TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Texas Education Agency has provided all teachers, campuses and districts a tool to evaluate progress in Technology as a response to how graduates in the United States are fairing with other graduates across the globe. The STaR Chart gives teachers, campuses, districts, and the state another accountability measurement to gauge and monitor progress.

I feel that the Teaching and Learning part of the STaR Chart is most important. Once teachers have been given the proper education on technology then it is their duty to use what they've learned to teach students the TEKS of Tech Apps. Students must be exposed to online learning and given the opportunity to engage in meaningful content area connections with the use of research engines.

After reading a story, using an interactive reading blog discussing different aspects of the book or creating a "book club" online is meaningful learning and engages students.

More than half of teachers at campuses across the state of Texas are considered to be "Early Tech" when it comes to Teaching and Learning. That means that almost NO technology applications are used to teach students in content areas.

NETS notes how administrators "play a pivotal role" in making sure that teachers and students are actively engaged in meaningful learning with the use of technology. If we basically follow the Technology TEKS and integrate them on a daily basis, then I believe we would do a world of good to these students who are our future doctors, astronauts, presidents, and military leaders.