Reflections of the Technology Link – Week 5

Technological Reflections

As I began to reflect on the learning opportunities that were made available to me and my classmates at the beginning of this course, I started to prioritize my learning on what my instructors believed to be the most critical learning objectives. The main thread of learning that I was able to glean from this course addressed the question, "what do students need to learn, and how can technology promote those learning goals"? You see, I am not much on answers, I like questions! That is how I promote learning in my classroom, with my athletes, and others in my area of influence. I truly believe that it is more important to have the knowledge and intellect to ask more knowledgeable and intellectual questions than it is to get an answer to a specific question. To ask questions is to challenge the status quo. Technology does this for the kids that can't dominate a classroom discussion but can challenge those great classroom orators with a debilitating question! A great question is the great equalizer in learning as far as I am concerned. But in order to get our campus to this point, I have learned that a plan must be in place. A plan that is data-driven, well thought out and a plan that serves all the students with a long-term approach at learner-centered instruction.

As I mentioned, the educational goals for the students should be determined prior to purchasing technology or teachers participate in their first professional development session. To answer these questions, the school should convene a technology planning team comprised of administrators, teachers, other instructional staff, technology coordinators, students, parents, and representatives of the community. This team first develops a clear set of goals, expectations, and criteria for student learning based on national and state standards, the student population, and community concerns. Next, it should determine the types of technology that will best support efforts to meet those goals. The opinions and viewpoints of parents and community members will be very helpful in presenting a broad-based perspective of skills that students need to succeed after they leave the school environment. This course taught me that rather than using technology for technology's sake, the planning team will ensure that particular educational objectives are achieved more efficiently, in more depth, and with more flexibility through the use of technology on our campus and thus, a technology plan. Next, the planning team develops a vision of how technology can improve teaching and learning. Without the development of a vision, lasting school improvement in my opinion is unobtainable. The school's vision of learning through technology also must emphasizes the importance of all students having equitable access and use of technology—females, special-needs students, minority students, disadvantaged students, students at risk of educational failure, rural and inner-city students. All students need opportunities to use technology in meaningful ways that assist all of our students to develop higher-order thinking skills. Asking questions!!

After the educational goals and vision of learning through technology have been determined, it is important to provide professional development to teachers to help them choose the most appropriate technologies and instructional strategies to meet these goals. Students cannot be expected to benefit from technology if their teachers are neither familiar nor comfortable with it. Teachers need to be supported in their efforts to use technology.

Ongoing professional development is necessary to help teachers learn not only how to use new technology but also how to provide meaningful instruction and activities using technology in the classroom. "Teachers must be offered training in using computers," notes, "but their training must go beyond that to the instructional strategies needed to infuse technological skills into the learning process." In successful projects, teachers are provided with ongoing professional development on practical applications of technology.

Teachers cannot be expected to learn how to use educational technology in their teaching after a one-time workshop. Teachers need in-depth, sustained assistance not only in the use of the technology but in their efforts to integrate technology into the curriculum. This time spent ensuring that teachers are using technology to enrich their students' learning experiences is an important piece in determining the value of technology to their students.

Increased use of technology in the school requires a robust technical infrastructure and adequate technical support. If teachers are working with a technology infrastructure that realistically cannot support the work they are trying to do, they will become frustrated. School districts have a responsibility to create not only nominal access to computers and electronic networks but access that is robust enough to support the kinds of use that can make a real difference in the classroom. Teachers also must have access to on-site technical support personnel who are responsible for troubleshooting and assistance after the technology and lessons are in place.

When we as educators and planners use the accumulated knowledge that concerns the circumstances under which technology supports student achievement, we will be able to make informed choices about what technologies will best meet the particular needs of our campus. We also will be able to ensure that teachers, parents, students, and community members understand what role technology is playing in a school or district and how its impact is being evaluated. Finally, we will be able to justify the investments made in technology for our students.


We were asked to explore blogs, wikis, a lot of open-source opportunities during this course and I can say that I have really enjoyed the blogging the most. Blogging has already proven a valuable asset in my classroom as my students have been introduced to the educational value of blogging in a safe manner. My Business class has for their final exam this semester a PowerPoint that is uploaded to a blog that they have had to develop along with each classmate required to comment on each classmate's blog. This class has had an immense educational impact on the manner in which I conduct business with my students. As note by Richardson in the week 3 reading "Blog Revolution", "I've learned more in my four-plus years as a blogger than I have in all my years of formal education" (Richardson, 2005). However, blogging has to be done in a safe and secure manner. Students that blog at random, may give cyber-predators access to their personal information. Nevertheless, there is risk involved with anything and if we as educators to a good job of informing our students about the risks involved and be a proactive part of their blogging experience, blogging can become an invaluable learning experience for our students.


