Course Reflection

When I began the class, I was not exactly sure what I was going to learn. The name of the course was Instructional Leadership. In my mind I thought I might be learning about how to lead my staff to improve their instruction while improving student achievement. I did achieve these outcomes, but in a different way than I had expected. My knowledge has been expanded due to the competencies I learned during this course. I now have a better understanding of technology and how it should be integrated into our school system. I am also familiar with the Texas STaR chart as an assessment piece for our technology implementation. As an administrator, I will use this resource as a guide for improving our technology instruction. My vision of this course did not align with the outcomes of what I actually learned due to the emphasis on technology. I was pleasantly surprised with my level of interest on this topic.
I have always used technology in my classroom. However, this class has helped me gain an even greater appreciation for implementing new innovative techniques into my teaching. Technology should be relevant in all of our jobs because we live in a digital society. We may have different levels of proficiency, but we all use technology to some degree. I really enjoyed learning about the blogs and posting my information. However, due to the nature of my position as a kindergarten teacher, I do not know that the students could use them for learning purposes. However, I like the idea of starting a class blog for the parents to read about what is happening in our classroom. I believe this would make our parents feel more connected to the classroom and the events that take place throughout the school day. A lot of the information I learned in this course was very beneficial for me as a future administrator and a digital immigrant. I feel a lot more technology savvy now than I did before the course.
There was nothing I did not achieve in this course. However, I did have to learn to be patient and persevere to complete some of the activities in assignment two. In the past, I would get frustrated with technology and just give up. Consequently, the assignment had to be turned in by a certain date. Therefore, it required me to work hard until I completed the job. Completing the assignments helped me feel confident in my technology abilities. In the beginning, I was very discouraged and wanted to give up, but I was very glad I did not because my confidence level went up after I was finished with the assignments. I believe I was discouraged in the beginning for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because the assignments seemed long and very daunting. The second reason is because I had never done the activities before. I wonder how many of our young students feel like this when we introduce technology to them or an assignment that might be too overwhelming for them to complete. I will keep my personal feelings in mind when working with my students.
I learned a lot about myself from this course. Technology has not always been my strong subject, but I learned that I can read articles to gather information in order to form my own opinion and to gain more knowledge. I also realized I can commit to becoming more technology savvy in order to improve my instruction. The kids learn in all different forms. Therefore, I need to incorporate technology to ensure they are receiving the information they need for their future. As a leader, I realized the power in seeking out information from our staff to learn more about what is going on around campus. My interviews with staff members and students gave me more insight about what resources are available to the teachers and who actually implements them into the classroom.
Students can use blogs as a communication tool. They can communicate with their classmates as well as with students halfway around the world. It is an amazing tool as one can post papers, slide shows, pictures, etc. It provides them with real world experience. The blog allows the student to work and learn in a non-threatening environment. For example, a student can post a writing paper on the blog for the teacher to grade. It can be a useful tool if used properly.
The biggest concern with using blogs in education is student safety. The nature of the blog is to post your thoughts/assignments and others can access your work. Well, “others” can be anyone. Students need to be aware of the dangers of cyberspace. Bullies and child predators are lurking and waiting to attack our young students. It is our job to ensure the students receive proper education regarding the dangers of the internet.
Educators can use blogs to communicate with school stakeholders by posting weekly or monthly newsletters, making important announcements, and sharing school information. It also allows stakeholders to make comments and ask questions. It is a great way to communicate verses a website. A website is one way communication where as a blog is two way communication.
This course has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of technology. I plan to approach the digital world with a new mindset. I am encouraged to learn more about all that technology has to offer.

Dallas Park Action Plan

Dallas Park Action Plan

Goal:To build awareness of technology resources at Dallas Park Elementary.

Objective: To educate and build the confidence of our staff in order for them to become proficient in the use of technology. Thus, allowing them to feel confident integrating the technology into the classroom.


Action Steps Timeline Person(s) Responsible Resources/Funding Evaluation are below:

Professional development needs will be assessed by surveying our teachers. April/May 2010
Technology Specialist, Kelly Ibbott Principal, Mr. Castaneda
Crowley ISD Professional Development
Survey
Teachers complete Technology survey


Evaluate current technology resources and the frequency they are used.
Ongoing January through May 2010
Technology Specialist, Kelly Ibbott Principal, Mr. Castaneda
Technology Consultant
Local Funds
Report from consultant

Collaborate amongst grade levels and vertical teams to find ways to integrate technology into our curriculum.
Begin August 2010 Ongoing
Principal, Mr. Castaneda
Teachers Scope and Sequence
Research of best practices.
Time to collaborate
Ideas the teams brainstorm

Provide ongoing professional development on current technology resources such as smart boards.
August 2010- May 2011
Technology Specialist, Kelly Ibbott Principal, Mr. Castaneda
Crowley ISD Professional Development
Facilitator
Technology Resources Teacher evaluation at the end of session.
Teachers use resources in classroom

Build awareness of the Texas STaR (School Technology and Readiness) Chart Begin August 2010
Ongoing Technology Specialist, Kelly Ibbott Principal, Mr. Castaneda STaR Chart Results Monitor technology usage via classroom observations, surveys, and assessment results

Texas S Ta R Chart Presentation

Check out my SlideShare Presentation:

Texas S Ta R Chart

View more presentations from staceycollier.

