EDLD+5306+Assignments

|| Long-Range Plan Section and Page Numbers What new information did you acquire from your analysis of the Long-Range Plan? How can your new learning assist you as an instructional leader who is guiding technology use and integration at a campus?
 * Summary of Key Ideas ||
 * ** Vision 2020 (1-4) ** || In the first part, Vision, the key points include technology proficiencies that state all educators must meet the state requirements. It also includes teachers should have quality professional development, time to plan and incorporate technology into their classroom. It also states that the TEKS must meet the needs of 21st century students and standards. It goes on to include the professional development must be 24/7 accessible. Educators must be able to gain that development in different forms and media. Furthermore planning on how to integrate technology for the 21st century learner and educator is a must. We must have a way to get in to the masses but must also be affordable while maintaining quality. We must be also to bridge the gap between education and the private sectors of our community. There must be collaboration for the implementation of technology. Once implemented the 4 key players of the program have special duties they be able to perform. First the students, or learners, should be able to engage learning by using up-to-date technology that will help them think logically and become real world problem solvers. Next the educators should be well prepared through both professional development and hands on with modern technology to fully meet the needs of their students. The educational leaders should be able to create a atmosphere that is both inviting and demanding for their learners. They should be able to provide the highest level of technology by bringing in the community to help support by either financial means, support, or both. Finally the infrastructure must be in place to secure a smooth transition to a modern, technological advance learning environment. ||
 * ** Defining the Need for Change (5-6) ** || In this section some of the key points include the need for change based on a every changing world and technology advances happening on a almost daily basis. We need to recognize that modern societies have shifted from industrial to information-based. With this shift it is extremely urgent that our students have the skills needed to survive in such a information-based economies. ||
 * ** Introducing the 21st Century Learner (7) ** || The 21st century learner is very different and they need to be taught a different way. The one size fits all mold is shattered with this new era of students and teachers need to be ready to meet this challenge with technologies the students already now and understand and therefore the 21st century teachers need to be also fully knowledgeable to such technology not to just keep up but challenge such learners with logical thinking activities. ||
 * ** Teacher Voices (12-14) ** || This section is all data, showing how teachers both in Texas and nationally in the realm of technology. I find the most interesting data from this section that 55% of teachers rate their technology skills as average. With more and more new teachers coming into the work force I feel they should rate higher, thus being more that average. Now a days you cannot get through college without technology, heck this course is all about technology and if you don’t know how to use it you will virtually go under water. I have one basic rule when teachers come to me and ask me how to do something, how to work the Elmo, Smartboard, Airliner, etc.; I asked them if they tried to use it yet. Nine out of ten times the answer is no and they have the same mindset as students, they want help without trying on their own. I tell them the more you use, or play with it, the more comfortable you will become with the item and the easier it will be to learn the different functions. ||
 * ** Teaching and Learning (17-22) ** || The mold for all learners, one size fits all, no longer exists. We must be able to teach students from different backgrounds, economic situations, and cultures alike. We must be able to incorporate technology to all students learning to help boost their academic achievement and readiness as 21st century learners and citizens. We must be able to connect to students lives through collaboration and technology applications and curriculum alignment to make it seem seamless. The article goes on to list recommendations for the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator Certification, Regional Education Service Centers, Local Education Agencies, Texas Higher Education, and to parents, communities, and private sectors to help implement the change and success of the program. ||
 * ** Educator Preparation and Development (23-28) ** || This section of the report describes how educators should be prepared to meet the 21st century learner by means of college readiness programs, professional development, and time to plan and implement the curriculum and strategies. The article goes on to list recommendations for the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator Certification, Regional Education Service Centers, Local Education Agencies, Texas Higher Education, and to parents, communities, and private sectors to help implement the change and success of the program. ||
 * ** Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support (29-34) ** || This section of the report describes how educational leaders can support the educators and learners of the 21st century. It explains how they can help develop, implement, budget for, and monitor the transition. The report discusses how they can create the learning environment, provide opportunities for staff development, and use data for effective decision making. The article goes on to list recommendations for the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator Certification, Regional Education Service Centers, Local Education Agencies, Texas Higher Education, and to parents, communities, and private sectors to help implement the change and success of the program. ||
 * ** Infrastructure for Technology (35-40) ** || This section of the report discusses the need for an infrastructure that can support the 21st century learners, educators, and technologies. They not only need a way to support it but help it flourish so all students can take advantage of such technologies. They must be able to have 24/7 access to information, a way to provide support or technical assistance, and most importantly a way to keep all data secure and accurate. The article goes on to list recommendations for the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator Certification, Regional Education Service Centers, Local Education Agencies, Texas Higher Education, and to parents, communities, and private sectors to help implement the change and success of the program. ||
 * ** Study of Needs (41-42) ** || The section of the report gives the findings of the committee, the components they found need to happen in order to make the Long-Range Plan a success for all 21st Century learners. A few of their suggestions include the need leadership and support in the area of educational technology to the districts, the need for telecommunication discounts so districts and schools can be able to afford to have high-speed internet connections, and strategies to measure the progress of students and teachers in meeting the needs of the 21st century learner. ||
 * I think the best and most relevant information I gained from the Long-Range Plan is how unprepared teachers are to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. I now know through the data what I suspected all along that teachers don’t feel comfortable around technology and this epidemic problem is only getting worse. This kind of information will help new as a technology instructional leader that more professional development is need in all aspects of technology. This professional development needs to be hands on so the teachers can gain confidence with the new technology allowing them to want to learn more about it. This will allow them to fully engulf it and become more than average so they in turn can use it and teach it to their students to help guide them to academic success. One great example of this very situation is when I do Smartboard training at my campus for the teachers. I round up all the Smartboards I can, set them up, try to keep the classes small, and just with students I allow the teachers to just get in front of it and just play with it. This makes them more comfortable with the technology and allows for a much easier training session. ||