With the technology and learning experiences that we have been exposed to during this class, one would expect to be able to charge to school and pull out the technological "magic wand" and shazzam, touch our students and create learning wizards but unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. There may be expectations that technology will solve all the school's problems with student learning and achievement but to be effective, I believe that technology must be used to promote new learning goals and teaching strategies that are student-centered, collaborative, engaging, authentic, self-directed, and based on development of higher-order thinking skills. I appreciate all of the thought and considerations that Dr. Abernathy and her staff has put into the development and delivery of this course and there is no doubt in my mind that it will create greater learning opportunities not only for my students but for me as well.

Action Plan for Professional Development

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN

"School improvement happens when a school develops a professional learning community that focuses on student work and changes teaching…In order to do that, you need certain kinds of skills, capacities, and relationships. Those are what professional development can contribute to…Any school that is trying to improve has to think of professional development as a cornerstone strategy." Fullan, Michael (1999)

     As called for in the National Education Technology Standards for Students (2007), an integrated program prepares students to learn effectively and live productively. According to the NETS*S, a complete program focuses on six areas: Source: National Educational Technology Standards Project of the International Society for Technology in Education. http://cnets.iste.org/index.html.

1. Creativity and Innovation
   
2. Communication & Collaboration
   
3. Research & Informational Fluency
   
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision-Making
   
5. Digital Citizenship
   
6. Technology Operations & Concepts.
   

    As we attempt to evaluate our professional development training, I believe educators must have a larger plan or idea of what we want our students to remember. To this end, our campus professional development agendas should exemplify true learning. These plans or ideas or known to me as "Enduring Understanding" or, in other words, "what are the big ideas that I want my students to remember after they have forgotten many of the details we have introduced into the classroom"? 
     
     Generally speaking, there should be at least one or two big ideas about each facet of the development. Otherwise, they aren't big ideas anymore. Teachers attending professional development at my campus will understand that… above all curriculum specific design, collegial mentoring and leadership can create and strengthen standards-based proficiencies in the classroom and technology could lead the way to the overall literacy and resulting higher test scores for the students and henceforth, the campus. Since the professional development results of the TEXAS STaR Chart highlighted the technological improvement required by the staff, I will endeavor to incorporate the learner-centered staff development criteria as it pertains to Microsoft Office 2007 into my staff training session by ensuring that the following points are addressed.


What are the "Big Ideas" or questions that will frame the instruction and learning that occur in our professional development agenda? 

• Will we ensure that the "Big Ideas" or questions are of a higher level than a regular teaching question that routinely asks for a display of knowledge?
  
• 
  
  
  
  We will want teachers to think about student friendly language; for example, "To what extent, or in what ways……."
  
  
  • Might teachers purposefully design compelling learning environments, experiences, and materials that involve the integration of technology?
    
  • Might teachers apply successful technology pedagogy to their work of classroom leadership?
    
  • Might mentoring differ from other forms of teaching and learning?
    
  • Will or should these new revelations in learning cause a paradigm shift in the way I approach learning in my classroom and will I embrace or refuse the shift? If so, will it meet the different needs of my students? "DECISION POINT"!
    
  • Might mentoring be used as a tool for initiating, implementing, and sustaining change?
    
  • Might effective mentors build shared campus cultures of learning?
    
  • Might emerging technologies be used to facilitate mentoring, leadership, change, and the development of technology-based curricular proficiencies as they apply to literacy in all areas of our curriculum?
    
  
  
  
  
• The content of professional development focuses on what students are to learn in the classroom and how to address the different problems they may have in learning the new technology concepts.
  
• I will ensure through the use of approved guidelines and TEKS that the Professional development is based on analyses of the differences between (a) the expectations of actual student performance and the (b) goals and standards for student learning.
  
• During this staff training I will involve teachers in identifying what they need to learn and in developing the learning experiences and lesson plans in which they will be involved in building for the first week of class.
  
• I will ensure that the staff training is school-based and built into the day-to-day work of teaching.
  
• The professional development will be organized around collaborative problem solving as it pertains to Microsoft Office 2007.
  
• I will endeavor to design the Professional development session in a manner that will be continuous and ongoing, involving follow-up and support from the Superintendent through the faculty and staff to promote further learning – including support from sources external (Microsoft.com) to the school that can provide necessary resources and new perspectives.
  
• The scheduled Professional development training will incorporate evaluation of multiple sources of information on (a) outcomes for students and (b) the instruction and other processes involved in implementing lessons learned through professional development.
  
• The Professional development will provide opportunities to understand the theory underlying the knowledge and skills being learned as well as integrating the new software technology within the classroom of each staff member's specific curriculum requirements as aligned with the TEKS.
  
• The Professional development will be connected to a comprehensive change process focused on improving student learning and a productive and efficient use of new software.
  

