Week 2 Assignments, Part 3, Blog Post #1- Technology Assessments

The assessment of technology used by educators and technology knowledge of educators is now required. For educators to stay on top or ahead of the new technology generation, we must be ready and willing to change to conform to their needs. It is so important for a school district to determine what type of technology knowledge their teachers have, and it is the districts responsibility, along with the teachers, to make sure current updates, professional development, and continuing education is available. Districts will present new information to their teachers in a 6 hour workshop and never allow them any other time during the year to implement what they’ve learned, and apply those new skills in the classroom.  The STaR Chart is a good starting point for districts to get some idea of what is the greatest need for student technology success, but they can’t stop there. Technology is ever-changing and ongoing and so must training for educators be as well. If educators are only filling out surveys and spending a lot of time doing so, and they are not getting training or updates every few months, technology surveys are really not needed. Assessing what our students know and teaching them to become computer literate, is a goal that all districts should have so that today’s generation is ready for an ever-changing technological world. Allowing students to learn using technology they already are familiar with and training educators to help them with that process, is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

(2008-2010). Texas campus star chart. Retrieved from http://starchart.esc12.net/orangefieldisd.