00 |
|
24/7 Campus (Phase I of II - 1/2) |
23,777.00 |
|
27,000.00 |
|
|
MS/US Lab Equipment |
11,000.00 |
7,500.00 |
4,500.00 |
|
|
Monitors/ |
2,125.00 |
2,000.00 |
6,500.00 |
6,500.00 |
|
LCD Projectors/ |
|
72,000.00 |
|
|
|
Network Support - Outside |
1,355.00 |
4,500.00 |
4,500.00 |
5,000.00 |
|
Distance Learning Services |
|
17,000.00 |
17,000.00 |
|
|
Digital Lab Workstation |
0.00 |
|
15,000.00 |
|
|
Student Summer Staff - Inventory, Equip Storage, |
4,800.00 |
|
|
|
|
-Lease Rollout, upgrades |
|
|
|
|
|
Equipment - Repair |
5,300.00 |
6,500.00 |
6,000.00 |
6,500.00 |
|
Equipment - Replacement (obsolescence) |
27,100.00 |
13,000.00 |
14,000.00 |
8,000.00 |
|
Servers,
Switches, Printers, Software Upgrades, etc. |
|
|
|
|
|
Replace Novell Authentication/File Server |
11,916.00 |
15,000.00 |
|
20,000.00 |
|
Pilot Laptop Wireless Lab |
|
|
10,000.00 |
|
|
Consolidation of Network Servers |
|
|
|
|
|
Wiring,
infrastructure upgrade |
2,571.00 |
2,000.00 |
2,000.00 |
2,500.00 |
|
Professional Development Curricular Integration |
12,000.00 |
12,000.00 |
10,000.00 |
10,000.00 |
|
Original Building Infrastructure Lease |
30,000.00 |
|
0.00 |
|
|
Senior Systems - Maintenance and Support |
2,417.00 |
12,000.00 |
13,000.00 |
13,000.00 |
|
Balance of Data
Conversion/Software |
19,689.00 |
|
|
|
|
Misc - Copy/Postage |
|
650.00 |
650.00 |
700.00 |
|
10% Contingency |
0.00 |
7,000.00 |
24775.00 |
21,390.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Technology Budget Totals: |
199,822.00 |
256,650.00 |
272,525.00 |
235,290.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grants/Charitable Gifts: |
|
|
|
|
|
NYS Aid for Computer Software |
3,300.00 |
11,900.00 |
|
|
|
School and Library Universal Service Fund |
54,000.00 |
23,000.00 |
|
|
|
Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (Title III) |
15,500.00 |
15,500.00 |
|
|
|
Woody Rea Restricted Gift |
|
72,000.00 |
|
|
|
|
127,022.00 |
134,250.00 |
272,525.00 |
235,290.00 |
GOVERNING ASSUMPTIONS
The recommendations of
the Technology Planning Group are formulated against the background of the
following governing assumptions:
1. Changes to The School’s curricula and/or methodologies will be
consistent with The School’s Mission Statement and Goals.
2. Teachers will remain the primary catalysts in the
teaching/learning process. However, the
role of teachers will evolve toward facilitators of learning, coaches of
students and managers of the educational process.
3. Our students’ futures will be ever more influenced by
technological developments and their expertise in employing these
developments. Therefore, it is essential
that we enable our students to utilize these technologies today; we best serve
our mission, by “preparing students for their lives.”
4. We believe that new technologies should be incorporated in the
educational process because:
a. Technologies can enhance and enrich teaching and learning,
b. Technologies facilitate a more active, independent role for
students in the learning process,
c. Technologies facilitate cooperative learning,
d. Technologies facilitate interdisciplinary studies,
e. Technologies accelerate the pace of learning,
f. Technologies increase access to information.
5. Technologies, including computer technologies, can best serve the
educational process if they are thought of as catalysts for evolving methods
and strategies as well as tools for teachers and students to incorporate into
existing methods and strategies.
6. The
Albany Academy for Girls and The Albany Academy will achieve seamless
integration of all possible electronic functions while respecting and
maintaining the individual integrity of each school.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations of The Plan can be grouped into 14 major
categories.
1.
Implement and maintain a robust,
full-featured infrastructure.
2.
Develop
and actively maintain a rich intranet and a dynamic School web presence.
3.
Provide
for initial and ongoing training and support for all faculty and staff.
4.
Establish
4.5 technology specialist positions in the Learning Resources &
Technologies Department.
5.
Provide
necessary and equitable access to current technology for all students, faculty
and staff.
6.
Integrate
technology into the curriculum to enhance the teaching and learning process at
all grade levels.
7.
Make
on-line information readily accessible to all faculty, staff, and students.
8.
Modify
existing facilities where necessary to enable the integration of technology.
9.
Implement
the 24 X 7 Learning Place Plan.
10.
Maintain
an on-going Technology Planning Group(TPG) responsible for the implementation,
evaluation and continuing revision of the Technology Plan.
11.
Maintain
an on-going Technology Management Team(TMT), a subset of the TPG, responsible
for the day-to-day implementation of The Plan.
12.
Maintain
an on-going Joint AA-AAG Technology Committee charged with overall
technological coordination and oversight of joint projects.
13.
Develop
new sources of funding to enable the implementation of The Technology Plan and
its ongoing evolution as well as for planned equipment upgrades on a 3 year
cycle.
14.
Review and
revise the Technology Plan at least once a year.
It is intended that these recommendations will be initiated by
September 1, 2001
Specific elements of each recommendation:
1.
Implement
and maintain a robust, full featured infrastructure (see
Appendix J)
a)
Continually assess and prudently upgrade
hardware and software.
b)
Continue upgrading hardware on a 3-year cycle.
c)
Vigantly maintain security within the AA
Intranet and between it and the Internet.
2.
Develop and actively maintain a dynamic School web presence (see Appendix G)
a)
Individual
department chairs will approve content.
b)
WebMaster/Network
Administrator will provide technical management.
c)
Communications
Director will have complete oversight.
d)
The site
will reflect all facets of the School community.
· Each element will be driven and maintained by its constituent
group.
e)
Development
of deep, rich curricular content is an ongoing goal.
3.
Provide for initial and ongoing training and support of all
faculty and staff.
a)
Provide
time and financial support for staff development.
b)
Promote
on-site and off-site faculty/staff development activities.
c)
Promote
and support faculty initiatives to develop curricular project proposals.
d)
Provide a
minimum of two technology staff development days built into the school calendar
for all divisions.
e)
Utilize
the Technology Planning Group to oversee staff development and program
evaluation.
f)
Provide a
technology-related summer grant program:
· Establish a formal application process for technology-related
summer grants,
· Enable faculty/staff professional development in the usage of
technology,
· Enable technology-enhanced curriculum development,
· Enable web content development.
g)
Provide
training to accommodate levels of staff awareness and various areas of
interest.
h)
Support
faculty and student use of technology.
4.
Establish 4.5 technology specialist positions in the Learning
Resources & Technologies Department that: (see Appendix H)
a)
Provide
the services of 1.5 instructional technology specialists,
b)
Provide
the services of a computer science specialist,
c)
Provide
the services of a network administrator/web master,
d)
Provide
technology/hardware/audio-visual support.
5.
Provide necessary and equitable access to current and appropriate
technology for all students, faculty and staff
a)
Establish
standards for evaluating and supporting curricular projects that insure
quality, consistency and cost effectiveness.
b)
Adhere to
all copyright and licensing regulations.
c)
Maintain
intranet/Internet access from every teaching & learning space.
d)
Equip 50%
of the classrooms with one (1) multimedia computer for every four (4) students,
a large screen monitor/projector, and a printer, and remaining classrooms with
one (1) computer, a large screen monitor/projector, and printer access per
classroom.
e)
Provide
each Middle and Upper School student with access to the School Intranet both on
campus through network connections and remotely through the Academy web site
(www.albany-academy.org). (see Appendix F)
· Develop mechanism for regular upgrades such that student-use
machines are consistent with School hardware and software specifications. (see
Appendix J)
· Actively publicize technical specifications of current standard
home computer system.
f)
Provide
laptops for faculty use at home, at school, in the office or in the classroom.
g)
Equip the
faculty room with two (2) networked computers and printers.
h)
Equip each
administrative office with at least one networked computer and close access to
a laser-quality printer.
i)
Maintain
two computer labs consisting of 17-20 networked computers and other equipment
as appropriate.
j)
Establish
extended hours when the lab(s) are open and user support is available.
k)
Upgrade
hardware on a three-year lease cycle.
