STaR Chart

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Texas STaR Chart

When reviewing the Texas Star Chart information, I found the section entitled The Texas Challenge most informative. Challenges in Preparation and Development of Educators seems to be what needs to be addresssed with a great sense of urgency. With student growth on the rise and large numbers of experienced educators expecting to retire with in the next ten years, it seems that Texas must find a way to prepare educators with an updated arsenal of technology tools. Before these tools can be passed on to students, educators must come to the realization the importance of such tools.

Using the most current data available, 2007-2008, 74.2% of the state campuses describe their educator preparation as in the developing stage. This means that most teachers have completed some professional development on the integration of technology in their content area. Most teachers adapt technology knowlege on some level for instruction and most teachers have participated in some professional development online relating to their content subject area. My district data varries from developing to advanced in the area of Educator Preparation and Development. The advanced campuses are very small in number, only five out of 76 schools. These advanced campuses include two high schools, two middle schools, and only one elementary school.

When comparing my elementary school to the state and district regarding educator preparation, we are right there where the majority seems to be, in the developing stage. We may actually be a little behind the majority as we fall more at the bottom end of that scale. I don't see this changing much anytime soon however it may change some in the next decade as more baby boomer aged teachers retire and are replaced with younger, more technology savy teachers. State testing critea must also change. Measuring students' knowledge in a specific content area has not seemed to lend itself to increasing their knowledge of technology. I do however see technology being used as a tool to administer testing. That would not qualify as an advanced use of technology. Most teachers in Texas have a long way to go to reach the Target Tech level. With funding sources shrinking and teachers time being more and more monopolized, technology development is a huge challenge for the state, school districts and individual campuses alike.

Pre-K TEKS and Beyond

Student success begins with Pre-K students being introduced to technology and given the opportunity of being exposed to different types of software while being taught how to navigate that software. These young students need to learn the correct names of the applicable parts of a computer and the other equipment related to the computer. Students must be able to communicate using technology as well as begin to acquire age appropriate information. The use of voice and sound recorders should also be introduced. These skills will lay a foundation for learning throughout their academic careers. This foundation will be built upon as students progress through school while increasing their knowledge in all four strands of technology: foundations, information acquisition, solving problems, and communications. This learning spirals as TEKS are reviewed and built upon continuously. By grades 3-5 students should know how to use a scanner, a CD-ROM and digital video. Information should be acquired through text, audio, video, and graphics. Scaffolding of curriculum will take place as students work toward solving real world problems using various types of data. Students will be most successful when they become life long technology learners. This learning process must take place as early as possible.

Education Preparation and Development

In the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, I feel that the area that needs the most attention is the Educaor Preparation and Development section. "Teachers must be able to prepare students for their future in a manner that assures that all students will not simply survive, but truly thrive in the world that awaits them." (p. 23) That is true and sounds great but someone has got to put their money where their mouth is. I would imagine that you would have little or no opposition to that statement from anyone. We all do truly want each and every one of our students to be able to successfully compete in a globally economy. My question is how are we going to fund this initiative?

It seems that more and more responsibilites are falling on teachers these days. No Child Left Behind, RTI, least restrictive environment, reduced funding for tutoring and other special programs, bullying, and high stakes testing are all on the minds of teachers. "Professional development must ensure that all educators understand the importance of learning about educatioinal technology and the many possibilities of it use." (p. 24) If teachers were given ample time and pay for that professional development, I am sure that they would be overjoyed at finding ways to make their students more engaged and successful. Teachers do understand that technology is here to stay and are for the most part ready to embrace technology and all it has to give. "Securing time, resourses, and effective models for educator pressional develpment presents a tremendous challende to the state and to the entire nation." (p. 24) The challenges have been presented but a possible solution has not. Until Texas and the United States government are ready to fund technology, we will continue to lag behind more progressive countries. Some fortunate students will have what they need to succeed, but the majority of students will continue to wait for their turn to thrive. This makes educators very frustrated.

Long-Range Plan

I find it ironic that I am sittiing down this morning to blog about analyzing a long-range technology plan for education. Every week out dictrict superintendent sends an email to all employees in the district. I just finished reading the email that he sent out this morning. His email this morning has to do with budget cuts and technology. He apparently felt the need to justify that all of our American History student were issued a lap top this year. He made it clear that those lap tops were bought with bond money. I guess that makes everything alright, bond money. He also wanted to tell us, the employees of Cy Fair ISD, that using technology is something that must continue, it is a non-negotiable. He is right, it is a "non-negitiable" but where is the money going to come from? Our district had to cut $14 million from the budget last year and is working on cutting $10 million more out of the budget for next year. I am thinking that does not leave a lot of extra money for technology. According to the superintendent, even the use of white boards and projectors was being questioned by some. Are we going to have to retreat back to the dark ages regarding technology?

While reviewing the long-range plans for technology extablished by the TEA, I am puzzled. I agree that all of the long-range goals must be met if we are going to have students that are ready to successfully compete in a global job market. Teachers and students alike must have access to the latest and greatest technology. Teachers must have staff development sessions that equip them to best help their students. Students must have access to information 24/7. I also agree that this must be made available to every student in Texas. Socio economic status must not be a barrier that further divides students who live in low income environments. I have no idea how this will be funded in todays climate of budget cuts. It makes me sad that we are delaying success. When I was woking on my initial certification, I had a very wise professor at the University of Houston. She was one of the authors of the book that is used by many to prepare for the certification exam. She told me that when I was taking the exam, always think that everything is possible in "Texas land." Don't think to yourself, that would never be possible. Always remember that in "Texas land" anything is possible. I hope that regarding the application of the long-range TEA technology plan, everything is possible in "Texas land."

Strengths and Weeknesses

It won't take long for me to describe my strenghts in educational technolgy. I am a daily user of technology but not with much depth. In the Technology Applications Inventory, I was surprised that I had as many yes answers as I did. In the Foundations section I had an equal number of yes and no responses. The same was true of the Information Acquisition section, an equal number of yes and no answers. Surprisingly I had eleven yes and seven no responses in the Solving Problems with Technology Tools. Lastly in the Communications domain, I once again had equal yes and no answers. I am not sure whether I agree with these finding although I guess it is what it is. I do feel that I have so much to learn. The colleagues that I currently work with and have worked with in the past have and continue to show me little things every day that increase my knowledge of technology. I am aware that there are many places that I could go to increase that knowledge but somehow time, or lack of time, is always a factor.

The SETDA Teacher Survey also indicated that I have much to learn and improve upon regarding technology. My students do not solve problems, communicate with peers or produce any products. They do use some practice software from time to time. I have not reviewed graphing or other skills with them. I do use power point presentations and video several times a week. I also surf the web for applicable tid bits of information to enhance their learning. Using technology to communicating with peers and parents in a timely mannor is one of my strenghts. There are four student computers, a teacher computer and a printer in my classroom that are all reliable, high-speed internet accessable, and ready to be used.

These surveys have opened my eyes to the expectations of the state of Texas. I have much to learn to be an effective user and teacher of technology in the 21st century.
Collaboration seems to be the key to my potential success. Learning from colleagues seem to be most effective for me. Being pushed into learning also seems to help. If I are not given a choice, I will get it done.