Web Conference Reflection

The web conference session this evening (March 28th, 7:00 pm) provided a lot of valuable information on our course work and completion of our program. Hearing from both Dr. Abernathy and all the participants provided clarity on TK 20, ILD, eportfolio completion, and resources for all of the above. This was the first web conference I've attended since having started the program and it has convinced me to continue to participate as I move through the remaining four courses.

Texas s ta r chart

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
The Texas STaR Chart Presentation below provides a brief overview of the key areas addressed in the STaR Chart as well the rating categories for each. It also compares the status of the State of Texas to a Texas school campus in Austin, Texas.

Texas s ta r chart

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National Educational Technology Plan

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s draft of the National Educational Technology Plan, Transforming American Education: Leaning Powered by Technology, Retrieved March 6, 2011, from Government of the United States, Education Web site: http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf, the United States eduation is the key to America’s enonomic growth and prospertity and to our ability to compete in the global economy. To that end the report clearly defines two goals to be reached by 2020:
§ To raise the proportion of college graduates from where it now stands (39%) so that 60% of our population holds a 2-year or 4-year degree.
§ To close the achievement gap so that all students – regardless of race, income, or neighborhood – graduate from high scool ready to succeed in college and careers.
These goals are made attainable through five key components of the plan: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity. Each key component supports the achievement of the goals of the program as well as the recommendations within each component. Learning is described as “engaging and empowering” for all 21st century learners where state of the art technology is an integral part of the process. The national plan also addresses the vital role that assessment plays in the achievement of our national education goals. It calls for the use of improved technology to assess strengths and weaknesses and arm ourselves with the data that matters in order to make the wisest decision regarding the improvement instruction and pedagogy in order to improve student achievement. Connected teaching is the primary issue addressed in the teaching component. The plan envisions a community of connected educators who rely on each other for data and analytic tools and the appropriate resources that will allow them to address the needs gleaned from those data. Infrastrure and productivity both attend to the need to leverage technology in the most effective and efficient ways possible so that all resources – economic, human, material – are used to ensure that students receive the greatest benefit possible.

TLRP Progress Report

The Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 is a report that lays out the progress that has been made on the LRPT statewide based on data collected from local and statewide STaR charts. What strikes me the most about this progress report is that all of the data is self-reported. These is no guarantee that these are reliable because they are not base on any formal assessment. While I don’t think that there is any doubt that the state is making progress, I do think that the level of that progress is questionable. Based on the progress report the percentage of districts reporting that they are in the Advanced Tech category on the STaR chart has increased from 2008 to 2010. This would mean that in nearly 40% of districts across Texas technology is absolutely integrated into instruction, students are actively working with their peers and with experts to evaluate and analyze information gathered from digital resources. I may be pessimistic, but this just seems unlikely to me. I wonder how many people who complete the STaR reports have a full understanding of what full integration looks like for teachers and students.

Texas Long Range Plan - Teaching and Learning

The Teaching and Learning area of the Texas Long Range Plan, Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 (Adopted by the State Board of Education November 2006), retrieved from Texas Education Agency website, March 5, 2011, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665, is the area that addresses the use of integration of technology into the day-to-day business of instruction. Ideally full integration would provide all students across Texas with equitable access to technology resources. When we consider that we are currently preparing our students for jobs that don’t yet exists with technologies that we can only dream of, this equitable access is critical for 21st century learners. The Teaching and Learning component of Texas Long Range Plan clearly outlines what each of the major state and local agencies must do in order for school districts to ensure that students are engaged in daily instruction that integrates technology in meaningful ways. If all of the recommendations outlined by the TLRP were followed, there would no doubt be students all over Texas engaged in high-interest and relevant learning. Educators in Texas could proudly say that we are preparing our students to be active, successful contributors in the 21st century. The weakness of this component is that theres does not appear to be any absolute standards that the major players have to meet, the well-considered recommendations could easily be overlooked by many local school agencies and training center and the very goal that the component means to reach – equitable access – could actually results in less equity depending on the decision of each of the local entities. Improvement would be seen if the state mandated compliance from all stakeholders.