Each Maine school administrative unit (SAU) is required to file with the Department of Education a long-range strategic learning technology plan (Chapter 125, Section 9.03, Item C, and Policy Code IJND), either as an SAU or within a consortium. Plans should cover three years of implementation.
An SAU must submit a District Learning Technology Plan by July 1 of this year if:
- Their current technology plan will expire in June of this year
- They do not already have a plan approved by the Maine Department of Education to replace one that has previously expired
- If a school left or joined the SAU
- If the SAU is newly formed
2016 District Learning Technology Plan guidelines include updates to requirements and processes from previous guidelines. The goals of the updates include the following:
- To support educators and educational leaders in thinking more about the learning, and to take a pedagogical view of why they need, and how they will use technology.
- To encourage the broad involvement of district leadership teams, especially team members responsible for curriculum and instruction, in consultation with educators, tech leads, and technology committees.
- To “invite” educators and educational leaders to join a structured transition from a primarily hardware and infrastructure focus towards a focus on learning through offering tools, approaches, and frameworks that make technology integration easier, more helpful and doable. Toward this end, the Maine Department of Education seeks to pivot from “driving” and “pushing” to an approach that is more “inviting” and “pulling.”
The guidelines and plan template are available here.
If you have any questions on these guidelines, contact Learning Through Technology Policy Director Mike Muir at mike.muir@maine.gov or call 624-6634.