The area of Educator Preparation is an area that is often neglected but one that is essential to the successful integration of technology. If teachers are not prepared to work with the technology, it is difficult for them to provide those opportunities to their students. The areas addressed by the School Technology and Readiness (StaR) Chart in regards to Educator Preparation are the content and models of professional development, the capabilities of educators, access to professional development, levels of understanding and patterns of use of technology, and professional development for online learning.
Progress has been made in the area of Educator Preparation at a state level and on my campus. In the 2006-2007 school year, 8.2% of campuses in Texas rated themselves at the early tech level. 74.0% rated themselves at the developing tech level while 17.0% ranked at the advanced tech level. 0.7% rated themselves at the target tech level in Educator Preparation. A great deal of improvement was made based on the 2007-2008 results. Early tech dropped from 8.2% to 5.4% while developing tech remained almost constant at 17.2%. Texas campuses rating themselves at the advanced tech level increased to 19.9% while target tech dropped to 0.6%. There was nice growth in the number of campuses at the advanced level and it will be interesting to see the summary for the 2008-2009 school year once it is available.
Over the past three years, my campus has remained fairly steady in the area of Educator Preparation, rated at the developing tech level. In 2006-2007 the total score in this area was 13 which fell in 2007-2008 to 12. Last year it remained at 12 once again. I feel this is a low score for our campus and an area of concern. We have focused most of our efforts, especially our financial resources on the other areas, and I believe this year we would benefit from focusing our time resources on providing more opportunities for out teachers. Many of our teachers are excited about their new equipment and new access to online resources, but many are also intimidated by all of it. My suggestion would be a shift in focus from the amount of computers and programs we are providing to a focus on preparing our teachers to put all of it to use. This is the key for success in integration at my school.
The lack of applicable training is a serious problem. Staff development is, unfortunately, a frequent waste of time. I wish there were more available opportunites for professional learning that I really believed could work for me. It seems like we keep spending money on technology and other great resources but never commit time to training educators how to integrate it into instruction. If I want that kind of training, I have to spend my own money at the service center. Instead, district staff development usually is centered on some new program (or programs).
ReplyDeleteMy campus rated as Developing Tech in this key area, too. However, it was on the low end of the scale. I'd almost be inclined to call us Early Tech.
Mariah--
ReplyDeleteWe've had the WOW carts a couple of years and they are used like crazy--if fact I think teachers were fighting about them last year. I wish I could have them every day--but I know how to share. We use them for intereactive web lessons, quizes, and several teachers moodle with their classes. They are wonderful tools for a campus to have.
Judy