Reflection on Texas Long Range Plan for Technology

The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology is a wonderful way for the state to monitor district and school progress on their use of technology. The plan is divided into four areas; Teaching and Learning; Educator Preparation and Development; Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support; and Infrastructure for Technology. In my opinion, teaching and learning are the main reason this plan is in place. Educators need to realize the impact we have on the student's future. Therefore, it is our responsibility to be the teacher, but more importantly to be a learner. We need to go learn patterns of use in the classroom, design for instructional settings, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for technology, how to help students master these skills, and online learning. These six areas in the plan give us a direction to learn and grow. All of these concepts are important, but teachers cannot learn without the proper training. Our campus has a long way to go before we qualify for the Advanced Tech rating. We currently have an every other week computer lab rotation. The upper grades spend 45 minutes in the lab, but the younger students split their time due to shorter attention spans. While the computer lab is a wonderful resource, 45 minutes every other week is just not enough time for the students to master computer skills necessary for the current demands. The teachers have the option to bring the students on their own during the off weeks, but not all of them do. If the teachers do not emphasize technology importance the students are not able to make a connection to the personal need in the real world. Learning how to do research, use online functions, and the Internet are all vital skills our students need to know to function in the real world. My recommendation for our school and district would be to place more computers in the individual classrooms, train the teachers, and increase programs available to the students. Educator Preparation and Development are also crucial for the teachers. Our campus earned the Developing Tech rating in this area. Our district does not offer very many technology trainings. If they do train the teachers on a new program, it is a one time event. Then, the teachers are expected to return to campus to figure out the rest of the program. It would be beneficial to utilize our technology instructor to provide the teachers with support. I have worked on campuses that had a technology specialist to provide support to the teachers. Our technology teacher will answer your questions and is very helpful, but she has her own class to worry about and doesn't always have time. I believe if the teachers were offered quality professional development they would deepen their understanding and face many fears they may have about technology. Technology usage begins at the top. If our administrators and leadership utilize technology it sets an example for all other employees. It also forces employees to use email, Microsoft outlook calendars, palm pilots, etc. The biggest issue our district struggles with is the budget and planning. For example, we have a program called eSchool and eFinance. These programs are about five years old. They are to be updated every two years. Our district has refused to budget enough money for these updates and the programs are on the verge of shutting down. The district needs to communicate and collaborate to come up with a better plan to make our technology resources better. Finally, our highest scores were under Infrastructure for Technology. The report states that we have proficient Internet access connectivity speed, technical support, and local area network wide area network. It does state that we need to work on student to computer ratio. I know they have a plan to implement more computers in the classroom. However, many items have been placed on hold due to budgetary concerns. The computer Internet access speed is okay, but can be slow at times. During the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the Internet is particularly slow. This is due to the mass amount of usage during this time and not having enough band width to support the large amount of users. The district just agreed to pay the money for the band width, so I hope to see some improvement in the future. Our technical support is wonderful! We have an online maintenance request system if we need help. A computer technician is assigned to our campus and is there a couple of times per week to fill our request. He is great about helping in a timely manner. I like the online submission process because the teachers are able to make a request without having to go through several people before receiving assistance. Our district has far to go to become an Advanced Tech rating. However, the district does want to improve and has plans to grow. Once the budget is settled, we might be able to proceed with our plans.

Technology Applications for TEKS

The Pre-K layout for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) was user friendly and easy for me to follow. I really liked how examples of instructional strategies are given for each standard of the TEKS. I can imagine this is really helpful for the Pre-K teachers. The programs are very basic,hands on, and teacher directed which helps to ensure mastery of each skill. By providing this type of support the student will enter Kindergarten with the appropriate level of technological information to progress onto the next task. Building a strong foundation in Pre-K allows the students an opportunity to succeed in technology in the future.
A spiraling curriculum gives students a chance to come back to a skill they may or may not have mastered. Some TEKS, especially in Science, are only taught in some grade levels and never taught again. A spiraling curriculum allows for multiple opportunities to prove mastery. It also provides time for students to go back and practice skills and sharpen their thinking. For example, students are given opportunities to become proficient using a keyboard from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Providing ample time to masters skills will benefit the students over time.

