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.