Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Web-Conference
I attended the March 6, 2011 Web Conference. There were about 96 students who actually stuck it out and stayed on the conference. In the beginning so many people were trying to get in and ask questions that the text was going at a mindboggling fast pace. Dr. Abernathy did a great job of handling the conference so things did not get out of control! One thing I thought was interesting was that some of the students that actually had the web cam and microphone did not use these tools to ask questions, but everyone else could just see them sitting there and watching! I have attended other conferences for other classes in the Lamar program. I have also attended web conferences for another program, which was several years ago when we did not have the web cams and microphones. It would have been nice to actually see who you were talking to. Many of the students introduced themselves and gave information about where and what they teach. This is great, because we could make connections with other students. You never know who is in the program that you know. Web conferencing can be a useful tool, if we want to learn how to incorporate it into our school setting. Administrators would be able to conference with other administrators around the world. Students and teachers could also connect with students and teachers in other countries.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Transforming American Educaton - Learning Powered by Technology
Blog #3
President Obabma has made two major goals his priority in education. He wants to be able to raise the number of college graduates so that “60% of our population holds a 2-year or 4-year degree” and to “close the achievement gap so that all students…graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers” (Executive Summary p. v). We may be asking ourselves how are going to achieve this, especially in light of all of the talk of budget cuts.
There are five areas that will be used to achieve this. They are Teaching, Assessment, Learning, Productivity and Infrastructure.
President Obabma has made two major goals his priority in education. He wants to be able to raise the number of college graduates so that “60% of our population holds a 2-year or 4-year degree” and to “close the achievement gap so that all students…graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers” (Executive Summary p. v). We may be asking ourselves how are going to achieve this, especially in light of all of the talk of budget cuts.
There are five areas that will be used to achieve this. They are Teaching, Assessment, Learning, Productivity and Infrastructure.
- Teaching -They are proposing a teaching model called "connective teaching" teaching is a "team activity." Each teacher is responsible for building a PLC of students, educators around the world, other community members and organizations who see our students when they are not in school (p. v "ii).
- Assessment - By using "techonology based assessments" teachers can provide data on students which can be the driving force to make decisions for each and student and this should lead to ongoing improvement "across our entire learning system" (p.vii).
- Learning - The model calls for "engaging and empowering learning experiences for all learners" (p. vi).
- Productivity - Many businessess focus on "improving productivity" unlike our schools who are experiencing tight budgets. Schools can learn from the "private sector" how to "improve productivity and manage costs" (p. x).
- Infrastructure - This area not only includes technology based tools but also "people, processes, learning resources and policies" (p. ix).
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These are some very feasible and attainable ways to improve technology in our schools. If we can follow the productivity model that the private sector uses, we can make our budgets go further and still give the students what they need.
Reference
National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education (2010). Learning Powered by Technology. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education
Transforming American Educaton - Learning Powered by Technology
President Obama has made two major goals his priority in education. He wants to be able to raise the number of college graduates so that "60% of our population holds a 2year or 4 year degtee" and to "close the achievement gap so that all studebts...graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers (Executive Summary p. v). We may be asking ourselves how are going to achieve this, especially in light of all of the of budget cuts in education.
Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020
Blog #2
The Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology is based on the four areas of the STaR Chart. It gives a break down of progress in each area. What I like about the report is that it each region in Texas has a copy of their progress report included in the second section of the LRPT. This is an excellent way to see how my region is progressing toward the goals of the Long Range Plan for Technology.
Teaching and Learning - Many school districts have increased the use of “online learning, digital content and online professional development” (p. 9). There have also been advances in using distance learning and age appropriate data bases. Grants have helped schools focus on “technology literacy and integration” (p. 9) which has helped teachers to be able to incorporate a higher level of technology in their classrooms and some districts have seen student scores increase. In comparing the information on levels of technology acquired, advanced tech increased had the highest rate of increase from 2008-2009 to 2009-2010.
Educator Preparation and Development – TEA along with all of the Region Services Centers work together to provide Professional Development. One of the programs is called Project Share which uses “Web 2.0 tools and applications” (p. 75) to give teachers access to professional development resources and PLC’s across the State of Texas. The area of advanced tech is only about 4% more than developing Tech.
Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support – The Long Range Plan for Technology helps school leaders in their decisions for effectively using technology. With the help of the STaR Chart administrators are able to have a better vision of their technology needs for the future. There was approximately a 5% increase in the area of advanced tech, 1% increase in Target Tech and a decrease that about equals these two areas in Developing Tech.
Infrastructure – This area has seen the most improvement in Advanced Tech over the other three areas of the STaR Chart information. Infrastructure is very important because without a strong infrastructure, we would not have access to the internet and other basic technology needs. Some school districts benefited from grants that allowed them to provide internet service to student’s homes.
Reference
A report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (2010). 2010 Progress report on the long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020. Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX . Retrieved from www.tea.state.tx.us
The Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology is based on the four areas of the STaR Chart. It gives a break down of progress in each area. What I like about the report is that it each region in Texas has a copy of their progress report included in the second section of the LRPT. This is an excellent way to see how my region is progressing toward the goals of the Long Range Plan for Technology.
