Click here to see a video of the Kelly family.
The Kelly Family
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Web Conference Week One
The first web conference for this class was appreciated even though there were sound difficulties. There was much static, feedback and echo. It seemed to be coming from one mike. But the communication problems were overcome through the ability to type in our comments and questions. It was good to note that the members of this program are from diverse backgrounds and locales.
I am interested to hear the ideas of others interested in educational technology.
Happy Summer!
I am interested to hear the ideas of others interested in educational technology.
Happy Summer!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Transforming American Education #3
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a model for education that “brings state-of-the art technology into learning to enable, motivate, and inspire all students, regardless of background, languages, or disabilities, to achieve” (vi). This model desires to make decisions based on available and relevant data.
In the area of teaching, the model proposes the idea of connected teaching as a team-building activity. Collaboration with teachers, students, and the online community would provide more opportunities for students to learn. The plan describes teaching as “Individualized, Personalized, and Differentiated Instruction.”(12)
The plan requires a large amount of infrastructure. The term infrastructure is vast and is described as”the resources they need when and where they are needed. The underlying principle is that infrastructure includes people, processes, learning resources, policies, and sustainable models for continuous improvement in addition to broadband connectivity, servers, software, management systems, and administration tools.” (ix) The National Education Technology Plan requires that adequate infrastructure be present in US schools for advances in education and the suggested change to learner directed education.
Funding sources for providing the technology to meet these goals were not delineated, except to say that the federal government would fund education just as it does defense and energy. (5) But the report did go one to say that “Education has long relied on the contributions of organizations in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, and this will not change.”(xii)
In setting goals for the future, the plan sets out to define the educational best practices that take full advantage of technology in education to improve achievement.
References
http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf
In the area of teaching, the model proposes the idea of connected teaching as a team-building activity. Collaboration with teachers, students, and the online community would provide more opportunities for students to learn. The plan describes teaching as “Individualized, Personalized, and Differentiated Instruction.”(12)
The plan requires a large amount of infrastructure. The term infrastructure is vast and is described as”the resources they need when and where they are needed. The underlying principle is that infrastructure includes people, processes, learning resources, policies, and sustainable models for continuous improvement in addition to broadband connectivity, servers, software, management systems, and administration tools.” (ix) The National Education Technology Plan requires that adequate infrastructure be present in US schools for advances in education and the suggested change to learner directed education.
Funding sources for providing the technology to meet these goals were not delineated, except to say that the federal government would fund education just as it does defense and energy. (5) But the report did go one to say that “Education has long relied on the contributions of organizations in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, and this will not change.”(xii)
In setting goals for the future, the plan sets out to define the educational best practices that take full advantage of technology in education to improve achievement.
References
http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf
EDLD 5306 Web Conference Reflection
I enjoyed attending both web conferences this week. Tuesday was with Mrs. Borel. Thursday was with Dr. Abernathy. I have appreciated getting to see the other members of the class and hear them talk about the assignments. Being that it has been quite a few years since my last post graduate class, I was a little nervous about the program and fitting it in to my schedule. Seeing there is a group of people from different backgrounds on this journey with me really helps. Also, meeting Ms. Borel and Dr. Abernathy and realizing that they are gracious and helpful ladies is very positive as well.
At these conferences, we discussed the requirements of the internship and the need to acquire a mentor very soon. To complete our Master’s program we will need to keep an e-portfolio, and complete several requirements, which include a professional goal statement, a leadership statement, a vision of education using the Horizon K-12 report, a list of classes we felt were the most helpful, a personal professional plan for the next three years and an updated professional Curriculum Vitae.
At these conferences, we discussed the requirements of the internship and the need to acquire a mentor very soon. To complete our Master’s program we will need to keep an e-portfolio, and complete several requirements, which include a professional goal statement, a leadership statement, a vision of education using the Horizon K-12 report, a list of classes we felt were the most helpful, a personal professional plan for the next three years and an updated professional Curriculum Vitae.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology 2008
2008 Biennial Report on the Vision 2020 Plan
The Progress Report given to the Texas Governor and Legislature discusses the contributions of Regional Service Centers and the Texas Education Agency whose mission is to improve education in Texas Public Schools.
The Texas Education Agency was tasked with supporting the implementation of Pre-K technology guidelines, the adoption of technolgy applications instructional materials, online learning tools for all learners incuding the disabled, and programs that encourage parent communication and involvement.
Progress by TEA reported includes advancement done on the legislatively mandated programs that were implemented through the 2006-2008 school years. The programs are the
Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) and the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN). The TIP program’s purpose is to provide a wireless computer device to each student in a middle school and to monitor the benefits of the program (which was funded mainly through a federal grant). Benefits of the program included increased parental involvement; collaboration and communication among staff, students and parents; community support; engagement and enthusiasm; and decreased discipline problems.
In the Vision 2020 plan, regional education service centers (ESCs) were recommended to support the implementation of the Technology Applications TEKS, assist districts with the ability to monitor their progress in technology, provide distance learning for teachers and students, and to identify and support best practices of technology use in education.
