Saturday, November 28, 2009
Describing a Series of TEKS
The Pre-K teacher will model and discuss how to obtain information from websites. If the child is unable to understand the concept, the child will learn more in K-2. The K-2 student will be able to use a variety of strategies to acquire information from electronic resources including applying key word searches to acquire information and select appropriate strategies to navigate and access information for research and resource sharing. The Grades 3-5 student will then be able to acquire electronic information in a variety of formats, including acquiring text, audio, video, and graphics. The Grade 6-8 student will then be able to identify, create, and use files in various formats such as text, bitmapped/vector graphics, image, video, and audio files and will demonstrate the ability to access, operate, and manipulate information from secondary storage and remote devices including CD-ROM/laser discs and on-line catalogs. These skills will be strengthened in high school where the high school student will be able to acquire information in and knowledge about electronic formats including text, audio, video, and graphics; use a variety of resources, including foundation and enrichment curricula, together with various productivity tools to gather authentic data as a basis for individual and group programming projects; and design and document sequential search algorithms for digital information storage and retrieval.Each of these TEKS scaffold on one another and the opportunity to learn the technology concepts occurs in each year after Pre-K; however the level of difficulty and sophistication of technology use increases each year.
Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS
The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS state that Pre-K students must be exposed to a variety of technology so that they will expand their ability to acquire information, solve problems and communicate with others. Pre-K students will benefit from using engaging, age-appropriate and challenging software that will increase their learning of curriculum content. The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS are provided to give young students a springboard for learning technology throughout their lives.
Pre-K students learn that technology enhances are lives and will be exposed to technology including computers, voice/sound recorders, televisions, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, MP3 devices and/or iPods. It is this exposure to basic technology that helps young students feel comfortable with using technology and confidents in using technology throughout their lives. The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS begin with the students exposure to a variety of computer input devices, such as mouse, keyboard, voice/sound recorder, touch screen, and CD-ROM and moves to the student being able to use software to express and create the student’s own ideas. The TEKS finally move to where the Pre-K student is able to recognize that information is accessible through the use of technology.
A spiraling curriculum is a curriculum that exposes students to a wide variety of concepts over and over again and at varying degrees of difficulty. A spiraling curriculum is the basis for the TEKS. After completing a vertical alignment of the TEKS, I discovered that the TEKS spiral or scaffold as the concepts learned in one grade level are repeated in the subsequent grade levels; however the level of difficulty has increased in the subsequent grade levels. For example, Matter is taught in Kindergarten, however, in each of the following years, the TEKS become increasingly more sophisticated and the students are expected to build on their prior knowledge so that they can comprehend the more sophisticated concepts of buoyancy and density.The Technology TEKS are also spiraling. The Pre-K TEKS for technology expose the students to basic technology that is grade-level appropriate. Because each child learns at a different rate, the spiraling curriculum of the Technology TEKS allows for children who are not ready to understand that they can create their own ideas using technology to further learn that concept in subsequent grades. In the spiraling curriculum the student does not stay at the level until he/she masters the concept, but moves on and then revisits the concepts in the following years.
November 27, 2009 7:31 AM
Pre-K students learn that technology enhances are lives and will be exposed to technology including computers, voice/sound recorders, televisions, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, MP3 devices and/or iPods. It is this exposure to basic technology that helps young students feel comfortable with using technology and confidents in using technology throughout their lives. The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS begin with the students exposure to a variety of computer input devices, such as mouse, keyboard, voice/sound recorder, touch screen, and CD-ROM and moves to the student being able to use software to express and create the student’s own ideas. The TEKS finally move to where the Pre-K student is able to recognize that information is accessible through the use of technology.
A spiraling curriculum is a curriculum that exposes students to a wide variety of concepts over and over again and at varying degrees of difficulty. A spiraling curriculum is the basis for the TEKS. After completing a vertical alignment of the TEKS, I discovered that the TEKS spiral or scaffold as the concepts learned in one grade level are repeated in the subsequent grade levels; however the level of difficulty has increased in the subsequent grade levels. For example, Matter is taught in Kindergarten, however, in each of the following years, the TEKS become increasingly more sophisticated and the students are expected to build on their prior knowledge so that they can comprehend the more sophisticated concepts of buoyancy and density.The Technology TEKS are also spiraling. The Pre-K TEKS for technology expose the students to basic technology that is grade-level appropriate. Because each child learns at a different rate, the spiraling curriculum of the Technology TEKS allows for children who are not ready to understand that they can create their own ideas using technology to further learn that concept in subsequent grades. In the spiraling curriculum the student does not stay at the level until he/she masters the concept, but moves on and then revisits the concepts in the following years.
