Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
TEACHING and LEARNING
The Long Range Plan for Technology,2006-2020(LRPT) contains four key areas. The first of these is Teaching and Learning. This key area addresses the future of the ways curriculum will be taught and the ways the learning environment will change. The 'Old School' way where the teacher chooses what is to be learned and then gives lectures is not going to serve the 21st century learner.
One of the main ideas that is presented in the Teaching and learning area of the plan is the use of distance learning. Because of the physical or financial constraints of many schools, online courses provide access to curriculum that other schools are able to offer at their physical locations. Some of these classes include dual credit, Advanced Placement, credit recovery and other classes required for graduation.
Progress in the four key areas of the LRPT is documented through the Texas Campus and Teacher School Readiness(STaR) Chart. According to the 2007-2008 data from the document Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, Texas schools are progressing toward Target Tech in the key area of Teaching and Learning. Data comparisons between 2007 and 2008 shows that Early Tech levels have dropped from 5% to 4% while Developing Tech levels dropped from 74% to 70%. Advanced Tech levels increased from 20% to 25% while Target Tech remained at 1%.
Locally our campus data from 2007-2008 showed the Teaching and Learning key area stayed the same at Developing Tech.
At the Federal level, No Child Left Behind, Title II Part D, addresses technology literacy and integration through Technology Applications TEKS. No Child Left Behind(NCLB) provides technology applications standards for teachers and students.
Progress in the implementation of these standards is also documented with the STaR Chart. The growth for Technology Application TEKS implementation from 2007 to 2008 was small. Campuses at Early Tech fell from 12.64% to 10.25%, while Developing Tech increased from 68.83% to 69.65%. Advanced Tech increased from 16.43% to 18.19%, while Target Tech increased from 2.09% to 2.59%.
NCLB requires every student be technology literate by the time they finish eighth grade. Documentation of student progress is done at the local level. Student Mastery of Technology Applications TEKS showed a decrease at Early Tech levels dropping from 16.23% to 10.80%, while Developing Tech rose from 61.03% to 61.72%. Advanced Tech rose from 20.16% to 24.81%, while Target Tech increased from 2.58% to 2.67%. The increases here were also small.
I feel the state is on the right track with the emphasis on distance learning in the key area of Teaching and Learning. As a veteran high school teacher I have had experiences with student who needed to work 40 hour a week jobs at the same time they attended school. Online courses give the students the 24 hour a day /7 days a week access that is not available through traditional classes. If online courses had been available in the past, school would have been easier for some of those students.
I have a recommendation in response to the NCLB requirement for schools to measure student mastery of the Technology Applications TEKS at grades two, five, and eight and report results to TEA. There is no standard statewide process for this assessment so the results are subjective. For this to be a true measure across the nation, there must be a standard assessment available to the states.
The Long Range Plan for Technology,2006-2020(LRPT) contains four key areas. The first of these is Teaching and Learning. This key area addresses the future of the ways curriculum will be taught and the ways the learning environment will change. The 'Old School' way where the teacher chooses what is to be learned and then gives lectures is not going to serve the 21st century learner.
One of the main ideas that is presented in the Teaching and learning area of the plan is the use of distance learning. Because of the physical or financial constraints of many schools, online courses provide access to curriculum that other schools are able to offer at their physical locations. Some of these classes include dual credit, Advanced Placement, credit recovery and other classes required for graduation.
Progress in the four key areas of the LRPT is documented through the Texas Campus and Teacher School Readiness(STaR) Chart. According to the 2007-2008 data from the document Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, Texas schools are progressing toward Target Tech in the key area of Teaching and Learning. Data comparisons between 2007 and 2008 shows that Early Tech levels have dropped from 5% to 4% while Developing Tech levels dropped from 74% to 70%. Advanced Tech levels increased from 20% to 25% while Target Tech remained at 1%.
Locally our campus data from 2007-2008 showed the Teaching and Learning key area stayed the same at Developing Tech.
At the Federal level, No Child Left Behind, Title II Part D, addresses technology literacy and integration through Technology Applications TEKS. No Child Left Behind(NCLB) provides technology applications standards for teachers and students.
Progress in the implementation of these standards is also documented with the STaR Chart. The growth for Technology Application TEKS implementation from 2007 to 2008 was small. Campuses at Early Tech fell from 12.64% to 10.25%, while Developing Tech increased from 68.83% to 69.65%. Advanced Tech increased from 16.43% to 18.19%, while Target Tech increased from 2.09% to 2.59%.
NCLB requires every student be technology literate by the time they finish eighth grade. Documentation of student progress is done at the local level. Student Mastery of Technology Applications TEKS showed a decrease at Early Tech levels dropping from 16.23% to 10.80%, while Developing Tech rose from 61.03% to 61.72%. Advanced Tech rose from 20.16% to 24.81%, while Target Tech increased from 2.58% to 2.67%. The increases here were also small.
I feel the state is on the right track with the emphasis on distance learning in the key area of Teaching and Learning. As a veteran high school teacher I have had experiences with student who needed to work 40 hour a week jobs at the same time they attended school. Online courses give the students the 24 hour a day /7 days a week access that is not available through traditional classes. If online courses had been available in the past, school would have been easier for some of those students.
I have a recommendation in response to the NCLB requirement for schools to measure student mastery of the Technology Applications TEKS at grades two, five, and eight and report results to TEA. There is no standard statewide process for this assessment so the results are subjective. For this to be a true measure across the nation, there must be a standard assessment available to the states.
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