How does your state measure tech literacy?
Tis the season for educational technology grant writing, now that ARRA funds have been released and many states have announced competitive grant programs for disbursing these funds to schools. In Texas, the “Target Tech in Texas (T3) Collaborative Grant” program was announced in May to provide $28 million in educational technology funds to schools striving to achieve the “Target Tech” level of technology integration. The vision for these classrooms, according to the grant application, is lofty.
In a 21st Century classroom, students have access to appropriate technology and digital resources for technology integrated curriculum activities on the campus, in the district, at home, or key locations in the community. Teachers seamlessly integrate technology in a student-centered learning environment where technology is used to solve real-world problems in collaboration with business, industry and higher education. Teachers and students apply technology across all subject areas to provide learning opportunities that are not possible without the technology. Teachers create and integrate web-based lessons which include TEKS-based content, resources, learning activities, and interactive communications that support learning objectives throughout the curriculum.
Schools are required to submit a technology integration needs-analysis based on the results of their campus “STaR Chart.” The STaR chart is a four by four grid, with six different categories within each “key area.” Key areas include:
- Teaching and Learning
- Educator Preparation and Development
- Leadership, Administrative and Instructional Support
- Infrastructure for Technology
Teachers complete an individual self-assessment, the Teacher STaR chart, and those results are aggregated to provide data for the first two key areas in the Campus STaR chart. Teachers as well as campuses are categorized into four classifications based on results and scores, which are:
- Early Tech
- Developing Tech
- Advanced Tech
- Target Tech
Statewide summary data is available for the STaR chart, and website visitors can search for particular district, campus, or key area results.
The STaR chart is criticized in some circles because it involves teacher self-assessments, and therefore is not an objective snapshot of actual technology use. I think the STaR chart, in conjuction with the Texas “Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020″ it was created to support, represents a giant leap forward for Texas classrooms. These documents articulate a clear vision for technology-infused teaching and learning in schools, and provide some data which grant writers and others can utilize when developing new proposals for educational technology use that meet specific, campus needs.
How is your state and campus measuring technology literacy for teachers? What is your opinion of the value of those measurement instruments, and how would you like to see those tools mature in the years ahead?
3 Comments
Noreen Strehlow
Monday, 15th June 2009 at 4:38 pm
As the person in my district responsible for the implementation of the state tech assessment, I was surprised to see that our state rated a 100% on some ranking of technology. We got it because we not only have technology standards, but also test technology standards. The really sad part of all that is we do not teach technology standards, so our kids went from 25% passing to about 14% passing. How can we teach our students to be creative problem solvers when the only choices we give them are a), b), c) or d)?
Joe
Tuesday, 16th June 2009 at 10:39 am
This is a great topic for a post. I am doing a whole presentation/discussion on this at NECC in a few weeks. Hope everyone who is interested stops by:
“Assessing Technology Proficiency in 8th Grade” – Birds of a Feather
Come share what your district or state is doing to assess technology proficiency in eighth grade which is a federal mandate of NCLB. What is working well and what challenges are you facing? What methods are you using to conduct the assessment? How are you remediating students who aren’t proficient? In what ways can the assessment data be used to increase your technology program’s effectiveness? Participants will leave better informed about how to make this assessment happen.
Day: Tuesday, 6/30/2009
Time: 4:45pm–6:15pm
Room: WWCC 152 A
Sally
Thursday, 18th June 2009 at 2:34 pm
I find this conversation fascinating on many levels. One, I just became aware of the iste existence and NETS because I am taking a graduate class about integrating technology in the classroom. Previously, I had considered computer class as the place my students “get their technology education.” Now, my perceptions have dramatically changed and I am left wondering how the National Benchmarks (or our state benchmarks) interact or overlap with the NETS. Who is responsible for covering the NETS and who is held accountable for making sure they are covered? Also, what are the “basic skills” that all educators need to have in the arena of technology to be certified to teach in the classroom? Your questions on how to assess technology proficiency are well worth addressing. There are folks out here, like myself, who cannot wait to see how this all develops. Thanks for giving me more to think about.
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