6.
Integrate technology into the curriculum to enhance the teaching
and learning process at all grade levels
(see Appendix C)
a)
Provide
technologies that enrich and expand the curriculum-related information
available to students and teachers.
· Maintain a
school-wide computer network with the Library serving as the information center
of the school and with high-speed Internet access.
b)
Establish
technologies that enrich and expand the variety of teaching methodologies
utilized throughout the school (e.g., discovery, active, student-based,
analytical and problem-solving, independent, collaborative, and cooperative
learning).
· Evaluate
and purchase appropriate software systems that support a variety of teaching and learning methods and styles.
· Provide
demonstration lessons of this software in the classroom or lab setting.
· Provide
training sessions by which teachers may become independent users of the
technology and software.
· Monitor
and evaluate the effectiveness of technology vis-a-vis student learning.
c)
Provide
technologies that expand the presentation capabilities of students and
teachers.
· Equip each
classroom with a multimedia presentation station including computer, integrated
audio and video equipment, and large-screen monitor/projector.
· Provide
training in the use of electronic communications and presentation equipment.
d)
Promote
technological facility for the 21st century at all grade levels.
· Articulate
a formal Pre-K-12 computer science curriculum.
· Monitor,
evaluate and update this curriculum on a continuing basis.
7.
Make on-line information readily accessible to all faculty, staff
and students.
a)
Establish
a campus-wide Intranet for easy instructional and administrative navigation.
b)
Develop a
consistent interface through which one may access all resources, both local and
external to the network.
c)
Expand The
School’s current Library to a Learning Resources Center with online, electronic
communications resources available, including CD ROM-based resources,
accessible on the network.
d)
Provide
the ability to access the School Intranet at anytime from:
· Any academic or administrative space within the School,
· Outside the school, particularly student and faculty/staff homes.
e)
Ensure
that the integrity of information and the privacy of individuals is maintained.
8.
Modify existing facilities to enable the integration of
technology.
a)
Modify 50%
of the classrooms as necessary to accommodate 1 networked computer for every 4
students, large-screen monitor/projector, and 1 printer per classroom.
9.
Implement the 24 x 7 Learning Place Plan. (see Appendix F)
a)
Students
and faculty/staff will have access to intranet in school.
b)
Students
and faculty/staff will have access to intranet via the web site.
c)
The 24 x 7
Learning Plan will:
1)
Allow
students and teachers to submit work for review and editing and thereby enhance
writing across the curriculum.
2)
Allow
local communications between students and teachers, among students, and among
teachers.
3)
Develop
students’ desktop publishing strategies, presentational skills, creation of
art, and composition of music through online live and prepared exhibitions.
4)
Enable
interactive communications with scientists, writers, experts at universities,
and professionals around the world.
5)
Allow
students and teachers unlimited access to our AA Library online resources as
well as those of libraries around the world.
6)
Embrace
home connectivity, making The Albany Academy a true 24 hour/ 7 days a week
campus via intranet and Internet communications.
7)
Facilitate
team teaching efforts and interdisciplinary projects
8)
Improve
use of time in extended block periods, giving the teachers more flexibility in
instructional methodologies.
10.Maintain an on-going Technology
Planning Group(TPG) responsible for the implementation, evaluation &
continuing revision of The Technology Plan.
a)
Designate
the Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair as Technology
Planning Group Chair with overall responsibility.
b)
Designate
the Planning Group members including the AAG Technology Coordinator.
c)
Establish
a process to continually review and revise The Technology Plan.
d)
Evaluate
the progress of the implementation of the recommendations.
e)
Establish
a process for communicating progress of The Plan to the Academy community.
11.Maintain an on-going Technology
Management Team (TMT), a subset of the TPG, responsible for the day-to-day
implementation of The Plan
a)
Membership
will include: Learning Resources &
Technologies Department Chair, Network Administrator, and Business Manager.
b)
Communicate
the progress of The Plan to the TPG and to the Academy community.
12.Maintain an on-going Joint AA/AAG
Technology Committee
a)
Membership
will mirror that of the TMT.
b)
Develop
and coordinate mutually advantagious initiatives.
13.Develop and maintain funding sources
to enable the implementation of this Technology Plan and its ongoing evolution.
a)
Maintain
budget line for three-year hardware replacement cycle lease.
b)
Aggressively
pursue technology funding sources as they appear.
c)
Develop
additional technology funding sources.
14.Review and revise The Technology Plan
at least annually.
a)
Annually,
at the first Technology Planning Group meeting, as an evaluation/goal-setting
activity, review The Plan.
b)
Annually
the TMT will revise The Plan, guided by TPG deliberations.
c)
Annually,
at the second Technology Planning Group meeting, consider and endorse The Plan
as revised.
TRAINING
Rationale
The success of the
Technology Plan for The Albany Academy depends upon the quality of professional
development opportunities provided to personnel. Through effective training and support the
potential of technology can be fully realized.
An integrated training
program, designed to meet varying levels of expertise and to enhance the
ability of teachers to integrate technology into the teaching/learning
environment will be provided to all staff members.
Recommendations
1.
The
Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair will be charged with the
continued responsibility of design, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive training program for faculty
and staff.
2.
Adequate
time for training will be provided during the school year; specifically two
professional training days and at least one afternoon for each department
and/or division will be part of the calendar.
3.
Summer
training will be provided for faculty/staff.
4.
Summer grants
will be available for curriculum-related technological projects.
5.
In-class
modeling and demonstration lessons will be provided.
6.
Training
in both technology and the integration of technology into the instructional
programs will be offered.
7.
Partnering
opportunities whereby Academy faculty/staff personnel participate in
professional development opportunities with colleagues from other schools will
be found, developed, and nurtured.
8.
Resource
people in every discipline and at every grade level will be identified
and/or developed. They will provide leadership in working to
accomplish the Technology Plan.
9.
All
teachers and school administrators will be helped to become technologically
facile and familiar with the role they can play in achieving the goals of The
Technology Plan.
10.
A School
hiring process that rewards the educational technology knowledge and experience
of applicants will be developed and implemented.
Description of Staff Development and Training Programs
1)
Needs
related to the following areas will be identified:
a)
Software
applications for specific subject areas and grade levels,
b)
Technology
infused curriculum development for subject areas and grade levels,
c)
Productivity
applications,
d)
Information
access and management,
e)
Interactive
multimedia and hypermedia,
f)
Administrative
applications,
g)
Electronic
communications,
h)
Image/graphics
processing.
2)
Characteristics
a)
Training
in small group sessions,
b)
Collaborative
inter- and intra-school experiences,
c)
Hands-on
training experiences,
d)
Ongoing
training at a variety of levels of proficiency,
e)
Various
teaching/learning modes,
f)
Convenience
for staff,
g)
Informal,
individual support as needed,
h)
Classroom
applications developed.
3)
Evaluation
a)
Training
needs will be evaluated continually by the Learning Resources &
Technologies Department Chair in consultation with: the Technology Planning Group, Division
Heads, Department Chairs.
CONCLUSION
“We are now at a point
where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare
our school for what no one knows yet.”
Margaret
Mead
Students at The Albany
Academy will be ever more influenced by
technological developments and their expertise in effectively employing these
developments. It is essential that we
enable our students to use these technologies today and prepare them for their
lives.