KNOWLEDGE (What faculty needs to know)
Category of Training	Topics To Be Addressed	Objectives
Approaches & Methods	The National Standards provide us with guidance to ensure that students receive a "balanced" diet of instruction" that will lead to healthy language use. Just as a steady diet of only one food leads to malnutrition, reliance on a single approach or method is likely to result in a menu of technology education that does not provide sufficient "nourishment" for students. The "Highly Qualified" teachers of our district will draw upon a wide repertoire of pedagogical approaches and instructional strategies to support student learning, including: Communicative approach Cooperative Learning Problem/project-based learning Technology-based activities Thematic and curricular-specific planning Effective teachers adjust their instruction based on the needs, interests, and proficiency levels of their students.	Teachers will be able to identify approaches used by our instructors in modeling the lessons during professional development activities. Teachers will be able to develop instructional materials congruent with the National Standards and the TEXAS Essential Knowledge and Skills. Teachers will be able to identify a variety of instructional approaches that are differentiated and designed to meet the diverse learner needs of their classrooms.
Curriculum & Lesson Design	Creating standards-based, articulated lesson-plans integrating technology and specifically Microsoft Office 2007 in addition to new and emerging technology tools. Effectively communicating our Campus Technology Plan with all campus stakeholders.	Teachers should be able to use technology to develop instructional materials congruent with State and National Standards. Teachers should be able to align classroom instruction utilizing differentiated instruction. Teaches will be able to assess student proficiency using a variety of assessment tools and techniques.
Instructional Planning and Strategies	Instructional Strategies Classroom Techniques Mentoring strategies Interaction with interdepartmental staff and technology personnel. Learning Styles How learning styles can inform instructors and affect instruction delivery. Diverse Learners Meeting the needs of all learners in the appropriate manner. Using IEP's to assist differentiated instruction. Lesson Planning Developing planning templates and processes specific to each curricular area using new and emerging technologies. Classroom Management Strategies to create an interactive classroom, including grouping and pairing students, creating learning centers.	Teachers will be able to engage in professional conversation with colleagues about core-specific instructional strategies. Teachers will be able to identify a menu of instructional approaches to differentiate learning requirements and be able to justify chosen approaches based on learner/situational needs utilizing technology as necessary.
Assessment	Purpose and perspectives of assessments. Assessing students, Assessing ourselves as teachers. Assessing the assessment process and the product used for assessment.	Through the use of existing technology as referred to in the most recent results of our campus TEXAS STaR Chart; Teachers will be able to identify and select a variety of assessment tools and strategies that will allow teachers to…. Create instructional materials that will contextualize grammar concepts and …. Connect structure and proficiency, using effective strategies for teaching grammar (pedagogical grammar) including general comprehension techniques.
Technology	Technology used for personal and professional productivity. Specifically, Microsoft Office Professional 2007 as well as other identified new and emerging technologies. Technology used for/addressing curriculum specific classroom needs. Technology used for faculty and staff networking.	Teachers will use various technology applications while creating and implementing curriculum specific instructional materials. Teachers will use required available technology applications and software in order to network with their colleagues.
Reflective Practice and Leadership	Self-reflection and standards-based (TEKS) checklists to prompt thinking about teaching and learning with technology in particular.	Teachers will complete self-evaluations and checklists about their instructional practices. Teachers will use technology to reflect and share with other teachers.
Pathways to Certification	Certification requirements addressing state and national requirements for appropriate technology certifications.	Teachers will use existing technology to locate certification requirements and information specific to technology applications. Teachers will obtain a better understanding of the instructional technologist's qualifications to assist in their classrooms as well as become more proficient at using existing technologies in their own classrooms. Opportunities for teachers to obtain MCAS, ICS, and/or MOS certifications to enhance technological and experiential expertise.

 

Introduction

     Using the template above, the identified professional development instructors will develop and use online surveys through our district and campus website to address the above listed points as a beginning for developing a professional development program that addresses and supports on-going campus requirements for our administration, faculty and students. These surveys will attempt to gather data from all personnel and specifically, teachers concerning teachers perceptions, educational philosophy and change averseness (propensity to apply technology in an innovative and creative manner) to name a few. At any rate, the process of forward thinking and vision for our students will be highlighted and held in very high regard as we embody the technological change that is coming whether we as a campus embrace it or not.

Our professional development program should be designed to take advantage of our the current program that emphasizes a "High Yield Performance Program". Specifically, Plan, Do, Study, Act. In using a pre-existing program, opportunity exists for teachers to utilize and build upon an existing knowledge base without expectations for learning new technology that may or may not be relevant for their curricula. 

Professional Development – Stage 1

Convocation area: One half day of In-Service Training prior to beginning of new school year

Campus wide – Principal (Instructional leader)

1. • Addresses current AEIS, AYP, and TEXAS STaR Chart results, purpose, and campus implications.
     
