When schools start implementing more technology in the classroom, a district-wide technology plan is necessary. This keeps every school on the same page so that the new blended learning program can be more effective. The right plan ensures that students are all receiving equal instruction and that teachers can be better held accountable to the district standard. School and district officials often understand that this is a necessary component of technology, but they fail to know how to go about it.

Fortunately, setting a district-wide plan is relatively simple when you know where to start. If your school district is having a hard time getting to the bottom of things, here are a few steps you can take to achieve your goals.

The plan should include students, teachers, and the community.  

The first thing you need to do is ensure that your district-wide technology plan covers all of the necessary areas. The primary people affected by a technology plan should be the students and the teachers. Students should be able to see greater academic improvements using this method, while teachers should feel supported by the new tools. Beyond this, there should be clear supports in place throughout the community to aid in this transition process. Parents should definitely be considered when implementing these plans.

Make a plan for the long-term.

Creating a district-wide technology plan can be quite an undertaking, so you need to be certain that you are looking to the future. Your plan should be made for the years ahead even though it may not seem logical right now. Cast a big vision for what technology can do for your district over the next five to ten years. In the meantime, be willing to take small steps toward achieving that goal. This might mean sending more teachers for training, spending a little more money for a program that can grow with you or be taking smaller steps toward one-to-one computing models.

Be willing to adjust your plan.

While it may be exciting to roll out a one-to-one model for your district, remember that your technology plan isn’t just a one-time thing. The implementation of a program is going to take quite a bit of time over the coming years. Students must learn how to use these devices. Even teachers have to adapt their curriculum so that they can make the most of the one-to-one technology suddenly available in their classroom.

As everyone gets more comfortable using the new technology, you might find that the proposed solution doesn’t work. Be willing to switch programs or try a new platform if your current plan isn’t going to help everyone achieve the long-term goal. Flexibility is really the key to ensuring that a district-wide implementation is going to be successful.

Rolling out a district-wide technology plan doesn’t have to be difficult, but you do have to know what you want to achieve. Thinking and preparing for the future is essential to putting together a plan that will work for your students, teachers, and the other community supports. Remember that it is a slow process at times, so be content to take small steps to achieve your desired outcome.