The Academy needs to
incorporate technology into the educational process because technology:
• enhances and enriches teaching and learning
• facilitates an active, independent role for
students in the learning process
• facilitates cooperative and collaborative
learning
• facilitates interdisciplinary studies
• accelerates the pace of learning
• increases access to and management of
information
Technologies can best
serve the educational process if they are thought of as catalysts for evolving
methods and strategies as well as tools for teachers and students to
incorporate into existing methods and strategies.
The Albany Academy
Mission concludes with the pledge to, “... develop in its students sound habits
of learning that prepare them for college and lives of responsible
leadership.” By implementing the
Technology Plan, The Academy will do its part to prepare tomorrow’s leaders
with skills they need to function and excel in the 21st century.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX
A: ALBANY ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT
Founded in 1813, The
Albany Academy is an independent, college-preparatory school for boys in
pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The
Academy strives to challenge and to support each student to reach his unique
potential -- academically, athletically, and esthetically. In addition, The Academy encourages each
student to develop self-discipline, integrity, self-reliance, and respect for
others. The Academy helps to develop in
its students sound habits of learning that prepare them for college and lives
of responsible leadership.
APPENDIX B: ALBANY ACADEMY EDUCATIONAL GOALS
Albany Academy students will learn to be life-long learners who develop
an intellectual curiosity, acquire the skills needed to learn independently,
and apply what they learn to better understand and function in the global
community.
Albany Academy students will learn to appreciate and value individuals
and their cultures, and respond compassionately towards others.
Albany Academy students will learn to be effective communicators who
creatively, skillfully, and respectfully convey, receive, and exchange
information, ideas, and feelings.
Albany Academy students will learn to be critical thinkers who use
information and other resources, including technology, to reason, make
decisions, and solve problems.
Albany Academy students will learn to be responsible and ethical
leaders who accept challenges, demonstrate initiative, and model their behavior
according to the School’s Code of Honor.
Albany Academy students will develop an appreciation for creative
expression through participation in the arts.
Albany Academy students will develop skills and a commitment to
maintain fitness through participation in athletics and physical education.
APPENDIX C:
THE LEARNING RESOURCES & TECHNOLOGIES
DEPARTMENT EDUCATIONAL GOAL STATEMENTS
1. Students will
develop skill in using various technologies routinely and independently as a
tool and thereby benefit from extended learning opportunities in computer
science as well as in all other curricular areas.
2. Students will
dynamically share and enhance each other’s technological strengths and
abilities.
3. Students will
develop skill with computer applications, including the internet, to allow them
to effectively gather, organize and communicate information.
4. Students will
learn to be critical of the currency and accuracy of information gathered from
electronic sources. They will
confidently use these validated ideas as a basis for informed reasoning, decision
making, and problem solving in school and beyond.
5. Students will,
individually and in collegial partnership with others, increasingly take
intellectual initiative and risk.
Students will define and evaluate their endeavors against the ethical
standard described in The School’s Code
of Honor.
APPENDIX
D: CURRICULAR PROPOSAL CRITERIA
The Technology Planning
Group(TPG) will solicit, evaluate, and select curricular proposals. The TPG will be guided by criteria of
equitable distribution of technology and consistency with the goals of the
Plan. The TPG will provide support as
needed for selected projects.
Criteria for technology project proposals:
1. A narrative description of
the project. Include the rationale,
goal(s), target population, student outcomes, and anticipated benefit(s) of the
project.
2. A list of required equipment
(hardware), instructional materials, software, training, other support needed
to implement the project.
3. A description of the
mechanism for evaluation of the effectiveness of the project.
4. A statement of support from
division head(s) and department chair(s) whose areas of supervision are
impacted by the project.
APPENDIX E: COMPUTER SCIENCE
CURRICULUM
COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAM
Philosophy
Computer experiences
extend learning opportunities in all subject areas, develop skill in using
various technologies routinely as a tool,
and enhance the
evolution of rational problem solving strategies.
Features
of the program and facilities:
·
Use of technology to enhance
and extend all curricular areas is encouraged and supported.
·
Hardware and software
purchasing decisions are made in support of the various curricula at all
levels.
·
Computer facilities are
established and maintained for student and faculty use for learning and
teaching.
·
The school computer network
connects all learning and teaching spaces.
·
Internet access via a
high-speed connection is available for curricular purposes.
Specific technologies explored and tools used on spiraling levels as
students develop readiness and build skill:
·
Desktop publishing
·
Electronic information gathering
·
Multimedia presentation tools and techniques
·
Graphics
·
Programming
·
Web Design/Publishing
·
Robotics
·
Telecommunications
·
Computer Science
·
Students in Pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st
grade are led by classroom teachers to explore broadly and become comfortable
and skillful with the computer, thereby facilitating curricular classroom use.
·
Projects in support of the various subject areas
form the basic component of the computer science program. Computer activities are closely tied to
classroom and library goals.
·
Writers’ Workshop often occurs in the computer lab
and is team-taught by classroom teachers and computer specialists.
·
Students at all levels regularly participate in
interdisciplinary projects led by classroom teachers, the librarian, and
computer specialist.
·
Students have access to networked computers in their
classrooms and the library as well as in the computer lab. They routinely use programs that support and
extend ongoing curricula.
·
The home-school connection is reinforced in many
ways. Among them are:
·
Parents are invited to visit their child’s computer
classes.
·
The boys often produce and bring home printouts of their
work.
·
Second through fourth grade students attend computer
class weekly. They use computers in
their classrooms and/or the library daily.
2nd Grade – Second graders learn to
work in a network environment. They
manage a class screen name and password and learn to create, save, and retrieve
files. Projects include desktop
publishing/formatting work and a data collection/graphing project.
3rd Grade – The third grade computer
experiences further build the boys’ file management, programming and desktop
publishing skill and knowledge.
4th Grade – In fourth grade, students
may establish and manage a personal network account. Their programming project is challenging and
multi-faceted and closely tied to their math curriculum. Spring brings an introductory robotics unit.
Middle School Computer
Science Program
·
5th Grade – The fifth grade curriculum
coordinates closely with the science curriculum. Students have an introductory experience with
keyboarding and explore the power of PowerPoint. Their first project is a carefully and
skillfully developed and delivered multimedia presentation about their
September trip to the Chingachgook Outdoor Education Center. Spring brings exploration of GIF animation.
·
6th Grade – The sixth grade computer
curriculum is all about communication and is coordinated with the Humanities
Department. The boys build skill in
keyboarding, PowerPoint and the finer points of desktop publishing. Their first project is a carefully and
skillfully developed and delivered presentation about their September trip to
Space Camp in Montreal. This
presentation will serve as an exemplary model for informational presentations
the boys will build in future. Students
learn desktop publishing techniques as they develop writing skill through
process writing of a substantial fiction piece.
They plan, write and polish mystery stories that are published in a
class anthology. Spring brings a
hands-on robotics unit in which students will both build and program robotic
devices.
·
7th Grade – Seventh graders first
cement their keyboarding skill, explore the fine points of the spreadsheet,
Excel, the database, Access, and extend their publishing expertise.
In the spreadsheet project, each team of
one or two boys, using the food pyramid for reference, plans a nutritious day’s
menu. Then each team develops a
spreadsheet with columns showing amounts of the various ingredients in their
menu needed for feeding 100, 157(Middle School), 44(FmI), and the number in the
family. Their reference is the Armed
Forces Recipe Service boxed set. They will also learn to graph that data in
various ways.
Spring brings collaboration with Middle School teachers to post student work on
the Academy web site (www.albany-academy.org).
·
8th Grade – The Second Form computer
science course is coordinated with the boys’ interdisciplinary 20th Century
America study. After cementing their
keyboarding skill, students choose and research an American artist who worked
in the 20th Century. They
research widely using both print and electronic sources. Each boy will organize the information he
finds into an electronic portfolio of the artist’s work annotated with key
information about his/her life and work and use that portfolio to teach
classmates about his artist.
