We, at
Bristol
Virginia
Public
Schools,
believe that
technology
provides
enhanced
opportunities
for
communication
and
collaboration.
The ability
to
effectively
use
technology
has become a
critical
life skill.
The ability
to gather,
evaluate and
synthesize
information
has become
one of the
most
important
determinants
of economic
success for
individuals.
The skills
to perform
these tasks
are vital.
Technology
provides
students and
staff with
the ability
to exchange
information
in a way
never before
realized.
It increases
the
resources
available to
individuals,
improving
their
ability to
learn from
each other
through
sharing and
distributed
learning.
The
limitations
of time and
space are
greatly
reduced
through this
new means of
communication
and
collaboration.
Technology
also creates
new
opportunities
for learning
and teaching
and produces
a new means
for students
to explore
and discover
knowledge.
It allows
movement
from
teacher-based
instruction
to
learner-based
instruction
and takes
the student
from passive
learning to
engaged
learning.
Teachers
must
capitalize
on this in
order to
prepare
students to
excel in a
service-oriented,
information-based
society.
The
expectation
that
educational
technology
will
successfully
support
learning and
student
achievement
depends on
its
effective
integration
in
classrooms.
Teachers
must know
more than
basic
technology
skills –
they must
also know
appropriate
strategies
for
incorporating
technology
to support
curricular
content.
The rapidly
changing
nature of
technology
means that
updating
skills and
equipment is
an ongoing
process.
Students,
staff and
community
members must
remain up to
date on the
tools that
may increase
their
productivity,
their
learning
ability or
their
teaching
capabilities.
Technology
does not
always
improve
learning and
teaching,
however.
Teachers and
students
must be
equipped
with the
skills, the
equipment
and the
support they
need to make
effective
use of
available
technology.
Students and
teachers
have a wide
spectrum of
technology
expertise
and
potential
and these
needs must
be met with
dynamic,
interactive,
timely,
quality
training and
education.
To optimize
the
educational
experience,
skills and
abilities
must be
evaluated to
determine
the needs
and
interests of
both
teachers and
students and
these needs
must be
matched with
training
that
complements
their level
of
understanding.
Our
plan is an
effort to
provide
long-term,
strategic
objectives
that will
equip all
staff and
students
with the
tools,
training and
support
necessary to
maximize
their
potential as
productive,
informed and
effective
citizens.
The
five
components
of the
Educational
Technology
Plan for
Bristol
Virginia
Public
Schools:
-
Infrastructure
-
Educational
and
administrative
applications
-
Accountability
-
Support
and
training
-
Integration
