Over the Summer, I moved to a new school district in south Texas where I took a job as a Campus Technologist. Shortly after my arrival, I learned that the District had started the process of updating their Strategic Plan, which could effect classes at the various grade levels. I jumped at the chance to propose new technology courses for the middle school to aid students in becoming technology proficient/literate, prepare them for the eighth grade technology proficiency test required by TEA, and introduce them to and assist them in gaining skills used with various technology careers.

  1. First, I had to work with the Information Technology department to test the amount of data received and sent through our network using the needed software, as well as, its compatibility with our systems.
  2. Once this was tested and approved, I had to research information, so I contacted key players in the District to find out the various high school courses and career paths currently available to students, and the District’s vision for the next school year.
  3. Next, I worked to vertically align the proposed technology middle school courses with the current high school career clusters to show support for district goals.
  4. I then prepared a proposal to include the new technology courses that would be standardized across the District’s five middles schools, and show how they vertically aligned with the high school’s technology career clusters.
  5. At this point, I submitted my idea through the chain of command…the Career and Technology Coordinator, Instructional Technology Director, Executive Director of Technology, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and the School Board.

The proposal was approved and the following three courses were adopted; Web Design, Broadcast Media, and Interactive Media (Game Development). The District, to date, has invested approximately $51,000 to purchase five site licenses of the industry standard software, Adobe Design Premium CS4, and the popular drag-and-drop game development software, Game Maker 8 Pro. This amount does NOT include additional funds allocated to purchase basic technology equipment for these classes and any possible textbooks or resources that would be used. It is, however, important to note that when you purchase a site license of Adobe software you are given access to video tutorials and lessons online that students can use for class assignments.