S Ta R Chart

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S Ta R Chart

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STaR Chart

I feel the Administration and Instructional Support section of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology is they most important area for schools and school districts to focus on. In order for a campus and/or district to meet its goals, there needs to be strong support from campus as well as central administration. When the Administration and Support category improves, so will the other three categories (Teaching and Learning, Educator and Preparation, and Infrastructure). The Administration and Instructional Support area includes leadership and vision, planning, instructional support, communication and collaboration, budget, and leadership/support for online learning.

According to the 2007-2008 Campus Statewide Summary, 49% of campuses fall into the Developing Tech category in the area of Administration and Support. My campus is part of this 49%. Unfortunately, the past three years of data also show that my campus’s progress towards the Target Tech area is declining. To improve this area, I would recommend that leadership improve its vision for technology in schools, allocate more money in the budget for new equipment and professional development, and encourage the use of online and distance learning.

Long Range Plan

The Long-Range Plan for Technology showed my responsibilities as an educator to keep up with current trends in technology in order to prepare my students for the future. As an instructional leader, it is important that the technology on campus be up to date and expectations for technology use are clear. Because many teachers are intimidated by new technology, professional development needs to be provided. Professioanl development also needs to be continuous because of the rapid improvement of technology and equipment.

Spiraling Curriculum

A spiraling curriculum provides students many opportunities to be exposed to and master certain objectives through out the year. A spiraling curriculum makes vertical alignment across grade levels, as well. For example, the K-2 Technology Applications standards require students to "demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections." Each year students are given the opportunity to master this objective with increasing difficulty. They must use appropriate terminology; start and exit programs; create, name, and save files; and use networking technology. Then, in grades 3-5, they must be able to do these things and use this knowledge to use menu options and commands, work with multiple software applications, use digital input and output, solve compatibility issues, and access remote equipment.

Pre-K Technololgy TEKS

The Pre-K Technology TEKS require students to learn basic computer functions such as using a keyboard and mouse, identify the different pats of a computer and understand computer terminology, explore using the Internet to find information, and use software to express ideas and reinforce learning. All these experiences lay the foundation for student performance because they instill the skills needed for the use of technology and instruction in the future.

Technology Assessments

I am not at all surprised by the results of the Technology Applications Inventory and SETDA survey. Both assessments show that I tend to be weak in most areas of technology, especially when it comes to using technology for instruction. Even though I know the usefulness of technology and the positive effects it has on student achievement, I find technology to be very intimidating and avoid using it in my classroom unless I have had previous training for it. For example, I put off setting up this blog because I thought it would be a nightmare to do.

Another reason I have not incorporated more technology int my classroom is that there is no a high expectation on my campus for the use of technology. I realized this after completing the STaR Chart last week for my campus and the SETDA survey. Part of the problem is the lack of equipment on y campus. My principal is working hard to remedy this situation, though. For example, all teacher now have ELMOs in their classrooms and she is researching different computer programs to enhance student achievement, but unless I am comfortable working with these tools, I will not use them t their full potential.

One are of strength I have, as indicated by both assessments, is information acquisition. I am very comfortable with researching online. I am also strong when it comes to basic computer skills such as word processing, making charts and spreadsheets, creating PowerPoint presentations, and incorporating graphics. While all of these are important, they are only basic skills and many of my second graders can do this, too, and are ready for more. I need more professional development regarding information sharing on-line and integrating technology application skills across the curriculum.