|||| Grade Cluster: 3-5 Summarize the Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS. How does the Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades? The Technology Applications TEKS are designed as a dynamic, spiraling curriculum. Describe a series of TEKS in which students have multiple opportunities to master knowledge/skills. ** Week 1 Assignment, Part 3: Requisite Technology Skills Assessment ** The Texas Education Agency (TEA) provides many resources for educators to help them assess and increase the knowledge and skills for success in the information age. One of the tools is the Technology Applications Inventory, which is a self-assessment of requisite knowledge required for implementation of the Technology Applications TEKS. In Part of your assignment, you will access the Technology Applications Inventory and assess your knowledge and skills in the four strands of Foundations, Information Acquisition, Solving Problems, and Communication. To complete this assignment:
 * the four domains for your selected grade cluster.
 * Technology Application Strand || Strand Description || Summary of TEKS #1 || Summary of TEKS #2 ||
 * ** Foundations ** || students learn to make informed decisions about technologies and their applications || 2.B. - use proper keyboarding techniques such as correct hand and body positions and smooth and rhythmic keystroke patterns. In this TEKS students learn basically how to keyboard, the proper way to site, posture, and hand position. The students learn the home row and which fingers press which keys. One of the many programs we use for this is called UltraKeys, which helps guide the students through the keyboard. Students often hate this part of computer class since they fell it is very boring but I explain to them that learning the keyboard will help them, in the future as they get into middle and high school so they wont have to sit there and pick out one letter at a time. || 3.B - model respect of intellectual property by not illegally copying software or another individual's electronic work. In this TEKS the student are expected to learn they are not to copy other people ideas and programs. I explain to my students that coping someone else’s work, ideas, or programs on a computer is the same thing as coping someone’s work in the classroom, it is cheating and wrong. ||
 * ** Information Acquisition ** || includes the identification of task requirements; the plan for using search strategies; and the use of technology to access, analyze, and evaluate the acquired information || 4.a. - apply appropriate electronic search strategies in the acquisition of information including keyword and Boolean search strategies. This TEKS basically tells the students to use “helper” words in their searchers. They allow them to find information on the internet that they really want and not all the extra fluff. If I do a search for a subject on a search engine I might get over 2 million hits but if I add a Boolean key word my search results might be considerably less and more importantly relevant to my search topic. || 5.b. - use on-line help and documentation. This is a very vital TEKS. This is were students often fall into the learned helplessness and stop working and wait for the teacher to bail them out. Students need to learn to try to find the answer to their questions and problems on their own. This might include spelling a word, all they have to do is go to dictionary.com and find out on their own but they would rather sit and wait till someone else spells it for them. ||
 * ** Problem Solving ** || students will select the technology appropriate for the task, synthesize knowledge, create a solution, and evaluate the results || 7.b. - use appropriate software to express ideas and solve problems including the use of word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets, simulations, and multimedia. This TEKS means students should know what program they should use for the type of assignment they are working on. If they want to make a graph, they should know they should use an Excel type program rather than a Word program. If they want to write a research paper they should use Word and not PowerPoint. || 9.b. - use software features, such as slide show previews, to evaluate final product. This TEKS details how students should be able to use different features of different types of programs. They should be able to use print preview on a word processor to see how it will print or use spell check to make they have no misspelled words. ||
