Teach and Learning with Technology

In the Texas Long range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, the area of Teaching and Learning is focused on having technology in the hands of our students. Texas students come from diverse backgrounds and thru technology we can assist all of them access rich academic information and instruction resources. We can build multiple avenues for students to gain knowledge by increasing our students use of technology in the classroom. Distance education is a way to give our students equal access as well as create more collaboration/ networking opportunities in the learning environment. For the Teaching and Learning plan, students should have access to technologies including digital tools and services for interactive classroom learning. These tools should be used by learners for group collaboration, not restricted to peers on our campus, but collaboration with educators and students anywhere in the world. Technology can facilitate our students in solving real world problems while increasing their ability to communicate effectively to various audiences. On our campus, this is our weakest area. I believe it is due to educators not having enough time to fully incorporate technology in which students are the ones using it. Most of our teachers use technology to support learning mainly in creating visual aids for lecture notes and/or showing educational videos in class. Very few educators have mastered the art of placing the digital tools into the hands of our students- in which the students are facilitating their own learning and interacting with technology for research projects or comprehensive discussions. According to our STaR chart rating of Advanced Technology, as a campus, we are improving in this area mainly due to the fact that our district has been supportive into getting teachers the resources they need. Educators do have many chances to take tech related professional development and our campus even has our own tech specialist on site holding trainings or helping individuals troubleshoot any tech problems that may arise. I recommend more teachers having opportunity to meet and collaborate on how to integrate more student center tech usage in the classroom. Educators need to have time to plan out how to place technology usage into lesson plans and the educators are experience enough to where they are comfortable in using the digital tools- we would be more successful in the Teaching and Learning area of the Texas Long Range Plan.


http://starchart.esc12.net/

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html