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I want to discuss the area of Educator Preparation. This segment of the Long Range Plan involves the professional development experiences of teachers, the access they have to professional development, whether it be district based, or online, personal capabilities of teachers, and their levels of understanding and the patterns of use of technology. This area is the lowest rated area for my campus. We achieved the rating of developing tech. It has improved only slightly over the last three years. We are in the majority though as 74.2 percent of campuses on the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area rate Educator Preparation as developing tech. The next highest group is 19.9 percent at advanced tech so it seems that overall, progress is being made, but I do not think it is happening as quickly as it could be. This is where the Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support section comes in to play. Without the appropriate encouragement, teachers are not going to be willing to give up time and put effort into something they do no feel like there is support to do. To remedy this issue, districts need to offer staff development that pertains to all grade levels if they intend for elementary teachers to be interested in technology integration. Campuses need to make time for collaboration to take place. Those few teachers who have training can assist interested teachers begin the steps to utilize technology more effectively. Each campus has funding allotted to staff development. If administrators could send a few responsible representative to technology related workshops, those people could share what was learned with the rest of the staff. It seems the few people who know a little about technology on my campus seem to want to keep that info to themselves rather than teach others and spread the knowledge. These attitudes need addressed if we want teachers to participate in bettering their use of technology.

The Pre-K student are expected to know the terminology related to the input of information into the computer. They also must be familiar with the names of the technological devices that make our everyday living easier. They need to be able to use a mouse effectively and navigate through a software program. They are supposed to be able to express ideas with drawing programs. They need to be able to learn from the technology being used. These basic skills, when introduced effectively will allow the Kindergarten teachers to build upon and expand the learning. A spiraling curriculum does just that, starts out with basic skills that are reviewed each subsequent year with additional expectation added on. The foundation is laid early, then skills are compounded in difficulty each year. An example from the TEKS would be "The student demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections." This is from the Kinder TEKS, but is repeated in the 3-5 level. The students move from being familiar with, to demonstrating knowledge of to being proficient in the use of the equipment. The skill started out small and basic, but grew in expectation at each level.

The Long-Range Plan for Technology has some extreme expectations when you look at the resources available in most school districts. About the time computers are installed and working efficiently, they are outdated. I realize my ignorance of the expectations. I saw the infrastructure changes taking place on my campus, but did not really know that there was a deadline for getting things updated and secure. I do know that, as an administrator, I must be willing to embrace the options for technology use and allow my staff the time needed to learn and implement them effectively. I think much more collaboration is needed where teachers who are skilled with certain equipment can train novices rather than wait for the district to offer another workshop that few attend for whatever reason. Teachers are more apt to want to do something they see someone else do rather than because they are forced to do it. My campus has made some progress, but has a long way to go. There are a few teachers who are attempting to integrate, but like me, it is still more of a novelty rather than the norm.

I used to think I had a good grip on the proper use and implementation of technology, now I realize I really do not know much at all. I can utilize the equipment at my disposal, most of the time, but not efficiently and to the extent that actually improves my teaching and the learning by my students. I do feel I am slightly more adept than those around me as my coworkers come to me for help sometimes. I feel my ability to utilize the hardware is a strength, but I need much more training in trouble shooting to solve the common problems that arise. I am very weak in regard to the standards and expectations related to technology integration and education. I am unaware of any plan my district may have, let alone any technology goals my campus may have. I have pursued some online training to learn more about some software programs, but obviously need more. The Technology Applications Inventory showed that I really did not know much, just small portions of information related to individual programs or pieces of equipment. I do not have a general knowledge related to the various programs, file formats, system requirements, platforms, etc. I am able to create a basic document, edit it, save it, and print it. I am capable of utilizing basic email, and now a blog. The State Educational Technology Directors Association Teacher Survey showed how much more I do not know regarding standards related to technology. While I have learned quite a lot of information related to technology over the last few years, It obviously is not enough to be considered proficient by any means. The technology I do use is really only on the surface, to display the math lesson each day, or occasional use of the Classroom Performance System, but rarely does this technology enhance my teaching or the learning by my students, it is more of a novelty that is fun rather than an educational tool. I need to seek out the plan and expectations for technology integration and education in my district and look for more staff development opportunities to augment my own learning. These assessments were a rude awakening of how far I still need to go to truly make the integration of technology into my classroom seamless.