REFLECTIONS


When I first enrolled in this Instructional Leadership class, I thought it, based on the title, would be about leading instruction through the traditional methodologies that are utilized today. It did not occur to me that the emphasis would be on technology itself. Once the true essence of the class was realized, I envisioned learning methods to facilitate the use of technology on a campus in ways that would improve student success. Knowing that students today are technological gurus, I also envisioned how this class would promote life-long learning for educators. Teachers, in an effort to remain current with their students learning style, must become technologically proficient and willing to make technology a major component of the curriculum. As a result of this class, I have made strides in the aforementioned outcomes; however, it is incumbent upon me to continue to pursue avenues that will advance my skills in technology.

The outcomes I have achieved thus far are relevant to my current teaching assignment as well as to the position I aspire to hold in the future through the attainment of this Masters Degree. Currently, my class consists of grades 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. I am responsible for teaching the four core classes, providing TAKS enrichment, and P.E. on all five levels. In addition, I have three local students who receive assignments from their original teachers and are also enrolled in credit recovery classes for which I am responsible. It is not humanly possible to traditionally teach all of those subjects to 17 students on a daily basis. As a result, it is imperative that I rely heavily on technology to ensure that the students are successful.

In the future, the mastery of these outcomes will enable me, as an administrator, to successfully lead a campus toward 21st century learning. I will encourage the use of varied technology and seek recommendations from students as they are the ones whose learning style is based on technological application.

In varying degrees, I believe I achieved the learning and performance outcomes that were presented in this class. The outcome I would deem wanting is Learning Outcome 10—Identify social, legal, and ethical issues related to technology, teaching, and learning. When I read the article, “Copyright Primer for Administrators,” I realized how easy it is to infringe a copyright. I also became aware of the innumerable amount of times other colleagues and I have committed copyright infringement in the name of educating our students. The reason I have not mastered this learning outcome is reflected in the vast number of copyright laws that exist especially when it comes to software. That which I believed was legal was illegal and vice versa. As an administrator, strict adherence to copyright laws is essential to the integrity of the school and is a reflection of the administrator; therefore, I must continue to pursue mastery in this area.

The course assignments themselves were not difficult to carry out. The discouraging aspect of the course assignments was the amount of time available to complete them. In my opinion, ample time was not allotted to allow us to thoroughly assimilate the vast amount of information presented through the videos and articles. Nor was adequate time granted to devote to producing a quality project which would reflect the material in the readings. As a result, I have a working knowledge of the learning objectives, but will need to revisit the information further to gain mastery of the concepts. On the other hand, rather than viewing the time constraints as a hindrance, I was challenged to absorb as much information as I could in the allocated time. Incorporating a strong presence of technology into the curriculum is critical to student success now and in the future; therefore, I will do whatever it takes to ensure I grasp all of the objectives.

As a result of taking this Instructional Leadership course, I discovered an appreciation for technology that I did not realize I had. I was not aware of the simplicity technology contributed to education. Prior to this course, I was one of those teachers who believed that the cell phone, IPod, and other advances in technology did not have a place in the classroom setting. I viewed each item as an encumbrance because students were more interested in their “gadget” than the curriculum. I now understand that technology is paramount to the education of today’s generation. As “digital natives” this is the way they learn; therefore, educators must teach that way. In reference to my leadership skills, I believe this course strongly enhanced them. As an administrator, it is my responsibility to guarantee that the needs of the 21st century learner are reflected in all aspects of the curriculum. I will lead by example in this area.

Blogs have great educational value when it comes to the 21st century learner. Students can post multiple assignments on blogs and, subsequently, maintain a journal of their finished work. This would allow students and teachers to accurately capture the progress or improvement a student makes from the beginning of the year. Blogging also would allow students to read and follow the finished products of other students in the class and in other schools across the world. Blogging removes the physical walls of the classroom and gives students access to a diversity of students and their culture in various parts of the world. As a result, students can gain input from students of differing views. This would help promote cultural diversity. Last, blogging would provide teachers with another method of communicating with the students in their classes and give students another opportunity to use technology and learn in their “native language.”

As with any technology, many concerns exist in the implementation of blogging in education. When students use the World Wide Web, they are at risk of being stalked by cyber bullies or online predators. It is imperative that educators teach students about online safety, and it is unwise to assume that the students, regardless of age, are aware of precautionary measures. Students should be made aware of how to handle instances of cyber bullying or cyber stalking. When this occurs, the school should have measures in place for the student to report the abuse. Students also should be taught how to choose a valid password and the importance of maintaining the secrecy of personal information and that password while blogging.

Blogging can be used to communicate with school stakeholders in many ways. Administrators could use blogs to communicate school information or news to parents and people in the community. In lieu of email, administrators could utilize blogs to communicate vital information to everyone on the campus as well. Teachers could use blogs to communicate with parents to provide them with information about the class. By incorporating an RSS feed, stakeholders would not have to search for the blog site. As the blog is updated, the feed would automatically be sent to the stakeholder making it easy to remain current.

