Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020-
Of the four areas listed under this plan, the area of concern that I would like to address is Educator Preparation and Development relating to schools in general. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Title II, Part D) states that all teachers should be technology literate and integrate technology across the curriculum. The legislation also requires that all students should be technology literate by the time they leave the eighth grade (Givens, 2006, p. 1). Texas teachers are assessed by completing the STaR Chart for their campus each year. Teachers know that they are required to incorporate technology and in many cases are even given the technology to fulfill that requirement. The concern lies within the knowledge of the technology and the insecurities of the teachers. Are teachers given adequate training and follow through? Are teachers letting the 'fear of the unknown' or their fears of not-knowing-it-all bind them? According to Mary Burns (2002), "the distance between teachers and students- academic, emotional, and physical- had diminished as teachers became co-learners with students" (p. 296). Teachers know what is required, they even know some of the benefits, and they are given the technology, but it can't be assumed that they know how to use it and that they will be given support when using the technology. More professional experiences need to be available, teachers need to be exposed to the technology being used in the 'everyday classroom', and teachers need to have time to work with the new knowledge that they acquired during training.
References:
Burns, M. (2002). From compliance to commitment: Technology as a catalyst for communities of learning. Phi Delta Kappan, (84)4, 295-303.
Givens, A. (2006). Texas star chart instructional materials and educational technology division. Texas Educational Agency, 1. Retrieved from http://starchart.esc12.net
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