Spring will bring exposure-level
units in simple web page design and programming. .
The final Middle School computer science project is an independent study. Each student has the opportunity to extend
knowledge and skill in an area of particular interest to him.
Upper School AAG/AA
Coordinate Program
The goal
of the Upper School Computer and Information Science program is twofold: 1) to
integrate principles of bibliographic instruction and computer technology into
the Upper School curriculum, and 2) to offer rigorous academic courses which
address specific skills in various fields of computer technology.
In
addition to a general introductory course in applications, two strands of study
are offered. The Computer Science strand
is designed for those students who wish to develop logical thinking and problem
solving skills, as well as for those students who wish to go into the fields of
computer science, mathematics or engineering.
The Digital Media strand offers students a variety of media experiences
that will challenge them to combine their creative ideas with the tools of the
digital age.
Essential
Technologies
760 AA
706 AAG
Grades 9 - 12
1 credit
This survey
course exposes students to the basic use of the personal computer and its
essential software applications in an effort to promote user confidence and
ability. Students will begin by working with an integrated office suite and
three of its major applications--the word processor, database and spreadsheet
components--to produce effective documents.
The second half of the course will focus on digital media through a
hands-on exploration of desktop publishing, hypermedia software and web
exploration and design. By the end of the course, students will be required to
complete at least one major project and presentation utilizing these advanced
techniques.
Grades 10 - 12 or
recommendation of the Computer Department
1 credit
This course will
include "hands-on" laboratory activities to introduce a structured
approach to problem solving offered by writing computer programs. Students will
become acquainted with the capabilities and limitations of computers and will
develop the necessary logical thinking and organizational skills required of
any good programmer. This course's focus
is on the algorithmic formulation and solution of problems using a compiled
programming language. Topics of study
include procedures, functions, the input-output stream, various looping
techniques and arrays. Class time will
be spent writing programs, discussing new techniques and perfecting these
concepts on the computer. Successful
completion of this course is adequate preparation for going on to the AP Computer
Science course.
730 Advanced Programming –
AAG
Prerequisite: Recommendation of the Computer Department
Grades 10 - 12
1 credit
In this project-based course,
students will write programs in C++ that will include code that builds on the
material used in the introductory course.
New topics will include strings, arrays, matrices and classes. There will be a major emphasis on graphics,
movement and animation. Because this is
an individually paced course, it will meet the needs of both those students who
have taken the Advance Placement Exam and those students who have not yet
studied for the AP and wish to take the Advanced Placement course in the
2000-2001 school year
725 AP Computer Science – AAG
Prerequisite: Recommendation of the Computer Department
Grades 11 - 12
1 credit
This course is
designed for those students who have demonstrated strong motivation, interest
and aptitude in computer science.
Equivalent to an introductory college course, the core of the course
material includes the writing of clear, robust, concise, reusable and powerful
C++ code. Students will learn to work
with arrays, files, stacks and the code to link and implement them. The students will be able to develop large
programs constructed of many individual functions. Students who desire to take this course must
have out of class access to a computer that is able to compile rather long C++
programs. Each student who takes this
course is expected to take the AP Computer Science A or AP Computer Science AB
exam in the spring.
765 Computer Science – AA
Prerequisite: Intro. To Computer Programming or recommendation of the
Computer Department
Grades 9 –12
1/3 credit
This course will focus on hardware, operating system environments and networking. Students will discuss basic components of a personal computer, which will include building PC’s in the class. A review of the different operating systems used today within various platforms will be explored. Networking will be explained using the Internet as a model.
Prerequisite: Recommendation of the Computer Department
Grades 9 – 12
1/3 credit (full year course)
The Honor Tutorial in Computer Systems Management provides a small number of students with the opportunity to research and build expertise in wide range of topics related to computer technology. Because of the variety of possible subjects students might investigate, they are encouraged to either work independently or in small groups on individual projects. Students will also work together to identify a short-term goal for the entire group and work collectively towards that goal.
For the first year that a student is involved in this program, the first two trimesters would be a probationary period. At this time he/she will learn from second year students about the present computing environment, as well as the current projects that are being maintained or completed. By the end of the first trimester a student will submit a project proposal to the instructor and the student facilitator. They will evaluate the proposal and either approve it or work with the student to further develop their ideas. This proposal will include: a description of the project (in technical and non-technical terms, project goals (ultimate goal of project, relationship to other projects, its application, etc.) and why it was chosen, the technology being used, standards being adopted (as well as standards that are being ignored), resources that would be utilized including, people, equipment and support, and a projected timeline.
Once approved, a BI-trimester status report that would include:
updating progress, unexpected delays or issues and/or clarification of a
projects goal or direction, will be required. Any new projects would emerge
through a similar process (at the completion or termination of a current
project.)
At the end of the second trimester a determination will be made as to a
student’s continuance in this program (new student probationary period ends).
It is expected that a constant level of activity be noted to continue with this
program. Credit for this program is only given after the successful completion
of one full academic year. Students are encouraged to join this program in 9th
or 10th grade and continue through 12th grade.
The Computer Systems Management
Honors Tutorial has been designed to enhance the Computer Science program of
studies, to help students who wish to develop logical thinking and problem
solving skills, as well as to prepare students who wish to go into fields of
computer science, mathematics or engineering.
Prerequisite: None
Grades 10 – 12
1/3 credit
This course is an introduction to HTML and the concepts behind the
creation of a successful web site design.
HTML is a common method to create a web site. In this course, we will explore techniques of
web page design, learn HTML, and introduce the use of graphics, sounds, and other
multimedia that can be presented on the World Wide Web. In addition, we will explore other facets
that are essential to creating a successful web site and even have an
opportunity to publish our work.
Students will be expected to design and implement several web sites,
both individually and in small groups.
766 Introduction to Animation
and Web Graphics – AA
Grades 10 – 12
1/3 credit
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of animation and web graphics. Students will explore techniques for making graphics, animated gifs, text graphics, and other images that can be used on web sites, as well as other forms of multimedia. State-of-the-art authoring software, Macromedia Director, will be the key tool used in this course. Students will be expected to do both individual and group projects. Projects will be individually paced; successful students will be self-motivated, creative and willing to work in teams.
APPENDIX F: THE
24X7 LEARNING PLACE…
Summary: The 24x7 Learning Place is an innovative blend of The Albany
Academy’s new Educational Goals and The Academy’s Technology Plan, all forged
into a visionary blueprint for integrating classroom technology and curriculum.
The Albany Academy will become a true 24 hour/ 7 days a week campus via
Intranet and Internet communications.
The Plan would be launched
in September, 2001. Students in
Forms I to VI will be phased in during the year allowing them full access to
the new integrated blend of curriculum and technology available at The
Academy.
It is expected that all students in FM I and above have, at home, regular use of a computer that meets current specifications (Pentium, 64 MG RAM, 4 GB Hard drive, 8 MB PCI Video, Soundcard, Windows 95/98/2000, MS Office 2000 Standard, Internet access and CD-ROM Drive.)
Many top universities and colleges have
embraced a comparable model. Keeping to
The Academy’s Mission of being a superb college preparatory country day school,
this Plan would provide our students a vital advantage as they enter the
competitive world of higher learning.
Features of The 24x7
Learning Place Plan:
-Students enjoy access to multiple networked workstations around the
school. These networked sites allow
teachers and students to access and manage information effectively.
-Classroom lessons and presentations will be made by teachers and
students on large screens in the classes.
Both live and arranged exhibitions will develop students’ desktop
publishing strategies, presentational skills, creation of art, composition of
music, and interactive communications with scientists, writers, experts at
universities, and professionals around the world.
-An intranet enables local communications between students and
teachers, among students, and among teachers.
-The Plan will allow ubiquitous access to our AA Library online
resources as well as those of libraries around the world.
-The Plan will embrace home connectivity, making The Albany Academy a
true 24 hour/ 7 days a week campus.
