Course Reflections

Course Reflections

When I began this course, I envisioned increasing what knowledge I had of technology. I teach math and use some technology in the classroom, and I thought of myself as having a pretty good understanding of technology. I definitely increased my knowledge, and then learned how little I did know. I would say that I achieved the outcomes that I had set for this course and then achieved knowledge of some things that I didn’t know existed. The actual course outcomes exceeded what I had envisioned for the course. For example, although I wasn’t an expert, I knew that technology standards existed for students. However, I wasn’t even aware that there were standards for teachers, and even administrators.
In achieving the outcomes for this course, I found that there were several aspects of the technology standards that are relevant to me in the classroom and as a leader. I have always completed the STaR chart, but now I have a better understanding of the chart as a whole and how this report can be used for planning the future of technology on a campus. Because I teach at the high school, I knew that there were Technology TEKS, but I wasn’t aware of the thoroughness and complexity or them at the lower grades. I also learned about the national standards that are in place for students, teachers, and administrators.
In completing the objectives for this course, one of the outcomes that I felt like I didn’t achieve was in exploring ways to seamlessly integrate technology in the classroom. There is no doubt that there is a need for student-centered technology in the classroom. I read a couple of articles that dealt with the research on integration of technology in the classroom, and I made this a point of emphasis in my practical application paper and action plan. I think this is an area that the “digital immigrants” need practical applications on ways to integrate technology into daily activity in their classroom. I understand that this is going to be one of the challenges of leading a campus to being technologically advanced.
I felt that I was successful in carrying out the assignments of the course. The first two weeks assignments were very time-consuming, but I enjoyed working with them, and I learned several new things. One of the new things that I did was posting a PowerPoint onto a blog. The process of setting up a blog was also something new, and I have since explored other blogs and educational sites. The forth week assignment was probably the one where I wanted more specific direction in creating the action plan. After posting my plan for discussion, I saw so many different interpretations of the instructions for the plan, and I liked most of my peers better than mine, I wish I would have had those ideas earlier in the week when I was creating mine.
By completing this technology leadership course, I first learned that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did about technology. For example, I knew there were technology TEKS, but I didn’t know that they were in place for all grade levels up to 8th grade, including Pre-K. I also learned about the NETS-A standards for administrators. This course also reinforced the important concept of being a leader that is surrounded by specialists. A principal cannot be an expert in every knowledge field, so it is important to have people in place on a staff that can give expert advice and opinions when it comes to their specialty. A leader needs good technology people to keep up with the latest trends in technology as they occur.
Blogs can be extremely beneficial to learning in the 21st century classroom. Blogs provide immediate information access on almost any educational topic. Blogs also provide quick, easy publishing for students. These two benefits together allow students to be providers and receivers of information. Blogs provide open lines of communication that is student-to-student, teacher-to-teacher, or student-to-teacher. Administrators can also use blogs to communicate with staff, parents, and other stakeholders. I believe that the educational world is just at the early stages of implementing blogs into the classroom. One or the most exciting possibilities of blogs is to connect classrooms from all over the world.

The concerns of blogging in an educational setting are centered on security. Anytime students are providing or receiving information in a public forum, there is concern for the student’s safety. One solution to this concern would be educational blogging sites that are designed for educational purposes only. These sites can be controlled by the teachers, and teachers can make the decision as to who has access, and to what extent. Another way to avoid these safety concerns is to start teaching students at an early age the importance of being responsible while on-line. Teaching cyber ethics can give students the ability to recognize and avoid the dangers that can come with open forums.
Blogging can be a valuable tool for communication within the school community. School leaders can use blogs to communicate with students, teachers, and parents. Blogs are a quick, easy way to post information for all stakeholders to have access. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the type of information that can be posted for parents. Anything from school calendars to lunch menus, or even weekly updates on the good things happening on your campus. Blogs can also form a line of communication that is easily accessible for all stakeholders, and good leaders understand the importance of communication within the school community.

