The Course in Retrospect

This course was surprising to me from the start. Since the title of the course is "Instructional Leadership," I assumed that the content would focus on positively affecting teaching through interacting with teachers and providing strong professional development opportunities. Instead, the course focused on technology integration. Since I am keenly interested in technology and have worked to build a few technology initiatives for my school, I was excited to see what the course would offer. I did worry, however, that I would not be presented with any information of which I wasn't already aware - I was wrong! I ended up learning a great deal in this course. I especially learned a lot in the first week when the focus centered on technology standards. And, I even built a blog for the first time!

There is no doubt in my mind that the content of this course is relevant to the work that I do in my classroom. From participating in this class, completing the readings and commenting on the message board, I have gotten many ideas for lessons as well as tips and tricks that I can use in my own class. However, I think this class will be most beneficial when I look back on it in retrospect. Most of what I learned in this course centers around the impact that a thoughtful administration can have on technology integration at a school, and in turn, the impact that that technology integration can have on student performance. After I get my first job in administration, I hope to look back on this class and reexamine much of what I've learned - analyze how technology has changed in the interim, and develop a plan for how to apply my learning.

Unfortunately, the course was not perfect. One of the outcomes that I most looked forward to achieving was learning how to implement various technologies into my daily classroom instruction, particularly cloud-based computing interfaces. While I did learn a lot about web 2.0 technology, and I did get a few ideas about how I can use those tools in my classroom, I have not come away with a completely new view of how to run my classroom. I do think that there is a method to reformulate my classroom curriculum around computing technology, but so far, all I've discovered are a few new ideas - not an entirely new system. For this outcome to become a reality, it will clearly take additional research and work on my part.

I found the course assignments to be valuable. Although the lack of time is a constant constraint, I felt the assignments were adequate to test my learning while also giving me the opportunity to further explore my own ideas, biases, and potential future growth. As always, the class discussion board was enlightening. Although, for this course, I typically got involved in the board late in the week, I enjoyed reading the posts left by my fellow students. It is nice that this course format allows students to communicate with each other even though we have not physically met and generally live many, many miles apart.

The most important aspect this course has provided to me is reassurance. Since I began teaching, I've felt strongly about the importance of technology in educating students. Perhaps my view is a biased one since I am a young teacher (thus, I grew up with technology) and I enjoy keeping up with technology in my spare time. Even still, I have seen with my own eyes the impact that technology-based lessons have on student engagement, and in turn, student achievement. Since arriving on campus, I have done everything in my power to encourage other teachers to jump on the technology bandwagon - and, while some are reticent, many have dived right in. Other than my students' success, this is the accomplishment for which I am most proud. As an administrator, I would like to continue to build on this success. Instead of focusing primarily on technology usage in classroom lessons, I hope to broaden my perspective and examine how technology can assist my school in analyzing data, balancing budgetary concerns, connecting teachers to parents and the community, and developing lessons. While I know that the task will be challenging, I am excited to embark upon it. Since I enjoy reading about the newest, cutting-edge technology, I don't really view it as difficult work. The most difficult part, I believe, will be convincing others to join me. Building momentum on my campus for new technology initiatives is something I plan to spend a great deal of time working toward.

I have enjoyed creating my first ever blog for this class. It has been an enlightening experience. I believe that, with the proper proponents, blogging could revolutionize the education system. The most significant advantage to blogging is the collaboration it inspires. Because we are now preparing students for jobs in which teamwork will be essential, it is vitally important that we teach our students how to collaborate effectively. Although blogs are typically written individually, the comment section provides an opportunity for feedback and editing. If the Google Wave system catches on, blog collaboration could become even more common.

Another advantage of blogs is that they provide an easy way to communicate with the entire school community. An administrator can set-up as many blogs as they would like and use them to share information with teachers, staff, parents, students, and the community at large. Since internet access is available to more and more people each day, blogging is a quick and easy way to broadcast important information. The fact that blogs allow the campus stakeholders to respond with questions and comments is an added bonus.

Technology Action Plan

Technology Action Plan

View more documents from Chad Crowson.

Texas STaR Chart Analysis

See more presentations by lnghrnchad | Upload your own PowerPoint presentations

The Texas STaR Chart

The Texas STaR chart is divided into four key areas - the first of which is "Teaching and Learning." This area focuses on the importance of transitioning our focus from teacher-directed lessons to student-centered lessons which incorporate multiple forms of technology.

As we move further into the digital age, it is incredibly important that our schools teach students two skills: (1) how to research and work in a data-rich environment; and (2) how to collaborate in that environment to accomplish tasks. Unfortunately, traditional teaching methods do not teach these skills very well, if at all. Students do not learn how to collaborate while listening to an instructor's lesson followed by the completion of worksheets. Students do not learn how to research effectively if they are seldom if ever allowed in front of a computer screen. For students to adequately learn these skills, substantive changes in our delivery of content will be required. Teachers, however, are reticent to make this change - either because they feel ill-prepared to take on the challenge, or because the old way is just "easier." Still, we owe it to our students and their futures to equip them with the tools necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace, no matter how difficult it may be for us as educators.