Teaching and Learning - Many school districts have increased the use of “online learning, digital content and online professional development” (p. 9). There have also been advances in using distance learning and age appropriate data bases. Grants have helped schools focus on “technology literacy and integration” (p. 9) which has helped teachers to be able to incorporate a higher level of technology in their classrooms and some districts have seen student scores increase. In comparing the information on levels of technology acquired, advanced tech increased had the highest rate of increase from 2008-2009 to 2009-2010.
Educator Preparation and Development – TEA along with all of the Region Services Centers work together to provide Professional Development. One of the programs is called Project Share which uses “Web 2.0 tools and applications” (p. 75) to give teachers access to professional development resources and PLC’s across the State of Texas. The area of advanced tech is only about 4% more than developing Tech.
Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support – The Long Range Plan for Technology helps school leaders in their decisions for effectively using technology. With the help of the STaR Chart administrators are able to have a better vision of their technology needs for the future. There was approximately a 5% increase in the area of advanced tech, 1% increase in Target Tech and a decrease that about equals these two areas in Developing Tech.
Infrastructure – This area has seen the most improvement in Advanced Tech over the other three areas of the STaR Chart information. Infrastructure is very important because without a strong infrastructure, we would not have access to the internet and other basic technology needs. Some school districts benefited from grants that allowed them to provide internet service to student’s homes.
Reference
A report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (2010). 2010 Progress report on the long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020. Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX . Retrieved from www.tea.state.tx.us
Texas Long Range Plan for Technology - 2006-2020
Blog #1
There are four areas included in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. These areas include: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation & Development, Leadership, Administration & Instructional Support for Technology in the Texas STaR Chart. I am going to focus on the area of Teaching and Learning. In order for all students to become proficient in technology in the 21st century, teachers need to be able to integrate the use of different types of technology in their classrooms. They must also consider the makeup of students in their classes. Each student learns differently. Just as each teacher learns and teaches differently. There are students who have special learning needs and they could possibly benefit for the various types of assistive technology that is available. However, there are a few things to consider in order to accomplish this goal. First, teachers must have the knowledge of how to use the technology that they have available to them. It is vital for districts and campuses to provide the appropriate staff development in order for their teachers to become proficient in the use of the technology.
According to the Texas Long Range Technology plan guidelines have been put into place in order for each student to be successful in using 21st century technology. Some of the guidelines include that all learners will:
1. Have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources and services for individualized instruction 24 hours a day/7 days a week (p. 18).
2. Use research-based strategies in all subject area to improve academic achievement (p. 18).
3. Communicate effectively in a variety of formats for diverse audiences (p. 18).
At my campus, there has been a slight increase in the area of Frequency/Design of Instructional Setting and Content Area Connections. However, we continue to stay at the developing stage. As I was discussing this information with my principal, we both thought that a reason for some of the fluctuations in our scores was based on the fact that some of our teachers who were very proficient in technology transferred to the new high school in the district. I would suggest that administrators provide appropriate staff development for all teachers and continue to introduce new types of technology (as long as money is available), in order to meet the goals of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology
Reference
A Report to the 80th Texas Legislature from the Texas Education Agency (2006). Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006 to 2020. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/.
There are four areas included in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. These areas include: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation & Development, Leadership, Administration & Instructional Support for Technology in the Texas STaR Chart. I am going to focus on the area of Teaching and Learning. In order for all students to become proficient in technology in the 21st century, teachers need to be able to integrate the use of different types of technology in their classrooms. They must also consider the makeup of students in their classes. Each student learns differently. Just as each teacher learns and teaches differently. There are students who have special learning needs and they could possibly benefit for the various types of assistive technology that is available. However, there are a few things to consider in order to accomplish this goal. First, teachers must have the knowledge of how to use the technology that they have available to them. It is vital for districts and campuses to provide the appropriate staff development in order for their teachers to become proficient in the use of the technology.
According to the Texas Long Range Technology plan guidelines have been put into place in order for each student to be successful in using 21st century technology. Some of the guidelines include that all learners will:
1. Have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources and services for individualized instruction 24 hours a day/7 days a week (p. 18).
2. Use research-based strategies in all subject area to improve academic achievement (p. 18).
3. Communicate effectively in a variety of formats for diverse audiences (p. 18).
At my campus, there has been a slight increase in the area of Frequency/Design of Instructional Setting and Content Area Connections. However, we continue to stay at the developing stage. As I was discussing this information with my principal, we both thought that a reason for some of the fluctuations in our scores was based on the fact that some of our teachers who were very proficient in technology transferred to the new high school in the district. I would suggest that administrators provide appropriate staff development for all teachers and continue to introduce new types of technology (as long as money is available), in order to meet the goals of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology
Reference
A Report to the 80th Texas Legislature from the Texas Education Agency (2006). Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006 to 2020. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/.
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