Long Range Plan for Technology

All students beginning in Kindergarten must master and prove to be technology proficient by acquiring information, solving problems, and communicating using technology. In order for the students to receive the maximum benefits of instruction from the teachers, the teachers must receive proper professional development to increase their technological knowledge. Another key component to providing the necessary resources is allocating enough money to cover the needs of a district. This plan is to be implemented over time in phases. Phase 1 (2006-2010) calls for ensuring alignment of the curriculum content standards, providing and increasing access to the resources needed to implement the plan, providing opportunities for teachers to implement the standards along with support, and to allocate $50 towards each student to improve the plan. Phase 2 and 3 will address the needs based upon Phase 1.
The components of this program involve the learners, educators, leaders, and infrastructure. Our nation has given us a reason to change the way we educate our students. Our economy calls for a much more information based society verses an industrial and manufacturing society. The corporate world is not able to keep up with the demands of our technological way of thinking unless they have properly trained individuals. Across the pond in other countries there are students dying to land a job in America. Therefore, our students need to have the opportunity to compete in the business market today and in the future. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure they have the same opportunities. This means we must advance our own technological knowledge for their benefit. Another challenge we face is our ever changing population. Over half of our population is economically disadvantaged. This creates an even bigger need for educating our students at school about technology because they are not receiving it at home. Many of our worldly functions require knowledge of computerized systems such as self checkouts, online banking, and online bill paying. All of this must be taken into consideration when educating our students. Technology allows educators to reach diverse groups of students and their different learning styles. It is pertinent to meet the needs of all students and not teach to one style of learning. According to Net Day Speak Up 2005 there is a strong need for technology in our schools. All teachers use technology to some degree in their classrooms. They have reported seeing a change in student achievement, student engagement,collaboration and teamwork. These are all critical aspects of the classroom. Our way of communicating is via email. Therefore, this has forced many teachers to engage in some form of technology usage. Most teachers also like to enhance lessons by adding more information. They do this by searching the internet, using search engines, and news websites. Many teachers are also expected to communicate with the parents via email, class websites, and newsletters. All of these functions require technology usage and make our jobs easier! The biggest need above all is to have high speed wireless internet. This is critical for the teachers to have when trying to teach the kids a lesson using the internet. If the internet takes a long to pull up than the actual lesson, it defeats the purpose because the students become disinterested. Teachers are willing to learn about new technology resources. However, they need the time and the resources. A large portion of teaching and learning is to ensure that ALL students have equal access to the resources for technology. In addition, our diverse population calls for many different needs that we must provide for every student and each of their needs. By providing technology resources relevant to student learning it allows the students to communicate on a whole new level. The idea of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology is that the students become more involved in the learning process and are active participants. In doing this the student makes a connection with applications in their own lives. Technology also requires collaborative approach to learning. The biggest challenge for teaching and learning is aligning the curriculum so that it is integrated into other subjects. The Long Range Plan gives recommendations to the Texas Education Agency, State Board of Education Certification, Regional Service Centers, Local Education Agencies, Texas Higher Education, Parents, Communities and Private Sector.
It is pertinent our teachers understand how to incorporate technology into the classroom as part of their instruction. The teachers need to be properly trained to ensure mastery of this concept. However, the teachers need to be willing to learn and take on the initiative to gain a deeper understanding. The teachers graduating today are prepared to take on the technology demands expected in the classroom setting. However, our professional development sessions need to be relevant to the latest technology applications. Again several recommendations are made to the various stakeholders for the Long Range Technology Plan. The need for technology starts at the top with the administration. There are so many tasks in administrator’s daily routines that require proficient knowledge of technology functions. If an administrator is technology savvy, then their staff will take a higher interest in learning how to use the technology. It is important principals lead by example to support the Long Range Technology Plan. Choosing a technology leadership team would be beneficial for implementing new programs as these individuals can help their teammates jump on board the school’s vision, No Child Left Behind Laws, and Federal Communications for E-rate discounts. These laws require schools to keep student records electronically, electronic instructional materials, and personnel records.
Data is a HUGE reason administrators need to know more about technology. The current best practice is data driven instruction. Most if not all of the data is computer based. This data should drive all instructional practices. The internet has allowed districts and schools to make huge gains in the world of technology. The plan calls for high speed internet to connect employees efficiently with one another. The idea is to have anytime anywhere connectivity for the students. This plan will allow all stakeholders to play a role in the student’s education by giving them access to student assessment results. Sadly, many districts have not reached this point due to budgetary issues. However, most schools have the basic resources. As long as they are maintained and updated they should serve their purpose. To hold schools accountable the Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) has developed and accountability system called a School Technology and Readiness (STaR) chart. This chart measures each school and district’s progress in implementing technology and meeting the technology goals. The Long Range Plan is guiding districts and schools across the nation to practice technolgy at a higher level than we ever have before

