Reflection

As this course began, I had several expectations or beliefs as to what this class would hold for me. I believed that this course would help create a connection between education and technology. Today’s education, as well as that of tomorrows, is greatly intertwined with technology. Drawing a connection between the two is vital to student and teacher success. I felt that this course would introduce us to new technologies that would be beneficial in the classroom. I looked forward to learning about technological uses other than blackboards and PowerPoints. The ways that technology can be used and benefit education almost seem endless. I greatly desired the knowledge to be able to put these things into use. As this course went along I began to see my desired outcomes for this course come about. I was introduced to blogging and podcasting. I was very unfamiliar with these areas of technology and never knew how they could be used in the classroom. The articles that we read each week enlightened me on many ways that technology could be tied to instruction. All in all I was very pleased with the knowledge I gained from this course. I felt that the information provided was truly beneficial to us.

The outcomes of this course that I achieved are very much relevant to the work I do in my school. As an educational leader, it is imperative that I educate myself on all areas of technology. I believe that integrating a blog into our school technology system will be greatly beneficial and would be something that I would like to see done. Our school is equipped with a great deal of technology but it is not being used effectively. I believe that is because our teachers do not understand how to make the connection between technology and instruction. As educators and educational leaders we have to educate ourselves on technology and its latest innovations to be better able to serve our students. I believe that the information in this course was a step in the right direction for me. I gained a great deal of valuable information and skills because of the activities and assignments we carried out. I have become more technological aware when planning lessons and activities for my students.

I felt that I was able to achieve all the outcomes that I had wanted to in this course. I learned a great deal about technology and how it can tie into teaching and instruction. I believe that teachers often struggle with how to integrate technology into the instruction. Through the round table discussions, assignment activities, and articles, this course was able to help me see this connection. I believe that there are many everyday technologies that we overlook using in instruction because we do not think about there being a connection between the two. The course readings really opened my eyes to all the different types of unconventional technological devices that could be used to benefit the students. I feel that I have been equipped with many tools that will benefit my instruction and therefore help my students become more successful. This is a technological world and we have to find as many ways as possible to tie it into our instruction.

I was able to complete my assignments without tremendous difficulty. The assignments themselves gave me the opportunity to learn a great deal about our technology within my school district and where it is headed. I found it interesting to see the ways my school was working to achieve the goals of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. The main issue I faced was having difficulty using the discussion board. Several times I was unable to make posts or access the discussion board at all and would have to contact technical support to resolve the issue. One week I was only able to access the discussion board one day out of the entire assignment period. This was discouraging at times when I was trying to post comments, responses and assignments. The only other small issue I had was a minute. It was difficult to do a final word on the article postings when I did not always have replies to my article quotes and comments. However this did not hinder my getting my assignments completed. Overall, this class and its assignments were very enjoyable and provided a great learning experience for me.

This course taught me a lot about myself, my use of technology, my attitude and leadership skills. Prior to this course I was very much aware of the need for technology in the classroom. However, I had a preconceived belief that blogging was not useful to education and that cell phones and iPods should not be allowed in the classroom. Sometimes I think that ignorance on something causes one to have a negative outlook on the use of it. My problem was that I truly did not know that much about blogging or how cell phones and iPods might be useful. I was uneducated on the subject and therefore took a negative view on it. After completing the assignments and reading the course articles, my attitude has changed significantly. I am much more open to using things that may have seemed unconventional to me in the past. It is all about finding ways to effectively reach students and draw them into the lessons being taught. Technology is their world and we have to make it part of our instructional world.

Blogs possess great educational value. Blogs can be an extremely beneficial tool for instruction. They open another means of communication between students and teachers. Communication is always an issue and this as a means to help alleviate this problem. Students that may not be as vocal in class can have the opportunity to speak their thoughts, opinions and ask questions. I believe this provides students a means to grow and express themselves much easier. Students enjoy working on the Internet and I feel that they will enjoy posting their work online. I believe that blogging will become used a great deal more in the near future. Our school currently does not allow access to blog sites but I believe that our technology director should look into integrating it into our current technology plan. I believe that the members of our school will find it beneficial for instruction and for our own professional communication.