   • Explains the agenda for the training day.
     
   • Asst. Principals address specific areas of training and designate areas of learning based on teaching area (departmental teachers remain together as a group as they travel to the various training areas).

   •   1 hour training segments addressing technology integration:
   • Implementing appropriate components of Microsoft Office 2007 into content specific models of lessons for each specific department.
     
   • Introducing the teacher tutorials for the specific software areas of interest for the teachers.
     
   • Blogging – using school-wires as tool for reflection, advocacy, and community building.
     
   • RSS - as a tool for aggregating information across a variety of sources.
     
   • Introduce Podcasting and its' educational usage in general.
     
   • Skype - as a tool for developing oral proficiency in both the interpersonal and interpretive modes to address the literacy and comprehension issues noted in the campus AEIS results.
     
   • Web 2.0 applications - as tools for developing activities.
     
   • Wikis – tools for collaborative learning.
     
   • Areas of training are designed to introduce through lesson models, the technology available through the technology infrastructure of our district and campus.
     

2. 
   
   LUNCH
   
   
   • Return to Convocation area for follow-up on day-1 training to this point and set expectations for the remainder of the day's training, field follow-up questions concerning the day's training activities, and break out and begin exploring in collaborative work groups (probably departmental, as this would allow specific areas of exploration to occur) the learning and new technology introduced in today's training.
   
   Professional Development Stage 2
   
   
   Day 2 will begin exactly as did Day 1 with the exception of the training agenda for the day.
   
   
   

• Today we must ask the teachers what evidence will show that teacher participants understand and can perform? Especially, after a half-day of dedicated practice time the previous day.
• Have the teachers been able to design quizzes, reflective or learning journals for their classrooms (hopefully digital), work samples of lesson plans, curriculum guides, etc. If not why?
  
  
  • Have the teachers experimented with blogs and commenting on one another's blogs?
  
  

1. Assessment of Training using "CAN DO" statements.
   
   
   • I can design instructional activities that address interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. (Word, Excel, PowerPoint in no specific order)
     
   • I can incorporate authentic materials into standards-based instructional lessons for students.
     
   • I can implement differentiated learning through the use of technology.
     
   • I can assess my student's learning in a variety of ways.
     
   • I can use technology for personal and professional productivity.
     
   • I can use mentoring strategies to ass and discuss professional practice with my fellow-teachers.
     
   • I can be an advocate of integrating technology across the curriculum.
     
   • After break-out sessions have been afforded to all departments each area must then address the above mentioned "CAN DO" points and collaborate on deficient areas and report back to the responsible administrator with a "deficiency plan" and a plan of corrective action with expected results. This activity should be given the full day of attention with this plan due in rough-draft form the following and last day of professional development. 
    
   Professional Development Stage 3  
   Day 3 begins with Convocation by the Principal and focus is placed upon the necessity of the previous two days of training and its infusion into the classroom. In accordance with the Campus Improvement Plan and the District Technology Plan, teachers will utilize available technology to the fullest extent possible. 
   

• Monitoring of the professional development training will be assessed using the current PDAS, and CIP processes and plan in addition to relevant TAKS scores as delineated by the AEIS and AYP reports. All data will be analyzed to determine the benefits, effectiveness, and adjustments to training that will be required for continued professional development training.

• The Principal will address the relevance in comparability of data and training as being extremely crucial as we ramp-up the training in the areas of technology to address deficient areas of student learning. As important to address with training is funding and results. As funding flattens and learning issues and requirements increase, ROI (return on investment) of a dollar spent per student will mandate whether or not a campus continues to embrace change or retreat into the old shell of "status quo".
  
  CONCLUSION 
  
  
  
  
  • The Principal will emphasize the use of technology and the expectations from each area of the campus.
  • The Principal will emphasize the ongoing support for technology training through peer-mentoring and the district's one instructional technologist.
  • The Principal will maximize this support through effective policy, teacher input into policy and usage, along with student input and support for a total collaborative campus.  
   
  
  

     Let us not be fooled into believing that all teacher or administrators for that matter has bought in to technology as a learning tool but those that don't will see their days numbered in education. The kids are just too important for traditional strongholds of learning to exist in a fast-paced society. The attainment of the above mentioned training rubric and goals will require the efforts of the students, teachers, campus administration, district administration along with the support of the community. This professional development action plan will strive to build on the successes that our district has experienced during the past five years. This plan will strive to build upon the strengths of the campus in a way that facilitates preparing today's students for tomorrow's technology.
     Hopefully, we are preparing our students to enter the workplace of the 21^st century with higher order thinking skills which will be essential for their success. Technology in accordance with our campus improvement plan and district technology plan will not be a curriculum but an integrated part of the learning environment. This plan in concurrence with staff and faculty training will serve as a roadmap that will enable our campus to continue to travel towards the overall goal of creating an educational environment in which technology is an integral part of both learning and teaching.