 * ** Communication ** || Students communicate information in different formats and to diverse audiences. A variety of technologies will be used. Students will analyze and evaluate the results || 12.c. - create technology assessment tools to monitor progress of project such as checklists, timelines, or rubrics. This is one of my favorite TEKS when done properly. In this TEKS students basically need to learn how to create a document that will aide in their assessment for a given assignment. The best way to do this is both the teacher and students come up with one together. For example with a rubric, the students have an input on how the grading of the assignment will happen. They provide you with information on what portions of the assignment is worth what amount or percentage as well as what is rated as excellent, good, average, etc. || 11.a. - publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, printed copy, monitor display, Internet documents, and video. In this TEKS students are expected to know how to display their completed work in different ways. One way is of course to print it out and display it but another way is through a monitor display or what I like to call a gallery walk. When my students finish say a PowerPoint we put them to run the slide show and students are able to walk around the lab and see their peers work and find different ways to display their slides, sound they can add, transitions, etc. ||
 * ** Communication ** || Students communicate information in different formats and to diverse audiences. A variety of technologies will be used. Students will analyze and evaluate the results || 12.c. - create technology assessment tools to monitor progress of project such as checklists, timelines, or rubrics. This is one of my favorite TEKS when done properly. In this TEKS students basically need to learn how to create a document that will aide in their assessment for a given assignment. The best way to do this is both the teacher and students come up with one together. For example with a rubric, the students have an input on how the grading of the assignment will happen. They provide you with information on what portions of the assignment is worth what amount or percentage as well as what is rated as excellent, good, average, etc. || 11.a. - publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, printed copy, monitor display, Internet documents, and video. In this TEKS students are expected to know how to display their completed work in different ways. One way is of course to print it out and display it but another way is through a monitor display or what I like to call a gallery walk. When my students finish say a PowerPoint we put them to run the slide show and students are able to walk around the lab and see their peers work and find different ways to display their slides, sound they can add, transitions, etc. ||
 * The pre-k TEKS help students to expand their ability to acquire information, solve problems, and communicate with others. If they get regular access to computers it can help enhance their learning. Pre-k students learn the basic functions of the computer. They learn how to handle the mouse and keyboard, input devices, as well as basic computer terminology such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. By learning the basic components and terminology they are better able to navigate and use the computer in the future grades. Theses students won’t need to be explained to on how to turn something on or which side of the mouse to press, they already have that prior knowledge stored and are ready to build on it. ||
 * The most basic of TEKS that students have to master and the one they have the most opportunity to learn starts with 1.b. start and exit programs as well as create, name, and save files. This somewhat very simple task is actually one that is the most important. As students learn how to create work as young as in kinder they have to learn how to save it, create an appropriate name for their file and close the program. As the student moves on through the years, the same basic TEKS remains the same but is now listed as 1.b. save and delete files, uses menu options and commands, and work with more than one software application. Now the student is working with multiple programs, copying, cutting, and pasting between them but they still have to know what to name their files and save them, since as with most cases, most projects take more than one class period and the need not to start over is great. As the years past and they move into middle school, the same basic open, save, name, and close the program should become almost second nature. This core foundation should be deeply embedded into their mind and this task is ever so simple. This time the TEKS is worded differently, seems so robust but means the same basic meaning; 1.f. perform basic software application functions including, but not limited to, opening an application program and creating, modifying, printing, and saving documents. ||
 * Access the Technology Applications Inventory by entering the following address in your web address bar: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/techapp/assess/teksurv.pdf
 * Print out the inventory, and complete it.
 * Complete the table by recording your number of yes and no responses.
 * After completing the chart, answer the questions that follow.

