Texas STaR Chart Teaching and Learning

The Texas Campus STaR Chart "Teaching and Learning" component refers to how classroom instruction is delivered using technology. The goal is for all schools to function at the Target Tech level, wherein the teacher serves as a facilitator, mentor, and co-learner, and students have on-demand access to technology that will assist them in completing educational activities. Additionally, all students have met the Technology Applications TEKS through grade 8, and high school campuses offer and teach at least four Technology Applications courses.

Only about 1% of Texas schools are classifed as Target Tech at this time; 4% as Early Tech; 70% as Developing Tech; and 25% as Advanced Tech. Within my district, school levels vary widely between Developing Tech and Target Tech. As a whole, the district averages as Developing Tech in the areas of "Teaching and Learning" and "Educator Preparation and Develoment" and as Advanced Tech in the areas of "Leadership, Adminstration, and Instructional Support" and "Infrastructure for Technology." Texas still has a long way to go in order to compete with other states in technology integration, but the state has made great strides over the last several years. In order to continue this trend, the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 establishes goals to allow Texas to be competitive in educating its students for the 21st century.

To improve in the area of "Teaching and Learning," my primary recommendation would be to get more computers into Texas schools. Other states have been able to accomplish this by providing students with laptops, and many schools in Texas have begun to adopt this concept. If students had on-demand access to technology in all classes, teachers could stop spending so much time directing students on the use of technology and spend more time mentoring students as they become independent learners, who employ technology to solve problems and develop critical thinking skills.