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.