The No Child Left Behind Act attempts to "force the hand" of teachers by setting national goals to improve technology integration and requiring effective professional development so that educators are able to meet the challenge. Many schools, however, still lag far behind. Recent Texas statewide data complied from the STaR chart surveys indicates that more than 70% of Texas schools still find themselves in the "early" or "developing" stages in this important category. My campus still has much work to do as well - we have scored in the "developing" range for the past three school years.

In order to witness significant improvement in this area, wholesale changes will be required. Teachers must first be provided with appropriate, modern technology to incorporate into their lessons, and effective staff development on how to operate it. Once those prerequisites are met, educators will be left with no excuse if they do not step up to the challenge. If gentle prodding is unsuccessful, stiff penalties may be required to "encourage" teachers to change their ways. Our students are counting on us! We cannot stand idly by and continue handing out worksheets because it is "easy." Educator's professional evaluations should focus, in significant part, on their incorporation of these new methods of instruction. Failure to rise to the challenge, in my opinion, should result in disciplinary action - probation or dismissal. Anything short of this will likely result in continued "dragging feet" and no significant progress at all.

Pre-K Technology Standards

Students even as young as those enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten are expected to be working to master technology applications objectives. In Pre-K, there are five end-of-year outcomes each student should hope to master:
1. Child opens and navigates through software programs designed to enhance development of appropriate concepts.
2. Child uses and names a variety of computer input devices, such as mouse, keyboard, voice/sound recorder, touch screen, CD‐ROM.
3. Child operates voice/sound recorders and touch screens.
4. Child uses software applications to create and express own ideas.
5. Child recognizes that information is accessible through the use of technology.

These Pre-K TEKS appropriately prepare young students for future grades by introducing them to the basics of computer technology. In Pre-K, students learn about software and how to navigate through it using appropriate input devices. Moreover, students will utilize these software applications to express their own ideas - something they will be required to do frequently throughout their educational careers. These objectives, if mastered, will provide students will a more than adequate foundation in technology as they move forward into the elementary grades.

The teaching of technology applications objectives will continue not only into elementary school, but also throughout intermediate and high school as well. Technology education in Texas schools is an example of a "spiraling curriculum." If taught appropriately, similar objectives should be presented over the course of many years - each time with a slightly higher level of difficulty. By teaching in a "spiraling" manner, students can learn the objective when they are ready to learn it, and not "when it's time" to teach it. For example, in grade one, one may teach how to open an application. In grade three, one may teach how to save and re-open documents. And, in grade six, one may teach how to copy and share that document on a network. All of these lessons relate to document manipulation, but they are taught repeatedly over the course of many years instead of all at once. As such, the student may not learn what is necessary in first grade because they are not ready. But, they may learn the concept in third or sixth grade because that idea is being "retaught" with a new emphasis. This spiraling-style curriculum is one of many characteristics that make the technology applications TEKS unique.

Thoughts on the Technology Long-Range Plan

Texas is currently working towards full technology integration in its classrooms - the idea is to achieve this goal by the year 2020. So far, only the first of three eventual plan phases has been detailed. Phase I includes information related to technology proficiencies, professional development, and resource allocation, among other topics.

After studying the long-range plan, it becomes clear how important it is to achieve these objectives. Students today are nothing like the students of yesteryear. They require individualized instruction tailored appropriately to their needs. While this seems an impossible task to a teacher of 20, 30, or possibly hundreds of students, technology can help to bridge the gap. Teachers, even those with many years of experience, have shown a willingness to incorporate appropriate technology into their classrooms if the resources are provided. As such, administrators must work diligently to provide the hardware, software, and professional development required to make this dream a reality.

After a baseline is realized, administrators must continually search for mechanisms to improve technology usage on their campuses. Technology requires not only continual maintenance, but also constant upgrading. Because technology improves day-by-day, administrators must not rest on their laurels when it comes to integrating appropriate technology.

Educational Technology Assessment

Although I consider myself a "tech-savvy" person, there is little doubt that I have tremendous room for growth - as demonstrated by two self-assessments I recently completed. As a relatively young teacher, I've grown up surrounded by technology, so I am not as far "behind the curve" as some of my teaching peers. I use the web daily, am familiar with many computer programs, and have even worked to implement many technology initiatives in my classroom as well as on my campus. Still, there is much that I can do.

There are two particular areas that I want to learn much more about: networking; and, classroom implementation.

Networking, I believe, is the future of computing. As consumers become more and more dependent on the "cloud" - web-based applications and storage - a working knowledge of networking will be essential to truly understand a school's technology needs. Most of my technical know-how centers on my own personal computer, as evidenced by my abysmal score on the Communications section of the Technology Applications Inventory assessment. I need to learn more about how computers communicate with each other, with peripherals, and with servers to be a truly adept instructional technology leader.

Moreover, although I have attempted to incorporate many types of technology into my classroom, I want to learn more about technology classroom implementation. While I think we all intuitively understand the notion that "tech is good" or "kids love computers," turning that knowledge into meaningful classroom learning is not easy. I need to learn more about developing strong, objective-based lessons which both incorporate technology in a meaningful way AND help my students to master their subject area TEKS. This will be no easy task, but it is one that I am more than willing to take on.

All in all, I am happy that I participated in these assessments as I feel their recommendations are insightful. I look forward to learning more about the interplay between technology and education.