Action Plan

Marshall Independent School District
Technology Organizational Chart

Marianne Middleton
Instructional Services Director
Manages curriculum and instruction throughout the district

Ron Lehr
I. T. Director
Oversees all technology and all technology personnel within the district

Jessie Hale
Network Administrator
Responsible for network security and network functionality within the district

Angela Williams
Computer Tech
Troubleshoots technology problems at Marshall High School

Beverly Goss
Computer Tech
Troubleshoots technology problems at Marshall High School





Marshall High School
Technology Organizational Chart
Ted Huffhines
Campus Principal
Ensures/oversees the use of technology on the campus and develops professional development for staff

John Purifoy
Associate Principal
Supervises teachers and the integration of technology in the classroom

David Segers
Teacher Coach for Mathematics/Science
Assists the core teachers with the integration of technology in the classroom

Glory McCoy
Teacher Coach for ELA/Social Studies
Assists the core teachers with the integration of technology in the classroom

Classroom Teachers
Implement technology in the daily lessons.





Role of Principal

The principal is responsible for ensuring that technology is used on the campus. He encourages teachers to collaborate with each other to find creative ways to use technology in the classroom. He also monitors and encourages the use of the technology lab by all teachers on the campus. In reference to the technology budget, the principal ensures that funds are available to support technology use in the classroom. The principal schedules staff development and encourages teachers to pursue technological learning on their own. Last, the principal disseminates technology information to the teachers as received from the technology director and other resources.


Professional Development

Professional development should be made available to all staff to ensure effective implementation of technology in all subjects. In addition to computers and internet, other forms of technology should be explored and integrated to provide opportunity for continuous student engagement and creativity in the classroom. It has been noted that teachers do not understand the purpose of the STaR Chart. They also are not aware of the Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020 or the SBEC Educator Standards I-V

Areas to Address

• All staff will participate in continual relative staff development that fosters technology integration.
• Staff will meet monthly within their core area to discuss/generate technology ideas.
• Teachers will collaborate in their weekly team meetings regarding ways to implement technology in weekly lesson plans.
• Teachers will integrate technology in their classrooms with PDAS documentation.
• Teachers will be encouraged to use technology outside of the classroom to “practice” what they’ve learned.
• Teachers will receive continual training on Skyward for recordkeeping as the district moves toward a paperless society.
• All staff will receive training on the purpose of the STaR Chart and the Long Range Plan for Technology. They will be provided individual STaR Chart results and asked to create a plan to reach Target Tech status.
• All staff will receive training on the SBEC Technology Proficiency Standards.


Evaluation

The District Technology Committee will review STaR Chart data on an annual basis. The committee expects to see progression from Emerging Tech to Target in all areas of the STaR report by 2020. Teachers will document technology integration in their lesson plans and technology staff development in Section 3 of the Teacher Self-Report. The principal and associate principal will evaluate lesson plans looking for increased technology usage. Walk-through also will be used as an evaluation tool. Findings will be documented in PDAS.


References

Miller, Sheryl. Personal Interview. December 10, 2009.

Marshall I.S.D. Marshall High School (2009). Campus Improvement Plan. Marshall Independent School District. Marshall, Texas.

Marshall Independent School District (2009). District Improvement Plan. Marshall, Texas.

The Texas STaR Chart

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Educator Preparation & Development

Students must be prepared to function in the 21st century technological age. In order for this to happen, educators must equip themselves to flow with this trend toward incorporating educational technology in the curriculum. The use of educational technology is directly related to the amount of technological experience and expertise a teacher brings to the classroom. To gain this experience, it is incumbent upon each educator to increase personal learning through continual staff development in this area. Individuals enrolled in educator preparation programs should meet the Technology Applications educator standards and model the appropriate use of technology. Veteran teachers should participate in ongoing, job-embedded professional development that meets SBEC Technology Applications Standards for all teachers. One way to achieve this goal is through distance learning.

Marshall Independent School District has improved its rating in the area of Educator Preparation and Development from Developing Tech to Advanced Tech over the past three years. According to the level of progress, there is integration of technology into teaching and learning. There is regular use of online resources. At least 60% of educators meet SBEC standards, and 25-29% of the technology budget has been allocated for professional development. In this key area statewide, 5.4% of teachers rate as Early Tech, 74.2 % rate as Developing Tech, 19.9% rate as Advanced Tech, and 0.6% rate as Target Tech.

In order to improve in the area of Educator Preparation and Development, sufficient monetary resources must be budgeted to support relevant, job-embedded professional development for all staff. Educational leaders must ensure the integration of appropriate technology throughout all curriculum and instruction as well. Finally, to ensure that students are prepared for 21st century learning, the educational paradigm must be changed to view technology as the foundation of education and not merely a supplement.

Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS

Children learn how technology can enhance our lives. Through exposure to computers, voice/sound recorders, televisions, digital cameras, iPODS, etc. students gain skills that enable them to become independent users of age-appropriate technology. The same is true for Pre-K students, and the state of Texas has developed technology standards for those students.

