Texas Long Range Plan for Technology Opinion

The Texas Campus STaR Chart is based on four key areas identified in the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. Those key areas are: Teaching and Learning; Educator Preparation and Development; Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support; and Infrastructure for Technology. Each area is evaluated to assist a campus to determine its progress in meeting the Long-Range Technology Plan goals.

The Teaching and Learning area is divided into six parts. TL1 is Patterns of Classroom Use; TL2 is Frequency/Design of Instructional Setting Using Digital Content; TL3 is Content Area Connections; TL4 is Technology Applications TEKS Implementation; TL5 is Student Mastery of Technology Applications TEKS; and TL6 is Online Learning.

Each focus area is rated as Early Tech, Developing Tech, Advanced Tech, or Target Tech. The campus classification for Teaching and Learning is Developing Tech. All instruction is teacher directed and students have access individually to technology. There is minimal use of technology TEKS. Most TEKS are met K-8. High School campuses teach at least two Technology Applications courses.

At the state level 69.7% of campuses are identified as Developing Tech. The next level, Advanced Tech, is reached by 25.5% of campuses, and only .9% of campuses have reached the national level of Target Tech. Thus, Texas campuses clearly need to work on becoming more advanced technologically to reach the desired Target Tech.

Our campus is on a blitz this year to learn new products and introduce these learning's to the students. Ongoing professional development is always a strategic need to reach desired goals. Providing not only the professional development but also lessons that are easily reproduced in the classroom helps facilitate actual transference of learning to the classroom.. Providing planning time with teachers to collaborate together their ideas and come back together to reflect on best practices will also benefit students and teachers. Incorporating a Technology Night at the campus level will provide a showcase for students to show their learning's throughout the year and bring parents and teachers together along with local business to share the vision of the future. Ensuring that a budget is available to provide state of the art equipment to the schools is also essential.