TX Long Range Plan for Technology: Teaching & Learning Area

We, as educators in a fast growing digital global society, must educate students so that they can perform successfully as adults in this digital world. The Teaching and Learning area of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology requires that all learners have access to technology, digital tools, and resources 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Teachers must teach them how to use information in technology and how to communicate this information to others. Collaboration and problem solving in real world situations must be a part of their learning; it must be student/learner centered. Technology must be used in content area instruction to improve academic success of all students. Teaching them how to communicate in different technological formats to different audiences is a skill that will help them in the real world.

On the national level, progress has been made in this area by the U.S. Department of Education funding research studies to assess the most effective use of technology in teaching and learning. Included in the nation level is the National Science Foundation which supports educational research in teaching technology. At the state and local level funding has been provided for technology in the amount of $10 million dollars for 2008-09 with one million going to TEA and about $450,000 to Education Service Centers to provide training in technology.

Trends in the area of teaching and learning at all levels are focused on all learners using technology to get information, solve problems, and communicate in the 21st Century. Nationally in the No Child Left Behind legislation, all students must be technology literate by eighth grade. The money allocated to the TEA and ESC's will help with technology training in instruction. The trend at the state level is to support the use of Technology Application instructional materials, resources and tools to assist in the full integration of technology in instruction and curriculum. At regional and local levels the trend in teaching and learning lies in the professional development offered to teachers in the area of the TA TEKS, the use of technology, and integrating technology in instruction.

My recommendation for improvement in the teaching and learning area is to provide a full time technology instructional coach and mentor at each campus to support classroom efforts in using technology in curriculum areas. In the Campus Statewide Summary of the 2007-2008 STaR Chart, 69.7% of teachers fell in the "Developing Tech" area. To get to the Advanced Tech and Target Tech are, we need instructional coaches and mentors to assure instruction in technology related to the TA TEKS. Rather than teachers attending a professional development and then being left out in the cold because of no campus support, the campus technology leader can enter classrooms to provide assistance in teaching and learning. I also recommend that we educate parents in the use of technology in the world and how it relates to our teaching technology in the schools. Many parents refuse to sign permission slips at the beginning of the year allowing their child access to the web. Teachers must educate parents on the TA TEKS in relations to the Long Range Plan for Technology.