After several years of assessing educator preparation in technology, 74.2% statewide in Texas still are described as developing. Therefore, in this area technology is primarily used to report grades, e-mail, develop lesson plans, and other administrative areas. However, to reach target status, technology must be more about students' learning.
The target status of the educator preparation component of the Texas STaR chart is to use technology to support learner-centered, real-world projects. Teachers become facilitators of learning while students learn to collaboratively create solutions to problems using a variety of technologies that they are confident in using. Plus, these tools are available to them 24/7 at any location. In addition, administrators rank technology integration at the top of their lists. They understand the dynamics and work to support technological areas in schools.
Mark Prensky (2005) states that basically we are either dabbling with technology or doing old things (communicating and exchanging) in old ways (passing stuff around). Perhaps that is part of the reason a large percentage of schools are rated "developing." I can only believe that the right kind of professional development will help get the ball rolling so that educators understand what is available for technology integration and become confident about learning in these different ways. Moreover, educators need to learn how to manage this new learning environment and how to obtain an accurate measure of success. This change in the way we do things needed, but the manner in which to proceed seems to have us in a rut.
To me, no matter how elaborate the infrastructure, which is called the key component of technology integration, if we don't learn to maneuver in the digital world we cannot optimize the infrastructure that is available.
References:
Prensky, M. (2005). Adopt and adapt: Shaping tech for the classroom. Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundation.
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