Technology Assessments

The Technology Applications Inventory was an eye opening experience for me. It made me realize how little I know about technology. I feel proficient in my realm of work, but there is so much more I can learn. In the foundations domain I was about half and half for my understanding computer systems. The main areas I would like to know more about are memory and storage, digital file formats, and using a scanner and camera (my husband always loads our pictures). I felt more proficient in the information acquisition section. Thanks to my Lamar University research class I was able to answer yes more than no! I would like to understand how to use graphics at a higher level in order to make my lessons a lot more interesting and kid friendly. Our students respond to technology when we choose to use it. Solving problems with technology tools helped me understand I need to know more about computing data spreadsheet. As an administrator, I will need to utilize these software programs to input our campus data. I can communicate using email, Microsoft Outlook and Publisher, but I need to know more about audio and graphics. I really like those flip cameras that allow you to record and then plug it directly into the computer to download the material. I wish our district had the funds to support more technology usage.They are currently struggling to get the budget under control. Therefore, the technology in the classroom suffers. For example, we REALLY need for them to purchase another broadband width for the internet, but they do not want to allocate money for that as there are so many other necessary costs. I know at one time they were attempting to place 4-5 computers in every classroom starting at 12th grade and working down to the lower grade levels. As far as I know, there are no technology assessments done to track the progress of the student's achievement levels. So, for all the questions on the SETDA teacher survey asking about data indicating any type of student or teacher performance, I had to answer no. In my own classroom, I have 2 computers for my students to utilize. Therefore, they get to spend 30-40 minutes a week at the computer during classroom workstations. In addition, every other week they go to the computer lab for 20 minutes. They are in Kindergarten so 20 minutes is about all they can handle at this time. In taking this survey, I realized that the computer programs I use are the ones the district allows. I have never researched if these programs/sites are research based. I just assumed the district would only support researched based websites. My students use technology at the basic level. Therefore, they do not communicate with one another, create multi-media projects, or use peripheral devices. Even though we have the minimal technology tools, we are still expected to use what we have in our classrooms. A common practice amongst my team members is the United Streaming website. Often times, we will reinforce a lesson with an educational video. Our plan for technology is the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). However, our technology teacher usually handles these by teaching specific skills each week as we reinforce them in the classroom. There are so many technology tools available, but the ones that are specific to my field are kid friendly websites such as Starfall. Our technology instructor sends emails with links for the teachers to use to enhance their teaching. The eithical/ legal standards and fundamentals of technology are taught in the upper grades, but not at our level. Teachers in our district, often times, have to figure computer programs out on their own. Therefore, this requires us to lean on one another for support to learn from each other. Best practices and innovative programs are few and far between where I work. I have worked in districts that are on the up and up. I myself learned so much during my time in these districts. Our district is about 10 years behind other cutting edge districts. It really makes me sad. Although, I am not the most technology savvy person, I like having it available to learn and grow as an educator. I am able to use word processing, email, power point, and am able to do web searches, but need more knowledge in making spreadsheets, data analysis programs, multimedia tools, and graphic peripherals. Technology is an important part of our world today and our students need to understand this concept. Therefore, I try to use it as much as possible in my classroom. We use the computers and video streaming on a daily/weekly basis. The Lamar University program has provided me opportunities to step out of my comfort zone and learn how to use technology in a different way. Before I started my courses, I was a little nervous about the online setup and how it would work for me. It has been a pleasant surprise and I have learned a tremendous amount of knoweldge about the courses and technology. I have enjoyed communicating and collaborating with my peers while expanding my professional growth.
In our district the teachers only have adequate to non-existent access to the technology items listed on the T37 chart. When asked about outside access, I have excellent access at my home, but none of my tools are school property. The same goes for our students. If they have access to a computer and the internet, they can log on to the school/district website or teacher websites. Any of the computer programs used at school are not avialable to the students at home. This is particularly true for students with a low socio-economic status and racially or ethinically disadvantaged. These families are struggling to put food on the table that the computer and internet are not on the priority list. I have heard of districts donating old computers to low income families, but I have not heard of my school district doing this. As far as the other schools are concerned, I believe they have the same access to particular programs and equipment as we do. We are all expected to incoporate 21st century skills into our lessons. However, a lot of this goes on in the computer lab with the computer teacher. I believe teachers would be excited to use and implement new programs if they were avialable and support was provided. This year our district implemented an online lesson plan format that allows us to share plans and view them at any time. It was a rough start to learning how to use these programs, but we have all figured it out and can use it effectively. We are expected to use technology, but there is no reward or stipends for doing anything extra. Technology has opened huge doors for the world of communication. Schools and teachers need to jump on board and learn what they can to enhance the technology available to them. In order to do this, teachers need to be provided time to collaborate with one another and the technology specialist. Overall, these surveys provided me with the information I need to know to look into the future and begin to learn more, ask questions, and approach technology with bravery!