From the Minnesota Department of Education:
New 2013-15 Technology Plan
Minnesota school districts prepare education technology
plans to help them identify needs, set goals, allocate resources and
establish professional development priorities. Technology plans may be
required for a variety of federal funding programs, such as E2T2, the
state Telecommunications/ Internet Access Equity Aid program, E-Rate
funding as well as stimulus funds. The plan also provides information to
the legislature about the current status of technology education in the
districts and serves as a guide for future funding decisions.
The
Minnesota Education Technology Task Force and Minnesota Department of
Education (MDE) are creating a new planning toolkit. Complete with a
model process, best practices and other resources, it will help
districts prepare and implement technology in their schools. These
resources were gathered by The Minnesota Education Technology Task Force
(METT) and MDE to promote the implementation of technology in schools.
Most
local education agencies (LEAs) currently have an approved 2012
Technology Bridge Plan on file with the MDE. The 2013-15 technology plan
allows LEAs to maintain eligibility for a variety of funding programs
and provides a framework for LEAs to update their technology plans to
extend funding eligibility for the time period of July 1, 2012-June 30,
2015.
Planning tools and the technology plan template may be accessed on February 1, 2011 on the Technology Planning page.
Please submit questions via e-mail to mde.schooltechplan@state.mn.us. Planning Process and Online Tools from MDE Website
Budgeting with the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) from CoSN
Faced with technology budget cuts?
Check out this article (accessible through he ELM database) that helps make critical decisions:
T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education),
Jan 2006 v33 i6 p16(2)
The unkindest cut of all: technology budgets are often the first to be reduced. The following eight questions will help you determine where to start trimming.
(technology assessment)
Elaine A. Studnicki.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2006 T.H.E. Journal, LLC
"IT'S BUDGET TIME. (Already?) Yep, already. Your district is like
all the others: faced with rising costs and dwindling income. Something
has to go. But what?
As a district leader, you understand the need for current technology,
but it's getting harder and harder to defend it. Board members want to
cut it, administrators are tired of hearing about problems, and technology directors are pleading for more help. Is your existing technology funding giving your district the best return on its investment and providing it with the best solutions?"
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