November 27, 2009 7:31 AM
Week 1 Assignment, Part 3
In analyzing the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, I have become aware of the need to improve the technology skills of our students so that they will be successful in careers that we, as educators, may not even be able to imagine. As an instructional leader, it is my job to make sure that all teachers are using technology in the classrooms and that all students are being exposed to, and are having hands-on experience with many forms of technology.In examining my own practice in the classroom, I see that I am guilty of not promoting the Long-Range Plan for Technology in that I have only been teaching the basics and have not allowed my students to communicate in our technology-enriched society. I now realize that to ensure that our students are competitive in the emerging global economies, we need to give our students multiple opportunities to experience technology. While I don't think that I am resistant to technology, I do understand how many teachers in the Teacher Voices section of the Long-Range Plan for Technology expressed their reluctance to use more advanced forms of technology. The problem is that most teachers feel pressured to teach the TEKS that are tested on the TAKS tests, and technology is not a subject that teachers focus on at the elementary level.
As an instructional leader, it will be my duty to require that teachers are incorporating the technology TEKS in each of their lessons so that we will create a technology-literate group of students who are well equipped to enter the 21st Century job market. Additionally, I will need to provide instruction and on-going training to all teachers so that they will be comfortable teaching technology and imbedding it in all subject areas. Further, I will have to allocate funds to make sure that my campus has the most up-to-date forms of technology and that my students have time to utilize technology in each of their classes.
Finally, in reading the Long-Range Plan for Technology, I understand the critical nature of making our students technology-literate to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. While many of our students are exposed to technology at home, many of our disadvantaged students only use technology while at school. As an instructional leader it will be my job to make sure that our students are participating in distance learning opportunities and are able to communicate and collaborate using technology in order to have our students fully engaged in technology and learning, and thus meeting the goals of the Long-Range Plan for Technology.
As an instructional leader, it will be my duty to require that teachers are incorporating the technology TEKS in each of their lessons so that we will create a technology-literate group of students who are well equipped to enter the 21st Century job market. Additionally, I will need to provide instruction and on-going training to all teachers so that they will be comfortable teaching technology and imbedding it in all subject areas. Further, I will have to allocate funds to make sure that my campus has the most up-to-date forms of technology and that my students have time to utilize technology in each of their classes.
Finally, in reading the Long-Range Plan for Technology, I understand the critical nature of making our students technology-literate to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. While many of our students are exposed to technology at home, many of our disadvantaged students only use technology while at school. As an instructional leader it will be my job to make sure that our students are participating in distance learning opportunities and are able to communicate and collaborate using technology in order to have our students fully engaged in technology and learning, and thus meeting the goals of the Long-Range Plan for Technology.
Week 1 Assignment, Part 2
In completing the Technology Applications Inventory and the SETDA survey, I am stunned by how much I don't know about technology. I have always considered myself to be technologically astute, however, seeing how poorly I scored in the Solving Problems domain of the Technology Applications Inventory has made me reconsider my assessment of my skills. Additionally, I realized that because my campus does not track the correlation of technology and student achievement, we may be missing an important source of data.
I understand from my campus technology coordinator that technology data as it impacts student achievement is not collected at the elementary level in our district.I think we should be collecting this data at the elementary school level because technology skills that must be mastered by Grade 8 must be formed in elementary school. If we track this data in elementary school, we can better predict how our eigth graders will do on their assessment in Foundations, Information Acquisition, Problem Solving, and Communication. Further, we can use the data to formatively assess our students' performance and address skills that need more instruction to assure mastery.
The Technology Applications Inventory indicates that Foundations and Information Acquisition are my areas of greatest expertise. I agree with the results of my survey especially since Foundations assesses the most basic computer applications and Information Acquisition is a skill that has evolved as I have kept up to date with current technology. As a technology leader on my campus, I will need to strengthen my Solving Problem skills such as learning spreadsheet and desktop publishing programs.
I understand from my campus technology coordinator that technology data as it impacts student achievement is not collected at the elementary level in our district.I think we should be collecting this data at the elementary school level because technology skills that must be mastered by Grade 8 must be formed in elementary school. If we track this data in elementary school, we can better predict how our eigth graders will do on their assessment in Foundations, Information Acquisition, Problem Solving, and Communication. Further, we can use the data to formatively assess our students' performance and address skills that need more instruction to assure mastery.
