Liberty Technology Action Plan

Liberty Technology Action Plan-Focused on bringing real-world learning to the students of today.

Liberty Technology Action Plan

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Texas STaR Chart

Texas STaR Chart Information for Liberty High School

Texas STaR Chart

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The National Educational Technology Plan describes how information and communication technologies can help to transform education in America. Our nation’s growth and prosperity are in some danger if we compare our student population’s abilities to those of other powerhouse countries. In order for us to compete in the changing global economy, our education needs an overhaul. In order to remain competitive in our own market place and that of other nations, technology education needs to become more of a priority. This is where the National Education Technology Plan comes in. Hopefully.
The plan states that teachers should focus on HOW the students learn, and who needs to learn. The use of technology, as has been proven, engages student’s more than older styles of lecture, note taking instruction because it is a more active way to learn. And let’s face it, kids like the newest and coolest thing out there, which is always technology. Little do they know, it is also setting them up for future success as they learn to navigate through new programs and interact with new equipment, because they will continue to use these skills in the workplace and post secondary education. The goal now is to design assessments that look at what is best for our students and their future; not necessarily rote information regurgitation, but we need to assess the fact that they are problem solvers and can navigate through certain existing types, or figure out how to navigate through completely new types of technology.
As long as the resources are provided when and where educators need them, this will help education across the nation meet the standards and guidelines the National Educational Technology Plan delineates.

Texas Long Range Plan for Technoloy

The Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020 was designed because our public education system recognized the importance in bringing our schools into the 21st century along with our ever changing world for the success of our students. The Progress Report on the plan was then designed to track the state's development and growth from September 2006 to August 2008. The progress report also covers the programs that were put into effect between September 2006 and August, the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) and the Texas Virtual Schools Network (TxVSN).

The TIP is to provides teachers and students the opportunity to integrate technology into all aspects of teaching and learning, according to the TEA. The program appears to be beneficial, allowing the effects of campus technology immersion on student learning and teacher proficiency in our public schools to be measured. The TxVSN was created to give students more options in their course selection by allowing distance learning classes, which provide students with courses that they would otherwise not have had access to.

The progress report shows findings from the Texas STaR Charts that are mandated by the state to evaluate a campus; progress in meeting the goals of the Long-Range for Technology. It appears that there is a steady increase in the number of schools that are in the Advanced Key Star Classification in all four Summary Areas of the chart, which is reassuring. The biggest rise is in the Infrastructure for Technology area. It would make sense for this to be due to the fact that many of the resources needed to grow with our learners are becoming more readily available.
The report shows that while we are moving ahead, but we still will never reach the end as long as technology keeps advancing. We will never reach the mountain because it keeps growing, but we still need to keep climbing lest we are left behind.


Texas Education Agency. (2008). Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020. Austin: Texas Education Agency

Target for Teaching and Learning of Texas Long Range Plan for Technology

The target to reach in the Teaching and Learning area of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology aims for the teacher serving as a facilitator, mentor and co-learner in the classroom.
Makes sense.
But then they want students to have on demand access to all appropriate technologies to complete the activities that have been ‘seamlessly integrated’ into ALL core content areas. Of course if this were the case, yes, all Technology Application TEKS would be met, which they also require to accomplish the Target rating, and secondary campuses would have the equipment needed to offer as many Technology Application courses as they could invent, but I feel as though this goal is Utopian in its existance.
Maybe that is the point.
But over the three years the state progress has improved in this area at the Target level! From .8% to .9%. Woo hoo! And then it went back down to .8%. Really people? It's almost not measurable. Our campus has improved as well, increasing a from a Developing rating to an Advanced rating since the 06/07 school year, so I guess we're on the right track.

We all have something we need to work toward, and I suppose the Long Range Plan wants us to continue to strive to be better, but why make a Target rating something that no campus other than one personally funded by Bill Gates himself could muster?

I happen to work in a fairly well-to-do district, but I don’t see us having on demand access to all appropriate technologies, or even some mildly appropriate technologies for this ‘on demand’ use. It is unfeasible for a public school to keep up with the changes that take place in technology year after year to the extent that each classroom is outfitted with the most appropriate technology, or for the school to even have several sets of this technology for use in various classes ‘on demand.’

