Teaching and Learning: The Heart of It All

 The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 has four domains:

• Teaching and Learning;
• Educator Preparation and Development;
• Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support; and
• Infrastructure for Technology.

Teaching and Learning is one area of focus that interests me. This area coveres the use of technology as a tool in education. Teachers teach students how to use those tools to communicate, research, and problem-solve effectively. This area also covers online education, a topic near and dear to me (This is an online graduate program, after all).

My campus has shown a bit of a backward slide in Teaching and Learning. In 2006-2007, we fell into the Advanced Tech catagory, but since then, we've only managed Developing Tech. The strongest losses are in Patterns of Classroom Use and Technology Applications (TA) TEKS Implementation. The other areas showed fluctuation but nothing steady. I do see how these areas are weak. In the two years I've been on this campus, I see students using the computers in the lab, but more often to use the online subscribed services than to create for their class. And nowhere have I been instructed about or shown the TA TEKS. It wasn't until this class that I realized we were accountable for those, too.

Statewide, 69.7% of schools fall in the Developing Tech category for Teaching & Learning. This is second only to Educator Preparation. These numbers concern me. I can see where teachers might feel they lack adequate training to incorporate technology in their classrooms, but I can also see where their own fear of technology might be getting in the way. Teachers may get enough training to be successful in the classroom, but don't feel confident enough to use it. And, of course, the training will fade over time because the teacher never did anything with it. It's a catch-22. Educators have to step up and be brave. The students need that from us more than they need tests and grades. They need someone to show them that it's okay to take risks and try something you're not comfortable with.