21st Century students come from 21st Century schools. We believe that students require meaningful technology-rich experiences that prepare them for success in the existing global workplace and beyond. According to ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards for Students, as well as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving and cyber-citizenship are skills that students need to master and apply in all curricular areas. In our media-centric world, students need to be literate in research and information analysis, understand how to media purposefully and ethically, and communicate effectively around the globe. These skills are central to our mission and are reflected in our newly revised (Spring, 2012) LAFSD Strategic Plan. 

Our 2010-13 District Technology Plan was approved by the State of California on June 10, 2010. The Plan was developed by our District Technology Committee and sets specific 3-year goals and objectives in the areas of curriculum, infrastructure, and professional development. Our Tech Team is proud about the progress we have made over the past few years. We are extremely grateful for the support we receive from our community toward implementing our many evolving technology initiatives.

Some of our new and recent projects include:

• Developing K-8 Common Technology Experiences and K-8 Library Goals, which support our work with the Thinking Strategies
• Piloting the use of iPads in libraries and classrooms
• Using the Livescribe smartpen in core instruction and student assessment
• Expanding our Media Literacy Bootcamp at Stanley Middle School
• Building a Google Apps for Education portal for all staff and middle school students
• Growing the use of SchoolLoop for classroom and district-wide communication
• Increasing the use of video conferencing and Skype for virtual field trips (CA State Parks Dept.) and peer-to-peer collaboration
• Incorporating more 2.0 tools such as KidBlog, Prezi, and GoogleEarth into learning experiences for all students
• Introducing improved research tools such as Destiny, WorldBook Online, Digital STEM and Espresso to support instruction
• Moving our reading assessment tools to the cloud
• Launching district-wide systems for communication (School Messenger) and student data (Aeries.net)

During the 2012 - 2013 school year, we will be revising our existing Technology Plan. Our new three-year plan will span from June, 2013 through June, 2016. Undoubtedly, looking forward and planning the next three years will be as interesting as always - staying current with technology's moving target is an exciting challenge for schools, as we carefully and creatively embrace the most applicable methodologies and tools for purposeful student learning. Our vision is that the Lafayette School District will provide our students with the skills they need to succeed in a media-centric, global society. To achieve this, we strive to evolve as a 1:1 learning environment over time. Click here to read more about our overarching philosophy and objectives. Our new plan will include a strengthened commitment and more universal understanding of the role that digital media plays in student learning, staff collaboration, and home-school connections. We will emphasize growing a culture where Information Literacy is central to instruction, where digital literacy is practiced through purposeful connections with content, and where digital citizens of all ages are responsible and forward-thinking as they use technology in a meaningful, academic context.
 

We look forward to sharing the final version of our new Technology Plan with the community at the end of this school year.

Thank you for reading about our Instructional Technology program. For questions or comments, please contact Angie Corritone, District Technology Coordinator.