As with anything that involves the use of the Internet there are some concerns. I believe to head off the majority of these issues, students need to be educated on proper use and then monitored. If students are uneducated on proper use and safety problems can arise. A benefit to blogging is the lack of personal information provided. Unlike websites like MySpace and FaceBook, personal information should not be posted. There are no personal pictures or other information that can allow those outside of the school to know who is posting the blog. Another issue that may arise is the content of the blogs made by students. We would like to think that our students would post only what is necessary for classroom assignments and discussions. Unfortunately, there is always that one student that post graphic content or slanderous remarks about other students or teachers. This is where monitoring our students work is essential. We have to be visible, whether it’s posting comments to their blogs so they know they are being read or overseeing them as they work on their blog. I do believe that the advantages out way the disadvantages. It just comes down to educating the students and monitoring their work.

I believe that blogging can be an effective communication tool with our stakeholders. Educators and administrators could post information for parents. By teachers posting classroom information, parents can be aware of what students are learning, assignments and other skills that the students are gaining. Administrators can make posts for parents concerning school activities, early release times, school cancellations and other things that may arise. Information for special programs can also be posted so parents can take advantages of those activities that can benefit their children. Blogs can be excellent means for keeping other stakeholders within the community aware of what is happening at the school. Different departments and clubs could post blogs outlining their recent activities and accomplishments. Blogs could also be used to let the stakeholders know of upcoming changes to policies or other protocol. This would also allow stakeholders the opportunity provide their feedback to the school district. It is important to be in communication with our stakeholders. Their support is necessary to help achieve success for our school district. We must keep them informed and take advantage of all avenues of communication.

Texas STaR Chart

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Texas STaR Chart

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Long Range Plan for Technology

The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2010 is made up of for components. One of those components is Infrastructure for Technology. This area of the Long Range Plan is important because technology can allow students to receive a personalized, customized education tailored to fit their individual learning needs. It also provides the opportunities for success in the workforce and higher education. The goal is to have a truly high-performance infrastructure to take advantage of new technologies that can significantly reduce costs, increase student access, and improve communication and collaboration among all stakeholders. Districts should build an infrastructure that is safe and secure, flexible, scalable and reliable. The infrastructure that provides easy access to tools that will allow students and teachers to access online information and materials. A technology infrastructure will create a community that is conducive to learning beyond the traditional classroom. The infrastructure should allow for scalability to support the growth in students, applications and functionality.

Texas has worked during the last decade in connecting schools to each other, to external resources, and to the Internet. The Internet is used as a major educational resource by teachers and students alike. Texas schools have had the support of the Texas legislature and the federal government in building the technology infrastructure. Unfortunately not all districts, campuses and classrooms have the connectivity and tools that they need to integrate technology into the teaching and learning process. The most negative impact on Texas Long Range Plan for Technology has been the loss of funding from the Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund. This has caused many districts to struggle to maintain current connectivity and keep network equipment functioning. Some schools have been able to pass bond to elevate the stress.

I believe that I crucial for Texas to continue to strive for a technology infrastructure. Technology is the future and the future is now. More than ever students need to be exposed to all facets of technology. Texas has done a great deal to ensure that this infrastructure make its way into existence and is sustained. However, more funding will be needed as new technologies are introduced and to keep the basic technologies up and running. This infrastructure is vital to the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology.

Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS

The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS help introduce children to technology. Children learn how technology can enhance our lives. Children learn how technology can enhance our lives. Children are able to become aware of technologies available and how to interact with certain types of technology. Pre-K students will be able to open and navigate through software programs. They will also use a variety of computer input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, and voice/sound recorders and touch screens as well as use software application to create and express ideas.

The Pre-K TEKS help lay the foundation for student performance in future grades in a variety of ways. The child learns to follow basic oral and visual cues and listen and interact with information texts in electronic forms. They go on to learn how to operate the mouse to interact with software programs as well as become familiar with the terminology associated with computer use. The students learn to use a variety of software programs and create writings and drawings using software. Teachers help by providing time and technology. Teachers also help set the tone for the technology view of students by how they model use of technology and software. They provide instruction and practice time to master various technology applications. Practice time for mastery is critical for laying a successful foundation.

