Technology Action Plan

Technology action plan

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Web Conference Reflection

I attended Cindy Cummings' web conference held on Wednesday, March 16. I had never participated in a web conference before, and I can now understand how valuable a tool web conferencing could be in the classroom. I'd love to implement this tool, provided the campus infrastructure allows for its use. We all loved one commenter's suggestion of requiring students to virtually "raise their hand" and be called on before speaking, as the sheer number of responses can sometimes become overwhelming and confusing. Once I do begin utilizing web conferencing in the classroom, I'd like to use the format we used in this class where several conferences are scheduled over the duration of the course and students are required to attend at least one at their convenience. One drawback of web conferencing is the potential to get off-track, which happened several times during our Wednesday conference. Also, at one point, two students began arguing over a political issue, which was quite irritating and time-wasting. But, they were soon redirected to the topic at hand. My favorite part of the web conference was learning of several digital tools that I have since explored and found awesome for classroom use, such as Prezi.com.

National Education Technology Plan

The US Department of Education recently released a draft version of the National Education Technology Plan in response to its realization that national emphasis and priority must be placed on the advancement and progress of our students in the area of technology. If our students are to remain competitive in the global economy, they must be educated in the newest and most advanced digital resources, tools, and technologies available today. The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) outlines 5 major goals in the areas of Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity and includes recommendations for districts, states, the federal government, as well as all other school stakeholders. The five goals are:
(1) Learning - All learners will have engaging and empowering learning experiences both in and outside of school that prepare them to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical participants in our globally networked society.
(2) Assessment - Our education system at all levels will leverage the power of technology to measure what matters and use assessment data for continuous improvement.
(3) Teaching - Professional educators will be supported individually and in teams by technology that connects them to data, content, resources, expertise, and learning experiences that enable and inspire more effective teaching for all learners.
(4) Infrastructure - All students and educators will have access to a comprehensive infrastructure for learning when and where they need it.
(5) Productivity - Our education system at all levels will redesign processess and structures to take advantage of the power of technology to improve learning outcomes while making more efficient use of time, money, and staff.

The NETP places specific emphasis on the areas of Teaching & Learning and Professional Development & Training. A major challenge in today's classroom is the development of relevant and engaging learning experiences that not only satisfy a set of core academic standards, but also allow for personalized instruction and activities that appeal to individual goals, interests, and talents. Today's students are surrounded by technologies that provide them with instantaneous and continuous access to digital resources, social networks, and multimedia. By embracing and encourage the utilization of these technological tools and resources, we can truly create a classroom without borders or limits. Another challenge faced by districts and states in today's educational setting is the attracting and retaining of qualified, innovative, and enthusiastic professionals. In order to improve the quality of teacher education and preparedness, professional development must evolve from its episodic and ineffective roots to a more collaborate, coherent, and continuous practice. An attitude of connectivity and support must replace the traditional isolationism many teachers experience, and online professional environments are an ideal way to create expanded opportunities, immediacy, convenience, and resources for both new and experienced teachers.

One overreaching issue that many states, districts, and campuses are going to face in their efforts to implement technology plans and standards falls in the area of budgeting and resources. Districts with a large low economic status population are dealing with students who do not own personal computers, cell phones, iPods, etc. The question of how to successfully provide technology resources and tools to students, while educating them in the proper and effective use of these tools, combined with the budgeting shortfalls and cuts that are facing essentially all districts, will certainly become a major component of any technology plan.

Texas Technology LRP Progress Report

As I stared at the 152 page report detailing Texas district's progress toward meeting the goals set forth in the Technology Long Range Plan, I was at a complete loss where to begin to compose a mere 250-word reflection. I read over the report, and the section I kept coming back to was the portion containing the Education Service Center reports. Therefore, I've focused this blog on the particular progress and efforts of ESC 5, the center that emcompasses the area of southeast Texas in which I live.

