Based on my Campus STaR Chart Summary, Educator Preparation and Development continues to be one of the lowest rated areas for my campus, as well as one with the least amount of growth over the past three years. In order to see growth in this area, more opportunities for professional development within my district need to be made readily available. Teachers who are new to the profession are far more advanced in the use of technology than more experienced teachers due to lack of training and experience with technology. Education programs at the college level are preparing their graduates to be technological leaders.
Professional development opportunities are available through the Region Service Center in my area; however, the expectation to seek out courses related to technology use has not been established by the district. As the use of technology continues to grow and become a major source of communication, the expectations for teachers must follow.
My recommendation for immediate growth is to seek out the technology leaders on my campus and have them facilitate professional development sessions, based on the needs of staff members and current trends in technology. Staff members who teach professional development sessions should be compensated in a way similar to holding tutorials for students.
The expectations for technology use have been set by the state and districts are working diligently to comply. My district has continued to increase the funding for technology, but without the proper training for teachers to implement these tools in the classroom, our students will leave us unprepared for the 21st century work place.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Long-Range Plan
It has become evident to me that the United States has fallen behind on the technological highway. Other countries are graduating millions more students from high school and colleges than the U.S. and it is time for that to change. We, as a nation, state, and local district, need to put our foot down and step towards a more technological time. The state has put together a plan of action and local districts have started to implement this plan to help close this gap. In order for this plan to become a reality, it will take time, funding, and education of both teachers and students. The time table for this plan is broken down into three phases.
Phase I has already begun. It was launched in 2006 and will end in 2010. Phases II and III will begin in 2011 and 2016 and will end in 2015 and 2020. By then, we should be up to speed with the rest of the world. Will other countries advance between now and then? Yes, but with this plan the state has taken that growth into account.
Funding must increase in order for this plan to become a reality. State and local funding will play a key role in expanding technology. Re-allocations and some prioritizing will need to happen to help fund this initiative.
A key component to the state's plan is education. Teachers, administrators, parents, school board members, and even the superintendent will need to become comfortable and proficient in the use of this new technology. Teachers, especially, will need to be proficient in using technology to enable them to educate our students and implement the program.
As a future administrator, I would ensure that staff members have access to staff development opportunities to enable them to use the technology. I will be a strong advocate of using more technology in classrooms. I will lead my staff into becoming more proficient users of technology in order to educate our students.
Phase I has already begun. It was launched in 2006 and will end in 2010. Phases II and III will begin in 2011 and 2016 and will end in 2015 and 2020. By then, we should be up to speed with the rest of the world. Will other countries advance between now and then? Yes, but with this plan the state has taken that growth into account.
Funding must increase in order for this plan to become a reality. State and local funding will play a key role in expanding technology. Re-allocations and some prioritizing will need to happen to help fund this initiative.
A key component to the state's plan is education. Teachers, administrators, parents, school board members, and even the superintendent will need to become comfortable and proficient in the use of this new technology. Teachers, especially, will need to be proficient in using technology to enable them to educate our students and implement the program.
As a future administrator, I would ensure that staff members have access to staff development opportunities to enable them to use the technology. I will be a strong advocate of using more technology in classrooms. I will lead my staff into becoming more proficient users of technology in order to educate our students.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS
The use of technology in the Pre-K classroom enables children to have exposure to different curriculum content areas and helps to develop problem solving and communication skills vital in the 21st century. By the end of the Pre-K year, children are expected to navigate through age-appropriate software programs, use a variety of computer input devices, have the ability to operate voice/sound recorders and touch screens, use software programs to express their own ideas, and recognize that information can be obtained through technology. Teachers play a vital role in the success of students using technology at this age by modeling how to use all components necessary as stated in the guidelines.
Using technology at an early age lays the foundation for the years to come by exposing students to the tools necessary to enhance their education, each skill building upon the other. The technology TEKS have been set up to give repeated exposure to the same TEKS, with greater depth, at different grade levels to ensure mastery. For example, in grades K-2, students are expected to "use technology terminology appropriate to the task" (126.2.(b)(1)(A)). This same TEK appears in grades 3-5 (126.3.(b)(1)(A)). In grades K-2, students are expected to be able to "start and exit programs as well as create, name, and save files." The TEK in grades 3-5 takes it to the next level of difficulty - students should be able to "save and delete files, use menu options and commands, and work with more than one software application." This spiraling effect continues through grade 12.
