Texas STaR Chart Presentation

Provide Leadership and Vision for new Technological Advances
Provide Professional Development opportunities for teachers to help them with technology use in the classroom
Bring on-line learning to the classroom

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Texas Longe Range Plan-Infrastucture for Technology

Having an infrastructure for technology is key to meeting the needs of all learners. In order to give teachers and students the environment for high tech learning, districts must acquire the necessary techological equipment and structures. My district has met this need. We have campuses which are strictly for math and technology, campuses which offer higher level content for the literary arts and a campus which offers the IB program. In order to offer these outstanding programs, it is imperative to supply the necessary resources. First and foremost on that list of resources is technology. We have scanners, mulitiple computer labs, multi-media equipment and web-mastering classes. In addition, we offer many software programs which the students can learn to increase their knowledge of the content and problem solving skills.The infrastructure, the foundation of the campus and district, must be designed to meet the needs of all learners. At my campus alone, we offer multiple resources to make this a possibility. On-going and interactive staff development is also necessary to keep the forward progression of technology alive and well on a campus. Without considering and also meeting the needs of the teachers will bring a sure end to the advancement in technology. I truly believe the Infrastructure for Technology goes hand in hand with Educator Preparation and Development. Both of these areas have been on the rise over the last few years. I believe my campus and district are fulfilling their mission for bring technology into the 21st century at a fast rate.

Pre-K Technology Application TEKS

Pre-K students are expected like never before to acquire skills to help them achieve success when they enter the first grade. It is imperative that we expose this age group to as much technology as possible to help in the transition into the normal education system. Pre-K has now become a very important formative phase for our students. Providing a base of knowledge and helping them to learn to apply that knowledge will help them advance at a faster rate. The ability to acquire knowledge, solve problems, and communicate with others is a life skill that will serve them well as they age. The key is to make sure the technology used to engage the students is age-appropriate and challenging. By the time these students reach the first grade they must have basic functions of the computer mastered along with related technologies. An outline may be as follows; a) uses software, b) exposed to different input devices, like keyboards, mouse, sound recorders and touch screen technologies, c) use basic terminology in everyday language, d) interaction with different electronic resources, e) use a variety of software packages. It is of the utmost importance that these skills are addressed and mastered at the Pre-K level if we are to give our students the best chance at success. Not only in our school buildings but in the world economy as well.

The Technology Applications TEKS are designed as a spiraling curriculum. For example, TEK 1: The Student is responsible for demonstrating his knowledge and use of hardware, software, software programs and their uses. Walking through the expectations of TEKS 1 it is clearly evident the systematic approach expected by the classroom teacher to ensure the mastery of specific skills in regards to knowledge base and implementation of that knowledge base. In the beginning the student is expected to learn and be able to apply the terminology that will be used in that lesson. They must be proficient in the use of the programs (hardware or software) that will help them in the application of their lesson. They must be able to maneuver around the software using appropriate menu options and commands. They must also multi task and be able to be working within multiple applications of different software to achieve mastery of the lesson. At the conclusion they should be able make adjustments regarding compatibility of different applications and be able to incorporate different formats into one streamlines presentations or application and also be able to use peripheral equipment like cameras and printers. The beautiful aspect of this learning is the multitude of ways to achieve the stated goal. It is imperative that it be tailored to the needs and abilities of each individual student and allow them the room for error and improvement.

Long Range Plan Analysis

I was very intrigued by the Long Range Plan. I had no idea this plan and the vision for changes in technology even existed. The goal of the Long Range Plan is to educate each student by including the parents, teachers, and administration through the use of technology. Making as much information as possible available to all involved will help keep the student on track and help keep surprises to a minimum. This includes everything from attendance, to the lesson organization of the classroom teacher, to policies of the district. Lack of information is the number one cause of issues and to keep the information flowing will minimize the negatives. Incorporating technology in all aspects of education will ensure that our students graduate having been exposed the latest and greatest applications. This will help ensure that our students will be successful in college and competitive in the workforce.
This information will assist me as an instructional leader on my campus in many ways. I first and foremost need to seek training in the use of some of the newer uses of technology and become exposed to the new applications of existing technology. The more informed I am, the better suited I will be to give my students the best possible chance at success. I will also be able to help others on my campus by sharing my experiences with the use of new technology applications in my classroom, positive and negative.

Technology Assessment Week 1

I completed the Technology Applications Inventory assessment and The Teacher SETDA survey. Both of these assessments opened my eyes to the lack of knowledge I have regarding technology and it's application in my classroom. I also had no idea that technology use was so complex and intricate.

The Technology Applications Inventory is broken down into four domains, Foundations, Information Acquisition, Solving Problems with Technology Tools, and Communication. In each domain I answered no far more than I answered yes. I was surprised by this because I have always felt that my foundation of technology applications was high, but I clearly have not kept up with the changes. I scored the highest in the Information Acquisition domain. I research and search for information on a regular basis using the Internet. I am the weakest in the area of Solving Problems with Technology Tools. I need several professional development opportunities in this area. I also need to obtain more knowledge in the area of Communication. I have no idea how to create different types of multi- media tools. I would like to learn how create brochures, posters, and videos.

The SETDA Teacher survey made me realize just how little technology I implement in my daily teaching. I use a document camera in my class each day, but I do not use PowerPoint presentations or any other kind of multi-media source. I am a math teacher and my curriculum and class routine does not call for a big use of technology. My students do not have the opportunity or need to use the Internet to complete assignments. I am interested in learning how different types of technology can be incorporated into my classroom on a regular basis.

I feel that my lack of professional development in the area of technology is my biggest weakness as a leader on my campus. I cannot lead by example when I do not have the knowledge base myself. I am however, willing to learn how to use and implement new strategies involving technology. I agree with the results of both assessments. On our campus technology use is encouraged but not promoted. I feel as though I have fallen into a rut when it comes to technology use and application. I feel that my district needs to provide more opportunities to acquire professional development in this area and that they need to make it mandatory for teachers to attend.