ISTE - About the Project - Project Purpose

For more than 20 years educators have been faced with questions about the use of technology, and more recently, have faced equally important questions in regards to technology support: After the hardware and software is purchased, what is needed to support technology? What should every school district do to provide the best possible technology support? How much does it cost to provide the support your district needs? Does limited support impact effective use? Is one support strategy better than another? What should I do first? These are just a few questions the Technology Support Project (TSP) begins to answer as it looks at effective technology support in schools.

The overall purpose of the TSP is to identify effective technology support strategies for school districts that can be utilized for technology support improvements — and the Technology Support Index (TSI) is the primary tool developed as a strategic guide for school districts. The TSI considers the diverse characteristics among schools and districts, and identifies specific support strategies that can be applied to the school system based upon their unique characteristics. Simply put, it allows your school district to learn how they can improve their technology support program without incurring the costly expense of hiring an independent consulting firm.

By completing less than 50 questions, you will be able to objectively ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of your school district's technology support program. Upon completion, these results are immediately provided to you in the form of a district profile and a technology action plan for improvement.

Aided with this important information, district staff can develop clear, strategic goals with which they can confidently approach their school district administration, school board, corporate partners, and others. Parents and staff will have a better understanding of the importance of technology support and will also have a roadmap of possible strategies. A carefully selected but substantial array of technology support initiatives can be made available to both teachers and administrators as the result of a thoughtful and strategic approach.

With an effective support system in place, the impacts upon technology use in the district can be profound. Confident that the technology works when it should, teachers, students, staff, and parents will reap the benefits of the district's technology investment preparing students for the 21st century.

Read on to learn about the supporters of the TSP.

If you are ready to profile your district and obtain your plan for improvement, click the Profile Your District/School button below. Or, if you would like to learn more about the TSI, click the Technology Support Index button below.