Texas STaR Chart and DVHS

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STaR Chart Infrastructure Analysis

Infrastructure for Technology is one of the four areas that is addressed by the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 and by the Texas STaR Chart. I chose to talk about Infrastructure because none of the other areas can be improved unless schools have a strong foundation in hardware and software. Infrastructure is the category that covers student and educator access to technology and availability of broadband in all classrooms. Infrastructure also evaluates a district’s ability to secure and protect data that is collected and helps districts to utilize data to make informed decisions about curriculum.

The numbers of schools at the Early Tech and Developing Tech stages of development are decreasing while the numbers of schools at Advanced Tech and Target Tech ratings are increasing. This indicates that schools are putting more money and effort into increasing their technological foundation. More schools each year are included in the Advanced Tech and Target Tech categories.

In order to improve Infrastructure ratings, schools need to continue to provide more access to technology and increase the amount of broadband available. Schools also need to work towards achieving a 1:1 student to laptop ratio. Most districts obviously cannot do this in one or even five years, but they can add a few computers every year until they have reached this ideal status.

PreK Technology Application TEKS and Spiraling Curriculum

The prekindergarten TEKS are an introduction into the world of computers and the internet. Students are expected to learn how to use a mouse, keyboard, touchscreens, CD-roms, and voice software. Students are also expected to be exposed to drawing programs. Teachers are expected to show students how the equipment and software is to be used both through example and through discussion. It is expected that students will be given exposure to technology both in structured class settings and in individual play time. By the time students leave pre-k, they should have some ideas about the possibilities that exist when using computers and the internet. These TEKS set young children up with the basics they need to explore technology with more proficiency as they develop physically and mentally.

The technology applications TEKS are set up so that many skills will be reinforced at multiple ages. If a student is only expected to use a skill in one year, it is likely that they will forget how to use that skill later. If a skill is an expected part of the curriculum at several points during a child's education, then it will become ingrained in the child.

One example of this is in "Information Acquisition". In Kindergarten through 2nd grade, students are expected to be able to "apply keyword searches to acquire information". In 3rd through 5th grade, students are expected to "apply appropriate electronic search strategies in the acquisition of information including keyword and Boolean search strategies". These two TEKS apply to the same skill, its just that students are using more sophisticated search methods as they develop mentally. The TEK in 6th through 8th grade that addresses the skill of searching for information reads the same as it does in 3rd through 5th grade. The fact that this TEK keeps appearing means that it is very important to continue to develop the skill of researching effectively throughout a child's school years. In the Computer Science II course in High School, the TEK is even more sophisticated. TEK 4.B reads "compare and contrast search and sort algorithms including linear and binary searches for different purposes and search time". It still addresses the skill of researching, but it requires higher level thinking to "compare and contrast" search methods than it does to "apply" search strategies.

Re: The Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020

The Long Range Plan is a series of recommendations presented by the State Board of Education to the 80th Legislature. It discusses the steps that need to be taken by TEA, Regional Service Centers, school districts, and the private sector in order to help support bringing our students into the 21st century and teaching them to use all of the technology that is available to them. The full plan can be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html.

If I had access to the funds, I think being able to provide a 1:1 ratio of students to computers would be an invaluable step forward in incorporating technology into every classroom. As a teacher, I love days where I can give every pair of students or every student a computer and have them research or practice a concept with the support of instant feedback. Many teachers have great ideas on how to incorporate computers into their lesson plans and would do so quickly if they had regular access to computers. We are lucky in our district to have laptops that we can check out for our students, but we do not have enough for every classroom to be using them every period. It would be a very smart investment to work further toward this goal every year.

I would also like to focus on providing professional development not only for using computers, but also using other technologies like Mimios and CPS clickers. These are things that are available to us at our school, but many teachers do not use them because they don’t know how. If teachers do not have the time they need to feel comfortable integrating technology, it will not be used in the classroom. Teachers already feel short on time. Asking them to incorporate technology without carving out adequate time and support to learn it will not produce good results. Yet, this is what many school districts do. They spend money on good technology and provide a day or two (sometimes not even that) to teachers and then tell them, “OK! Go have fun!!” Teachers want to use the new materials in hopes of engaging more students but never do because they can’t find the time to plan for it. We need intensive time where experts on the technology are available to PLCs for a couple of weeks in the summer to work specifically on incorporating new technologies into the curriculum.

Technology Assessment Surveys

In our first assignment for Instructional Leadership - The Technology Link, we were asked to develop a blog and respond to two different surveys. The first survey was a "Technology Applications Inventory" which can be accessed at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/techapp/assess/teksurv.pdf. This survey focused primarily on the familiarity of the instructor with technology and its uses. Out of 58 total yes or no questions, I only answered no to two questions. I am pretty confident in my own personal use of technology and feel that I can learn whatever I don’t currently know. The second survey was a SETDA survey for teachers which can be found at http://www.setda-peti.org/tools.html. This survey had some questions asking about teacher comfort with technology and access to things like online gradebooks, but much of it focused on research based use of technology in the classroom. My answers were less confident on this survey than on the first one. For instance, I know that students have access to technology at school, but I know that many of our students do not have access to the internet or an updated computer at home. Also, we have the use of things like laptops for students, mimios, science probes, and interwrite boards, but teachers are not required to use them and many teachers are intimidated by the technology because they have not been given enough time and training to feel comfortable using the equipment with their students. I enjoy trying out new “toys” and use the fact that I teach AP level seniors first and second period as an opportunity to try new things even if I am not 100% comfortable with the technology yet. My seniors help me troubleshoot when something is not working correctly. I feel very comfortable using things like the laptops for students and the interwrite board. I know how to use the mimio as a way to control my desktop from the whiteboard, but I would like to learn more of the interactive tricks available using that tool. I think the surveys are a great tool for assessing a teacher’s individual use of technology as well as a district’s use of technology. The important thing is to make sure that teachers and districts that take these surveys act upon the results that they find.