How Do We Give Our All?

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

The question is very important and hard to answer. How do we give our all? We challenge our athletes to leave it all on the field. Not to hold anything back. Is it any different when we approach our Christian life? How do we surrender our all without holding back?

We come to periods in our lives when only God can bring about change. With each person it is a different place or point. Sometimes it comes from tragedy or a crisis, for others it is the emptiness in their life they seek to fill, and certain people have  the undeniable sense they should change their life. Changes in our lives can be disturbing but necessary in our DESTINY.

Choices that we make affect our DESTINY. For all believers there comes a point where we must choose God's will over our wishes. God give us the freedom of choice and we make the decisions each day that affect others. Other people make decisions or choices that affect our lives. Only when we choose to deny our self and seek Christ will we know the abundant life promised in our DESTINY.

Mistakes are made, compromises happen, and we all have sinned. The wages of sin as we know is death. We are separated from God's love when we sin. We become separated from family and friends through sin. But God allows us mercy and deliverance from sin. We will not experience our DESTINY until we depend totally on the power of Christ to cleanse and separate ourselves from sin in our lives.

God has s DESTINY for ALL of His children. To find that perfect peace and place is not easy. We first must surrender everything. Yes ALL. Is that easy? No, but it is not supposed to be.

Once we allow God to lead us, we find our journey will be directed not manipulated. Once we seek more of Him and less of ourselves we come into new dimensions of the spirit. We recognize not just what God is doing but what it takes from us to live in the fulness of our DESTINY.

God wants more from us than just saying we are Christians. Our works and areas of service are by-products of our salvation. They become the evidence of our witness. Our daily actions speak volumes of our relationships and the point of our surrender. God has a perfect DESTINY for each one of us but we must surrender all.

When we choose to deny our fleshly desires and obey God's word, when we learn to say no to sin and yes to service, we begin our journey to complete surrender. When Christ lives in us by faith we can surrender all. We will not be able to live in our DESTINY until we daily deny ourselves and follow Christ.

Matthew 16: 24-25
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

JHS IS GETTIN IT DONE!

Learning for the 21st Century requires new skils, new tools, new online assessments, new knowledge, and new opportunities for when, where, and how learning takes place. At JHS, innovation and creativity are just a sample of the methods we use in leading our students down those Learning Pathways to the Future.

Texas Star Chart

View more presentations from Bill Posey.

Infrastructure for Technology-The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020-An Opinion

A technology infrastructure for Texas schools is defined as having the ability to access high-speed connectivity among schools, colleges, medical facilities, libraries, businesses, and homes and will be equipped with an appropriate amount of digital tools and resources that would satisfy the educational needs for all learners. All Texas school districts must have a technology infrastructure that is safe and secure, flexible, scalable, and reliable. This infrastructure will provide easy access to tools that will allow students and teachers to access online information and materials, do collaborative work and share resources. A strong sense of community will be created with this technology framework that is conducive to a multitude of projects and should enhance learning beyond the normal classroom environment. The human resource area will be staffed with an appropriate number of skilled individuals that will be available to ensure the reliability of the technical environment and support the effective uses of technology in instruction and curriculum delivery. In my opinion, the technological infrastructure of a campus and or district is the critical element of support for all four areas of this plan: teaching and learning; educator preparation and development; leadership, administration and instructional support; and infrastructure for technology.

As computers and technology converge and are added to a school district, the investment has to include an increased number of technicians to maintain and service the equipment and software such as the servers, routers, switches, firewalls, storage, backups and recovery, e-mail, spam and content filtering, web hosting, wired and wireless connectivity infrastructure, security, telecommunications and Internet access, updates and upgrades, Intranet services, and more. In addition, the expanded use of the networks by students, teachers, administrators, and parents for digital data casting, video-streaming, teleconferencing, distance learning, 24/7 access, online student and district records, communications with parents, and much more require that districts provide sophisticated district-level staff to provide technical as well as instructional support. Infrastructure and related technical support is essential to sustainable immersion of technology in schools and should be provided for as "dedicated" funding in both state and local technology budgets. A dedicated infrastructure and related technical support allotment of $35 per student as noted by the State of Texas and is needed to provide these essential functions.

The data examined does exemplify the fact that my school district in every instance (with the exception of 2008-2009, as no state or national data was available) has exceeded expectations that the state and national education oversight authorities have set for our schools. The data trends logically and parallels the funding available to the students from local, state, and national sources. Even though the score to target decreased in the past year the drop is still a positive one; if there is such a thing as retreat to win. The drop simply underscores the high level of stewardship my district has placed on prudent planning all-the-while meeting district and campus expectations as academic scores increased from TEA Acceptable in years 2005-2007, to TEA Recognized status in 2007-2008. Even though our Technology Infrastructure scores decreased for the past year, they still outstripped state and national averages based upon the trending of the previous three years.