|| Domain What did the inventory reveal as your greatest strength? Do you agree? Explain. What did the inventory reveal as your greatest weakness? Do you agree? Explain.
 * Total # of Questions || # of Yes Responses || # of No Responses ||
 * ** Foundations ** || ** 18 ** || ** 17 ** || ** 1 ** ||
 * ** Information Acquisition ** || ** 10 ** || ** 8 ** || ** 2 ** ||
 * ** Solving Problems ** || ** 18 ** || ** 14 ** || ** 4 ** ||
 * ** Communication ** || ** 12 ** || ** 11 ** || ** 1 ** ||
 * The inventory showed me that my greatest strength is foundation. I agree with this since I can pretty much figure anything out when it comes to programs and computers in general since I have a strong understanding of its foundation. I know why things work, I know how to solve and figure out problems. ||
 * The inventory showed my greatest weakness to be solving problems. I do not agree with it since I feel I do have the strong knowledge of the core foundations of most of the major programs and applications used today and I can use that to figure almost anything out. Know I’m not stating that I’m all knowing but more often than not I can work through something and figure it out. ||

· Analyze the data, fill out the chart below, and answer the questions provided. |||| School District: Dallas ISD Campus: George W. Truett Elem. 2006-07: 6 2005-06: 12 || 2007-08: developing tech 2006-07: early tech 2005-06: developing tech || I can see that we as a school are making improvements in teach and learning. We are still in a phase where we use technology as a teacher led rather than student centered environment. We only use technology to support our objectives rather than using technology to develop higher order thinking. || 2006-07: 6 2005-06: 12 || 2007-08: early tech 2006-07: early tech 2005-06: developing tech || In this area, our campus is on the downfall. We have regressed from a developing trend to early technology. Our teachers fell they don’t have the proper technology professional development, either through the district or local campus. || 2006-07: 6 2005-06: 9 || 2007-08: developing tech 2006-07: early tech 2005-06: developing tech || In this area our campus is on the right path with growing numbers but still under the developing tech category. We as a campus use technology on a daily basis but not to the extend for growth but as a means for communication. Our leadership supports the campus technology initiative but the staff still feels a lack of collaboration. || 2006-07: 6 2005-06: 7 || 2007-08: early tech 2006-07: early tech 2005-06: early tech || For the past three years our campus has been ranked as early technology for this category. The staff feels there is not enough equipment for our student population. The believe there is not enough support for what little equipment we do have that is not outdated. The campus does not provide internet access to over half of the schools classrooms. The student-to-internet computer ratio is staggering too high at roughly 15-18 to 1. || What did the STaR Chart show as your campus’ greatest strength? Do you agree with that assessment? Explain. What did the STaR Chart show as your campus’ greatest weakness? Do you agree with that assessment? Explain. In an online learning community interaction, which STaR Chart area would you choose to introduce to the other members? What data supports your choice?
 * Summary Area || Key Area Totals || Key Area STaR Classifications || Trends ||
 * **Teaching & Learning** || 2007-08: 9
 * **Teaching & Learning** || 2007-08: 9
 * **Educator Preparation & Development** || 2007-08: 8
 * **Leadership, Administration, & Instructional Support** || 2007-08: 11
 * **Infrastructure for Technology** || 2007-08: 8
 * According to the STaR Chart, our campus’ greatest strength is leadership, administration, and instructional support. I do not agree with this assessment for one main reason. I feel our campus’ leadership/administrator does not have a good grasp of what our campus needs in regards to technology that will help our students succeed. The unwillingness of our campus leadership to commit to the staff and most importantly to the students that technology should be at the top of their list of areas of improvement. As a big focus of this course stresses, 21st Century learners must be taught in a very new and almost unique way and with the lack of technology at our campus, this puts us teachers at a distinct disadvantage and lowers our students chances of a successful education that provides them with the tools to succeed after graduation. ||
 * The STaR Chart our campus’s greatest weakness as infrastructure for technology. I agree completely with this assessment. As one of the two computer tech’s at this campus I see first hand how disadvantaged we are. Many of our classrooms still have old Mac’s, which the district stopped using over 6 years ago and no longer support, as well as PC’s that are still running Windows 98 and Me operating systems, which are no longer supported by the district. I see the computer lab holding software that none of our new PC’s can use since they too are old and are meant to work on Windows 95 or 98. I see a campus that was built in the 1950’s for a student population of 600 but now holds over 1,200 and a staggering 43 portable classrooms to help hold all of them. I see a campus that does not have wired internet in over half the classrooms as well as classrooms where the students might be lucky enough to shared a 1 new computer, that’s if the teacher lets them since they usually keep the working one’s for themselves to do “lesson plans” on. ||
 * In an online learning community in regards to the STaR Chart I would want to introduce the area of leadership, administration, and instructional support. I feel that leadership and administration, both at the school and school board levels, should know how important their role is in regards to technology and how it greatly affects and is deeply related to student success. As stated by Boss and Krauss in Real Projects in a Digital World, “Administrative support is essential as teachers make the transition from more traditional teaching to student-driven learning.” In order for teachers to start the task of going to a student-centered teaching model, the leadership needs to establish a vision of digital learning and focus. ||

