Educator Preparation and Development is one of the four key areas to the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2010. This key component highlights the importance of the teacher in the success of our students in the 21st century. With this fast-paced, ever-changing field, it is imperative for teachers to facilitate student learning comfortably and successfully. Therefore, educator preparation programs must prepare future teachers on how to understand how to integrate and facilitate technology effectively with curriculum and instruction. Continuing professional development for veteran teachers must also provide opportunities for teachers to explore and hone their skills with developing technology integrated learning. Consequently, the state tracks State Board for Educator Certification Technology Application Proficiencies to ensure the continuous progress in technology integration with all teachers.
At this time, feedback indicated teachers are progressing. Most teachers rate within the mid-categories of Developing and Advanced with the STaR Chart assessment. Teachers have participated in a variety of state provided professional development and grants to improve their technology skills. However, even with this progress, teachers still have areas of improvement. Both the federal plan and state plan encourage more professional development, especially in the area of online opportunities. Professional development needs to be more consistent and sustainable with increasing demand, yet the decreasing funds.
I would recommend a few ideas to improve educator preparation and development. First, a culture and forum of using technology freely needs to be cultivated. This would mean setting up reasonable protocols, precedents, and forums for technology to be used. Stakeholder expectations on providing a safe technology environment for their children without the responsibility being on the child have made educators wary of exploring and letting their students explore. Consequently, if expectations were enforced and transgressions were not crucified, teachers would be more at ease at exploring and letting their students explore. Which means the tight control over student use of technology, such as their own personal hand-helds, and the internet access with the tightly restricted use parameters needs to be loosened. Teachers also need their professional development to be job embedded. A three or six hour session in the summer is not going to transfer over successfully to being used throughout the year. Therefore, learning teams or professional learning communities should integrate technology. Finally, I wonder if teachers rate themselves in the mid-categories because technology is always changing and updating that being self-critical will teachers ever feel on target.
Texas Education Agency, (2010). 2010 progress report on the long-range plan for technology, 2006-2010 Austin, TX: Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2006). National education technology plan Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/edlite-default.html