-The Plan will facilitate team teaching efforts and interdisciplinary
projects. It would become a significant
new tool for integrated teaching initiatives.
-The Plan would allow teachers more flexibility in varying
instructional methodologies.
APPENDIX G: WEB SITE POLICY
(www.albany-academy.org)
The Albany Academy web site is an official
Academy publication.
The Albany Academy web site is the first
point of contact with the Academy for online visitors. Unless otherwise
indicated, all pages and their contents are copyrighted and their use requires
written permission from the Academy Communications Office.
The webmaster maintains the Academy web site.
In conjunction with the Learning Resources & Technologies Department,
communications office and departmental content providers, the webmaster’s goal
is to maintain a dynamic, robust, electronic window into all aspects of Academy
life. The AA web site provides information about the Academy, its mission and
educational program, its faculty and students, and its events and programs. The
site also provides access to educational resources, informational tools, and
navigational aids.
Decisions on content will be made by
department chairs, guided by the webmaster and the director of communications
and will be based on accuracy, appropriateness and space and design
considerations.
Copyright and trademark rules must be
observed. Graphics, video, audio, or text created by another person may not be
placed on a page without credit given to the artist or author.
Academy web servers may not be used for
profit or commercial purposes other than official Academy business. Please
review the Acceptable Use Policy.
·
First name and last initial only will identify
students in Form II and below. Grade may
be included if relevant.
·
Student photos will appear without any individual
identification. Grade may be included if
relevant.
·
A Middle or Lower School student may petition the
webmaster to be more fully identified in connection with his work. Parental permission, in writing, will be
required.
·
Full names of Upper School students, alumni, staff,
and other adults may be used.
·
No personal information will appear on public
portions of the site. (Examples: home address, home phone number, family
members, SSN).
·
A password protected private Academy intranet will
be established and used as needed.
(Examples: alumni directories,
curricular material)
All pages linked to the AA Web site should follow the Academy's style guide for electronic information. This guide will help those creating pages to maintain consistency in, for example, the use of punctuation, capitalization, titles and the Academy seal.
As an educational institution, the Academy
requires that the text on its web pages be grammatically correct and free of
spelling errors. Content providers are strongly encouraged to have their pages
reviewed by another party for typographical errors and similar problems.
Acronyms should be used sparingly and never as a first reference.
In order to achieve consistency and coherence between the home page and subsequent pages, the webmaster will provide templates and guidelines on the format and content of information presented on the pages up to two levels below the home page. Contact information, including a phone number and e-mail address for the page manager and a stamp indicating the date of the last update, should also be placed on all official pages.
Official information that already exists on
Academy pages should not be duplicated. Links to the existing information
should be used instead.
Developers creating official pages must have
the approval of their department chair or supervisor and will work in
consultation with the webmaster. When
work on the page is completed and approved by the relevant department chair,
developers will contact the Webmaster. When reviewed and approved, the page
will be linked to the AA Web site in the appropriate category area. The
webmaster reserves the right to limit the number of publicly posted clubs and
publications. All files for official pages will be placed on the
www.albany-academy.org server.
Departments, clubs or other Academy
organizations creating official pages are responsible for the accuracy and the
timely updating of the text and images contained on those pages. A pagemaster
will be appointed and contents reviewed at least once per term. The pagemaster
of any official page will be an employee of the Academy. Updates processed
through the Webmaster will be done regularly. While students may design
department pages, they may not serve as pagemasters of official pages.
If, through random checks, a problem in content or design is discovered, the pagemaster will be contacted with a request that the problem be corrected. If it is not corrected in a timely fashion, the link to that page will be removed.
APPENDIX H: TECHNOLOGY
SPECIALISTS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Learning Resources &Technologies Department Chair
Instructional Technology Specialist
1.
Chair the
Technology Planning Group (TPG).
2.
Participate
in Technology Management Team (TMT) with Network Administrator and Business
Manager.
3.
In
collaboration with Network Administrator, aggressively persue and manage all
potential program funding streams, including but not limited to:
a)
New York
State Aid for Computer Software Purchase
b)
NYState
Legistature Grant
c)
E.E. Ford
Foundation
d)
Schools
and Libraries Universal Service Fund
e)
Technology
Literacy Challenge Fund (Title III)
4.
Participate
in the Joint AA/AAG Technology Committee to develop and coordinate mutually
advantageous initiatives.
5.
Oversee
and evaluate performance of resource and technology faculty and staff including
computer science teacher(s), network administrator/web master,
technology/hardware specialist, and librarians.
6.
Faculty/Staff
Development
a)
Research
the needs of faculty and staff.
b)
Plan
technology faculty/staff development days and additional activities, workshops,
conferences, etc.
c)
Promote
planned activities among the faculty and staff.
d)
Schedule
workshops on the "basics" as needed for new staff.
7.
Be
proactive in leading and/or assisting faculty in their efforts to integrate
technology into the curriculum.
a)
Develop
software and/or lesson plans for integration of technology in various
curriculum areas for demonstration in selected classrooms.
b)
Work with
faculty who are developing lesson plans for integrating technology into their
classes.
c)
Research
the methods of technology integration into curricula by other schools for
consideration and possible adoption by our faculty.
d)
Seek out
and inform faculty/staff of professional development opportunities (seminars,
workshops, conferences).
8.
Research/preview
hardware and software and make recommendations to faculty and administration
regarding acquisitions.
a)
Seek
teachers’ input as to their needs and use that information to drive hardware
and software research.
b)
Inform
software recommendations with professional reading and research.
c)
Obtain
software for evaluation.
d)
Make a
preliminary evaluation of the software.
e)
Work with
teachers or staff members to further evaluate the software.
f)
If
appropriate, test software with students.
g)
Purchase
or return the software.
9.
In
collaboration with Network Administrator, coordinate the selection,
distribution, and installation of all hardware and software among all divisions
and departments.
a)
Oversee
on-going maintenance of hardware and software acquisitions.
b)
Screen all
software purchases for duplication, appropriateness, quality, and adherence to
standards.
c)
Oversee
installation of software - (stand-alone and network installations).
d)
Oversee
de-installation of software when needed.
e)
Arrange
for training of faculty and/or staff to use newly installed software.
10.
In
collaboration with Network Administrator, develop and manage budgets for the
acquisition of hardware and software and on-going training of computer
specialists.
a)
Develop a
budget for the acquisition and maintenance of software after seeking
recommendations from faculty and staff.
b)
Approve or
deny expenditures from the software budget.
c)
Develop a
budget for the acquisition and maintenance of hardware after seeking
recommendations from faculty and staff.
d)
Approve or
deny expenditures from the hardware budget.
e)
Develop a
budget for on-going training and conference attendance of computer specialists.
11.
In collaboration with Network Administrator coordinate maintenance
of all hardware and software.
a)
Coordinate
network software maintenance with network specialist and faculty/staff.
b)
Coordinate
stand-alone software maintenance for faculty/staff.
c)
Keep
current with curriculum software updates.
d)
Obtain
curriculum software updates as appropriate.
e)
Maintain
legal licensing status of software and hardware.
f)
Be aware
of software bugs and idiosyncrasies of the curriculum software.
g)
Maintain a
list of hotline numbers for software and hardware problems.
h)
Coordinate
training of network specialist and hardware specialist as needed to maintain
current levels of expertise.
12.
Work with
computer science teacher(s) to develop and deliver the Pre-K - 12 computer
science curriculum.
a)
Approve
training necessary for the computer science teacher(s) to prepare to teach
computer science as defined in the curriculum.
b)
Coordinate
training sessions taught by the computer science teacher(s).
c)
Oversee
and evaluate performance of computer science teacher(s).
13.
Maintain
currency with educational technology.
a)
Visit
other schools to observe their use of technology in the classroom and
elsewhere.
b)
Attend
local, regional, and national conferences.
c)
Establish
a network of expert advisors and computer educators.
d)
Continue
taking courses, classes, and workshops in support of technology in education.
14.