We have computers, not in every classroom. We have cameras, video equipment, etc, but some of it is out of date the minute it is purchased, and we can’t possibly have enough to outfit all 1500 students on our campus if and when they decide they need to use it. And let’s not forget that tech equipment, even moderately priced, is expensive when you are talking dozens, or hundreds. What about the misuse of said equipment and ill treatment from our less than appreciative students who think they deserve access to this expensive stuff?

Do I think we should strive to meet this Target? Yes. Do I wish we have on demand access to every piece of useful technology out there when designing and facilitating lessons? Yes. Do I think it’ll ever happen?
No.

Maybe we should call Bill Gates.

Action Research Plan

Action Plan

 

Goal: Implement school-wide standards on note-taking and cross-curricular writing skills to increase student achievement and post-secondary success.

 

Objectives/Outcomes:

• Increase student abilities in oral and written communication.
  
• Increase post-secondary success for students.
  
• Increase high school success for students.
  
• Identify and implement a campus-wide note-taking and cross-curricular writing structure.
  

 

Action Steps What Will Be Done?	Person(s) Responsible Who Will Do It?	Timeline By When? (Day/Month)	Resources Resources Available Resources Needed	Evaluation How? What instruments?
Step 1: Form a committee	Principal	9/1/2010	A. teachers/staff   B. literature discussing college and career readiness	Survey of teacher interest
Step 2: Research various note-taking and writing standards	Committee members	9/15/2010	A. computers, internet access, professional library   B. none	Discussion at next meeting
Step 3: Agree on standards to be implemented	Committee members/ campus leadership	9/29/10	A. research committee members bring to meeting   B. library for meeting place	Discussion and agreement by committee members and administrators
Step 4: Creation of rubrics and skill documents	Committee members	9/29/2010	A. computers, internet access, professional library   B. example rubrics	Discussion and agreement by committee members and administrators
Step 5: Professional development for teachers and staff	Committee members/ campus leadership	10/6/2010	A. teachers and staff; time for professional development   B. background information; literature or research for basis of implementation; examples and handouts for staff	Teacher/staff survey of support and interest and additional needs
Step 6: Instruction of standards to students	Teachers/staff	Start of second semester 2011	A. committee created handouts and rubrics   B. instruction time; handouts for students; student buy-in	Student survey of initial thoughts
Step 7: Collection of data	Committee members/ teachers/staff	Ongoing	A. student work samples and assessment scores   B. prepared data collection forms	Comparison of test scores against student samples and data collection forms
Step 8: Collection of data	Committee members/ teachers/staff	June 2011- end of year	A. teachers and students   B. time; teacher and student survey	Compare data to survey comments
Step 9: Analysis and reevaluation of plan	Committee members/ administration	June 2011	A. data   B. comparison of data and teacher input on effectiveness	Discussion of committee members and campus leadership on effectiveness based on data analysis.
Step 10: Additional professional development	Committee members/ campus leadership	August 2011	A. teachers and staff; time for professional development   B. results of Spring data collection	Teacher/staff survey of additional needs
Step 11: Implement revised action plan based on data and evaluation	Teachers/staff	August 2011	A. committee revised plan and documents; previous year's data   B. instruction time; handouts for students; student buy-in	Comparison of new data to old data

 

Pulling the Gun on an Action Research plan

So after my week of study and reflection on action research I am no more married to picking one topic for further study over another. Writing about them both, thinking about them both, on top of seeing the great ideas of others...I want to take them ALL on!

Alas, I know this can not be done, and really, would I want to?

No.

But I am very curious about the action plans of others, and even though I am to pick between one of my two choices-
affects and effectiveness of the implementation of technology
or
the effectiveness of note-taking and writing curricula implemented on a school wide basis in regards to college and career readiness (aka-success)
I am not sure I can. I will for further discussion and reporting, but I'm pretty convinced I'll keep my finger on both topics for the next couple of years.