For my school as well as the state and national education communities to continue a positive trend regarding the technology infrastructure in my opinion, will require a frugal as well as academically demanding mindset from our leaders at all levels that addresses new and emerging technology. In other words, we must do more with the resources we have at our campuses absent future budget allocations to technology. In that respect, I would recommend that our school leaders initiate now a creative as well as innovative funding plan for this is the critical component for future technology advancements.

A Summary of the Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS

     The learning experiences of the preschool years provide a foundation that guides children academically, socially, and emotionally. These experiences can influence the rest of a child's life. Children's learning and intellectual growth are affected by the specific experiences (e.g., instruction, guidance) they have in a preschool classroom.
     Informed efforts by families and teachers to build on children's motivation to learn play a critically important role in providing children with the proper foundations for school success. The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines offer detailed descriptions of expected behaviors across multiple skill domains that should be observed in 4‐ to 5‐year‐old children by the end of their prekindergarten experience. The guidelines are developed to be useful to a broad audience including school districts, Head Start programs, child care and most importantly by children's families. The guidelines also offer suggestions on ways to deliver developmentally appropriate experiences for the learning needs of all children to help ensure an effective, efficient prekindergarten year. The guidelines also provide information on responsive teaching practices, the physical arrangement of a prekindergarten classroom, professional development as the key to high‐quality preschool programs, the involvement of families for better readiness of children for school, and methods of monitoring children's progress. Specific attention is given to a discussion of the importance of adopting a developmental approach in order to effectively promote school readiness for 3‐ and 4‐year‐old children. The guidelines can and should be used to support learning in a broad range of skills for children who are English language learners (ELL), including those children receiving instruction in their home language. A discussion of how this can be done successfully and instructional strategies to consider are included. When planning for the education of children with special needs, use of the guidelines is described in relation to the many considerations that need to be taken into account for special needs children's successful inclusion in the classroom. Together these discussions should provide a comprehensive framework for effective use of the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines.
     Research confirms the value of early education for young children. Prekindergarten programs that support effective teaching practices and opportunities for child discovery through play have been shown to lead to significant growth in children's intellectual and social development, both of which are critical to their future academic success. Quality programs provide challenging but achievable curriculum which actively engage children in thinking, reasoning, and communicating with others. With teacher direction and guidance, children respond to the challenge and acquire important skills and concepts.
     The purpose of this document is to help educators make informed decisions about curriculum content for prekindergarten children. The guidelines are based on current knowledge of theory and scientific research about how children develop and learn; they reflect the growing consensus among early childhood professional organizations that a greater emphasis be placed on young children's conceptual learning, acquisition of basic skills and participation in meaningful, relevant learning experiences. The guidelines delineate the behaviors and skills that children are to exhibit and achieve, as well as instructional strategies for the teachers. Finally, the guidelines provide a means to align prekindergarten programs with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
     The guidelines describe specific outcomes for prekindergarten children in each domain skill area. The intent of this organizational design is to ensure that all 4‐year‐old children have the opportunity to strive toward these outcomes. Due to age differences and previous experiences, however, children will have a great range of prior knowledge. Some children, regardless of their age level, will be at the beginning of the learning continuum, while others will be further along. Children with disabilities may need accommodations and modifications of the guidelines in order to benefit from them.
     Under Texas Education Code §28.005, the state's policy is to ensure the mastery of English by all students, specifically in situations in which Bilingual instruction is necessary to ensure students' reasonable proficiency in the English language and ability to achieve academic success. Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 89 further emphasizes the goal of Bilingual education programs to enable limited English proficient students to become competent in the [understanding], speaking, reading, and [writing] of the English language by developing literacy and academic skills in the primary language and English. Such programs shall emphasize the mastery of English language skills, as well as mathematics, science and social studies, as integral parts of the academic goals for all students to enable limited English proficient students to participate equitably in school. Children who speak a language other than English at home come to school with varying degrees of bilingualism and at least some level of proficiency in two different languages. The student's home language should serve as the foundation for second language acquisition, as cognitive skills transfer from one language to another. Children who are English Language Learners (ELL) should receive instruction in a manner they can understand and that is commensurate with their proficiency level in English. Children's current strengths and skills should serve as the starting point for new experiences and instruction rather than become a limitation. To use these guidelines to the best advantage and to extend the learning of skills and concepts, teachers must build on children's existing competencies.
     These guidelines are designed as a resource to help teachers define and implement a comprehensive curriculum. Such a curriculum helps to build connections between subject matter disciplines by organizing the large amounts of information children must learn into a set of meaningful concepts. Using concepts from the guidelines, teachers can work across subject matter to provide many opportunities for children to achieve knowledge and skills. The guidelines are organized to provide descriptions of children's behavior and development at the beginning of the prekindergarten year. These descriptions are based on an average child in this age range. Of course, it is well understood that not all children show this level of development when they enter the 4‐year‐old prekindergarten year. Also, the guidelines describe development and learning for 4‐year old children. As there are many 3‐year‐old children in prekindergarten programs, these children will not be expected to reach these outcomes for two years. Finally, descriptions of children's skills at the beginning of the 4‐year‐old program are not included for several domains (science, social studies, fine arts and technology) as there is not an adequate research base to guide these descriptions.
     My Bible tells me that, "you raise up a child in the way the they should go when they are young and when they become older, they won't depart from those ways". If we know that a consistent and integrated curriculum based on well researched standards prepare our students for future success, why would we not want to prepare our little ones to enter the instructional mindset of our schools? Since the learning experiences of the pre-school years provide a foundation that guides children academically, socially, and emotionally, the experiences that influence the rest of a child's life should be protected as well as directed according to our state-based standards. Children's learning and intellectual growth are affected by the specific experiences (e.g., instruction, guidance) they have in a preschool classroom and the interactions with their teachers.
     In defining a spiral curriculum, I would have to say that this curriculum must begin with the assumption that children are not always ready to learn something. In my opinion, the child's readiness to learn is at the core of a spiral curriculum. The concept of the spiral curriculum is the fact that this curriculum model is dynamic in nature and its framework is not linear or static. In addition, instead of focusing for relatively long periods of time on some narrow topic, a spiral curriculum tries to expose students to a wide variety of ideas over and over. A spiral curriculum, by moving in a circular pattern from topic to topic within a field like, say, math, tries to catch kids when they first become ready to learn something and pick up the other kids, the ones not ready to learn yet, later - the next time that we spiral or get around to that topic. A spiral curriculum doesn't stay at the same difficulty level as time goes by either, the difficulty increases.
     The Math TEKS is an example of students having multiple opportunities to master knowledge and skills. For example, consider the Texas K-2 TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter111/ch111a.pdf.  Throughout mathematics in Kindergarten-Grade 2, students build a foundation of basic understandings in number, operation, and quantitative reasoning; patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking; geometry and spatial reasoning; measurement; and probability and statistics. Students use numbers in ordering, labeling, and expressing quantities and relationships to solve problems and translate informal language into mathematical language and symbols. Students use objects to create and identify patterns and use those patterns to express relationships, make predictions, and solve problems as they build an understanding of number, operation, shape, and space. Students progress from informal to formal language to describe two- and three-dimensional geometric figures and likenesses in the physical world. Students begin to develop measurement concepts as they identify and compare attributes of objects and situations. Students collect, organize, and display data and use information from graphs to answer questions, make summary statements, and make informal predictions based on their experiences. The 3^rd grade TEKS then builds upon prior knowledge only at a more difficult level and awards opportunities for the students that haven't quite mastered the concepts more opportunity to learn and experience the successes the spiraling curriculum offers throughout their elementary and high school years.
     The neat thing for our students is that if you don't get it when the book says that we cover it, that's ok! Stay with me, we will be coming back to it again, and again, and again, and again, you get the picture don't you? The kids are beginning to get it and they like it!