The Technology Applications Inventory indicates that Foundations and Information Acquisition are my areas of greatest expertise. I agree with the results of my survey especially since Foundations assesses the most basic computer applications and Information Acquisition is a skill that has evolved as I have kept up to date with current technology. As a technology leader on my campus, I will need to strengthen my Solving Problem skills such as learning spreadsheet and desktop publishing programs.
Week 2 Assignment, Part 2
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 required teachers, principals, schools, districts, states and even the federal government to be accountable for student achievement. After NCLB, it was no longer good enough to say that schools were doing a good job at education their students, the improvement had to be proven with assessment data. To assure that the goals of NCLB were being met and that students were benefitting from the federally funded technology programs, Texas created the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 1996-2020.
One area of the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 1996-2020 is Teaching and Learning where the goal is that the teacher serves as facilitator, mentor, and co-learner at the Target Tech level. In meeting the Target Tech level, students will have on-demand access to all appropriate technologies to complete activities that have been integrated into all core content areas. To meet this level, all Technology Applications TEKS are met in the kindergarten through eighth grade, high school campuses offer all Technology Applications courses and teach at least four courses. The vision of the Teaching and Learning key area is that Texas will meet the needs of its diverse group of students and that all students will benefit from communication, collaboration and access to online instructional resources.
At my campus level, we are currently at the Advanced Tech level where we have been for the last two years, although we were at the Developing Tech level three years ago in the Teaching and Learning area. As of 2007-2008, the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area listed only 0.9% of the campuses in the state at the Target Tech level for Teaching and Learning with most of the campuses 69.7% at the Developing Tech level of progress. According to the U.S. Department of Education, technology is to be used as a catalyst for changing schools to support the acquisition of higher-order skills for all students and to provide real-world authentic classroom uses. For my campus to move from the Advanced Tech level to the Target Tech level, we will need to increase the use of technology in content areas, online learning, and patterns of classroom use. The trends at the local, state, and federal levels seem to be in creating learner-centered classrooms where technology is used as a catalyst for collaboration.
Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020.(2007, November). Retrieved November 28, 2009, from TEA website: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/overview.html
One area of the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 1996-2020 is Teaching and Learning where the goal is that the teacher serves as facilitator, mentor, and co-learner at the Target Tech level. In meeting the Target Tech level, students will have on-demand access to all appropriate technologies to complete activities that have been integrated into all core content areas. To meet this level, all Technology Applications TEKS are met in the kindergarten through eighth grade, high school campuses offer all Technology Applications courses and teach at least four courses. The vision of the Teaching and Learning key area is that Texas will meet the needs of its diverse group of students and that all students will benefit from communication, collaboration and access to online instructional resources.
At my campus level, we are currently at the Advanced Tech level where we have been for the last two years, although we were at the Developing Tech level three years ago in the Teaching and Learning area. As of 2007-2008, the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area listed only 0.9% of the campuses in the state at the Target Tech level for Teaching and Learning with most of the campuses 69.7% at the Developing Tech level of progress. According to the U.S. Department of Education, technology is to be used as a catalyst for changing schools to support the acquisition of higher-order skills for all students and to provide real-world authentic classroom uses. For my campus to move from the Advanced Tech level to the Target Tech level, we will need to increase the use of technology in content areas, online learning, and patterns of classroom use. The trends at the local, state, and federal levels seem to be in creating learner-centered classrooms where technology is used as a catalyst for collaboration.
Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020.(2007, November). Retrieved November 28, 2009, from TEA website: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/overview.html
Web Conference November 28 at 11:00
I just participated in the November 28th Web Conference with Dr. Abernathy and it was really enjoyable. There are still a few hitches, but my internal web camera worked fine as did my internal microphone, so if you have these forms of technology on your computer, you should do fine.
I learned how to tell which section I'm in for my class. It's 1100. I learned how to "talk" by holding down my mouse. I realized I MUST go on a diet because the web cam puts on at least 20 pounds! YIKES!
I learned how to tell which section I'm in for my class. It's 1100. I learned how to "talk" by holding down my mouse. I realized I MUST go on a diet because the web cam puts on at least 20 pounds! YIKES!
New Learning!
I think I just figured out how to post a new thread with a title. My other submissions for my assignments have all been comments, but I think I now know how to post a new assignment. There's lots of new learning happening for me!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
November 18, 2009
I'm trying to figure out how the whole blogging thing works. Sometimes I can find my posts, and sometimes I can't.
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