STaR Chart Presentations

I posted two copies of the slide show. One of them is a perfect copy but it does not allow links to work (which was a requirement) so I posted another one using a different coversion site. The second one's links work but one of the charts did not transfer so I chose to leave both for your viewing pleasure :)

They look best if you click on full screen!

STaR Chart

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STaR Chart

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STaR Chart

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Educator Preparation and Development

Educator Preparation and Development is listed as the second key area on the Texas Campus STaR Chart. This area is composed of the professional development experiences teachers are exposed to, how administrators and other authority figures model the use and importance of technology, and the capabilities of educators. Moreover, it includes elements such as access to professional development, whether or not online learning is used as a source for professional development, the level of educator understanding of technology and the general pattern of use. In general, progress and trends in this area are improving across the board; however this is happening at a slower rate. Overall, in the statewide STaR Chart assessment summary, this key area has the highest amount of schools still being reported as developing. According to the state, this means that most schools are using technology for classroom management and administrative tasks with only some using other online resources. This paints a very bleak picture and illustrates that our students are not going to be as prepared as they need to be if we, as educators, do not rethink our strategies. Technology can be overwhelming and educators can be reluctant to attend technology based professional development sessions. To relieve some of this reluctance I believe it would greatly help to create online "support" groups based on subject where teachers can go to find video how-to tutorials that contain step-by-step instructions on how to use certain technological tools. Furthermore, we need to obtain more support of online blogs where teachers, grouped by subject, can discuss how to incorporate technology into their new and improved digital classroom. If teachers had more professional support across subject areas, I believe they would be less reluctant to use the technology themselves and incorporate it into their lessons.

Pre-K Technology TEKS

The Pre-K Technology TEKS provide the basics a student needs to be able to perform when they enter Kindergarten. These skills include navigating through software with visual and written cues, interacting with the mouse and keyboard, gaining information through the use of technology, uses terminology when appropriate, can insert a CD,and can utilize touch screens and voice recorders.
The Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades by giving them the basic knowledge they will need in order to operate the more advanced software in later grades.
One scaffolding that would provide multiple opportunities to master a knowledge/skill could be accomplished through the I Do, We Do, You Do method. First, the teacher would demonstrate how to master the skill. Then, the students would do it along with the teacher. Finally, the students would be expected to complete the task alone. This scaffolding could be used with any tool such as Wordle, PhotoStory, Webspiration, etc.

Long Range Technology Plan

The Long Range Technology Plan is Texas' tool that provides a shared vision for the implementation of technology. It discusses not only the needs for the plan but also the benfits and challenges which makes it more attainable because it acknowledges that this will not be completed in the blink of an eye. From the plan, I realized that now Texas educator programs are required to provide instruction on how to implement technology successfully in the classroom. Moreover, it is most important that administrators model the importance of technology on the campus and continually work to achieve a shared vision with everyone on campus. As an administrator, I will continually work towards technological literacy among everyone on campus. I plan to place emphasis on attending technology centered professional development.

Technology Assessment Reflection

Completing the three technology assessments, clearly illustrated my areas of technological strengths and weaknesses. My strengths lie mainly with the fact that I am open to what technology can bring to the classroom. I am currently piloting a technology program at my school with the assistance of a technology specialist which I found helped my scores on the assessments because I am aware and have used many of the technology tools available. Comparatively, my weaknesses revolve around using research to make technology decisions. Also, I found that I need to become involved with the behind the scenes if I want to keep my classes on the cutting edge. The technology applications inventory demonstrated that I am more proficient and familiar with the domains of information acquisition, solving problems, and communication than that of foundations. I had to answer no to one third of the questions in the foundations domain reinforcing the need for me to not only master the skill but go back and inquire into the reasons, motivators, and research behind the technological choices that I am making. With regards to the SETDA survey for teachers, I made a few discoveries that surprised me. First, though I use technology all of the time, I found that I do not know the technology vision statement for the district of the school. Additionally, though I have my students interacting with technology, this survey showed me that I do not often assess their proficiency in the skills that I teach. This is something that I definitely want to fix. Finally, I scored myself and school on the rubric for administrative technology use. Using this rubric, I found that I was consistently choosing the level 2 or 3 rating. This is because I often use the technology tools to submit requests, organize information, and increase productivity.