4. the teacher voice in the long-range plan

The goal of education is to provide students the necessary tools to become thinking, contributing members of a 21st century world. The Long-Range Plan has set the guidelines to continue to provide a challenging curriculum but with the digital tools of today and tomorrow as a major part of the learning process.
Part of the Long-Range Plan involved a survey of 5,000 Texas teachers on the use of technology in lessons and to aid in everyday work tasks. In the area of professional development, Texas teachers are comparable to national percentages, including all wanting more in terms of how to use technology in lessons. I have to agree with this. My campus has done a decent job getting the infrastructure in place, especially wireless connections to all parts of the school, establishing four computer labs and six mobile labs. We have also purchased licenses to software specifically targeted to students who do not pass the TAKS test, as well as providing credit recovery opportunities online. In the past two years the campus has purchased classroom sets and heavily encouraged the use of CPS, or “clickers” as we call them, for instant feedback within lessons and data collection for unit tests. This is better than many campuses and districts however, beyond the one 30 minute how to use the “clickers” and here are a few examples of how to use them in class, there has been no other follow up sessions on integrating them into class lessons. This is where our campus fails teachers and students. Comparable to the survey, most teachers on campus us computers for administrative tasks, grades, corresponding with parents and other teachers and using search engines. Just as the survey indicates, more emphasis needs to be on how teachers can integrate digital tools into lessons so that we continue to see the rise in student engagement and achievement as noted in the survey.

3. Pre-K technology

Wow! Starting technology skills in Pre-K is amazing and wonderful. To introduce students to all the basics of using a computer, along with the beginnings of how these tools can be used to create, is a great start to their education. Students will now move into kindergarten with knowledge of how to get information into the computer, that the computer can be used to find information and to create. This sets the ground work for every year of education to come provided K-12 teachers continue to incorporate technology and build on these skills. Before they even get into kindergarten they could demonstrate math skills using the computer to create pictures of the accurate number of something. With the growing numbers of computers in the homes, introducing technology early into education lets the students continue with the development of integrating these tools into everyday use and learning and for those who may not have a computer at home, it levels the playing field from the beginning to keep them from staring off behind.

2. the long-range plan

I never knew the Long Range Plan for Technology existed. I knew that in our little bubble of a district we were hearing more and more about technology of the future. That the jobs our students are going to have, most haven’t been created yet and that it is our job to prepare them for those jobs, but that’s really where it seems to stop. There has been little to none when it comes to how to do this. Oh sure, there have been a few professional developments, where if you’re interested, so and so will demonstrate how to create a wiki space, but no real emphasis or direction. The Long-Range Plan gives you that direction at least, and one of the more valuable pieces of information is the “student voices” because it lets us know directly from the students what they expect.
I know as an instructional leader this plan will be referenced time and time again to remind me what direction the campus is suppose to be going. I would also want to continually check the recommendations the plan has for educators, higher education and teacher certification plans to make sure we as a campus on track as well as being knowledgeable about the other areas as well.

1. technolgy; strengths and weaknesses

I may rate rather competent on my personal use of technology, but in the classroom I am poor at best. First, after taking the Technology Applications Inventory I found that for the most part my foundation knowledge is strong but with one very obvious gap and that is in copyright law. My knowledge of this area is extremely limited at best and if I plan to pursue the use of technology in the classroom, which is my goal, then I will need to better this area quickly. Other areas which I lack quality knowledge falls under using technology to solve problems. I have had classes in which I used, manipulated and created information using spreadsheets and Microsoft Access database and I did very well. However, when it comes to programs like these, if I do not do it over and over again it is as if I did not learn it in the first place and why I simply make tables and if I must calculate some data I must find our Excel guru and ask him how it is done. I have yet to have a need to use a database, or I am just not trying hard enough because, like spreadsheets, I remember very, very little about how to use them. Beyond these things, I don’t publish.
Taking the SETDA was rather disheartening. I knew I was not doing a good job of incorporating technology into the lessons on a regular basis, but it really brought to light that I rarely ever do it period. It is an area that I know I think about and want to get better but need guidance and collaboration which I do not get at my campus. I also realized that, as good as our school is doing in setting the infrastructure to use technology; the leadership does not set any expectations that I am aware of, nor is there any recognition for those who are using it beyond research and electronic poster board.