ESC 5 has made numerous advancements in all four key focus areas of the TLRP, including the first area of Teaching and Learning. ESC 5 houses several computer lab classrooms, equipped to handle both Windows and MAC related software and hardware, where teacher trainings can take place. A distance learning lab, as well as an iPod mobile lab, are available for district use at their own flexibility and convenience. ESC 5 also hosts dual credit classes and offers courses through interactive video conferencing, allowing more teachers and students to obtain the training and/or credits they need to be successful. Educator Service Center 5 has also made progress in the focus area of Educator Preparation and Development. The center offers an annual multi-day Administrator's Academy, where new technologies and digital-age trends are introduced and reinforced to area educational leaders, allowing them to take this knowledge back to their respective campuses for effective utilization. Online professional development opportunities through resources such as Moodle are also offered, allowing more educators to take part in trainings without having to leave their own classroom. ESC 5 also hosts an annual textbook fair, as well as an annual Technology Integration Conference each summer with a focus on technology integration across all grade levels and curriculums. Advancements in the focus area of Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support have also been made at Education Service Center 5. One crucial advancement in this area is the development and utilization of the Southeast Texas Telecommunications Education Network (SETTEN), which provides districts within the Service Center's population the opportunity to broadcast and participate in programs, trainings, meetings, etc. ESC 5 also assists school districts by providing education and training in areas such as technology plan developing and writing, and applying for technology grants and additional funding. The SETTEN also has encouraged progress in the key focus area of Infrastructure. SETTEN provides over 5000 area educators with access to email, high speed internet, and video conferencing capabilities. Video conferencing allows districts to participate in dual credit opportunities, more effective and relevant trainings, and more easily accessible and convenient meetings. Most districts have realized a great need for more bandwidth as a result of the utilization of new technologies and digital age resources, and ESC 5 assists them in their endeavors toward increasing bandwidth capabilities.

I am actually just moving back to the Southeast Texas area after living and teaching in South Carolina for the past five years. It is refreshing and encouraging to take note of the progress and advancements being made by the area Education Service Center.

Texas s ta r chart findings

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Texas s ta r chart findings

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Texas Long Range Plan for Technology - Teaching and Learning

The Texas Technology Long-Range Plan focus area of teaching and learning includes a vision with the statement, “The key to success for all students is the assurance that they are fully engaged in their learning processes and that there are opportunities in their schools, libraries, homes, and communities that stimulate and initiate this engagement.” According to the plan, all learners will: (1) have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources, and services for individualized instruction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, (2) use information and communication technologies to collaborate, construct knowledge, and provide solutions to real world problems and situations, (3) use research-based strategies in all subject areas to increase academic achievement, and (4) communicate effectively in a variety of formats for a diverse audience.

Local, state, and national educational entities have made progress in the area of teaching and learning. Most campuses today have computer labs, where students have access to high speed internet, printers, and scanners. Districts and states require students to acquire a minimum level of technology proficiency in courses such as keyboarding and computer applications. Districts also offer more advanced technology courses in areas such as computer software and/or hardware, networking and security, digital editing and imaging, publishing, etc. Some positive trends in the area of teaching and learning include the purchasing of distribution of student laptops, the reversal of bans on cell phones and Ipods, and the utilization of today's digital tools to communicate effectively with students all over the world and of varied backgrounds and ethnicities.

While positive advances have been made at the local, state, and national level toward progress in technology's impact on the area of teaching and learning, there is still even more progress to be made. There are still many schools who house only one computer lab for upwards of 1500 students, creating a near impossible situation for teachers to effectively incorporate technology into their daily instructional practice. In addition, most schools still place bans and restrictions on the student use of devices such as cell phones and Ipods. Rather than ignoring these technologies, we should be embracing them and teaching our student the varied and effective use of such devices. Instead of blocking websites, we should also be instructing our students in the responsible and ethical use of Internet sources. If we are to truly assist our students in becoming globally competitive in today's digital age, we must stop resisting the new technologies available to us and them.