Week 1 Assignment, Part 3: Key Ideas for the Long-Range Plan for Technology

To discuss in detail every bit of new information I collected regarding The Long Range Plan for Technology in Texas would be a daunting as well as overwhelming and probably scare off most of the followers of the post but nevertheless, in discussing these plans, one would have to look at the overall impact that technology will have on education. To me, that says, "what will all of this effort equate to in terms of our children's future and how will we ensure that our children have the opportunity to obtain 21^st Century technology skills with 20^th Century funding"?

According to research data and practitioners, technology use in the schools of Texas has had a significant positive impact on teaching, student performance, attitudes and behaviors, and on administration. Benefits associated with the use of computer networks, including the Internet, range from enhancing the learning environment; exposing students to a wider array of information; making learning more student-centered; transforming students into engaged and independent learners; improving students' academic performance, including their performance on standardized tests; improving student retention and job placement skills; and preparing students for the future.

In response to changes in legislation, business, industry, and developments in technology, a new plan was adopted by the SBOE in 1996. The Long-Range Plan for Technology, 1996-2010 charts the course for providing all Texas students with access to quality educational opportunities through the use of technology. As education moved into the 21st Century, evolving technology continued to play a critical role in all aspects of society. The LRPT serves as the state's blueprint for putting cost-effective tools into the hands of Texas students, teachers, librarians, and administrators. These tools enable educators to gain the knowledge and skills required for teaching, learning, and working in the 21st Century. This plan clearly establishes technology as an essential priority in ensuring that all Texas schools, regardless of their size, geographic location, or district wealth, have the ability to provide quality educational opportunities.

