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.