Technology Use Planning Overview

1. Start with defining technology use planning–how would you describe it?

I would describe technology use planning as a way to map out or plan the specific details of how using technology in a certain setting will produce the desired results, or how the planning team anticipates using certain technologies will produce results. It can be short or long term, but might be fluid as the institution learns different ways to achieve the same desired outcomes. 
B. How might the new National Educational Technology Plan 2010 be an effective and powerful resource for technology use planning?
The National Educational Technology Plan 2010 would be an effective and powerful resource to technology use planning because it was created specifically to ensure that technology use meets certain criteria and is the best possible. In other words, following the plan will help ensure an excellent technology plan is created. The plan is also great because it lays out the five components of learning powered by technology: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity. These can be used as a great outline/guideline for starting a technology plan.
 C. Do you agree with See about tech use plans needing to be short, not long term?I really do see his point in stating the technology use plans should be short term. Technology really does change astonishingly quickly, so spending time on a plan that is longer than a year seems like it might be a waste of time. Why plan for five years ahead when the technologies you plan on using will be obsolete? You'll just have to redo your plan with the newest technologies, or miss out on newer technology because you're stuck with your plan and all the money you spent based on that plan.
D.What do you think about his comment that “effective technology plans focus on applications, not technology?” 
See's statement " It may be better to go to your school board saying this is what we want our students to be able to do" makes complete sense to me. Instead of focusing on what you need to buy to achieve the results, you focus on the results you want to achieve. It's like saying that you want your dog to train your dog. You figure out what end result you want, then you plan backwards. If you say "I want to buy a book on dog training," you're not really focusing on the end result, and you may not end up with the right tools for what you're trying to achieve. I think his point of view is a good one, based on experience. 
E. What experiences have you had with technology use planning and what have you seen for outcomes (both good and bad?)I can't say I've had many experiences with this, but the company I work for is very technology-driven. I think sometimes they have tried to plan ahead and buy the newest technology item without thoroughly researching the impact of that item, then they end up needing to buy something else because the newest program or whatever didn't meet their needs.