3.0 WebConference Nov30

It was a large webconference which caused some technical problems. I was disappointed that there was not an agenda - just a gathering of individuals to discuss the class and assignments. Some of the questions were about the interviews and what we should ask. The assignment and video/interview suggest that we look at the week 4 assignment before we conduct our interviews. Below is a "goal sheet" I use to create different goals for my position. I am using it to determine the "goals" for my action plan in week 4. I am using this information to guide me in developing the interview questions. The questions may not be the same for everyone. I just thought I would share. Please feel free to use it if you like.

Goal Sheet

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2.2 The Resuts Are In: Texas Star Chart

Results of the Texas Star Chart show McAuliffe is performing with the state average in technology. View this slide show for more information.

Star Chart Data

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2.1 Texas Technology STaRs

The Texas STaR chart measures technology usage and knowledge in public schools. The chart is completed by teachers and then an administrator completes the campus chart. It is divided into 4 areas of concern, on our campus, Teaching and Learning does not seem to have the improvement that other areas do. Teaching and Learning establishes expectations that include the seamless integration of technology, solving real-life problems, on demand access to instructional resources, cross-curricular and online learning activities, and the TA TEKS and student mastery. This area only improved 1 point in two years. The score still falls into the range of the national and district average, but more improvement is greatly needed. The key to improving this is area is to ensure teachers are comfortable with technology and demonstrating how technology can improve learning. Our campus is heavily focused on improving TAKS scores. If a teacher and/or department feel they are successful on the TAKS test doing things their way, they are less likely to try something new. I think it is important to continue to provide professional development and team planning time to those teachers currently using technology. This will help them continue their journey and integrate more technology. The reluctant teachers need a different approach. I will try one to one planning sessions with these teachers as well as team teaching lessons that integrate technology. It will also be beneficial to get input from these individuals. We need to hear their concerns and their suggestions for improvement. They now have ownership over the improvement plan and will make implementing it go more smoothly.

1.3 A Spiral Staircase to Technology Skills

The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS lay the foundation for students to use technology as a learning tool.  They acquire the basic skills needed to operate basic educational software on the computer.  They also learn that the computer is a resource for information.  The five objectives of the Pre-K TA TEKS could be considered the unifying themes of the four strands found in the K-12 TA TEKS.  A spiraling scaffolding system builds one layer on another and is centered around a foundational “pole.”  The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS are the foundational pole that the K-12 Technology TEKS are based on.  All skills in these TEKS are built on previous skills.  A skill is never left behind, as the spiral comes back around, the same skill is taught, but now it is at a higher level and uses new tools and technologies.  For example, in Pre-K, the child recognizes that information is accessible through the use of technology.  This skill is reinforced and expanded in grades K-12 in the Information Acquisition strand.   Students are taught how to find information, where to find the information, how to determine the type of information and finally how to determine the reliability and validity of the information.  The TEKS for the foundational and enrichment curricula are written for specific courses and specific grades.  The TA TEKS are not written this way; they are designed to be integrated into all courses.  They are objectives that encompass numerous and ever-changing technology skills.

1.2 Technology in Texas Schools: The State Map

The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology is a map. It marks our current location, our final destination, the time it should take us to get there and landmarks we must visit along the way. It also defines the duties of the drivers (TEA, SBOE, and educational service centers) as well as all of the passengers (local educational agencies, Texas Higher Education, parents, community, and the private sector) The committee that created this map spent countless hours researching current uses, best practices, and new trends. All of this is incorporated into the plan. The vision is clear, but it is not static. It is written in three phases and evolves as new technology tools and trends emerge. It exhibits a sense of urgency for improvement of students’ technology skills in Texas public schools. The trip (plan) is divided into sections. Each one explains the current status, the vision, and a set of recommendations for each stakeholder. This is especially beneficial to campus and district leaders. This is the legend for the map. It provides specific details that keep schools and districts moving in the right direction with the appropriate tools. Districts use these guidelines to create a district plan and campus leaders both to create a campus technology plan that is aligned with the state and district plan.

1.1 Technology Assessments

The Technology Applications Inventory from TEA is divided into 4 domains, foundations, information acquisition, problem solving, and communication. The questions in these domains accurately reflect technology knowledge needed by educators. However, I believe the simple “Yes or No” responses limit the functionality of this survey. The first question provides a perfect example of why. “I understand the difference between operating systems.” While I do understand the difference between Mac OS, Windows, and Linux, I am unfamiliar with the newer open source operating systems. Also, I understand the basic differences, but I am just now using Windows Vista and have not upgraded to Windows 7, so I don’t completely understand its capabilities. The same is true with Mac OS. I am fluent with 10, but I have only used Leopard sparingly. It is difficult to answer this and many questions with a simple yes or no. I believe a likert scale would provide more accurate results. Our district has its own technology measurement rubric. Teachers and administrators complete the rubric annually to analyze their current technology levels. The questions and strands are similar with the Technology Applications Inventory, probably because both are based on ISTE’s NETS-T Standards. With only 12 “No” answers out of 58 total questions, I agree with the assessment that I am fairly fluent in the use of technology. The area of weakness exposed in this survey is problem solving. I found this strange since I feel like I am problem solving technology issues for my campus on a daily basis. In reflection, maybe my campus is too dependent on me to solve the problems; therefore as a whole, our problems solving skills are weak.

The SETDA, like the Technology Applications Inventory, contains yes or no responses and is based on the NETS. It is much more detailed, but is not organized as well. After completing the survey, I found myself wondering, “What do I do with this now?” I completed the Building Survey. I was able to answer many of the specific questions about skills and grade levels because our district has created a “Teachers Guide for the TA TEKS.” The TA TEKS are written for grade level groups (K-2, 3-5, 6-9). Our guide breaks them down into specifics for each grade level and identifies which skills are new and which are reinforced. The questions about the amount of use for students and teachers were insightful for me. I might share some of these with my staff. Often I hear the excuse, “our students don’t have computers at home.” My response is “Ask them if they have a Facebook, Myspace, or other social network type account.” My point is, “If they want to use the computer for something, they will find a way to access it.” The questions that provoked the most reflection for me were about collecting data to measure if technology is impacting student achievement in core content areas. We measure the technology knowledge and skills of our students in 8th grade. Not before, not after and not in relation to their knowledge in core courses. This is definitely something I will investigate further.