The main concept behind spiraling curriculum is that children are not always ready to learn now, at the time we teach it. The child has to be ready to learn the concept before being able to grasp a concept. This readiness will vary along the time continuum. A spiral curriculum tries to expose students to a wide variety of ideas over and over again. Some students will grasp the concept of infinitives by second grade while others may understand the ideas of algebra and geometry by the third grade. By moving a circular pattern from topic to topic within a field, the spiral curriculum allows educator to catch students when they first become ready to learn something, the ones not ready to learn yet they will catch later. As the curriculum spiral around it will become more advanced. The idea is that it is okay for student not to pick up a concept the first time it is introduced because they will see it again later.

Technology TEKS follow the spiraling concept. One particular set of TEKS that is influenced by this style is under problem solving where students use appropriate computer based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems. The first TEK has the students plan, create, and edit documents created with a word processor. They are to use readable fonts, alignment, page setup, tables and ruler settings. The following TEK requires students to create and edit spreadsheet documents using all data types, formulas and functions, and chart information. The next TEK in the series has students plan, create, and edit databases by defining field, entering data and designing layouts for reporting. Students must also differentiate between and demonstrate the appropriate use of a variety of tools found in draw and paint applications. All the TEKS in this series provide student multiple opportunities to learn the new skill being presented.

Long Range Plan for Technology

Technology has become a critical part of the education system. The more information and learning you expose yourself to the more efficiently you can serve your school district and students. As learned from the Long-Range Plan opportunities for professional development is key in helping educators become comfortable with using technology and implement it in the classroom. Currently a large majority of teachers are not comfortable enough with technology to use it effectively.

As an educational leader it is imperative that everything is done to allow students to succeed in a continually changing environment and marketplace. We have to prepare them how to efficiently use technology because students will use it in all facets of life such as banking, shopping, learning and communication. Limitations of the school should not affect the education of the students. They should be provided access to technologies, tools and resources. Education should focus on connecting to students lives and reflect what research reveals about how people learn.

As an educational leader it is imperative to lead by example. Administrators should embrace technology for daily use and illuminate the possibilities that technology brings to education. It is crucial to envision, fund, and assess the use of technology. We have to model as well as expect effective use of technologies. Allocating sufficient time for professional development is essential.

I would implement several recommendations from the article to help guide me with the school district technology and integration. First, developing strategies to monitor and document progress of the integration of technology and student mastery would be essential. I would look into the implementation of innovative programs that promote parental involvement and increased communication with parents and community members. Another recommendation that would be beneficial especially in my current district is ensuring anytime/anywhere access to technology-based learning for all students. Teachers should be encouraged to participate professional development opportunities and receive technological support.

Technology Assessment

As a future principal, I do have areas of strengths and weaknesses in educational technology leadership. One of my greatest assets is my willingness to learn. I am open to new ideas. I am not afraid of change. I think that it is important to embrace new technology and take advantage of the opportunities it has to offer. My greatest weakness is a lack of experience with technology use. I believe that this is due in part to limited technological resources at the districts I have been employed at. This has limited my experience and contact with technology and its effects on education.

The first assessment I completed was the Technology Applications Inventory. When analyzing the results of this inventory, I agree with them very strongly. When breaking down the results of each domain, I can easily identify the domains of weakness that I need to address. I largely understand the concepts that fall under the Foundations domain. I understand basic operating systems, creating and saving files, copyright rules, and types of storage. I do however have limited experience with Boolean search strategies. My weakest domain is solving problems with technology tools. I do have a strong concept of using word processor and using all editing tools involved. I need to improve areas such as designing and implementing procedures to track trends and evaluate progress. I struggle with the creating linear and non-linear multimedia projects. For the Communications domain, I can create spreadsheets and use editing tools. However, once again this domain covers implementing ways to track trends, set timelines and evaluate products. This is a weak area that I need to address with further training and development.

For the second assessment, I opted to take the SETDA Teacher Survey. I agreed with the results this survey yielded also. I was already fairly much aware of my technological capabilities and to the level of which I understand most areas. I know that there are several areas that I need to improve upon as I make the transition from teacher to principal. My understanding of multimedia tools is limited and I would greatly like to learn more in this area. Another area that I could strengthen is the ability to track trends and progress. This would be a very beneficial tool for me as a principal. For my current position as a teacher, I use technology in my classroom in a very limited manner. I use it more for grading and attendance more so than instruction. Our school as a whole is behind on technology. Few rooms have smart boards and projectors. The computer to student ratio is about 1:25 on the high school campus. This ratio is much higher on the junior high and elementary campuses. We definitely need to close the gap so we can better aid our students.