Provide
programs for parents and the larger community to enable them to take advantage
of the new technologies at The Albany Academy and beyond.
a)
Invite
parents to observe computer science classes.
b)
Provide
classes for parents and neighbors to teach them to use productivity tools.
c)
Provide
workshops to teach parents and neighbors how to evaluate software and hardware
for use at home by their children and themselves.
Computer Science Teacher(s)
Instructional Technology Specialist(s)
1)
Meet regularly with Technology Planning
Group (TPG).
2)
Report directly to the Learning
Resources & Technologies Department Chair.
3)
Develop and implement Pre-K - 12
computer science curriculum.
4)
Teach computer science courses as
needed.
a)
Continue on-going professional
development as necessary to teach computer science as defined in the school
curriculum.
b)
Teach Lower/Middle School required
computer science courses, building skill as developmentally appropriate in
defined curriculum strands, or,
c)
Teach Upper School Coordinate computer
science courses such as computer programming, essential technologies
(required), A.P. computer science, and upper-level electives (robotics, digital
video, animation).
5)
In collaboration with Learning Resources
& Technologies Department Chair lead and/or assist faculty in their efforts
to integrate technology into the curriculum.
a)
Develop software and/or lesson plans for
integration of technology in various curriculum areas for demonstration in selected
classrooms.
b)
Work with faculty who are developing
lesson plans for integrating technology into their classes.
6) In collaboration with Web Master, lead and/or
assist faculty in their development and maintenance of curricular web pages.
Network Administrator/Web Master
1.
Meet
regularly with Technology Management Team (TMT) and periodically with
Technology Planning Group (TPG).
2.
Work
closely with the Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair and the
Business Manager.
3.
Participate
in the Joint AA/AAG Technology Committee to develop and coordinate mutually
advantageous initiatives.
4.
In
collaboration with Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair,
oversee budgets for program development, acquisition and maintainence of
hardware and software, and on-going training of computer specialists.
5.
In
collaboration with Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair,
aggressively persue and manage all potential program funding streams, including
but not limited to:
a)
New York
State Aid for Computer Software Purchase
b)
NYState
Legistature Grant
c)
E.E. Ford
Foundation
d)
Schools
and Libraries Universal Service Fund
e)
Technology
Literacy Challenge Fund (Title III)
6.
Maintain
the Albany Academy digital network
a)
Manage and
maintain network. Acquire necessary expertise (self-study and/or formal classes
as appropriate) to assure smooth delivery of network services.
b)
Keep
current with network software updates.
c)
Obtain
software updates as indicated.
d)
Install
updates on network.
7.
In
collaboration with Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair,
select, distribute, and install all hardware and software among all divisions
and departments.
a)
Coordinate
on-going maintenance of hardware and software acquisitions.
b)
Screen all
software purchases for duplication, appropriateness, quality, and adherence to
standards.
c)
Coordinate
installation of software.
d)
Coordinate
de-installation of software when needed.
e)
Arrange
for training of faculty and/or staff to use newly installed software.
8.
In
collaboration Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair, maintain
all hardware and software.
a)
Coordinate
software maintenance with faculty/staff.
b)
Remain
current with curriculum software updates.
c)
Obtain
curriculum software updates as appropriate.
d)
Maintain
legal licensing status of software and hardware.
e)
Maintain a
list of hotline numbers for software and hardware problems.
f)
Coordinate
training of hardware specialist as needed to maintain acceptable levels of
expertise.
9.
In
collaboration with Communications Director, develop and actively manage the
School web site
10.
Maintain
records
a)
Map the
physical and logical network.
b)
Maintain
software licensing records.
c)
Keep
Learning Resources & Technologies Department Chair informed of software
licensing status.
1)
Meet regularly with Technology Planning
Group (TPG)
2)
Report directly to the Network
Administrator
3)
Manage Digital Video Lab/Studio
a)
In collaboration with Network
Administrator develop the lab/studio
b)
Maintain lab/studio equipment
c)
Instruct/coach students and teachers in
using the lab/studio for curricular and extra-curricular projects
4)
Work with Network Administrator to
coordinate the selection and installation of all PC/AV hardware and software
among all divisions and departments
a)
Screen all PC/AV hardware purchases for
duplication, appropriateness, quality, and adherence to standards
b)
Install PC/AV hardware on the network or
on other computers
c)
De-install PC/AV hardware when necessary
d)
Train faculty and/or staff to use newly
installed PC/AV equipment as needed
5)
Work with Network Administrator to
maintain all PC/AV hardware
a)
Repair PC/AV hardware, when possible, in
repair/storage room equipped with diagnostic software, spare parts and tools
b)
Arrange for PC/AV hardware repair when
in-house repair is not possible
c)
Acquire necessary expertise (self-study
and/or formal classes as appropriate) to assure consistent quality PC/AV
hardware maintenance
d)
Establish schedule of preventative
maintenance of PC/AV hardware
e)
Provide the technical expertise to
support existing and future PC/ AV hardware technologies
f)
Maintain records documenting all notable
PC/AV hardware events
6)
Provide the technical expertise to
support existing and future PV/AV hardware technologies
a)
Be knowledgeable about the PC/AV
hardware in use at Albany Academy and know how to use it in the classroom,
office, or lab
7)
Coordinate scheduling of PC and
audio-visual equipment
APPENDIX
I: ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
The purpose of instructional computers is
to enhance and enrich learning and teaching.
The Albany Academy has an obligation to students, their parents, and
itself, to make the best use of students’ time, their parents’ tuition
investment, and The School’s resources.
Therefore, use of instructional technology will conform to these
guidelines:
1. Learning
and teaching always have first claim on technology use.
2. Problem solving, “thinking”, strategy games
may be played recreationally only when the computers are not needed for
instructional purposes and only when a student in good standing can afford the
time. This will be at the discretion of
the teacher responsible for overseeing the equipment.
3. Students who use other people’s computer
resources will only do so with authorization.
4. Students will use technology in a socially
conscious way. They will consider the
consequences of their actions. If an
action is illegal or hurtful, they won’t do it.
5. Note: E-mail and other electronic communication
modes are not guaranteed to be private.
Students
and their parents will read the attached 4-page Acceptable Use document. Page 4, the Internet Use Application Form
will be signed and returned as prerequisite to network use.
To get
AAG/AA network access you must do the following:
1. Read this entire Acceptable Use Policy and ensure that you understand these terms and agree to abide by them.
2. Complete and sign the form at the end of the Policy.
3. Show the enclosed letter and the rest of this information to your parent or guardian.
4. Have your parent or guardian sign the form at the end of the Policy.
5. Return the completed form to Susan Mumford, Audrey Koester, Peggy Goold, or Virginia Dorwaldt.
The purpose of the AAG/AA network is to
advance and promote education at The Albany Academy for Girls and The Albany
Academy. It is intended to assist in the
collaboration and exchange of information among all that are concerned with
education.
The use of the network will be in support
of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of
AAG/AA. Use of other organizations'
networks or computing resources will comply with the rules appropriate for that
network.
The use of the network is a
privilege, not a right. Each individual
is responsible for what she/he says and does on the network. Because electronic communication with
thousands of others is so quick and easy, it is important to think before
speaking and to show respect for other people and for their ideas.
Network administrators will make
reasonable efforts to maintain reliable service and user privacy, but they
cannot absolutely guarantee that the system will always be available or that
files will always be saved, nor can privacy be completely guaranteed.
NETWORK RESPONSIBILITIES
·
Each individual who accesses the network is
responsible for all activity while she/he is online.
·
Transmission of any material in violation of any US
or state regulation is prohibited. This
includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening, harassing,
or obscene material, pornographic material, or material protected by trade
secret.
·
Use for commercial activities by for-profit
institutions, product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited.
·
No use of this network shall serve to disrupt its
use by other individuals or by connecting networks.
·
It is beneficial for all users to keep the network
running efficiently. Each user must take
responsibility for keeping down costs and avoiding system disruption.
