Saturday, November 28, 2009
Star Chart
There is great debate in our district concerning the need for Technology Applications teachers in our district. I feel the StarChart results give great indication to the need for a full or part time teacher. Currently in our district the lab manager is giving a simple technology applications lesson with online software. This is definitely not the ideal situation. The teachers are repsonsible for these TEKS. However, most of them do not even know that they exist. These TEKS are not revisited again until the Technology Applications class in Eighth grade. The information in these classes is invaluable for most students in their future. Looking districtwide the lowest scores are in all in the developing stages. At the state level, 69.7% of the instruction is developing with minimal technology in foundation TEKS. These skills if taught at the elementary level could greatly improve the students independence at the secondary level. These will allow them skills to complete assignments because the basic technology skills to do them have already been met.
Districtwide we are making great strides in teaching the Technology Applications TEKS in the computer lab time. We now have a written scope and sequence in which most elementary campuses are using as well as online textbook curriculum and other online programs. The lab managers receive regular meetings for updating and explaination of curriculum and upcoming projects.The students are making advances and will be tested for the first time at the 5th grade level.
Even though we are doing what we can to make this situation work, the need for the teachers to include and understand how to integrate these technology skills would be the best possible scenario. Studies show that technology integration of skills is much more successful and proves better at student achievement than having basic instruction of skills. I hope to be instrumental in helping our district achieve more integration and to be help to the teachers.
Districtwide we are making great strides in teaching the Technology Applications TEKS in the computer lab time. We now have a written scope and sequence in which most elementary campuses are using as well as online textbook curriculum and other online programs. The lab managers receive regular meetings for updating and explaination of curriculum and upcoming projects.The students are making advances and will be tested for the first time at the 5th grade level.
Even though we are doing what we can to make this situation work, the need for the teachers to include and understand how to integrate these technology skills would be the best possible scenario. Studies show that technology integration of skills is much more successful and proves better at student achievement than having basic instruction of skills. I hope to be instrumental in helping our district achieve more integration and to be help to the teachers.
Technology Applications TEKS
Within the Technology Applications TEKS, you can see the spiraling concepts and scaffolding preparation for skills. From Pre-K you see the opening and closing of programs and using software applications to express their ideas. Later you see the use of word processing programs and multimedia programs to express their ideas. These same strands exist at each level of the Technology Applications TEK. As an instructional technologist, I do much of the planning for the lab managers and create lessons that involve the use of the TEKS. Many times because the TEKS are spiraled they do very similar activities but, at their grade level.
Long RangeTechnology Plan
The Long Range Technology Plan clearly establishes the standards that we as educators and leaders should be working towards. I appreciated the clear language and statistics that it represented and discussed. This document provides clear goals and placement of technology in districts. It establishes equity among learners and districts and provides small districts to still have an infrastructure and services that provide learners with tools to collaborate and provide "real world problem solving".
Technology Assessments
As an instructional technologist for the district, I feel I this is an area in which I have daily working knowledge and strive to develop to the best of my ability. Technology is an area in which excites and engages learners. It provides a method of instruction that students today easily relate and feel that it is part of their communication. It is vital for a leader to be proactive with teachers utilizing technology. Many teachers are fearful and feel that they are not adequately trained with using technology in their classrooms. As a trainer, I feel that training and practice of including technology in the classroom will benefit and maximize the classroom time and teaching. This will in turn produce greater student achievement and provide students with valuable tools for them to build upon. We understand that the tools we have today will be obsolete in the future but, like most concepts technology builds upon other concepts previous.
From the technology surveys, I feel that most of my skills in technology are rather strong. Within the first domain of the Technology Applications Inventory, I am very strong in most areas. I do feel that copyright is increasingly becoming a larger issue within education because technology allows copying information, music and videos so easily. It allows the educator quick access to these and thus, the educator can easily and inadvertently misuse the information. Copyright issues begin to really be important with the fair use clause for educators. It is limited and many teachers do not understand the limits. This is one of the most difficult subjects to relate and for teachers as well as students to understand. Other important trends in education are within the information acquisition domain. The validity of information on the internet is becoming an increasing issue in schools with the amount of information that is erroneous and incorrect on the internet.
Along with the Technology Applications Inventory, the State Educational Technology Director's assessment provides a view of personal and school objectives. It asks if data is being collected. I feel that some data is being collected concerning this but, not enough. Because we do not have state mandated testing in this area, I feel that not enough data is being collected by most districts and my district as well. Data in technology literacy and student engagement is needed to provide more corroboration that technology improves student achievement.
From the technology surveys, I feel that most of my skills in technology are rather strong. Within the first domain of the Technology Applications Inventory, I am very strong in most areas. I do feel that copyright is increasingly becoming a larger issue within education because technology allows copying information, music and videos so easily. It allows the educator quick access to these and thus, the educator can easily and inadvertently misuse the information. Copyright issues begin to really be important with the fair use clause for educators. It is limited and many teachers do not understand the limits. This is one of the most difficult subjects to relate and for teachers as well as students to understand. Other important trends in education are within the information acquisition domain. The validity of information on the internet is becoming an increasing issue in schools with the amount of information that is erroneous and incorrect on the internet.
Along with the Technology Applications Inventory, the State Educational Technology Director's assessment provides a view of personal and school objectives. It asks if data is being collected. I feel that some data is being collected concerning this but, not enough. Because we do not have state mandated testing in this area, I feel that not enough data is being collected by most districts and my district as well. Data in technology literacy and student engagement is needed to provide more corroboration that technology improves student achievement.
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