Ellen Akers
EA 1166
EDLD 5352
December 18, 2009

Week 5 Assignment: Course Reflections

I expected to learn more about role of the administrators with regard to technology when I began this course. I had no idea the extent of what that role would encompass. This course enlightened me not only to many of the technologies available for education, but also to the many responsibilities and challenges that the administrators must address regarding these technological issues. I was familiar with STaR charts, Technology TEKS, The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology and how this must be integrated into the goals of the Campus Improvement Plan. There were many other issues, however, that I had never heard of or considered prior to this course. Intellectual property, copyright laws, cyber ethics and online safety were issues that I felt should be handled by the technology department. I now am aware that administrators must know the laws and be prepared to educate their staff on these issues as well as ensure compliance on the campus. This course gave me insight on these issues and now I feel that I must continue to do research and keep abreast of these issues. I have just begun my education in the area of technology for education.
I believe that as a teacher, I am more prepared to embrace the technology that is available. I had never considered blogging, podcasts or wikis as a classroom tool for learning. I am now excited about exploring these options to enhance the technological aspect of my teaching. More importantly, I have information that I need to sit down with my administration and propose the use of this technology. I understand the safety and ethical issues that must be first addressed with both school administrators and parents before embarking on this cyber journey with my students. But I believe the value in the use of these online tools for teaching far exceeds the work needed to make it a reality. I think that as a teacher, I can become a role model in my department and my school for implementing these technologies which will better prepare me to measure and monitor them as a future administrator. I also have a better understanding of the funding that is required to make this technology happen in a school and realize that budgets will not always cover the costs. This cannot be an excuse but a motivational factor to seek other methods of funding to provide 21st century learning in our schools.
In regard to outcomes that were not achieved, I simply think that there is so much more to be learned. If asked how I would modify the course, I would suggest condensing weeks 1 and 2 and expanding on the information in weeks 3 through 5. Most educators are familiar with TEKS, STaR charts and Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. This was nothing new. Once we embarked on how different our students were in terms of technological savvy and the various laws concerning technology, I was fascinated. I enjoyed to the opportunity to blog, as this too was a new experience for me. I would like to have spent more time on other technologies available such as podcasts and wiki’s. I would also like to have spent more time discussing how an administrator can find alternative sources of funding for more technology.
I felt I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. I was fortunate to have the assistance of my campus administrators and technology liaisons. They were kind to take time out of their busy schedules to help with several elements of the assignments. I think the most difficult part of completing the assignments was the time frame in which this course fell. Most of the assignments required outside interviews, assistance and guidance and the class began during the Thanksgiving vacation. It was difficult to have access to all of the people that I wanted to talk to . Additionally, as a teacher, we are in the middle of mid-terms, checkpoints, and benchmarks so our time was also extremely limited. There are assignments I would have liked to have done more extensive interviews or research for but it was impossible to do so with the time constraints. Here again, is where I believe the course could be enriched by providing actual experience with podcasts and other online tools. The blog was especially fun to work on and I learned so much from that experience.
After completing this course, I find that I am much more excited about technology as a learning tool in the classroom. I am definitely a digital immigrant and I realized that I did not know as much as I thought I did. I also had the attitude that cell phones must be turned off and students should not bring their technology into the classroom. Now I find that my attitude has shifted to one believing that we must embrace this technology and find ways to incorporate it into the classroom. I feel that I have strong arguments for integrating this technology and I see how excited my students have become as we share ideas on how we can do this. I will be a better administrator and advocate for technology now that I understand the importance of adding it into the curriculum. I see it as an enhancement to learning, not a burden to incorporate it into the curriculum.
Prior to taking this class, I really did not know what a blog was, and I had certainly never used one. Now, I am so excited about blogging that I can’t wait to incorporate it into my classroom. There is such an emphasis on collaborative learning and I can’t think of a better way for students to express their thoughts and interact with one another than with blogging. Blogging allows students and teachers to create meaning and develop critical thinking skills in a way that is so much broader than just the classroom experience. It allows students to interact with their peers worlds away. Isn’t that what a 21st century education is all about? We want our students to participate in education in a dynamic and meaningful way and learn to collaborate with people from other backgrounds and cultures. Blogging is a wonderful tool, when used properly, to accomplish that task.
Certainly, there are safety issues to consider when blogging. But as so much of our reading pointed out, the classroom is a great venue to teach cyber safety. We can be the good role models that our children are lacking. The classroom and the computer lab are where we can have discussions relevant to the issues of safety and ethics online. There are many educational safety tools available to make blogging a safe learning experience for our students. As future administrators, we must educate ourselves about the technology that is available and bring it to the attention of parents, district administrators and technology specialists. If we don’t advocate the addition of these wonderful learning tools, then no one else will come forward and do it for us. With careful implementation, blogging is a tool that can increase the power of learning.
Blogging is also a great way to communicate with school stakeholders to include the parents and the community. Because blogging is an interactive communication, everyone can participate and express their ideas. I know of no one today who thinks they have enough time. Blogging provides an outlet for ongoing communication between the school and the community. Almost everyone has access to the internet. Blogging would give parents a voice in the education of their children and it would give schools a voice and a more distinct identity for the parents. Blogs are easily created and even those with little experience can quickly and easily participate. I find that I have most of my conversations with parents via email. The problem is that it is a one on one conversation and you can only reach one parent. Blogging would provide a forum for teachers to interact with all parents at once. Parents could become active participants in the classrooms by knowing what their children are doing and why they are doing it. Schools could communicate with all parents at once and receive input from parents on a more continuous and immediate basis. Blogs would be a way to publish student work and parents could see exactly what they children are learning and doing. It would allow for a timely source of information and it is free for educational use. It is a dynamic tool to use for everyone involved.