The fundamental goal of the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 1996-2010, therefore, is to enhance students' acquisition of knowledge through technology. Inherent in this priority goal is the conviction that technology, equitably distributed, plays a critical role in addressing economic and other disparities among students and is an important tool for meeting the needs of students with disabilities. The goal of the LRPT is reflected in four broad areas: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Administration and Support Services, and Infrastructure for Technology. The goals for each of these four areas are:

• Teaching and Learning: The students in the public education system will demonstrate technology proficiencies identified by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and will have access to the technology tools, products, and information that support their acquisition of a quality education.
  
• Educator Preparation: The teachers, librarians, counselors, and other educators in the public education system will demonstrate technology proficiencies identified by the State and will have access to the technology tools, products and information that facilitate their work and support student learning.
  
• Administration and Support Services: The administrators in the public education system will demonstrate technology proficiencies identified by the State. Students, educators, administrators, parents, legislators, and community members will have access to the technology tools, products, and information they need to make decisions, to educate, to plan, and to learn.
  
• Infrastructure for Technology: Technology tools, products and information appropriate for Texas schools will be accessible to the students, teachers, librarians, counselors, and administrators in the public school system via a comprehensive, integrated state technology system for voice, video, and data that is complemented by a human infrastructure of trained individuals who use and support technology.
  

Prioritizing campus goals, objectives and funding will allow me to utilize this new learning to aid in leading my campus into the 21^st Century. As I endeavor to move our campus and in a larger sense school district towards higher learning plateaus we must understand that districts are losing valuable time and efficiency of funds due to a lack of standardization of educational and management software. Many times districts try to integrate data systems or online learning management systems across disparate applications and are either not able to make the integration work or have to invest significant human resources or funds into the project to achieve a solution. If data standards were required, then data from different systems could be shared among all the systems in use, saving significant time and money. Data-driven decision-making warrants the ability to have access to a vast amount of data from a host of various software programs and online resources. Data from online testing should easily integrate into curriculum management programs that allow educators to not only analyze data but also tie that data directly to curriculum planning, management, and individual student's needs and instructional plans. The days of teacher isolation and "doing their own thing" is long gone. We are responsible for our students and the opportunities that each must have to realize their dreams. Let us face facts, Texas must adopt standards to help districts work more effectively and efficiently and we must do it now.

 

Week 1 Assignment, Part 1 A & B: Requisite Technology Skills Assessment

The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/techapp/assess/teksurv.pdf

The following paragraph from the Target Tech in Texas (T3) Collaborative Grant program guidelines document (page 9 of 47) summarizes what policymakers in Texas view as the ideal 21st century classroom environment:

In a 21st Century classroom, students have access to appropriate technology and digital resources for technology integrated curriculum activities on the campus, in the district, at home, or key locations in the community. Teachers seamlessly integrate technology in a student-centered learning environment where technology is used to solve real-world problems in collaboration with business, industry and higher education. Teachers and students apply technology across all subject areas to provide learning opportunities that are not possible without the technology. Teachers create and integrate web-based lessons which include TEKS-based content, resources, learning activities, and interactive communications that support learning objectives throughout the curriculum.

As I observe my tech skills improve daily, I find my refocusing almost weekly in an attempt to make student experiences in technology more relevant to their future. As I reflect upon the four domain areas of the Long Range Plan, I seem to always hover above the idea of "what do my current technology skills do for my students"? I address the ability of my students to acquire information and be able to evaluate and ethically utilize the chosen data in a variety of ways yet there always seem to be a few students that continue the trend of "not getting it".

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) survey has to me, solidified my technology skills and opportunities for my future development in technology. The survey results in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology prioritizes my technology skill set the SETDA includes my skills as a part of the overall school district focus for student learning and the necessary components to accomplish that goal.

As a principal and/or technology leader on my campus, I believe that my weakness fall in the area of administration and planning concerning the district technology plan. However, my overall hands-on knowledge according to the Texas Long Range Plan is 98%. My actual classroom experience regarding technology is greater than the norm and provides a solid foundation for on-target technology and integrated learning experiences for my campus.

As far as surveys are concerned, I always find a survey biased in the area of the survey. It always results in a positive slant to the survey author and leaves the survey responder without the opportunity to respond. No opportunities for "yeah buts" to the survey taker if you want to finish the survey as most districts require. Nevertheless, I do feel as though the surveys were generally accurate in content and expectations and therefore, I agree with the results the surveys emitted.