X.A.1.

The child uses software that promotes the development of concepts. To do this, the child will follow oral or visual cues and interact with multimedia devices. The teacher will provide time for students to use the technology and model its usage.

X.A.2.

The child successfully uses a variety of computer input devices. To accomplish this, the child will manipulate the mouse and successfully use terminology as he uses the computer. The teacher will instruct and provide time for the student to master both.

X.A.3.

The child operates recorders and touch screens. To acquire this skill, the teacher will model and discuss both items and provide a CD or tape recorder for students to use during independent play.

X.A.4.

The child uses software applications to express ideas. After the teacher models and discusses the use of the software, the student creates writings and drawings using a variety of software packages with audio, video, and graphics.

X.A.5.

The child recognizes that information is accessible through the use of technology. The teacher models when and how to obtain the information and the student is allowed to practice the skill.

The Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades by teaching the students the very basic skills needed to successfully use technology.

Technology Applications for PK-12 is an example of a spiraling curriculum. A spiraling curriculum takes a concept and revisits it at every grade level; however, each grade level explores the concept deeper with an increasing degree of difficulty. An example of the scaffolding curriculum is shown in the TEKS that cover computer input devices. In Pre-K a child uses and names a variety of computer input devices such as mouse, keyboard, voice/sound recorder, touch screen, and CD-ROM. By the time the student reaches high school, he will have revisited that TEKS numerous times. In The high school Computer Science I course, the student is expected to compare, contrast, and appropriately use the various input, processing, output, and primary/secondary storage devices. The student has progressed from identifying a few devices to full utilization of those devices and more.

Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020

The Texas Long-Rang Plan for Technology is the vision for the implementation of technology in the classroom through 2020. According to the plan, the approach to teaching and learning must change from the "one-size-fits-all" approach to tailoring the curriculum to meet the individual needs of the students. To do this, the teacher and textbook must cease being the primary sources of information in the classroom. Instead a shift must occur to project-based instruction where students communicate with peers, collaborate with experts, and access online instructional resources and distance learning courses.

To optimize the learning environment, the educator must participate in life-long learning in the area of technological advances. It is critical that veteran teachers receive ongoing job-embedded professional development to assure mastery of the SBEC Technology Applications Standards for all teachers. Beginning teachers should meet the Technology Applications educator standards.

School leaders should model and expect the effective and ongoing use of technologies on the campus. It is their responsibility to develop, implement, monitor, and budget for a technology plan which aligns resources to improve student learning and support school operations.

The information I learned from the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology can assist me as an instructional leader in many ways. I realize that the technology must be used as a major tool in the education of all students. Without it, students will not be prepared to function in the 21st century environment. Students today, unlike the teachers, were born into the technological age and have used technology all of their lives. Technology makes learning interesting and is a motivator for students. It absolutely must be present in schools. Educational leaders are responsible for making sure that this technology is available to all teachers and all students; therefore, It must be maintained by technical support staff that is readily accessible. As an instructional leader I will ensure that professional development is job-embedded to optimize the teachers' skill retention. I will model the use of technology and require teachers to do the same.

Personal Technology Assessments

Recently I took the Technology Applications Inventory to assess the knowledge needed to successfully implement the Technology Applications TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) in the classroom. The first strand, Foundations, includes performance descriptors that must be modeled and taught in the use of Technology Applications in all subject areas. In this domain, I can demonstrate basic computer knowledge and applications such as creating/saving files and utilizing peripheral components such as secondary storage and input devices. The second strand, Information Acquisition, entails the ability to acquire information using a variety of strategies from different sources to develop higher order thinking skills. According to the inventory, I would benefit from training to accurately determine the validity/relevancy of electronic information and to differentiate between vector graphic files and bit-mapped graphic files. My strengths lie in accessing and using online help and documentation and in validating information through accessing, researching, and comparing data. The ability to manipulate data into information and then to new knowledge describes the third strand, Solving Problems with Technology Tools. This domain involves the use and integration of the various technology applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, utility programs, etc. While I possess at least a working knowledge of the applications, further training would enhance my skills. The fourth strand, Communication, is the way new information is formatted to promote comprehension. The inventory revealed a deficit in the usage of telecommunication tools and the usage of project management tools.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) Teacher Survey was also taken to determine my technology use and the availability of technology on my campus. In my classroom, I have 13 computers. Students use the computers to access PLATO for their social studies, science, and TAKS Enrichment classes. Typically, students spend 3 hours per day on the computer. Since internet service is unavailable, students are unable communicate with others through the computers. The SETDA also revealed deficiencies in student access to technology outside of the classroom. The students reside in a residential treatment facility and have computer restrictions beyond the classroom.

The results of this assessment are accurate because it is obvious that technology is quickly advancing in today’s society. Access to technology is greatly needed in the classroom to prepare students to function in a technological society. My deficiencies in the aforementioned areas can only hinder the progress the students in my class make. I must attend to this area of my professional life and be ready to face the challenge of moving forward in 21st century technology.