Our ESC, Region 20, reports that educational resources provided include “Digital Knowledge Central, and Technology cooperatives Apple Education, Discovery Education, School Specialty Media, TeachingBooks.net, Facts on File, Netlibrary.com, netTrekker, ProQuest, Encyclopedia Britannica, EBSCO, Gale, NewsBank, HW Wilson, ThinkMap” and WorldBook. Almost 200 virtual field trips were taken and 18 Dual Credit courses were offered through the Alamo Community College District. A newsletter on distance learning keeps teachers and schools informed of new opportunities. And workshops were held to teach educators how to employ videoconferencing in the classroom.
Much has been accomplished!
The Progress Report given to the Texas Governor and Legislature discusses the contributions of Regional Service Centers and the Texas Education Agency whose mission is to improve education in Texas Public Schools.
The Texas Education Agency was tasked with supporting the implementation of Pre-K technology guidelines, the adoption of technolgy applications instructional materials, online learning tools for all learners incuding the disabled, and programs that encourage parent communication and involvement.
Progress by TEA reported includes advancement done on the legislatively mandated programs that were implemented through the 2006-2008 school years. The programs are the
Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) and the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN). The TIP program’s purpose is to provide a wireless computer device to each student in a middle school and to monitor the benefits of the program (which was funded mainly through a federal grant). Benefits of the program included increased parental involvement; collaboration and communication among staff, students and parents; community support; engagement and enthusiasm; and decreased discipline problems.
In the Vision 2020 plan, regional education service centers (ESCs) were recommended to support the implementation of the Technology Applications TEKS, assist districts with the ability to monitor their progress in technology, provide distance learning for teachers and students, and to identify and support best practices of technology use in education.
Our ESC, Region 20, reports that educational resources provided include “Digital Knowledge Central, and Technology cooperatives Apple Education, Discovery Education, School Specialty Media, TeachingBooks.net, Facts on File, Netlibrary.com, netTrekker, ProQuest, Encyclopedia Britannica, EBSCO, Gale, NewsBank, HW Wilson, ThinkMap” and WorldBook. Almost 200 virtual field trips were taken and 18 Dual Credit courses were offered through the Alamo Community College District. A newsletter on distance learning keeps teachers and schools informed of new opportunities. And workshops were held to teach educators how to employ videoconferencing in the classroom.
Much has been accomplished!
Texas Long Range Plan for Technology
Educator Preparation and Development
The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology hopes that the future holds an educational setting where teachers can have 24/7 access to professional development opportunities, student data, and the digital resources to enhance their teaching in a way that meets the needs of diverse learners. The TLRP also has an educator goal of increased communication between parents, students and the community.
This key area of the Vision 2020 Plan is categorized into four levels of achievement. Early Tech which describes schools whose teachers match the SBEC criterions at 10%. In Developing Tech schools, 40% of the teachers meet the SBEC standards. The Advanced Tech rated schools have the integration of technology into teaching and knowledge, the internet used regularly as a resource, an increase to 25-29% of the technology budget for professional development, eighty percent of campus teachers meeting the SBEC standards and campus recognition of best practices with technology. Target Tech schools have 100% of the campus teachers meeting SBEC standards.
Small improvements have been made in this key area of Educator Preparation and Development. Most Texas schools (74% in 2008) rate their teachers’ technology use and professional development at the Developing Tech levels. The number of Early Tech rated schools in this area dropped to just 5%. Schools in Texas rated as Advanced Tech in 2008 increased 3% to a total of 20%. Target Tech schools remained at 1%.
At my local middle school, this key area has increased from Developing Tech in 2006 to Advanced Tech in 2009. This improvement has occurred by an increase in the Focus Areas of professional development experiences, models of professional development, capabilities of educators, and levels of understanding and patterns of use.
In my opinion, the best way for improvement in this area is 24/7 access to professional development. If teachers could sit down at home at their own leisure and participate in professional development, skills would be increased with the least amount of money spent. Savings in transportation, subs for teachers, and presenter’s fees would all be realized.
The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology hopes that the future holds an educational setting where teachers can have 24/7 access to professional development opportunities, student data, and the digital resources to enhance their teaching in a way that meets the needs of diverse learners. The TLRP also has an educator goal of increased communication between parents, students and the community.
This key area of the Vision 2020 Plan is categorized into four levels of achievement. Early Tech which describes schools whose teachers match the SBEC criterions at 10%. In Developing Tech schools, 40% of the teachers meet the SBEC standards. The Advanced Tech rated schools have the integration of technology into teaching and knowledge, the internet used regularly as a resource, an increase to 25-29% of the technology budget for professional development, eighty percent of campus teachers meeting the SBEC standards and campus recognition of best practices with technology. Target Tech schools have 100% of the campus teachers meeting SBEC standards.
Small improvements have been made in this key area of Educator Preparation and Development. Most Texas schools (74% in 2008) rate their teachers’ technology use and professional development at the Developing Tech levels. The number of Early Tech rated schools in this area dropped to just 5%. Schools in Texas rated as Advanced Tech in 2008 increased 3% to a total of 20%. Target Tech schools remained at 1%.
At my local middle school, this key area has increased from Developing Tech in 2006 to Advanced Tech in 2009. This improvement has occurred by an increase in the Focus Areas of professional development experiences, models of professional development, capabilities of educators, and levels of understanding and patterns of use.
In my opinion, the best way for improvement in this area is 24/7 access to professional development. If teachers could sit down at home at their own leisure and participate in professional development, skills would be increased with the least amount of money spent. Savings in transportation, subs for teachers, and presenter’s fees would all be realized.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
