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 We have cameras, video equipment, etc, but some of it is out of date the minute it is purchased, and we can’t possibly have enough to outfit all 1500 students on our campus if and when they decide they need to use it.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.