Using technology at an early age lays the foundation for the years to come by exposing students to the tools necessary to enhance their education, each skill building upon the other. The technology TEKS have been set up to give repeated exposure to the same TEKS, with greater depth, at different grade levels to ensure mastery. For example, in grades K-2, students are expected to "use technology terminology appropriate to the task" (126.2.(b)(1)(A)). This same TEK appears in grades 3-5 (126.3.(b)(1)(A)). In grades K-2, students are expected to be able to "start and exit programs as well as create, name, and save files." The TEK in grades 3-5 takes it to the next level of difficulty - students should be able to "save and delete files, use menu options and commands, and work with more than one software application." This spiraling effect continues through grade 12.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Technology Reflections
This class has led me to question the use of blogs...I am a first time user. How can blogs be used to support and/or enhance instruction in the classroom - a question I hope I find the answer to during this course of study. After taking the two surveys, I now realize the areas that I have the least experience in - blogging and video conferencing, something my school is not currently set up to do.
The SETDA Teacher Survey confirmed that my school/district needs to change their expectations when it comes to the use of technology in the classroom. Current college graduates have an advantage, as they are far more advanced in the use of technology than more experienced teachers due to lack of training. An area that could be easily addressed is the collection of data district-wide to determine the impact technology has on one's education. Currently, the only data collection comes in the form of the state-mandated STaR test. There are many classrooms on my campus where no technology is used. It would be beneficial to collect data from classrooms where technology is used on a daily basis and those that don't. If more teachers saw the benefit, more would be willing to seek out staff development opportunities to enable them to incorporate technology into their every day curriculum.
When rating myself, I am "highly skilled" in word processing, spreadsheets, and email/web browsers. In most other areas, I fall in the intermediate category; although I am a novice when it comes to "other data analysis/database software".
As an educator and future administrator, I am confident in my ability to lead my school into a more advanced level of technological application. My campus has the tools necessary to become more technologically sound; however, as a whole, the faculty lacks the knowledge to advance to the next level. In a former school district, I presented workshops on incorporating the use of the Smartboard and Palm Pilot to enhance the PE classroom. Technology workshops were plentiful and it was an expectation that all teachers seek professional development to increase their level of proficiency in reference to technology. In my current district, there are no expectations for technology implementation. The district is making the tools available, and those who choose to implement them in the classroom do - it's time my district raises the standards.
The SETDA Teacher Survey confirmed that my school/district needs to change their expectations when it comes to the use of technology in the classroom. Current college graduates have an advantage, as they are far more advanced in the use of technology than more experienced teachers due to lack of training. An area that could be easily addressed is the collection of data district-wide to determine the impact technology has on one's education. Currently, the only data collection comes in the form of the state-mandated STaR test. There are many classrooms on my campus where no technology is used. It would be beneficial to collect data from classrooms where technology is used on a daily basis and those that don't. If more teachers saw the benefit, more would be willing to seek out staff development opportunities to enable them to incorporate technology into their every day curriculum.
When rating myself, I am "highly skilled" in word processing, spreadsheets, and email/web browsers. In most other areas, I fall in the intermediate category; although I am a novice when it comes to "other data analysis/database software".
As an educator and future administrator, I am confident in my ability to lead my school into a more advanced level of technological application. My campus has the tools necessary to become more technologically sound; however, as a whole, the faculty lacks the knowledge to advance to the next level. In a former school district, I presented workshops on incorporating the use of the Smartboard and Palm Pilot to enhance the PE classroom. Technology workshops were plentiful and it was an expectation that all teachers seek professional development to increase their level of proficiency in reference to technology. In my current district, there are no expectations for technology implementation. The district is making the tools available, and those who choose to implement them in the classroom do - it's time my district raises the standards.
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