Educator Preperation and Development

Technology plays a major role in providing our students with the skills necessary to succeed as 21st Century learners in a society that is increasingly dependent on technology. So, preparing teachers and administrators to effectively facilitate and manage 21st Century learning in technology in meeting state and federal requirements across the curriculum as specified in No Child Left Behind are critical. A comparison of campus STaR Chart data from the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school years shows that more campuses are gradually moving from the earliest stage of technological preparation into the Developing and Advanced stages. My recommendation would be to achieve the goals of the Texas Long-Range Plan, continuous professional development for educators in using and integrating technology in teaching and learning must be top priority. In order to make systemic changes, it is necessary to encourage and sustain a comprehensive professional development program that includes careful planning, supportive leadership, and data driven decision-making. So, the focus of STAR grant is to implement and sustain educational technology into the classroom. The professional development selected should be a research-based model that could be replicated on a large scale basis and should have different skill levels of teachers and administrators and should focus on pedagogical strategies for classroom instruction through the use of technology. The Technology Applications Teacher Network (TATN) assists with both advancing technology literacy and with promoting the full integration of technology into curricula and instruction as specified in No Child Left Behind through- Distance learning like interactive videoconferencing, satellite, or other technologies are being served through the state’s twenty regional educational service centers.