This series of checklists will help begin the process of reflecting and planning for the role technology will play in your program. There is no correct order in which to fill out these checklists. Answers to each series of questions influences the answers to the next, so you may find yourself moving back and forth, adjusting your answers as you work to develop a specific plan or approach. Working through the questions should help you to formulate your own vision for the role of technology in your program, based on actual program needs. From that, a set of objectives for the use of technology in your program will naturally develop. Having a list of specific objectives will go a long way to helping you focus program energy and efforts, plan technology purchases, and monitor your achievement of these objectives once the technology is in place. For an extended guide to technology planning, see Technology Planning for Adult Literacy Programs by Christopher Hopey and Joyce Harvey-Morgan. It is a technical report published by the National Center on Adult Literacy at the University of Pennsylvania. The report was published February 1995 and is available for downloading at: http://www.literacyonline.org/products/ncal/pdf/PG9501.pdf .  If you experience difficulty downloading this file because of a firewall error, please access the file through http://www.literacyonline.org/.

Technology should not drive decisions or educational goals. Rather decision making should be based on the educational needs of the adult learner and the professional needs of the staff members.

Technology cannot prescribe for an instructor which students should use the technology, how often it should be used, or how to integrate technology into existing instructional practices. Unless staff start with specific educational goals, technology will most likely be used to reinforce the status quo.

In the questionnaire below, think about the reasons why you are planning to integrate technology into your program.

(include Canadian Language Benchmark range)

In what areas will technology help in meeting program objectives.

(include Canadian Language Benchmark range)

(include Canadian Language Benchmark range)

How will technology help in this area? (Be specific.)

Other

(include Canadian Language Benchmark range)

In what areas will technology help in meeting program objectives?

In what order of priority?

How will technology help in this area? (Be specific.)

_ Drill & Practice

_ Skill Development

_ Simulations

_ Games

_ pre-tests

_ post-tests

_ track progress

_ student reporting

_ authoring capabilities

_ Encyclopedia

_ Dictionary

_ Thesaurus

_ Grammar/Writing Style Guide

_ Theme Units

_ CD-ROM

_ Floppy Disk

_ World Wide Web site

_ Word Processor

_ Desktop Publishing

_ Spreadsheet

_ Database

_ Draw/Graphics

_ Keyboarding

_ E-mail

_ World Wide Web browser

(for designing your own units and materials)

_ TOEFL Mastery

_ GED Preparation

_ Classroom _ Computer Lab _ Off Site _ Central on-site location

Ratio of computers to students

_ 1 computer / 1 student

_ 1 computer for up to 5 students

_ 1 computer for up to 10 students

_ 1 computer for more than 10 students

Schedule

_ daily _ weekly _ monthly _ individual sign-up

# of Computers Network Set-Up

____________ ___________________

Internet Access

_ Networked

_ Modem 

Special Features

_ Sound _ CD-ROM _ Sound Card/Speakers

_ Headphones _ Microphone _ Other

Printers

_ Networked

_ Standalone

Item % of Budget

Software 20%

Hardware 70%

Maintenance 5%

Miscellaneous Supplies 5%

Item Budget $'s

Software ___________

Hardware ___________

Maintenance ___________

Miscellaneous Supplies ___________