·
Any traffic from this network that traverses another
network is also subject to that network 's acceptable use policy.
·
Users must respect others' privacy and intellectual
property.
·
All communication and information accessible via the
network should be assumed to be private property. Any sources used in research must be cited
and credit given to the author.
·
The legal rights of software producers and network
providers, and copyright and license agreements, must be honored.
·
Users have a right to be informed about personal
information that is being, or has been, collected about them, and to review
this information.
·
Security on any computer system is a high priority,
especially when the system involves many users.
If you feel you can identify a security problem on the network, you must
notify a system administrator. Do not
demonstrate the problem to other users.
Do not use another individual’s account without written permission from
that individual.
·
Users of the network must abide by the instructions
of faculty and staff members.
·
Any of the following actions will result in a
suspension of network privileges:
·
Any violation of network responsibilities listed
above.
·
Any action that compromises the security of any of
the computers connected to the network, or attempts to log on as a system
administrator. Any user identified as a
security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may
be denied access to the network.
·
Any tampering with any piece of hardware or software
whether it is connected to the network or not.
This includes unauthorized installation of software, transformation of
settings or controls on any computer, neglectful use of peripherals, such as
digital cameras, printers, and scanners.
·
Any type of vandalism. Vandalism is considered any malicious attempt
to harm or destroy data of another user, equipment, AAG/AA network, or any
other connected networks. This includes,
but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.
·
If a student is accused of any of the above actions,
it may be considered a serious infraction.
As a result, the administration, faculty and staff of AAG/AA may request
the system administrator to deny, revoke or suspend specific user accounts. If this is the case, a conference with the
Dean of Students, the Network Administrator, the family and the student’s
advisor or other advocate will be arranged and documented. Following the conference a judiciary hearing
may be held to resolve any conflicts or to determine the details of disciplinary
probation.
Dear
Parent/Guardian:
Please read the following carefully before
signing the form on the back of this letter.
We are pleased to provide network access
at The Albany Academy for Girls and The Albany Academy. The benefit of being connected to the
Internet is that it expands classroom teaching dramatically by making many
fascinating resources, including original source materials from all over the
world, available to students, teachers and librarians. It brings information, data, images, and even
computer software into the classroom from places around the globe, and it does
this almost instantaneously. Access to
these resources can involve students in individual and group projects, cross-cultural
collaborations, and idea sharing not found in schools that lack Internet
access.
Internet access also makes possible
contact with people all over the world, bringing into the classroom experts in
every content area and counterparts in other schools. With an Internet connection, our network can
become a valuable source of information for others, as well.
Computer networks can be a great motivator
for students, and their use encourages the kind of independence and autonomy
that many educators agree is important for students to achieve in their
learning process. Because the Internet
is blind to class, race, gender, age, ability and disability, it is a valuable
means for addressing the needs of all students.
While the benefits of network technology
are enormous, parents need to be aware that the Internet is an open system that
contains pockets of material that many people would disapprove of and keep away
from children. AAG/AA will make every
effort to prevent your child's access to inappropriate materials on the
Internet, but we cannot guarantee that she/he will not encounter text,
pictures, or references that are objectionable.
We ask your assistance in developing responsible attitudes, reinforcing
appropriate behaviors, and observing security practices on the network.
Attached are the policies and guidelines that we have developed to govern and guide the use of the the AAG/AA network as well as resources accessed through that network. We hope you will read them thoroughly, and discuss them with your daughter or son.
Sincerely,
Susan Mumford Peggy
Goold
AAG Technology Coordinator AA Computer Education Department Chair
Parents: Please read the entire packet carefully
before signing
the form on the
back of this letter.
COMPUTER NETWORK USE APPLICATION FORM
You,
the student, must complete and sign this section.
Student name: Current
Grade/Form:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Telephone number:
I understand and will abide by the above terms and conditions for network access at AAG/AA. I further understand that any violation of the regulations above is unethical and may constitute a criminal offense. Should I commit any violation, my access privileges may be revoked, school disciplinary action and/or appropriate legal action may be taken.
User Signature: Date:
If you are under
the age of 18 a parent or guardian must also read this Acceptable Use Policy
and sign this agreement.
As the parent or guardian of this student, I
have read the Acceptable Use Policy for Network access in this document. I understand that this access is designed for
educational purposes and Albany Academy for Girls/Albany Academy has taken
available precautions to provide and maintain this valuable learning &
teaching resource and to eliminate objectionable material. However, I also recognize that it is
impossible to restrict access to all controversial materials and I will not
hold AAG/AA responsible for materials acquired on the network. I hereby give permission to allow my child
access and certify that the information contained on this form is correct.
Parent or
Guardian's Name (please print):
Signature: Date:
When this form has been
completed, please return it to
Ms.
Mumford, Ms. Koester, Ms. Goold, or Ms. Dorwaldt.
APPENDIX J: NETWORK SPECIFICATIONS
Novell Authentication/File
Server:
HP for Unisys (LC2000) Pentium III Dual Processor Server, 512 MB RAM , (3) 18 GB SCSI-2 Hard drives (Raid 5), Adaptec 2940 SCSI-2 controller, 256 cache, Intel Pro 10/100 PCI Network adapter, 24 GB HP DAT Drive, Three year warranty
APC UPS 1000, Powerchute Software Plus v 4.2.3
Operating System (and server software):
Novell NetWare 5.1 (250 user)
Veritas Backup Exec Software for NetWare v8.5
Distributed Applications:
· GroupWise 5.2 E-mail
· Development (Raiser’s Edge) Packages, Winnabago Library Automation Software, Odin POS Software for Bookstore.
· The network currently processes services for 19 networked printers (2-HP 5SI, 7-HP 4 Series, 1-HP 6L, 2-HP 890C, 5-HP 670C, 2 Xerox Document Centre 220. The Xerox 220 also provides network FAX capabilities throughout the network. There are also 8-10 local printers for administrative or remote users.
· Most workstation applications (MS Office 2000, PageMaker 6.5, Hyperstudio, MS Publisher 2000, Visual Studio, Netscape, PaintShop Pro 5, Fortres 101, McAfee Anti-Virus, etc.) are installed for installation and archive purposes on the network as well as printer drivers, network clients, etc.
· Our network is connected to The Albany Academy for Girls Network via 100 MB fiber shared T1 Internet access, sharing Winnabago Library Automation Database, Senior Systems School Administration Applications.
Senior Systems Application
Server:
Compaq Pentium 450 MHz Dual Processor capable Server (single processor presently), 256 MB RAM, (2) 9 GB SCSI-2 Hard drives, Adaptec 2940 SCSI-2 controller, 512 cache, 100 PCI Network adapter, 24 GB HP Dat Tape Drive, Three year warranty
APC UPS 1000, Powerchute Software Plus
Operating System (and server software):
NT 4.0 (100 user)
NDS for NT 2.01
Arcada Backup Exec Software for NT v7
Distributed Applications:
· Dedicated to Senior Systems School Administration Applications shared by AAG-AA. Admissions, Business Office and Registrar Applications.
Citrix MetaFrame Internet
Terminal Server:
HP Netserver LC3 Pentium 500 MHz Dual Processor Server, 512 MB RAM, (3) 9 GB SCSI-2 Hard drives (RAID configured), 512 cache, 100 PCI Network adapter, 24 GB HP Dat Tape Drive, Three year warranty
APC UPS 1000, Powerchute Software Plus
Operating System (and server software):
MS Terminal Server v 4 (NT 4.0) (50 user)
Citrix MetaFrame v1.8 Software (50 user)
NDS for NT 2.01 (50 user)
Veritas Backup Exec Software for NT v8.5
Distributed Applications:
· Dedicated to providing remote access via Internet for all distributed Applications and E-mail.
