Saturday, January 28, 2012

Texas STaR Chart

Teaching and Learning

Technology can benefit and meet the needs of students from all experiences and backgrounds. Students acquire more knowledge when collaborative groups and discussion are encouraged. The 21st Century learner will learn to communicate with peers, collaborate with experts, and build knowledge through distance learning and online instructional tools. Many of our Texas students have limited exposure to technology in the home; therefore, we must ensure learning opportunities at school. In order to prepare students for real life experiences, teachers need to embrace technology in their classrooms. The traditional way of teacher guided outcomes are no longer acceptable for the 21st Century learner.

According to the state’s teacher STaR Chart, this specific area is showing significant gains.  In the 2007-08 results, 69.7% were at the developing level and 25.5% at the advanced level.  For the 2009-10 results, these percentages went to 59.3% and 37.8% respectively.  Therefore, the percentage of campuses reaching the advanced tech level is increasing.  On my particular campus, we have stayed at the advanced level, only increasing a few points over the last couple of years.

In looking at the Campus Statewide Summary, the majority of schools fall in the Developing Tech Range for Teaching and Learning. The Infrastructure domain is at the Advanced Tech stage which is the highest percentage overall. Our campus Infrastructure total had the greatest total points in all 3 years. This is exciting news because each year we are getting better and this can certainly be attributed to the wonderful technology department staff in our district.

In order to improve this phase of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, instructional leaders need to establish a shared vision for digital-age technology on their campus. A culture of innovation should be encouraged and opportunities for professional development must be provided. Administrators must explore best practices in educational technology and find ways for implementation on their campus. Likewise, teachers must be willing to step out of their comfort zone and utilize these strategies and tools!