Action Plan 5.xlsx

Action Plan 5.xlsx

Texas STaR Chart

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Teaching and Learning with Technology

The area of teaching and learning as described by the Texas Longe Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 states that technology should enhance differentiated instruction for students by providing communication with peers globally, working with experts and online access to learning resources. The goal is to provide equitable access to learning for all students in Texas. Unfortunately, trends in this area show a decline in progress rather than increase in using technology for teaching and learning. Statewide, only 0.9% of campuses are at the target level. Nationally, research shows that schools are making little progress toward providing technology rich environments for students. In general, higher education is further along than K-12 schools toward integrating technology and learning. The area of greatest progress is in high-speed broadband access to enhance learning and communications. However, technology based assessments are low and schools report that using technology to meet the needs of all students is still low in America's schools.
In the state of Texas, 69.7% of campuses report that the technology is developing. The question becomes how long is it going to take to get schools to an advanced or target level of technology use for students? Technology continues to become more advanced every day and every day that Texas waits to integrate this technology into our classrooms is another day that our students fall behind.

Pre-K Technology Application TEKS

Children in Pre-Kindergarten embark on their journey into education. This is the beginning of life-long learning and technology is an integral part of the learning experience. It is imperative that children are afforded the opportunity to begin using technology at the earliest stages of their education. The Pre-K Technology Application TEKS strive to provide teachers the guidelines to introduce these little new learners to the world of technology. By integrating these technologies into the curriculum, teachers are able to provide differentiated instruction to learners of all abilities. Technology allows children with special educational needs, English language learners as well as advanced students the opportunity to enhance and individualize their learning environment. The Pre-K Technology TEKS provide specific measureable goals that each student should master in order to continue their progression into technology throughout their educational studies.
The TEKS state that the student will be able to start, use and exit software programs that are age appropriate. The student will be able to identify parts of the computer such as the mouse, keyboard, printer and CD-ROM. Technology will provide basic oral and pictorial cues to help the student operate programs. The student is expected to listen to and interact with storybooks and information texts. The student will be use a variety of software to enhance the learning experience.
The Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades by providing an introduction to both the hardware and software necessary for basic computer operations. The requirements are the basic minimum operations that are required to successfully use a computer. The TEKS set the stage for using technology as an integral part of the learning experience.
Scaffolding instruction means adjusting instruction so that students are challenged and able to
develop new skills. Teachers, students, and instructional practices and materials can provide this support. By spiraling concepts vertically throughout the education of a student, the student is able to master and continue to build upon concepts. An example of spiraling curriculum can be seen in the Foundations application strand of the Technology TEKS. In Pre-Kindergarten the student is expected to be able to start and exit programs. TEK 1.B. for K-2 states that the student will be able to start and exit programs as well as create, name and save files. The students is expected to be able to continue using the skill he mastered in Pre-K and expand upon this skill as he progresses in K-2. In the Foundations strand for Grades 3-5, 1.B. states the student will now save and delete files, use menu options and commands, and work with more than one software application. In Grades 6-8, the student is now asked to apply the knowledge he has learned. In the Foundations strand, TEK 1.A. states that the student demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of operating systems, software applications, and communication and networking components. This series of TEKS clearly demonstrates scaffolding instruction so that the student has multiple opportunities not only to master knowledge and skills, but to build upon and extend that knowledge.

