Technology Assessments

I believe that the Texas Education Agency’s Campus STaR charts are beneficial in the sense that they provide a general assessment of how each campus is integrating and implementing technology.

Assessment is an integral part of any process. Analyzing the results from the STaR chart can help each campus identify areas for improvement. Recognizing these areas is the first stride to developing a positive 21st century learning environment for students. Educators need to make certain that students are learning the skills required to succeed in a technological society. Technology should be used to improve education in all subject areas.  This requires teachers to really understand these skills and discover the best and most effective ways to present them to students.  Whether the data shows a weakness in educator preparation or how the material is actually presented in a classroom, staff and administration can provide the resources necessary for advancement and continue to make progress toward meeting the goals of the Long-Range Plan for Technology as required by NCLB.

 However as with anything, I believe that there is certainly room for improvement.  It seems that there is a flaw in the way that the STaR chart is designed.  I believe that the accuracy of the information presented may not reflect what is really occurring on campus.  Results from administration may be influenced by their own interpretation of what is deemed effective and operational. In some areas, the data for my campus was surprising and I believe that these inconsistencies played an integral part of the overall conclusion.