Reporting the progress of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology 2006 - 2020 was broken into two parts when presented to the 82nd Texas Legislature by TEA - the four key areas that make up the plan and the services provided by the 20 Education Service Centers that help districts meet the goals of the plan.
The first area of Teaching and Learning works to increase access to technological resources and provide grants in technology. Such grants help with curriculum re-design using technology, best practices with technology in the classroom, and interactive lessons that incorporate technology.
Use of the Texas STaR Chart help teachers, campuses, and districts assess just where users of technology rank. The scale begins at Early Tech, then mores forward to Developing Tech, Advanced Tech, and Target Tech. The majority of Texas schools rank as Developing on this continuum.
Another vital part of the Teaching and Learning component is that of Technology Application. The development of specific technology-based TEKS allows for vertical expectations and specified benchmarks for students to reach in grades 2, 5, and 8. These benchmarks also make meeting the technology literacy goals of No Child Left Behind more obtainable by 8th grade. To keep up with the incredibly fast-moving pace of technology, these TEKS are currently under revision.
Student input has also become a great tool in the development of the digital classroom. Through surveys and help with course design, students have a voice in guiding the direction that their learning needs to go.
Many piloted programs and other initiatives have resulted from a piloted technology assessment that showed most Middle School students were not technologically literate by the time they reached 8th grade. One such program, called the Technology Immersion Pilot, looked at 39 Middle Schools over the course of four years (2004 - 2008) and determined that increased accessibility, assessment tools, ongoing technical support and professional developments for teachers and administrators improved student learning and engagement, increased use of technology across all content areas, and increased student organization and preparedness.
To help with the Educator Preparation and Development of the Long Range Plan, districts, campuses, and Regional Service Centers are proving tools and resources to stakeholders to increase usage and awareness. Again, the majority of campuses and teachers rank as Developed in this area of technology.
When it comes to Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support; the state works diligently to provide leaders with strategies on how to establish best practices and expectations for their faculty and staff in the use of technology. They also suggest ways in which to best spend TEA funds for such. When viewed on the STaR Chart results, the majority of the state ranks as Advanced Techs in this area showing greater confidence in leadership roles.
Out of the four core areas in the Long Range Plan, that of Infrastructure is by far the most important in holding the others together. Without the networks, broadband space, or hardware, the rest would be pointless. Therefore, this area is largely funded through numerous grants and pilot programs to ensure all is in working condition.
In the final part of this progress report, each Educational Service Center presented its own summary of the initiatives they have put into place to ensure districts within their service receive on-going professional development, distance learning opportunities, support services, and much more. Without them, much of the progress we have made would have never occurred.
Texas Education Agency. (2007 - 2011). 2010 Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006 - 2020. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665
No comments:
Post a Comment