Texas STaR Chart

Texas STaR Chart

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Texas STaR

When reviewing the STaR Chart information, I was most interested in the Educator Preparation and Development. I believe this is one the most important aspects of technology integration. If the teachers are not properly prepared then the students may be mislead and may experience difficulties later in life from the mis-education they received from an untrained teacher. My campus was one of the one thousand five hundred twenty campuses that are at the ‘Advanced Tech’ level. At this level our campus has integration of technology into teaching and learning and uses online resources regularly, sixty percent of our current staff meet the SBEC standards and twenty five to twenty nine percent of the technology budget is allocated for professional development. For our campus we have been at the ‘Advanced Tech’ level for the last three years, we have shown slight progress from last year to this year, but not enough to advance to the next level. In the state of Texas there were almost two hundred more campuses which reached the Advanced Tech level in 2008-2009 school year than the year prior. While the Advanced Tech is an ok level to reach, I worry about our campus still maintaining this level because Phase I will end next year and we are not at the Target Tech level. I am sure our campus administration is working hard to get us to this level, it may be beneficial for them to share the Long Range plan with staff and where we stand in relation to the other campuses in the state. In order for our campus to improve in this area, it is necessary for the staff to be aware of the teacher preparation that is available, especially if it is specific to their content area. Many times teachers don’t attend or take the courses because they are not aware that they are available, it may also be beneficial to offer incentives for teachers who that participate in the technology professional developments.

Pre-K - Is That Where It Starts?

The Pre-K Technology Application TEKS provide students with a good foundation for technology applications in the years to come. The students expectations, referred to as End of Prekindergarten Year Outcomes, start at the basic level teaching students skills such as, naming and using input devices. At this level students are exposed the vocabulary that is necessary in the later grades for the basic computer components. During grade K-2, students will be expected to use this technology terminology that is appropriate for their assigned task as well as appropriately use these computer hardware components. In Pre-K, the children will be exposed to software programs in which they are expected to create writing and drawings, in the later years students will be expected to use these same programs to express their own ideas on given topics. During grades 6-8, these same students will be expected to use appropriate computer based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems. Exposing them to the software at such a young age is beneficial to them when they reach this stage. At the end of their Pre-K year, students will understand how to open and navigate through certain software programs; they will use this knowledge to meet the K-2 expectation of starting and exiting programs and creating, naming and saving files. Children at this level will also be exposed to voice/sound recorders and touch screens, this exposure will assist them when they are expected to use software programs with audio, video and graphic to enhance learning experiences in grades K-2. The Pre-K Technology Application TEKS lay a solid foundation that will help ensure students are successful at meeting the Technology Application TEKS throughout their educational career.

2020 Fast Approaching

I was a bit overwhelmed with all information contained in the Long-Range Plan, but I was also intrigued. At a first glance, I thought ‘this will be a lot to accomplish in the given time frame’ and wonder ‘why the sudden push.’ As I continued to read and saw how the United States is comparing to the other countries around the world I completely understood the need for change and reason the change must be immediate. I had heard this information before but it was very useful to see the ‘numbers’ that lie behind this information. I also learned some great information that will be useful when I am in a leadership role. Understanding the phases Texas has set forth will help me develop and campus and staff that is prepared to successfully prepare our students for the 21st century. I found it very interesting that by next year, there are processes that will have taken place. I feel that our campus is on the right track to meeting all the goals that have been set forth. I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with my campus administration and reflect to see exactly where we are in regard to Phase 1.

The Technology in Me

I am very grateful for the technology we have today, most of the time I feel that I can not live without it. After I completed the Technology Applications Inventory, I found that I was rather proficient in my knowledge of the four strands of technology. On each strand I no more than three questions which I answered ‘No’, there was even one strand, Information Acquisition, in which I was able to answer ‘Yes’ to all questions. Information Acquisition is obviously my area of strength, the other three strands appear to be equal for me, however Communication had the lowest percentage, therefore I would say this is my weakest strand. I expect to be able to answer ‘Yes’ to all questions by the end of this course, for me having one ‘No’ answer seems unacceptable. How can successfully teach something which I do not have a clear understanding of?
The SETDA survey really made me reflect on the data we collect in my content area. We do not collect data to measure students understanding of the Technology Application TEKS, I was shocked and disappointed when I realized this. Our data mainly focuses on how well the students are mastering the content TEKS and it seems the Technology TEKS have been set to the side, hopefully we will be able to find a way to adjust this in the near future. I plan on using the questions on T18 to help me develop lessons plans that integrate technology more. I felt this was a good guide that could help me. This survey caused me stop and reflects, I use technology in my classroom daily, and however I can not say the same for my students. I try to allow students to ‘experience’ the technology but I have not taken the time to appropriate teach them ways to use technology in my classroom. The SETDA survey has caused me to create the following goal for myself: By the end of this school year I will be able to answer daily or weekly to all of the questions on T18.

I agree with each of these assessments and found them to be useful. I will use the information I have gained from them to help me become a better educator for my students. The surveys caused me to reflect on current knowledge and I believe this will help me be a better leader when I am given that position.