(250-word opinion piece) ||  Your Blog’s URL  ||
 * Your Blog’s Name || A Copy of your Blog’s Post
 * Texas Technology Plan - Teaching and Learning || The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology is an outline on how the state plans to integrate technology into the classroom to ensure the academic excellence of the 21st Century learner. Within this great and grand plan I wish to discuss a very important sub-category, teaching and learning, that affects all learners. Let me first discuss what is all involved within teaching and learning. In this portion of the Long Range Plan, all learners have access to relevant technologies for instruction 24/7; use such technologies to provide solutions to real-world problems; use research based strategies for academic success; and be able to communicate with others with a variety of formats.

Next let me discuss the progress and trends that go along with teaching and learning. As you might of thought, because of budget shortfalls that many districts across the state are going through, we are fighting an uphill battle. Usually when there is money that has to be cut, the one of the first things up on the chopping block is extra spending and within that realm falls technology.

I think the best way to ensure that all students, regardless of what area of the state they are in, should have access to technologies that will not only help them succeed today with their education but also provide the foundation for success for them in either post graduation years. School districts across the state need to find another means of saving money or other areas they can cut before they think about cutting the technology fund. Students in the 21st century and especially in the US need access to up-to-date technology and information that will allow them to compete with others from around the world both in our universities and job markets. These technologies will help them gain real-world experience and build a working knowledge of real life problem solving strategies.

