Week 2, Blog #3 - National Educational Technology Plan

The National Technology Plan is designed to increase educational opportunities in The United States. This technology plan is a governmental attempt in assisting the country to grow economically and increase prosperity throughout the nation. Technology education has been identified as a factor in achieving the desired outcomes. The two major objectives of the plan are to increase the percentage of Americans obtaining a college education, and high school students are better prepared to attend college and become a part of the workforce.

The goals outlined in the Technology Plan address methods to transform American student learning experiences to higher level achievement based on learning styles, and advanced technology. Implementation of using advanced technology in all subject areas to keep students interested and involved in learning. Designing highly functional technology based assessments for measuring student improvement. Providing teacher support through technology based resources and professional development activities, and social networking with peers and professional organizations. Maintain the technology infrastructure for connecting to outside resources for student learning and professional development. Conduct research to develop more cost effective methods to increase learning through the use of technology.

There are several issues or concerns mentioned that need to be addressed. Some of the important issues are reducing the number of students leaving high school prior to graduation, and changing the traditional classroom arrangement of age classification and time spent in school to a more flexible learning environment. The overall desire is to improve learning results, by keeping students and teachers involved in learning, and reducing the fiscal burdens education demands from the federal and state budgets.

Week 2, Blog #2 - School or District Technology Plan

The school I chose to research is a participant in the E-Rate program. I reviewed the District Technology Plan for goals and strategies for using telecommunications and information technology, an assessment of telecommunication services, budget resources, professional development strategies, and a professional development coordinator. The school has a designated professional development coordinator. The District Technology Plan is evaluated and updated as needed and according to state guidelines.

The goals are written to meet specific objectives defined in the TEKS Technology Application K-12. Examples of the goals are:

1) To incorporate technology into education in support of TEKS and students graduate with the skills necessary to achieve lifelong learning. Strategies to support this goal are to monitor and assess technology performance skills and standards for benchmark competencies; and provide students with equal access to resources and computer equipment.

2) Administrative support will assist with integrating technology into the learning environment to expand students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Strategies to support this goal are to maintain campus equipment including hardware and software, conduct annual reviews of campus equipment, provide training opportunities for staff, and create partnerships with state, federal, and private entities to assist with providing technology resources.

3) Staff professional development activities will be provided for maintaining compliance with SBEC standards. Strategies to support this goal are to provide staff development training, and continue technology certification programs for teachers.

The main component of budget resources is the E-Rate program. The schools goals and objectives are directly related to meeting guidelines in the TA TEKS and STaR program to maintain funding assistance.

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Week 2, Blog #1 - Technology Assessments

In the 21^st Century, technology is the driving force in accomplishing tasks throughout all aspects of life. Assessments are necessary in order to ensure students are learning essential skills for the future, and educators’ have the knowledge and skills to teach and inspire students to continue learning after high school. Technology assessments provide essential information regarding an educator’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide positive feedback for identifying technology areas that need to be improved. Assessment recommendations may involve long term learning activities. The LoTi Digital Age Survey is based on The ISTE National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) Performance Indicators. I completed the survey, and the professional development priorities results were reasonably accurate.

The LoTi Digital Age Survey provides personalized professional development priorities for a teacher to enhance their skills in technology and classroom instruction. According to the NETS-T Performance Indicators, an example set of LoTi professional development Survey results is shown below:

NETS-T Performance Indicators	NETS-T Description	Professional Development Priority
Digital Age Work and Learning	Teacher creates technology application learning activities that inspires learning, creativity, and innovation in the classroom.	High
Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments	Learning activities involve digital tools and resources, and evaluation methods are implemented to meet technology standards.	Mid
Student Learning and Creativity	Learning activities reinforce student creativity and innovation using various methods of communication.	High
Professional Growth and Leadership	Educators continue professional development, and display leadership qualities.	Low
Digital Citizenship and Responsibility	Legal and ethical uses of technology and information are taught in classroom activities.	Mid