EDLD 5352 Course Reflection

As I began this course, The Technology Link, I was hoping to gain greater insight into the role technology will play in education. I also hoped to understand the role of the education administrator in guiding technology integration in schools. In concluding the final week of the course, I feel as though I have gained considerable knowledge in the ways a principal contributes to school technology. Through professional development leadership, attainment of resources, management of technology funds, hiring of technology personnel, and many other means, the principal is a significant part of a district’s technology program.
Many of the mediums we used to complete the course assignments also allowed me to improve my technological capabilities and gain an understanding of the world in which my students interact on a daily basis. I will be the first to admit that I am a “digital immigrant” when compared to my students. The course was beneficial in that it introduced a variety of technologies and also presented the systems approach to managing the use and implementation of these technologies. Therefore, the course materials were beneficial both from a teaching perspective and an administration perspective.
I found that I was quite successful in carrying out course assignments. Most of the directions were very specific and served as a useful guide for successful completion. The only challenge I faced with the completion of the assignments was time management. I feel as though my students could have created the blogs and posted on the discussion forum more quickly than I did. Being unfamiliar with some of these technology tools meant that it took some extra time and effort on my part to complete each week’s assignments. However, I feel as though I learned a lot through this process.
As a result of this course, I learned that although I am able to use technology on a day-to-day basis (e.g., checking e-mail, using software, etc.), there are a lot of technology applications that I am very unfamiliar with. The students I teach have much greater knowledge of technology than I do, and they are much more reliant upon technology. This is going to be the changing face of education. This course served as a wake-up call for where our educational system is headed in terms of technology. If I choose to stay in the education profession, I will need to make great strides in improving my technology capabilities and my knowledge of how technology can be used in to enhance the learning environment.
Blogging is a good example of technology that can be integrated into the curriculum very easily to enhance learning. Through the use of online blogs, students can share their thoughts, opinions and the knowledge gained in school. They can also comment on the thoughts of their classmates and engage in ongoing discussions about course content. While there are many benefits to blogging and implementing blogs into the curriculum, I feel as though there are also some concerns. Students should be guided as to what appropriate behavior looks like on a classroom blog. Information that is posted is public, and should therefore be appropriate for all class members to read.
Blogs could also be a valuable communication tool. Posting announcements and news on a school blog could help keep stakeholders informed of the latest. This would be a quick and convenient way for administrators to make important announcements to the school community. Furthermore, with the comment feature of the blog, administrators could receive instant feedback from stakeholders.

Texas STaR Chart Presentation

Infrastructure for Technology

The Infrastructure for Technology area of the Texas STaR Chart provides teacher assessment of the following: students per classroom computers, Internet connectivity speed, classroom technology, technical support, local area network/wide area network, and distance learning capacity. Basically, this area of the STaR chart provides information on the school's capability to provide a technology-based learning environment. It includes all of the technology resources, equipment, devices, etc. that can be used to enhance learning.

Statewide, schools have shown significant improvement in technology infrastructure since 2003. In the last few years, Texas schools have gone from the category of "developing tech" to "advanced tech" in the area of infrastructure. This could indicate greater allocation or redistribution of funds to the acquirement of technological resources.

For schools to achieve a rating of "target tech", each student will need on-demand access to computers. This will require additional funds or grants for technology. However, as the price of computers decreases, I believe it is possible to each student to have computer access in the near future.

Pre-K Technology Application TEKS

The pre-K TEKS require the pre-K student to use age-appropriate software applications and basic input devices (mouse, keyboard, etc.), understand basic technology terminology (such as keyboard and printer), and interacts with storybooks in electronic format. I believe these TEKS are definitely appropriate for the pre-K student. Most families today have a computer in their homes, and kids are exposed to computers at a very young age. Once a child becomes old enough to use other technological devices (such as a remote), they should be taught to use the computer. The TEKS are designed to build on this first set of TEKS at the pre-K level. For example, as students progress through school, their technology vocabulary becomes more extensive. Students also begin to expand their knowledge of software applications and learn to use additional input/output devices.

Long-Range Plan

Upon reviewing the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, I realize the importance of preparing our schools to be ready for technological advances of the 21st Century. As our world becomes more reliant upon technology, we as educators will need to prepare our students for a fast-paced global community. The need for change is evident, and it is exciting to see that our leaders in Texas Education are being proactive in planning for the future (via the Texas Long-Range Plan). The classroom of the 21st Century will be very different from the classroom of just a few short years ago. As a future administrator, I believe it is important for me to stay on the cutting edge of technology in education. I will need to stay at the forefront of changes that are being made in the classroom as well as technological changes that are being made in the way schools operate. I am extremely interested in the way educator preparation programs will transform over the coming years, and I am interested in learning more about that process. As I plan for my own future in education, I believe this may be an area that I would like to pursue further.

Technology Assessments

After completing the Technology Applications Inventory and the SETDA Teacher Survey, I learned a lot about my technology abilities and my access to technological resources through my school.

First, I completed the Technology Applications Inventory, which assessed my knowledge and skills in four domains: Foundations, Information Acquisition, Solving Problems, and Communication. I believe I am competent in all four domains, however, I learned that there are a lot of technology related terms that I am unfamiliar with. I discovered that I could successfully complete most of the tasks described in the survey, but I am lacking in the vocabulary associated with technology language. I believe this was a good indicator of technological abilities. The inventory seemed to include most of the technology applications an individual would need to master to achieve success in the field of education.

Second, I completed the SETDA Teacher survey, which assessed the use of technology at my current school. The survey included the following topics: teacher use, student use, available technology, and school/district technology policies. As a result of this survey, I discovered that my school is doing very well in terms of providing me with adequate technology. We are a brand new school, so we are benefiting from brand new (and the most recent) technology. However, I also realized that my school is lacking in appropriate training on how to use these technologies. As a teacher, it is frustrating to have so much technology at your disposal, yet not know how to incorporate it into your lesson plans. I was also surprised to find that I was unfamiliar with terms such as "technology literacy" and how this fits into 21st Century curriculum. Overall, I believe this was a beneficial survey and would be useful if administered across a campus/district.

In closing, from these two self-assessments, I learned that I have the basic competencies and resources to effectively use technology in the classroom. However, I will need additional training in a number of areas to become proficient enough to model these technological skills for my students.