Analysis of the Long Range Plan

The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006 - 2020 is a comprehensive plan designed to integrate technology into the classroom not just to enhance the educational experience of students, but to prepare them to lead in the 21st century. The recommendations of the plan are thorough and complete. The vision provides students, teachers, administrators and districts the guidelines to implement a plan that will enhance the learning of all students and prepare them to become leaders in a global digital marketplace. The plan recognizes that students today are not the students of even yesterday. Most students are more technologically savvy than their educators. Students use technology to communicate and access resources in every part of their lives. It is imperative that this technology become an integral part of classroom instruction. It is no longer sufficient to have a student workstation available for occasional use. The curriculum must seamlessly integrate technology into the everyday curriculum. Technology must be used for personal productivity, information, data analysis, community and public relations, professional development and leading our educational system into the 21st century. The long range plan for Texas outlines every aspect of this technological integration and provides directives for every individual needed to successfully implement this plan.
As a classroom educator, I find the plan to be impressive. But the reality is that is currently just words on paper from my viewpoint. I teach in Texas City, Texas. Texas City is a community of blue collar workers with a majority minority population. Most of the students in my school come from economically disadvantaged households and are classified as at risk students. Many of my students do not have access to technology in their homes and the access at school is extremely limited. As a Science teacher, I would love to integrate technology into my curriculum. I currently have one student work station in my classroom with no internet access. The computer lab is only available to the Math department. My computer at my desk is old, slow and outdated. The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology is a worthy goal. I am willing and ready. My students are willing and ready. My question is "where is the money to implement it?"

Response to Technology Assessments

I bring unique strengths to my campus in terms of educational technology leadership. Prior to entering the field of education, I spent fifteen years in the corporate business world as a district manager, regional manager and corporate trainer. This experience allowed me to develop my technology skills in terms of data processing, data analysis and communications. I feel that my greatest strength is my ability to compile and analyze data. As a Science teacher, I am constantly tracking and analyzing the progress of my students. NCLB has created an educational environment which necessitates constant and continuous student assessment. My weakness is learning how to use that skill in the field of education in regard to parent communications, building class schedules and budget allocation.
In the technology applications inventory, I felt that my proficiency was at an above average level. There were areas that will require additional training such as interfacing, video files, virtual reality and multimedia projects. In the SETDA Teacher Survey, I was surprised to find that there are many technological areas lacking in my school district. My school district is very small and lacks the funding to implement many of the technologies that would enhance student learning. The Rubric for Administrative Technology Use provided me with great insight into the many ways that technology and digital information could be used to enhance professional development, parent communications, allocation of resources and the general operations of a school. I felt the assessments were a through and accurate reflection of my abilities and my deficiencies. I am excited to have this information so that I can plan to seek out additional training and knowledge in the areas that I need more skills to develop professionally.