Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century

Teaching and Learning are one of the key focus areas in the Long Range Plan for Technology. The plans vision is for all students to be fully engaged in their learning processes and that there are opportunities in their school, libraries, homes and communities that stimulate and initiate this engagement. All learners shall have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources and services for individualized instruction 24/7; use information and communication technologies to collaborate, construct knowledge and provide solutions to real-world problems and situations that are encountered; use research-based strategies in all subject areas to improve academic achievement; communicate effectively in a variety of formats for diverse audiences. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. All students can benefit from the rich content, communication with peers across the globe, collaborate with experts, as well as access to online instructional resources, distance learning courses, and the multiple avenues for building knowledge and skills through the use of technology. Students with special needs benefit from specialized software, customized computer access devices, communication aids, and assistive technology. Distance learning helps provide schools the resources to offer each student the educational opportunities which the individual student may need. Texas students must become active participants in the learning process, know how to acquire information, while ensuring their sources are credible, and their educational journeys are safe. Skills are needed for collaboration, construction, use and communication techniques to gain the knowledge they need for a selected task, project or need. The focus must be to connect to students lives and their diverse ways of learning.

I believe we have made progress on our campus through the implementation of Smartboards, digital cameras, elmos, LCD projectors, limited teacher use of I-phones, Ipods, pedometers, web-based online resources (United Streaming), additional computers in classrooms, computer lab and a math renzuli lab. Greater strides are necessary to meet the TA TEKS and with all of the budget cuts across the country the push will remain but it will fall on the teachers once again with increased class sizes, limited resources and time restraints that ultimately affect the 21st century learner's development.

Our campus challenges for improvement are in curriculum alignment to ensure technology is linked to instructional strategies; the need for more time for student-led and generated projects, learn new curriculum startegies; more flexibility to try new methods of teaching and learning to meet diverse learner needs and financial means for additional digital resources.