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Our Mission

The Instructional Technology Department of the Walton County School District provides guidance and support to promote the use of technology in student learning.

To do this, we work closely with curriculum, professional learning and information technology departments, administrators and teachers to plan for the integration of technology into all facets of the curriculum and learning environment.

Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers is transformational.- George Couros

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards

ISTE Standards for Students (ISTE Standards*S): The standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital world.

ISTE Standards for Teachers (ISTE Standards*T): The standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge educators need to teach, work and learn in an increasingly connected global and digital society.

ISTE Standards for Administrators (ISTE Standards*A): The standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge school administrators and leaders need to support digital age learning, implement technology and transform the instruction landscape.

ISTE Standards for Coaches (ISTE Standards*C): The skills and knowledge technology coaches need to support peers in becoming digital educators.

Duane Embry

Director of Instruction Technology
dembry@walton.k12.ga.us
(770) 266-4455

Raven Brannon

Instructional Technology Specialist
raven.fleming-brannon@walton.k12.ga.us
(770) 266-4473

May Xiong

Instructional Technology Specialist
may.xiong@walton.k12.ga.us
(770) 266-4472

Kameron Williams

Instructional Technology Specialist
kameron.williams@walton.k12.ga.us
(770) 266-4453

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Instructional Technology - Walton County School District

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Instructional Technology - Walton County School District

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Instructional Technology Plan

The goal of this 5-year instructional technology plan is to provide a comprehensive and sustainable approach to incorporating technology into the classroom to improve student learning and engagement, support teacher instruction and professional development, involve parents and guardians in the education process, and align with the goals and objectives of the school district administration.

The NCSS Instructional Technology & Media Services Department's goal is to help teachers create engaging and effective learning spaces and experiences for students to soar in an equitable and accessible 21st century classroom. With the help of the Instructional Technology Coordinator (ITC), Instructional Technology Specialists (ITS), Digital Learning Coaches (DLC), Media Specialists (MS), and Innovative Leaders of Tomorrow (ILT), the Director of Instructional Technology & Media Services will meet this goal. We will accomplish this goal by:

1) Providing leadership to building and district level administrators.

a) Facilitate flexible, frequent professional development on district-purchased digital resources for district administrators.
b) Collaborate with the Curriculum & Instruction Department to inform procurement of digital resources for student use.
c) Evaluate all technology tools considered for purchase to ensure student safety is a priority (COPPA, CIPA, FERPA).
d) Use analytics to help inform purchases/renewals and monitor the usage and effectiveness of software and media.
e) Collaborate with administrators and their media specialists to ensure the purchase of resources that support curricular needs.
f) Facilitate on-demand training and development to ensure effective communication with all stakeholders.

2) Providing access to innovative teaching practices and digital tools that increase student engagement to promote student learning for teachers and media specialists.

a) Arrange flexible learning opportunities for all staff members on district-purchased technology software.
b) Provide flexible, targeted new teacher professional development (model lessons, group, or one-on-one coaching and development) on district-purchased technology software.
c) Provide training and development for teachers on district-purchased digital resources.
d) Lead cohort of vanguard teachers for professional development in innovative teaching strategies in the use of forward-thinking technology trends.
e) Coach and mentor media specialists to ensure equity of materials within schools are purchased and used throughout the county.
f) Create/update learning commons in every school by providing guidance and opportunities for student engagement in reading and writing in the media centers.
g) Provide guidance on COPPA, cyber safety, and digital citizenship for educators.

3) Providing hands-on computer science opportunities and experiences, cyber safety instruction, copyright education, and digital citizenship lessons for students.

a) Implement and lead C.O.D.E. 360 inclusive computer science programming.
b) Lead educational efforts in cyberbullying, cyber safety, and social networking awareness.
c) Teach students about copyright and intellectual property laws and guidance for academic work.

4) Providing training to parents on how to use digital tools to aid in academics outside of school hours.

a) Create, update, manage Parent Connect digital resource center to engage and inform parents on current trends, software, and applications used by students.
b) Host virtual and in-person parent universities on technology tools to increase student achievement.
c) Host parent events in conjunction with Title I and Curriculum & Instruction departments.
d) Build teacher, district, parent pipeline via podcasting.

For more information, contact, Dr. Jennifer Williams, Director of Instructional Technology & Media Services at 770-784-4943 or via email at [email protected] or Mrs. Ijeoma Johnson, Coordinator of Instructional Technology & Media Services at [email protected] .

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The goal of this 5-year instructional technology plan is to provide a comprehensive and sustainable approach to incorporating technology into the classroom to improve student learning and engagement, support teacher instruction and professional development, involve parents and guardians in the education process, and align with the goals and objectives of the school district administration.

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Technology enhances our students' experiences in the classroom and also supports instruction and business operations. Ongoing attention is needed as systems and hardware need replacement or become inefficient. A multi-tiered assessment of the district's infrastructure and security, audio/video equipment, and instructional applications was conducted to ensure that these Capital Plan 2027 investment areas are aligned with global and national trends in K-12 education technology.

Access
(Hardware)

Desktop computers/laptops/ tablets (collectively called "devices")

Individual devices for Grades 3-12 and classroom carts for Grades PreK-2

Devices for teachers

Devices for district administrative staff, maintenance, transportation, and school police officers

Classroom equipment that supports learning, such as interactive projectors and audio/visual tools that record instruction

Audio/visual equipment for large spaces Equipment for CTAE, fine arts and elementary school computer labs

Wireless access points

Network printers and 3D printers

Infrastructure
(Networking and Connectivity)

Data management and utilization

Data center upgrades

Cloud-based software platforms

Disaster recovery services

Firewall and web content filtering

Device management systems

Managed print services

Device hardware support

School network refresh

Network and connectivity hardware

Network-based telecommunications

Structured cabling

Information/Instruction Tools (Software and Apps)

Learning Management System

Single sign-on capability

Enterprise Resource Planner

Content management systems

Productivity and collaboration software

Website workflow and customer relations management

Student information system

District-level and individual school websites

Learning object repository

Professional development

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Technology - Fulton County School System

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Technology - Fulton County School System