EDUC 5373: Blog Week #5 (Innovative Leadership Digital)

1.How might Broadband internet access for all Americans impact your community?  Is this an issue for your community?  How does your school or district currently address this need? 

Austin Texas and the surrounding areas have risen up in the last decade to becoming a central hub for technological growth. The result of this has created pretty reliable access to full broadband internet access in my community as show in the map provided below via Connected Nation.

The impact made in my community is that, those who do have the means of getting access to broadband internet will have no issues consistently connecting. However, it is not the lack of actual access to broadband that my community lacks, but the economical means to make high speed internet a priority in their homes. From the Income By Zipcode site, we can see that the median household income in $74,702 which with the cost of living continuing to rise in all areas, this income for a typical family would be straddling the poverty line. 

Since our district is aware of and mission is to cater to low income students and their families, they have ensured that 1-to-1 tech system is integrated in all schools since remote learning. However, the gap here is that the district could address even more on this digital gap/divide in regarding the access to reliable internet outside of campus boundaries. That is where my call to action and push in the technology integration plan are placed and motivated for improvements. 

2.Consider the discussions in the ISTE (2018) guidance document and Crossland et al (2018) of accessibility, UDL, and/or personalized learning outcomes for students.  How might either or both of these documents support your proposed technology integration plan?  (Note: Only 15% of funds provided may be used to purchase devices/software; the bulk of the funds must be used for professional learning.)

There were a few gaps that I unfortunately created for myself in the process of my TIP. In reading "ESSA and digital learning: Closing the digital accessibility gap" and "Using ESSA to fund Edtech: Getting the most out of the Title IV-A" I was able to realize the areas that needed to be mentioned and fixed prior to solidifying a solid TIP. 

"Technology plays an essential role in all students’ access to the curriculum and ensures equal

educational opportunities that may foster improved outcomes. Educational leaders must prioritize accessibility when making technology related decisions" (Crossland et al., 2018).

Very few would disagree that tech does makes education better, but there are many factors and logistics that must be taken into account especially when considering students of all levels, learning methods, and disabilities. My plan in implementing mandated hot spots is a good plan, but I definitely glossed over the fact that students who have a learning disabilities may be left out of this equation as more logistics were need to be provided to ensure they are fully supported as well. This resources held me accountable that I need to consider 100% of the students I am trying to cater to for this improved upon tech integration plan. Also, it feels affirming that my TIP could do a lot of good for our community, but that it will take the entire village to help make it happen. 

"States and districts that have successfully implemented accessible technology strategies have at least one thing in common: They recognize that it takes a team to ensure that digital accessibility is part of the culture. Everyone has a role to play, from administrators, teachers, IT coordinators, professional development providers, and community leaders. Commitment, vision, and leadership is critical at each level — the school, school committee or board, district, state, and agency — and digital accessibility must also be a priority at every level" (Crossland et al., 2018).

Another important factor on top of considering students IEP's for my TIP is also the amount of focus and dedication that will need to be given from leaders and teachers to correctly and fully implement these [positive] changes. 

"As education leaders implement their ESSA plans, the time to address digital accessibility is now. Digital teaching and learning is woven throughout ESSA and provides a runway for educators to use technology in innovative ways to personalize instruction. To make this a reality, educators at all levels must ensure that digital learning is universally designed and accessible to meet the needs of all students"(Crossland et al., 2018).

"...Title IV-A, authorizes the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant. The SSAE grant is a block grant that provides funds to support three broad categories of programs and activities: providing students with a well-rounded education, supporting safe and healthy schools and promoting the effective use of technology" (ISTE, 2020).

When it comes to funding the equipment and professional development in my TIP, we are fortunate to have the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant that aids in much of our vision for funding the changes via the TIP. I find it interesting the the government wants to ensure that the majority of the funds are to be put towards professional development rather than the equipment bought for the classes. If I had to guess, I would assume that the knowledge of educators and leaders for teach integration is more expensive than equipment itself, thus my assumption that they would want more money go towards equipment. I was surprised to see this wasn't the case, my assumptions wee incorrect, and I [as usual] assume the worst for our government and how they view the education system. Aligning with the points provided in this document, I can see myself ensuring my TIP is aligned with the federal requirements needed to apply for the grant. I'll be making the proper adjustments to my budget based off of those items and have taken the time to see how my state (Texas) uses Title IV-A in their schools (shown below). 

universal design (UD)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

open educational resources (OERs)

Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant

3.What funding option(s) might be a good match for the vision and goals of your technology integration plan?  Provide support for your answer. What are your next steps to pursue this option(s)?

As stated, I plan to go off of and align with the Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant to fund my TIP. The federal government [should] works for it's people and if there are funds waiting to be used by those who apply and meet the requirements, sign us up. To supplement this, I would try to also create events and partner with the local community and businesses to sponsor the initiative throughout the year providing funds for us and positive PR/exposure for them. My next steps in this is to make sure my budget considers the requirements to be cleared for the use of SSAE grant funds. I would also see which local community businesses would be interested in making any donations and workshopping ways to create a partnership for the year. 

References

Connected Nation. (n.d.). The Texas Broadband Map. ArcGIS web application. https://gis.connectednation.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9e10c6120228435ca35c759fac3d805e

Income by Zip Code. (n.d.). Texas 78744 Income Statistics. Retrieved April 11th, 2024, from https://www.incomebyzipcode.com/texas/78744

Texas Education Agency. (2023, October 3). Title IV, part A - student support and academic enrichment. https://tea.texas.gov/finance-and-grants/grants/essa-program/title-iv-part-a-student-support-and-academic-enrichment

Crossland, A., Gray, T., and Reynold, J. (2018). ESSA and digital learning: Closing the digital accessibility gap. American Institute for Research. ED602482.pdf Download ED602482.pdf

ISTE. (2020). Using ESSA to fund Edtech: Getting the most out of the Title IV-A. [2020 UPDATES] USING ESSA TO FUND EDTECH.pdf