This is today's Guia's Guide - use it as you wish? || [] ||

What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
 * I think blogging is a great way for students to not only communicate with each other but also with their teachers. Information can be shared in both directions 24/7. Students can not only get subject content at home after hours or on the weekends but also submit assignments to their teachers, receive feedback during school breaks, and shared what they know or created with friends, family, and other school communities across the globe. ||

What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education? How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
 * The number one concern as an educator in regards to student blogging has to be student safety. We have to someway protect our students from people out their that not only want to do bodily harm but also protect them from content that they are not emotionally or psychotically ready to see and read. There has to be a safe guard or infrastructure established that ensures their safety and privacy. My second concern would be how to ensure that through student sharing, their educational success is not compromised through online cheating. There should be protocols set up to ensure students are not sharing the wrong type of information that would lead to educational dishonesty. ||
 * Through blogging I can communicate with school stakeholders daily and on a 24/7 time frame; giving them up-to-date information on their students, assignments, expectations, class/school current events, etc. I can receive feedback from parents, fellow colleagues, and administrators. ||

http://guiasguide.wikispaces.com/ || My wiki is meant to enhance the learning of elementary students through the use of online resources, interactive learning activities, and information sharing. || by_the_hand || polly123 || http://guiasguide.wikispaces.com/ ||
 * Website Name and Address ||  Website’s Purpose  ||  My Username  ||  My Password  ||  My URL  ||
 * Guia’s Guide

What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned? || To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not? || What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? || Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? || What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? ||
 * When I first started the course I thought it would help me better understand how technology affects our classroom and students. I wanted to know what else I can do as an educator, a computer teacher, and one of two of our school’s campus technologist how I can better serve not only my students but my fellow colleagues and staff. From week one and pretty much throughout the entire life of the course, that outcome was achieved. I now have a better feel and understanding for technology and its impact of our classrooms and students. I know now that we have to adapt to our students, the 21st Century learners, and allow them to not just use technology as an award but as a integrated part of their learning process and allow the technology to cross over all parts of the curriculum. I am very pleased with my first graduate level course and look forward to the next.
 * As stated above I do feel my course outcomes were achieved and those outcomes are a integral part of my duties at my current position at my campus. At my campus I am a computer teacher, one of two campus technologists, and a campus technology leader. Everything that we covered I this course will help me during the upcoming school year and beyond. I deal on almost a daily basis with teachers, students, and administrators who want to know how we can improve technology in the classrooms, what is needed as far as technology for the campus that can better serve the needs of our students, and what types of professional development for technology we should have at our campus, either taught by one of the campus technologists or central staff. This course has given me great ideas to help create and implement an online learning community for our campus, where teachers can speak freely and open without having the constraints of a formal meeting on the campus. All in all, this was a great course to start off with and I can’t wait for the rest to follow.
 * As I look back of the five week course, I can honestly say that what I expected to get from the course is exactly what I received. I was able to achieve all my outcomes from the course as stated above. I have no negative issues with the course; I feel all the materials in the course were relevant to today’s educational needs of the teacher and students.
 * As I look back at the five weeks, that I feel went by way too quickly, I believe I was very successful in not only carrying out the assignments but completing them in a very through and of high quality, just like graduate level work should be. This was one of my biggest concerns coming into the course, will my work be good enough to be called graduate level or will I need to do some real soul searching and countless hours a week on each and every assignment; I honestly lost sleep each week waiting for my scores for each assignment not knowing if it was good enough. I can honestly say that the one downfall or discouragement of the course was that the turn around for scores was a little too long. I do realize that the academic coaches and professors probably have other courses they are teaching as well but that were one very big discouragement for me.
 * I have learned several things from this course. First in regards to myself I learned that I am very capable of working at the graduate level and look forward for the other eleven courses in this degree program. Next in regards to my technology and leadership skills I learned a couple of things. The first thing I learned was that technology and leadership skills are very closely interloped. You have to have technology skills to compete in today’s world, not only outside of the classroom but also within to help you not only keep up with your students but to be able to show them something new and useful to them. In regards to leadership skills, I learned that I do have them but they can use some working on. During the school year I’m able to communicate, discuss, and determine what is best for our campus and student population. However during the summer break, this is not the cause. I found it very difficult to organize a time and date with some of my colleagues to have an online learning committee meeting. This is something I wish to work on, how to lead and communicate outside the box; that is out of normal school hours and days. As far as attitudes, well I did not learn anything, I just do what I do; keep everything positive, do the best I can do, and always look up for new opportunities.