Reflection on the 7 pm Web Conference

I participated in the web conference on March 28th at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Abernathy was very helpful in providing information on all things that were important to her students. We discusseed TK20 and all the benefits of it. Should also provided us with imformation on the Ild Class, when to take it, and how to take it. The problems I had were at times it sounded like there was a small child in the background yelling. Someone's microphone was on as well and you could hear them typing over Dr. Abernathy. The information was very useful however and I would certainly participate in one again.

Action Plan

Powerpoint Presentation

This power point would be used for a professional development on how are school is doing on the STaR chart. What is the STaR chart and how we can increase our proficiency.

Progress Report Posting #2

The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology progress report complies all the data from the STaR charts into a report, offers conclusions on programs that support technology in the classroom, and other distance learning programs. In the report in talks about the advances in distance learning through a program called Texas Virtual School which is powered by Region 10 to give all students in the state access to quality academics. Ongoing researched based professional development is a crucial piece in transforming our educational system for 21^st century learning. This is in place and being used in a number of schools by teachers across Texas. Texas supports Vision 2020 technology advancement in the classroom by offering numerous grants for technology enhancements along with teacher training. Our school is one of main schools and districts that have grown through this program. Are ability to reach kids through alpha smart writing, Mobi interactive notepads, projectors, and computers is amazing. NCLB mandates that all Texas 8^th graders be technologically literate by the end of that school year. In 2009, data indicates that 61.5% of Texas 8^th graders mastered the Technology TEKS while nationwide 62.9% reached mastery. One area that Texas does need to improve on is providing technology support to disadvantaged students. Seeing the progress in recent years could give false hope. With our state and nation in a massive economic recession, How do we continue to spend as district’s to advance our technology when we our increase class sizes and on hiring freezes? Our political leaders, governor, and teacher associations need to stand up for the rights of our students to be competitive in the 21^st century. We can not get there without the appropriate funding

National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology; posting #3

The National Technology Plan 2010 was drafted in March by the Office of Educational Technology/US Department of Education. Under the new Obama administration, education has become priority driven with two specific goals. Having student’s graduate from college and for them to be prepared to be competitive in our global society. This plan was put forth and calls for a revolutionary transformation of the American Education System. As we stand now only 39% of our population holds a college degree and by centering our educational system on a 21^st Century model of learning powered by technology. Readjusting our model of teaching from a sit and get old style, to a more collaborative classroom was step one, now we need to collaborate with people who are from different economic and social backgrounds. Asking all stakeholders to think how, when and where learning will take place will start our students thinking more globally. Bringing technology to all students regardless of background or socio-economic status is priority number one. 21^st century learning mandates better ways to assess and determine what matters and how to improve student performance. We need to build capacity in teaching by educating ourselves and educational preparatory programs on the scope of teaching to include teams of connected resources. Our teachers will need the tools to become experts in providing instruction that is assessable 24/7/365. As our student’s homes and lives become more technological advanced we need schools to look the same ways. The infrastructure of technology necessary to provide this type of learning and access to information is a critical component and will require much effort and funding by the districts and states and nation. Our main goal as 21^st Century society for learning challenges educators to create students who are knowledgeable, ethical, and able to participate in a global economy.

A sense of urgency is expressed through out this document and rightly so. As we reach tough times with a lack of funding to even support a number of teachers in the classroom we are not offering students and teachers’ access to the latest advancements in technology the farther behind we fall on an international level. We must prepare out students for success. If we can get this plan into place, it will most definitely transform the 21^st century classroom.

2006-2020: Texas Long Range Plan for Teaching and Learning; Post #1

“The traditional model of schooling with the teacher choosing what is to be learned and then serving as the source of knowledge as the student acts as the receiver of that knowledge is not adequate for 21st Century” ( Long- Range Plan) As educators we are always looking for new ways to integrate technology and keep student’s motivated. Using technology to teach students moves toward a more project oriented learning, which can include more global and diversified learning. With No Child Left Behind putting a national standard on our technology literacy, it is a goal to have all students’ literate in technology by the eighth grade. As we look at our essential knowledge and skills and how they relate to the changing 21^st century, we need to make sure our students are graduating literate and competitive for a global economy.

At our campus we are advanced tech rated for learning and teaching. Our weakest area has always been online learning. Our student’s are still learning through a means of old style teaching. As we move toward our goal of being a international baccalaureate school, we have started to think more globally and I see a trend of improvement. We saw a decrease in two areas between the years of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. These areas were frequency/design of instructional setting and student mastery of technology applications. As a state we are 59.3% in developing tech and less than 1 % reaching target tech in the area of teaching and learning. This is cause for great alarm and let’s me think we need to rethink our curriculum design to give student’s and teachers more creativity. Student’s need projects that help them learn how to research and present their learning on a topic that not only relates to the TEKS, but is also of interest to them. We need more project based instruction and less sit and get for our student’s to be competitive in the future.

As the Seven C’s article stated in our reading learning should be a 24/7/365 task. We need to be supplied as teachers and students to be able to teach and learn with this style. Our teaching and learning needs to be meet standards and caught up with the global society of learning.

2006-2020: Teaching and Learning; Educator Preparation and Development; Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support; or Infrastructure for Technology.

Richardson, W. (2007). The seven Cs of learning: A new c-change in education. District Administration, 43(3), 97.