Technology Assessments
Assessing a teacher’s technology leadership and knowledge and skills has many pros and few cons. I think this is an essential key for all districts to really understand where teachers stand and how “technology savvy” they are or aren’t. If the district expects teachers to implement technology, but a teacher has a 0 in almost every score, then obviously something needs to be done. This would give the district and/or state ideas on how to better support their teachers by providing the workshops and training to help them reach their goals on where they want to be technology wise. This is also another way teachers can model to the students. If a teacher is great with technology, he or she feel more comfortable in using it in the classroom and therefore passes that passion and skill down to their student. We should also assess the student’s skill of technology and their perceived needs. Students are assessed in all subject areas and it is an important way for teachers to understand where they are at academically so they can help accommodate all needs. Same goes for if students were assessed on their technology skills. If a student isn’t as technology savvy as a teacher had thought, this gives the teacher an opportunity to reach out and help that student learn and grow in that area. Some cons to both would be lowering a teacher and or student’s self-esteem by showing the results of their technology skills if they were poor. We are assessed in all areas of our life and again, it is a vital and important way for us to see where we as a district stand.
Keller ISD Technology Plan
The Keller ISD Technology Plan has many similar objectives and goals when compared to the National Educational Technology Plan. The KISD Technology Plan believes in teachers collaborating and working together, designing curriculum that integrates technology that is effective and efficient, monitoring and measuring the performance of the technology, and holding not only the students and teachers accountable but also the administrators and other admin. workers for progress every step of the way. It has an overall goal to make technology equitable for all campuses.
The district is involved in many pilot projects that uses technology to check for student engagement. Because of these pilot projects, technology resources are not even across the district due to budget constraints.
The district passed a huge bond package to build Timberview Middle School- a school that was designed and built completely for technology for the students, with very little paper and pencil use, and it supplies various technology resources in each and every classroom.
Keller ISD also is a pilot project for DELL to see if they can become involved with educational institutions.
Due to budget constraints, many of our online software opportunities have been cut and obviously not replaced with any other resources.
KISD was one of the first school districts to have a share point portal for all district information to be posted and for all employees to collaborate information. It is called KConnect.
KISD does not believe that technology is the “end-all” for student engagement, just that it is a vital and necessary tool for the 21st century learner. They still believe that quality instruction is the basis for quality student engagement. They do, however, stress the importance and need for technology and does an outstanding job in providing as much as possible by providing professional developments and professional development strategies.
The STaR chart is an example of how Keller ISD has an ongoing evaluation process. The information collected and displayed is a part of the Keller ISD technology plan which means they use the chart information in developing and monitoring how they are doing technology wise.
National Educational Technology Plan
The NETP discusses all of its objectives and goals on what is expected to be going on in the 21st century classroom via technology. It discusses things such as making internet and technology available in all schools, classrooms and homes of our students. It emphasizes the best practices to engage all students and create an opportunity for all students to learn at their highest potential so they can not only graduate high school, but be successful in the “real world” or college. The plan also talks about implementing this new generation and their needs and transitioning from the old classroom to the “new and improved” classroom. It informs us about the need to collect data and that our lack of is where we need much improvement. Not only should data be collected being implementation what technology is provided in the school, but how it’s being implemented and the success of its use in the classroom and the success the students have by using it. It also stresses the importance of assessment and that we cannot improve anything until it is defined and measured. The last main focus the National Educational Technology Plan stresses is the importance of collaboration. Not only the importance of teachers and employees of the districts collaborating, but the necessity of schools and higher education systems such as universities and/or business executives to work together to generate ideas on how to motivate students and how to generate a technology based learning environment.
I really loved the part where the plan talks about providing internet to all students at home and in the classroom. That would be so terrific if one day we could actually do this. It is vital to the students that they familiarize themselves with technology at a young age so they are prepared for the life after high school and what their future will hold since we all know that it will eventually be even MORE technology. I also liked the idea of having an all online system with 24/7 access to tutorials, tutoring, guidance and information on what they need to practice and learn. This is such a wonderful idea and would be AMAZING if all districts in our state and country could provide these so students have a better opportunity to not fall behind and drop out, etc.