Technology Action Plan

• Carthage ISD Action Plan
  Each year, Carthage ISD conducts a needs assessment utilizing surveys, interviews, focus group sessions, inventories, and the Texas Campus STaR Chart to analyze the status of technology needs and determine future needs. In week 3 of this course, I outlined the results of our recent evaluation and reported on the recent accomplishments in our technology infrastructure. This action plan will provide an analysis of future needs in our school district to achieve the objectives of the long-range technology plan. There has been an aggressive move in our district the last two years to improve the infrastructure of technology in our district. There have been building projects, new hardware, and upgrades to the network of our district. As I outlined in the Week 3 Technology report, the next step for our district will be to improve the implementation of technology into the classroom. This goal of seamless integration of technology will be made possible by the quality of professional development provided for the faculty and staff.
  
  Professional Development Review
  
   100% of instructional staff will use strategies that are appropriate to the needs of individual students and include responsiveness to our diverse learning community
   Staff will have access to and use a variety of resources to address the individual needs of students
   All staff will document the use of technology integrated in classroom activities at least once a week
   Teachers utilize teacher presentation stations, student stations, and peripherals to enhance learning once a week
  
   All professional development offerings will explicitly identify the staff needs that will be addressed
   Six hours of technology professional development will be offered annually focusing on student centered use of technology
   Teachers will utilize on-line staff development training for 24/7 ongoing professional development opportunities
   Technology will be implemented and used to increase the effectiveness of student learning
  
  
  Evaluation Plan
  The effectiveness of the Action Plan and the Professional Development Review is evaluated on an on-going basis. The intention of the evaluation is to be able to make decisions on the impact that technology has on the learning process for all students. There is a variety of tools and methods that can be used to determine the plan’s effectiveness.
   The Carthage H.S. STaR Chart results conducted bi-annually
   A locally prepared technology integration assessment will be administered for all teachers at the beginning and conclusion of the school year
   Records of staff member participation in technology training monitored by teacher professional development records
   Integration of training into the classroom as measured by lesson plans and the number and type of technology and distance learning projects
   Campus and district administrators will collect, analyze, and report progress on campus improvements
   Yearly inventory of hardware and software
   Monitoring of Internet usage as to types of sites being utilized
  

Texas S Ta R Chart

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Texas S Ta R Chart

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Texas Long Range Plan for Technology

The area of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology that I chose to focus on was the area of Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support. I felt like this was one of the most important areas because this is an area that seems to set the standard for all other areas. This area concentrates on the vision for technology on a campus, such as the level of integration of technology and the objectives and goals for technology. Another aspect of this area is the integration of these goals into the Campus Improvement Plan, as well as, the allocation of discretionary funds and other resources related to technology. Finally, this area addresses the instructional support of an administration in the creation of learning communities, and the opportunities for on-line credit courses. These are the areas that create the atmosphere on a campus, and can effect the overall culture in a school district.
While evaluating the STaR chart on my campus over the last three school years, it became evident that the Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support key area was the one that had shown the least improvement and the it was the only area that we did not rate into the Advanced Tech classification. The focus areas of Planning, Instructional Support, Budget, and On-line learning were areas that my campus rated as still developing. As I compared my campus' results to the statewide data, I was surprised to see that this key area was actually one of the areas that had a higher percentage of schools at the Advanced stage. Infrastructure had 57.2% of the schools rated advanced, while Administration and Support reported 45.5% in the advanced stage. I would assume that this is a statewide trend because most of the time it is the leadership on a campus that influences the improvement in Teaching and Learning, and then Educator Preparation. There has to be an infrastructure in place and support by administration to have educator preparation for the improvement in teaching and learning.
In order for my campus to show improvement in this area, there needs to be an emphasis on technology objectives and goals in the Campus Improvement Plan. I would also recommend an increase in Instructional support for teachers to integrate technology into instruction in the classroom. The last focus area would be to increase opportunities for on-line credit courses within our curriculum. I know that this is on area that my school district has already made improvements in already this school year.

Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS

The Pre-K Technology Application TEKS include being able to open and navigate through software programs, use and name computer input devices, and operate voice/sound recorders and touch screens. They also involve the child being able to use software applications to create and express ideas, and recognize the information that is available through the use of technology.
The Pre-K Technology TEKS set the foundation for all other application TEKS that are to follow, and establishes the basics of technology use. The idea is to surround the students with technology, and provide regular access and exposure to technology. They help students develop techniques for handling and controlling various technology devices.
A spiraling or scaffolding curriculum is one that establishes a sequence of skills that a student is to acquire, and then consistently reteaches those skills in the years to follow, while introducing new skills and expanding knowledge. The Technology Application TEKS are an example of a spiraling curriculum. An example would be in the foundations strand with the TEKS that describes the use of computer input devices. The Pre-K TEKS states the child should be able to name a mouse, keyboard, voice/sound recorder, touch screen, and CD-Rom. In K-2, the student is expected to use them. By 3-5, the student is still responsible for those devices, but they should also be using a disk drive, digital video, and a scanner. In grades 6-8, the student must show mastery of the previous devices, but also use a track pad, microphone, and a joystick. In addition, each high school technology course includes each of these devices in the input device TEKS. This is just one area where spiraling and scaffolding is used in the Technology Application TEKS.

Long-Range Plan Analysis

The Long-Range Plan for Technology in Texas schools was a little overwhelming in its details, but it was extremely thorough in its coverage. The committee designed a comprehensive plan that addressed four domains and a variety of audiences. I was unaware of the enormous task that is before Texas leaders, educators, and students to fulfill the expectations of the plan. The goals that have been established by this committee are lofty and extensive. When these goals are met, Texas will be at the forefront of technology integration in student learning across the nation.
Ours students are technologically advanced, and so our teachers must have the training to provide the implementation of technology in the classroom. Our leadership must provide the environment for student-centered technology, and our infrastructure must be able to keep up with the demand. This knowledge will help me as a future leader be aware of the challenges of moving ours schools through the 21st Century. The phases of the long-range plan are designed to be modified according to what goals are attained at the end of each phase. As a future leader in education, the goals of my school should also be based on what we have accomplished and what we strive to accomplish. The leadership of a school must demonstrate a shared vision for technology, and it is up to the leader to create an atmosphere for student-centered learning through technology.

Responses and Reflections of Technology Assessments

After completing the Technology Applications Inventory and the SETDA survey, it became evident that I had more weaknesses than strengths in educational technology. In general, I found through completing these surveys that I use the technology that is provided by the district for myself, but I do not implement technology into student learning in my classroom. It also became obvious that my district does not require or facilitate the consistent implementation of technology into student learning.
The Technology Applications Inventory was more of an analysis of my own uses of technology. I found that I was fairly adequate in the Foundations of Technology. I was in the middle on Information Acquisition and Solving Problems. I found that I was extremely behind in the Communications strand. I never use any of the publishing or design features of technology in or outside of the classroom. It was rather eye-opening to see the areas that I have either rarely or never used that were addressed in this inventory.
The SETDA Survey dealt more with the availability and use of technology in my district and classroom. I found that my district has minimal expectations and few requirements for technology implementation into student learning. We have access to labs and teacher usage for managerial purposes, but the usage by students was nowhere near the standards of this survey. The specific areas that I identified as weaknesses all involved the integration of technology into daily student learning.
I thought the assessments were extremely detailed and very thorough in their questioning. I felt they included so many areas of technology that I'm not sure any individual teacher would feel like they met all of these expectations. I feel there are other areas in my school where different technology applications are being met, and if this survey was looked at at the entire school level, I believe that collectively our school could be meeting many of the students needs.
These assessments did help me identify areas of technology that I will need to develop for a future in educational leadership. I became aware of the need for professional development needed for classroom teachers in the implementation of technology into student learning in the classroom. Integrating technology into our courses can help better prepare our students for their future.