Evaluation Of the Dolphin Secondary School

Demographics
Dolphin School caters to children aged 11 to 18 in a small island developing country. While the students are generally from middle to lower income families, funding for education comes from government. The schools roll is currently at its highest with 820 students which is stretching its capacity to cater to the needs. Staff complement is 47 full time and 5 part-time teachers, in addition to a principal and deputy principal, guidance counsellor and an IT coordinator. Over 98% of staff are trained graduates or certified to technical-vocational equivalency. There are 8 buildings in the school plant: an administrative block also housing the main computer lab and library; 2 tech-voc/arts blocks; 4 mainly classroom blocks with specialist science rooms; and school hall and staffroom. All buildings are in close proximity to each other in a small compound.

Section Summary
Administrative Filter: Policy Behavioral: Emergent. Most members know that some types of technology use is inappropriate, but the practice is not structured or formalized. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. Some policy use guidelines were drafted, but there was no formal discussion nor adoption of the policy. Staff members do not have copies neither is it passed on to new staff members. Planning Behavioral: Emergent. Administrative planning is generally focused on the classes pursuing IT for certification and is informal for other areas. If a department/teacher identifies a technology and funds are available, it is will be acquired. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. A formal plan was created some years previously, but has fallen into abeyance. Budget Behavioral: Emergent. As stated with planning, budgets are for the IT classes and informal budgets will be generated on an ad hoc basis. Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent. Budgeting is not consistent on a yearly basis. This is partly due to overall budget constraints at a governmental level. Although technology received major funding 10

years ago, the method used was unsustainable since it was mostly loan financed. Administrative Information Behavioral: Islands. Some administrative functions are integrated, but not enough throughout the school for this section to be so rated. Student report data and examination entries are done by all staff and are paperless. However, the student reports are printed. Some attendance data is done via management systems. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated. What administrative systems exist are available to all staff, but since the systems are not as comprehensive as desirable, this rating stands at integrated. Summary: Halfway between emergent and islands, Dolphin School could move forward in this category easily with a more focused and structured approach to technology use. Systems are already in place that need to be extended with a formal approved plan communicated to stakeholders. Curricular Filter Electronic Information Behavioral: Emergent. Staff use electronic resources more than students, but primarily among staff who embrace technology. Limited technology resources and faulty equipment make student access difficult. Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent. Resources are relatively scarce. Computers are mainly used by students in the IT program which is a two year certificate course. Electronic information then is not easily manipulated by most students who are not in that program. Assessment Behavioral: Emergent. Technology is hardly used for assessment purposes. Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent. Not readily available. Curriculum Integration Behavioral: Emergent. Although technology (e.g. Smartboard, laptop, camcorder, Internet resources) is used in multiple ways by some teachers, the curriculum is not dependent on technology. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. There are some web based resources available and used in some areas, notably Maths and the Sciences. Software acquired is frequently not for networks, therefore must be installed individually which delays and frustrates the process. Teacher use Behavioral: Islands. Some teachers use technology fairly extensively and others do not. Most do use technology for material generation and curriculum enhancement while some operate at integrated level mainly for grading, attendance, materials/resources, and student assessment. The teachers for IT certification naturally operate at intelligent level. It is the sporadic nature of use that leads to islands rating for this school. Resource/Infrastructure:Islands. Laptops, multimedia projectors, Internet resources for example, are relatively available to most staff.

Resources suited to curriculum content have to be locally created by teachers since there is very little commercially available or on the Internet. This is so especially in areas such as (regional) History and Social Studies (which includes local and regional government and integration movements; regional cultural traditions). Student Use Behavioral: Emergent. Student contact with technology at school is sporadic, though quite a few have access at home. This is where their use is greatest. Senior students without computers or Internet access and who are required to prepare reports as part of their final certification are allowed scheduled access to computers to complete assignments. Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent. Unfortunately, the student access as suggested above is limited largely due to the scarcity of resources. Only those whose program of study requires it will have regular access. Summary Barriers to curricular maturity depend on the competition for technology hardware and in some curricular areas, lack of materials related to the required content. As will be seen from the support filter, teacher training would be invaluable since they would be better equipped to create indigenous materials to meet curricular needs. Support Filter Stakeholder Involvement Behavioral: Islands. Some effort was made to have a cross section of stakeholders (students, staff, administrators, alumni, parents) aware of the planning, but not many are actually engaged in the process. It falls back mainly to teachers to plan and implement technology use. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. Representation was formally there in the planning process, but few stakeholders, other than staff of the school really followed through on the process beyond sitting on the original body. Administrative Support Behavioral: Islands. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands In the initial stages, this support was there. Time was set aside for planning and they lead the discussion. As the plan unfolded, so did administrative involvement and discussion! Teachers were expected to implement technology planning and integration. Since implementation coincided with major curricular reform, most felt overwhelmed with the challenges of managing the change . Training Behavioral: Emergent. Initially, all staff underwent training (basic, intermediate and more advanced sessions that included authoring applications) but that kind of activity has dwindled away and only a few seek refresher courses or learn new techniques.

Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent The lack of formal training activities influences behavior as discussed before. Lack of knowledge engenders fear and indifference to technology and comfort in using traditional routines. On the other hand, at an individual informal level, there is sharing of skills and knowledge. Technical Support & Infrastructure Support Behavioral: Islands. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands/Integrated While there is an identified I.T.Coordinator, the post is rendered ineffective since the ITC has gradually acquired a part time teaching load and is expected to be responsible for network, equipment maintenance, logging in and out equipment to staff and conducting training. The ITC can call on personnel at the national level for some types of network assistance. With this in mind, while staff may seek assistance, there is a limit to what can be done by one person. Other staff provide assistance to colleagues where they can. Summary Support has perhaps been the biggest retarding factor in the technological maturity of Dolphin School. It has not been consistent notably in the area of training and refresher courses. Failure to provide adequate technical support has been a big hindrance since equipment failed or was not repaired in a timely manner. These two problems frustrated many who resorted to comfortable routines. For example, the school was used to prototype an online administrative management system for reporting. When it presented challenges, some staff protested that we should return to hand written reports because it was easier. Eventually, the online system was rejected in favor of an intranet based one which can only be used on site! This should change again sometime in the near future, since a national policy decision mandates adoption of the same system rejected by Dolphin School.

Connectivity Filter
Local Area Networking Behavioral: Emergent. The LAN is used mainly by staff generally for general printing and entering data, viewing and printing for student reports. Previously, network sharing of files occurred but after damage to the servers, that capacity was affected and fell into disuse. The servers are still not currently at prime capacity seriously compromising effective use. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. Currently at islands due to damage to equipment and financial inability to complete full repairs to the network. All areas of the plant can have access once the repairs are complete. District Area Networking Behavioral: Emergent Resource/Infrastructure: Islands The District networking service is infrastructurally available but little used, either by Dolphin School or other schools across the district. All schools will be required to use the Internet online administrative system,

but at this time, all currently do not. When all do, the WAN can possibly move to integrated and eventually intelligent level. Bandwidth. Internet Access Behavioral: Emergent. Staff use the Internet fairly regularly to generate materials, research. However student access is limited to nonexistent. A few teachers have websites where content and student activities are posted. Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated. There is LAN access in almost all locations but it is mainly wired access, limiting numbers that can utilize at on time. Most locations have wireless access, but so far, it has proved intermittent and unreliable. Communication System Behavioral: Islands. Email is used by some teachers to communicate with students for assignments and support. Mainly used with those student who have Internet access at home, This is not used at school as a rule. Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent. Emails are personal accounts, not set up as school accounts.

Summary From infrastructural outlook, the Dolphin School can make the LAN more accessible with a better quality routers. The plant is small and compact enough to achieve this relatively cheaply. The school just recently received an official .edu address. If institutional email addresses for members become a reality, the connectivity filter can then improve behaviorally as well.

Innovation Filter
New Technologies Behavior: Islands. Many staff members are enthused about new technologies, but have limited opportunities to experiment largely due to few items being available. Nevertheless, some staff eagerly try them out. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. The staff is pleased to see technologies, enthuse about them, but only a few will put them into use, especially if they feel the investment in time to train/create is too long in relation to outcome. Comprehensive Technologies Behavioral: Emergent. Most staff find a few technologies they are comfortable with and use them quite often. Occasionally, they can be drawn out into trying other forms, but the time/effort:outcome ratio seems to be a major stumbling block. Resource/Infrastructure: Islands. Technologies are identified and introduced to the school plant from time to time. But use is still fairly limited. Summary Several younger staffers welcome technology, but sometimes lack the pedagogy to create strong instructional activities. Good professional

development sessions mixing more experienced teachers enthusiastic technophiles could improve the innovations filter.

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Final Summary Generally, the Dolphin School straddles emergent and islands technological maturity with the latter having a slight edge. Hardware and infrastructure need repairs and upgrading. Due to previous installations of hardware and infrastructure, the connectivity and support filters could relatively easily be physically upgraded. Of course, current financial constraints will limit the extent and timing of refurbishments. In the short term though, better quality routers can effectively increase Internet access for all on the campus. A formal policy can be implemented at the school level once there is a more serious analysis of what is required and the vision and will to execute it. Additionally, regular good quality training sessions are absolutely essential. There are enough persons with educational technology backgrounds or sympathies to institute ground level training that can inspire other colleagues to utilize /integrate technology into their curricula, assessment methods, communications and use of electronic information. These persons can also assist in drafting school policy on technology use. Human resource development at Dolphin School can be the channel for change its technological maturity. The premise that technology is not just computers can revolutionise thinking about how to institutionalise its use.