Border Manager Proxy Server:
HP LC3 Netserver Pentium 400 MHz Processor Server, 256 MB RAM , (2) 9 GB SCSI-2 Hard drives (mirrored), 512 cache, 100 PCI Network adapter, 24 GB HP Dat Tape Drive, Three year warranty
APC UPS 1000, Powerchute Software Plus
Operating System (and server software):
Novell Border Manager 3.5 (250 user)
Veritas Backup Exec Software for Novell v8.5
Distributed Applications:
· Dedicated to proxy/cache web content, centralize web content filtering.
Message Server:
Pentium III 667 Mhz running Win2K Professional, providing message services between our GroupWise Post office and a separate Exchange Post office configured on The Albany Academy for Girls NT proxy/e-mail server. Runs Novell GroupWise GWIA (Internet Agent), MTA (message server), ADA (Administrative agent).
Existing Workstations:
73 units Pentium III 667 Mhz Computers 64 MB RAM, 9 GB Hard drive, 4 MB PCI Video, Soundcard, Windows 98, Intel Pro 10/100 PCI Network adapter
60 units Pentium II 400 Mhz Computers 64 MB RAM, 6 GB Hard drive, 4 MB PCI Video, Soundcard, Windows 98, Intel Pro 10/100 PCI Network adapter
72 units Pentium III Brick mercury Laptops with 128 MB RAM, 9 GB Hard drive, 8 MB PCI Video, Soundcard, Windows 98SE, Intel Pro 10/100 PCI Network adapter
40 units AMD 300 Hyperdata Laptops 64 MB RAM, 3 GB Hard drive, 2 MB PCI Video, Soundcard, Windows 98, Intel Pro 10/100 PCI Network adapter
Each Workstation is configured with MSOffice 2000, GroupWise Client, McAfee / Norton Antivirus, IE 6.0 / Netscape, MS Publisher 2000, Winnabago Library Catalog and printer configuration to a minimum of one laser and one inkjet color printer, configured to Xerox Document Printer and desktop faxing. Additional software is installed based on the user or student use.
US Lab Applications: MS Office 2000, PageMaker 6.5, MS Publisher 2000, Winnabago Library Catalog, Visual Studio (C++, Basic and Java), Netscape 4.75, Macromedia Flash 5. 26” Monitor and HP Flatbed Scanner are also available.
MS/LS Lab Applications: MS Office 2000, MS Publisher 2000, Winnabago Library Catalog, Netscape 4.6, Fortres 101, HyperStudio v3.1, UltraKey v3.0.7c, MicroWorlds v2.03, Ultimate Writing & Creativity Center, KidPix v2.5, KeyCad v2.0, Maps & Navigation, Mystery Math, Inspiration v5.0, The Factory, Primetime Math Series, Kamico Educational Software v2.0. Projector, HP Flatbed Scanner is also available.
Library Applications: MS Office 2000, MS Publisher 2000, Winnabago Library Catalog, MS Works 4.0, Visual Studio (C++, Basic and Java), Mavis Beacon Typing 4.0, Netscape, Columbia Granger’s Poetry, Facts on File World News, Grolier Encyclopedia, UXL Biographies, Fortres 101, etc.. CD-ROM drives installed.
Classroom Applications: Variety of applications besides the standard applications based on grade level and class needs, Reading, Math, Science, Cad, Etc. CD-ROM drives installed.
APPENDIX K: Recent
network Evolution
Phase 1 (1996-97)
·
Wiring infrastructure installed - 450 network drops
·
Coax cable for video distribution to all classrooms
·
Cable television distributed to all classrooms
·
Purchased:
§
60 Unisys Pentium 100 MHz
§
Upgraded 5 pre-existing Pentium Computers
§
3 donated PC’s IBM PC 350
· Distribution:
§
All
administration and some faculty were provided network workstations (27)
§
17
workstation US lab
§
5
workstations in the Library
§
3
workstations in the lower school lab (Rm. 3-3)
§
3
workstations in the faculty lounge
§ 5 classroom workstations were put in place
·
GroupWise E-mail Software installed
·
Standardization to MS Office applications
Phase 2 (1997-98)
·
Purchased 16 Unisys Pentium 133 MHz with CD-ROM
Drives
(Replaced some administrative PC’s for better
performance, the older
PC’s were moved to classrooms based on
technology proposals)
Phase 3 (1998-99)
·
ISDN 56 kb service to Girl’s Academy upgraded to 100
MB fiber
·
Expanded wiring infrastructure to new Robison MS
wing.
·
Purchased 44 Toshiba Pentium 300 MHz Laptops for
teaching faculty
(All teaching faculty (classrooms) now have
at least one PC/laptop)
·
Purchased 6 PC’s and Software for Science PASCO Lab
·
Installed Winnabago Library Automation Software
Phase 4 (1999-00)
·
Updated 70% of school network access from 10 MB hub
to 100 MB switched technology (remainder scheduled for next fiscal year)
·
Remote network access via Internet Citrix Metaframe
server
·
Started Phase 1 of a three year replacement leasing
program to update all workstations with leased computers
·
Leased 60 Pentium 400 MHz Workstations
§
Updated MS lab from 16 Macintosh LC workstations to
20 Workstation IBM Lab
§
Created LS Library mini-lab (4)
§
Replaced all Administrative workstations
·
Installed Senior Systems Integrated Admissions,
Business Office and Registrar Software
Phase 5 (2000-01)
·
Updated remainder of school network access from 10
MB hub to 100 MB switched technology
·
Started Phase 2 of a three year replacement leasing
program to update all workstations with leased computers
·
Leased 80 Pentium III 633 MHz Workstations
§
Updated US lab
§
Created Language Arts mini-lab (3)
§
Created History mini-labs (2/4)
§
Created English mini-lab (3)
§
Increased Science Lab Stations to 13 workstations
·
Increased workstations in classrooms from 85 to 100
workstations
· Replaced main Novell Server
· Procured and implemented Video Conference Lab
|
APPENDIX
L: PENDING TECHNOLOGY EXPANSIONS |
||
|
Professional Development and Support Services: |
|
|
|
Professional Development |
5,000 |
|
|
Personnel for Lab Supervision |
8,000 |
|
|
Technical Support |
8,000 |
|
|
|
18,000 |
|
|
Infrastructure Upgrades: |
|
|
|
Complete replacement of 10 MB hubs with 10/100 Switches |
7,000 |
|
|
Math Lab: |
|
|
|
(8) New Workstations |
8.800 |
|
|
Additional Hub/wiring |
1,500 |
|
|
Printer |
800 |
|
|
Additional Software |
2,400 |
|
|
|
13,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Science Department: |
|
|
|
(16) New Workstations (4 per lab) |
17,600 |
|
|
Additional Hub/wiring |
1,500 |
|
|
(4) Printers (1 per lab) |
3,500 |
|
|
Scanner |
700 |
|
|
Additional PASCO Software |
16,000 |
|
|
|
39,300 |
|
|
Arts Lab: |
|
|
|
(4) New Workstations |
4,400 |
|
|
Additional Hub/wiring |
750 |
|
|
Printer |
700 |
|
|
Scanner |
700 |
|
|
Additional Software |
2,400 |
|
|
|
8,950 |
|
|
Classroom Workstations: |
|
|
|
Lower School (all rooms to 4 student Workstations(20) |
22,000 |
|
|
Middle/Upper School (to 2 student Workstations (26) |
28,600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
24 by 7 Learning Plan: |
|
|
|
Winframe Server (additional for load balancing in future growth) |
27,000 |
|
Other Hardware: |
|
|
|
Write-able CD-ROM |
700 |
|
|
1000 |
|
|
|
PC/TV/VCR Projectors with mounting brackets (10) |
80,000 |
|
|
Digital Video Lab |
36,000 |
|
|
Video Origination and Delivery |
19,500 |
|
|
-Dedicated Video Editing system |
10,500 |
|
|
Digital Television Origination Studio |
90,000 |
|
|
Distance Learning Lab |
16,900 |
|
|
Portable Wireless Laptop Lab |
20,000 |
|