Technology is not cheap and neither is technical support. Both the state and schools are going to have to budget to increase technology. Texas teachers are willing to use the technology as long as they feel comfortable using it. Texas teachers need professional development in learning how to integrate new technology into their classrooms.
Texas is gaining a new type of student. Hispanics are now the majority, and immigrants from Mexico are moving to Texas every day. Texas is going to have to change the way it presents the knowledge to its students. The sit in straight rows and listen technique is not going to work anymore.
Texas is now part of a global economy. Texas now has to prepare its students to compete against students from all over the world.
One Size Fits All education plans do not work. A principal in Presidio, Texas is going to have to ask his teachers and students to do different things than a principal in Dallas Highland Park. Students are going to need to be connected to other students in different parts of the state.
Everyone is going to have to do their part to help Texas change for the better. Adding technology cannot be done by the schools alone. It is going to take everyone from the TEA to local school boards for something great to be accomplished.
Colleges are going to have to teach future teachers how to use technology. More time is going to need to be spent on using technology than on creating Madeline Hunter lesson plans.
Whether a student is going to go to college or straight to the workforce, the student still needs to be proficient in using technology.
I needed to know that this change is coming. As a future administrator I am going to have to take steps to get my school to where it needs to be. A lot of Texas schools are going to have to totally overhaul their technology, and they are going to need leaders that know how to get them up to standard. Schools are also going to need administrators that believe in technology. Knowing this will help me know what to put on my vita. I also learned that when I interview new teachers for jog, I am going to need to see what their technical skills are.
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AS you refered to the one-size-fits-all as the method of education not working you previously mentioned the changing population of the classroom. How do you contribute the change in student make-up to the inability to sit in rows and listen unless you are refering to alternative means of overcoming the language barriers in which sitting in rows would probably be an advantage because of less distractions. The sub pop you mentioned are usually also lagging in technology availability. Technology, although helpful as a teaching tool, for those students it may present other hardships when trying to do lessons requiring technology. As high tech as the world has become we still must reach those less fortunate, this includes all of our, almost 50% statewide, socio-economic disadvantaged students.
ReplyDeleteTake caution when hiring new teachers based on technological skills. Even though technology is definately the future, it can be taught just look at this class we are in. But teachers that understand the importance and posses the ability to build relationships have something that can not be taught, it must come from within and through life experiences. Student learning is and will always be about "RELATIONSHIPS."
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