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Saturday, September 5, 2009

Power-Point On The Texas STaR Chart

Thought on Educator Preperation and Instruction

When it comes to the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology the biggest red flag that jumps out at me lies in the area of "Educator Preparation and Instruction." When talking to teachers, the largest complaint I hear is that they have not received enough to be able to fully utilize the technology they have been given. Each year new technology is provided, software is developed and installed, and yet there are teachers using the same transparencies they used ten years ago.
Nationally schools are pushing towards a more technology based curriculum. Laws have been passed and technology proficiency is an expectation that the government has placed on schools. Our district and state does its best to offer technology training to all teachers, however, there are still those who struggle with the use of many of the tools they have been given. Each campus has a CTA, or technology specialist, who is always available for help, as well as to offer tutorials whenever needed, yet there never seems to be enough time to learn.
If we are ever going to improve in the area of technology understanding I recommend we allow more time for professional trainings to learn how to utilize our schools' technology. We have made great progress in the area of technology use; teachers are now using ELMO projectors and wireless projection screens to provide instruction. However, there is room for improvement; students needs greater access to computers, and teachers need a curriculum that is 21st Century based in nature.