Infrastructure: The Critical Element for Successful Technology

The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2010 addresses the needs of technology in education for Texas public schools. The infrastructure of a school is the critical element of support for all four areas of this plan: teaching and learning; educator preparation and development; leadership, administration, and instructional support; and infrastructure for technology (“Long-range plan for technology,” 2006, p. 35). One of the goals of a successful infrastructure for each district is to provide 24/7 access for all stakeholders. Technical assistance should also be available to support both the teacher and the learner. As in most schools across the nation, the infrastructure of our schools has been negatively impacted due, in large part, to the massive budget cuts in the public school system. Many schools were forced to choose between technology upgrades, offering professional development sessions that would address the needs of the school, maintenance and upkeep to facilities, and saving teacher jobs. The most painless cut seemed to be in the area of technology. However, schools are still expected to provide support and technology access to all stakeholders in spite of smaller budgets. In order to provide the best available use of technology for all Texas students and teachers, districts should maintain strong relationships with community partners and should revise their current budgets in order to utilize funds in the most efficient and equitable manner possible. Maintenance and upgrades to existing technology should be handled on a rotating basis in order to maintain a continuing level of technology success. Campus Improvement Plans should include campus-based grant writing committees that will seek out opportunities for funding and training that will not create additional strain on already limited budgets. Administrators that are innovative in their approach to providing quality access to technology should be able to fulfill the long-range plans as we move forward to the year 2020.

Texas Education Agency, (2006). Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020. Retrieved from 
       website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/etac.  

Fredonia Elementary: A STaR in the Making!

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Values and Concerns for Educational Blogs

What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21^st century learner?

        Blogs for the 21^st century learner provide an open forum in which to reflect on the learner’s educational journey. Before the advancements of technology were integrated into the classroom, teachers would have their students reflect on various topics in a hand-written journal and later perhaps in a document text saved to a disc. These would be shared with a limited number of classmates when time was available. Today’s teachers can use blogs as a more modern-day journal approach which allows their students to interact with others on a global basis rather than to be confined to the classroom walls. Through student blogs, today’s learners can communicate and collaborate on ideas with other students across the world. Teachers also can use blogs for similar purposes. They can share ideas and learn new strategies through the writing and sharing of their educational blogs. The dialogue formed by commenting on various blog entries can assist each participant in his/her own reflections about the stated topics.

       What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?

        Students need to be reminded that blogs are usually nothing more than online journals and therefore reflect the author’s feelings and opinions rather than sound, research-based facts. We must teach our students the need for thinking critically when reading a blog entry and let them know it is up to them to determine the validity of the entry. Students should also be taught to be respectful in the own blog entries and to practice a high code of ethics in a blog setting just as they would in a classroom setting. A blog is not the place for cyber-bullying and the district should have a monitoring system in place to ensure a student’s “cyber-safety.”

How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?

        A blog can be a wonderful tool in which to communicate with all school stakeholders, and a blog is much easier to add entries to when compared to a class web site. A teacher can share class information and upcoming important dates for exams and assignments through a blog. An administrative blog can also be used in similar fashion and could send out weekly newsletters to all blog subscribers. Homework assignments, weekly activities, field trips, lunch menus, supply lists, and highlights of student successes are just a few suggestions to share on an educational blog for parents and community members. Questions can also be asked to participants so that the blog subscriber can answer and give feedback to help in planning or to address areas of concern.