Technology Program Administrator Report

Gabriella Jacob

Georgia Southern University

 Part A: Program Evaluation

Executive Summary

Winn Holt Elementary's technology center was evaluated using an interview of the

school’s Instructional Technology and Innovation Coach, Mariah Tidwell, online research, and

observations which will be evident in Appendix A, Appendix B, and Appendix C. This school,

filled with rich history, is dedicated to providing high quality education, supported by its multiple

stakeholders as well as Title 1 funding. Key stakeholders include students, parents, staff,

administrators, and the Gwinnett County School Board. Its mission, "Learning for All...Whatever

it Takes," reflects its commitment to students, families, and the community. The goal is to afford

students access to all potential opportunities to succeed and they will go above and beyond to

make sure the needs of the students are met.

Some technology that is evident in the center and is used almost daily include: Virtual

Reality headsets, a 1:1 technology program, and a fully equipped newsroom. The Virtual Reality

headsets allow students to experience a world outside of the classroom. The 1:1 technology

program allows students their own device to use at school and at home. Finally, the fully

equipped News Room allows students to work with more intricate technology and opens doors to

those interested in the field. In the evaluation, the center's effective use of technology, teaching

methods, and support from stakeholders is evident. Recommendations include more teacher

input in resource selection. Overall, the center's operations are well-aligned with its goals,

embodying a dedication to the needs of the students and their communities.

 Organizational Chart

The following flowchart graphic, shows the hierarchy of support within the Gwinnett

County School System flowing into the technology center, Winn Holt Elementary School.

Methods

The methods used to evaluate the technology center include an interview with Mariah

Tidwell, Instructional Technology and Innovation Coach at Winn Holt Elementary School

(Appendix A). I also used the Gwinnett County Public Schools website to research the roles in

both the county and in the individual school hierarchy. Finally, I used simple observations, using
a checklist I created, in various settings around the center in order to gain a better understanding

of how technology is incorporated in the classroom and school in general.

Center Context and Goals

Margaret Winn Holt Elementary School, better known as Winn Holt Elementary to the

staff, is coming up on its 20th Birthday next year. Named after a great figure in the community of

Lawrenceville, Georgia, Mrs. Margaret Winn Holt was well known as a leader, Board Member,

and most impressively the second female Valedictorian of the University of Georgia in 1945.

Many of the staff have been teaching in some capacity since the doors opened in 2004. It has had

three principals since its opening, and when talking to many of the staff members, old and new,

there are nothing but outstanding things to say about this school.

It is a Title 1 school that receives a lot of government funding due to the location and

financial circumstances of the families who attend this elementary school. Its mission is to

provide students, regardless of their background, the most high quality education they can

receive during their time there. The goal of the center is to support students immediately,

effectively, and efficiently. Their motto is, “Learning for all…Whatever it Takes,” which is

displayed in the front of the school and staff is reminded of the importance of that oath as

frequently as possible. Not only do they provide support for students, but for families and

community members as well.

The stakeholders at Winn Holt Elementary are those who are directly affected by its

success as well as those who have an interest in its success, both past and present. Most

importantly the school opens its doors to students from Pre-K to 5th grade. They even have a

Play to Learn program that allows children younger than Pre-K to experience the joys of learning

along with their parents. Parents and Guardians are also very important in the success of their
students and supporting their school as well. Staff and Administrators play a huge part in the

success of the students they teach or support. More specifically, there is the Principal, Lisa

Glausier, who has the most responsibility for the students and the school. There are the

technology leaders, Mariah Tidwell and Ivory Gates, whose job is to make sure technology is

being used effectively. There are the teachers and support staff who implement learning and use

of technology in their classrooms. Also, the Media Specialist, Donna Gibbs, makes sure that

students are given the resources they need to succeed. Finally, a huge stakeholder in the success

of a school is the School Board who make decisions that directly affect the school’s ability to

perform to the best of their ability. All of these people have a huge role in whether or not a

school can be successful and most importantly the duty they have towards any person who walks

through their doors. This school has earned multiple awards for their work with students and the

community, and I see no end to their drive for learning and achievement.

Center Activities

Being Title 1, this center has extra support from the government as far as funding and

budgets are concerned. This gives them a huge opportunity to increase technology usage in the

classroom as well as additional resources to give students opportunities they may not have

elsewhere. One amazing opportunity that the Instructional Technology and Innovation Coach,

Mariah Tidwell, has been able to provide for the school is a class set of Virtual Reality headsets.

This gives students the opportunity to experience different virtual worlds such as traveling to the

moon or even going inside a blood vessel to learn about the human body. The possibilities with it

are endless. She has worked with many teachers across all grade levels to complete activities that

align with the Gwinnett standards, or AKS, to ensure students are learning what is required of

them each year.

 There is also 1:1 technology, which means each student receives their own laptop to use

during their time at Winn Holt Elementary. They have the ability to take them home as well to

extend their learning outside of the classroom. The Media Center has a fully equipped news

room to give students in 5th grade the chance to anchor the morning news and use the

technology required to put on the show. One thing to note about this center is everything

purchased and used in the education of their students has a purpose. The goal of providing these

resources is to align to their goal of allowing students the opportunity to learn, however it works

best for them to be successful in life.

Evaluation

Based on my experience in this center, the use of technology, effective teaching skills,

and support from all of the stakeholders mentioned above, I have no doubt that this center is

performing to its full potential. They take into consideration the staff, students, guardians, and

the community when they make their decisions within the center. They use their budget for

resources that directly benefit the students most importantly whether it is providing each student

a laptop, purchasing programs or technology tools that will individually assist students during

their learning, or giving students opportunities using VR Headsets and a fully equipped News

Room to expand their learning to the world around them. Although there are limitations to what

can be purchased for the school, I would give one recommendation, which would be to allow

teachers to give input on what would help them in their rooms. Not all students can use the VR

Headsets daily and working in the News Room is limited to only 5th grade students, so if there

was more room for recommendations, I think teachers could provide many tools to advance the

success of their students and worldly visions. Yes, there are programs that are purchased by the

school that Gwinnett County deems allowable that do support students, however, let teachers
who work directly with students give more input and ideas. A lot of that is out of the center's

hands, but regardless of the suggestion, I think the center is well suited and their goals are being

met.
Appendix A:

Interview of site supervisor:

1. Name of technology coordinator being interviewed.

2. What is your title?

3. What type of degree is required for your position?

4. What are your job responsibilities?

5. How are you meeting the needs of faculty and staff during the transition to remote

learning this semester?

6. How are you meeting the remote learning needs of students and parents?

7. What are typical daily activities for your job?

8. Do you have a budget that you control? How do you make decisions on selecting

resources for your stakeholders?

9. Have you had an opportunity to impact technology implementation throughout your

school? Would you describe a specific example?

10. Does your school have a technology committee?

11. How are technology decisions made?

12. What is the best part of your job?

13. What do you find to be the most challenging part of your job?

Appendix B:

Gwinnett County Hierarchy

Gwinnett County Technology and Innovation

Appendix C

Is there evidence of student use of technology?

Are there opportunities for teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms?
Do all students have access to technology resources?
Does the Technology Coach provide support to staff?
Are the stakeholders involved with the decision making regarding technology?
Is technology easily accessible to students?
Is there opportunity for growth and new ideas?
What is the budget for purchasing new technology?
Are there ways for students to extend their learning at home?
Is it evident that students are benefiting from the use of technology?
Part B: Monthly Report