Digital Learning Plans should be living documents that are subject to annual or cyclic review and updating. The most important part of your plan is its vision for your district. The vision drives the mission, so these two powerful focal points of the plan should align to important local, state, and federal standards, initatives, and best practices. Introductory information also includes district demographics, members of your digital learning plan committee, and your process for review and updating.

Initial Considerations

Establishing your Digital Learning Plan Committee

The Digital Learning plan should developed by a robust variety of individual committee members that represent a variety of stakeholder groups. Include their name, their position and/or the stakeholder group they represent in your plan. For example:

• Susan Afshourian, Principal, Sunny Side Elementary
• Walter Zellwiger, School Board Member
• Alfonso Franks, Grade 6 Teacher
• Haleh Trasker, Library Media Specialist
• Resta Shoored, Technology Director
• Veronica Marshall, Parent
• Stan Livingston, High School Teacher
• Francis Norman Stein, Town Selectman

This is a group of stakeholders from the school district which should not only be representative of a particular viewpoint, but also acting in the capacity of liaison between the digital learning plan committee and their constituents in the school or community. A few more things to consider:

• Committee should be tasked with not only developing a digital learning plan, but also its implementation, evaluation, and updating.
• Committee should be of a manageable size, but have enopuhg members to be able to develop, implement, and evaluate the plan.
• Committee should work collaboratively with a local educational improvement plan (LEIP) committee, or in unison with other school community building committees.
• Committee should have technology savvy teachers, parents, etc. as well as non-technology oriented members.
• Committee should prepare a report on the effectiveness of the plan at the end of the cycle that can be used to develop a new technology plan in the next cycle.
• Committee should develop plans in 3 year cycles. Individual goals may be completed in less time, but the overall plan should provide optimum time span to move the district forward, evaluate and tweak, and prepare for the next planning cycle. Plans that span longer may run the risk of becoming inrelevant in the face of new technologies

District Mission Statement

The district mission statement should provides a succinct descriptive paragraph of what the school community believes it wants to accomplish as it educates its children. This is not just a mission statement about technology, but rather a broad district level statement. Whether the district mission statement includes a reference to technology or not, chances are, the mission somehow will involve the use of information and communication technologies. Consider how technology supports the mission and use that support as the basis of your technology planning.

Digital Learning Vision

The digital learning vision statement provides a clear, concise, and realistic statement of how technology fits into the district and supports its mission. The vision statement gives a more detailed and focused description and methodology for how technology will support the school district in fulfilling its mission. Consider the following questions when formulating the digital learning vision statement:

• How will technology, digital tools, and resources help you to get there?
• In what ways will technology, digital tools, and resources help you accomplish your mission?
• What do you want the future learning environment in your district look like?

District Description

All districts are unique in one way or another. Develop a short description of the district, including demographics of the community and of all the schools within the district. A few sentences with census, testing, graduation rates, and other data will help provide the committee and the public with context for your technology plan mission and vision.

Resources

Five Steps for Creating The Digital Learning Plan You Need (Alliance for Excellent Education)

Transformative Digital Learning: A Guide to Implementation (SETDA)

State Digital Learning Exemplars (SETDA)

NH Digital Literacy Toolkit (#NHEdTech)

Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements (Community Toolbox)

Developing a Vision and a Mission (ASCD)

Vision and Mission (Center for School Change)

Develop Vision and Mission Statements (South Central Comprehensive Center)

School Mission Statements: Where Is Your School Going? (Education World)

Do You Know Your School's Vision? Tips on Making a Meaningful Mission Statement (Education Week)

School Mission Statements: The 2020 Guide (Prodigy)