Technology Report
Technology Report
Reading through the reports, found on the Texas Education Agency websites, it would seem as though we have “got it all together”, but in reality we are far from what those documents read. Our legislature has come up with a lot of jargon that appears to be right up with the times, but in reality what they have laid out for the ideal classroom is nowhere in the works in most schools. They have allotted certain dollar amounts to be used for each individual student, the number was somewhere around $8700 per student, but my question is where is all that money going? I realize that in comparison to the past these numbers truly are an improvement, but it seems as though the money is not being used in a way to benefit students to the maximum of its potential.Another area that interested me was the TIP or the Technology Immersion Pilot, which is designed for total immersion of the faculty and students in the area of technology. The idea is that computers will no longer be an addition to our teaching, but they will be a staple within our classrooms. Teachers will still facilitate the learning process, but the students would have the access and ability to carry the act of learning beyond the classroom and into their homes, therefore continuing the learning process outside the confines of the school day. In theory, this is an amazing idea. The only problem is that this is not happening at all within our districts. We do not even have enough laptops for a single class let alone every student enrolled in our schools. In my opinion, I believe that taking a step in this direction would be very beneficial to students as well as teachers, but when is the legislature going to get into the swing of things? This process could take years and it seems as though the funding for advancement such as this is nowhere to be found, again raising the question as to where all the money is going?
Technology is a part of our education whether we like it or not, but many seem to think that it an option as to when we get the ball rolling for advanced technology within our schools. For instance, there was a report that talked about the advantages of students being able to take distance-learning classes. This would be a huge benefit for those that want to take higher level classes during their high school years, as well as those that are at risk of dropping out because of pregnancy or similar reasons. The drop out rate may decrease if students simply had the option to participate in distance learning. Our legislature needs to see that we need to offer all types of learning to all types of students in order to offer the ability for success. Some students may need to work in order to help support their family, having a program such as distance learning would still give them the option of finishing school even though they could not physically attend. We need to give our students more options, if they want to learn, let them and give them the avenue.
Another area that I was interested in was the new “Golden Age in American Education.” Looking at the results is seems as though we are missing the mark somewhere besides dollars being contributed. We are putting more and more money into education, but our students’ ability to read remains the same. There seems to be something wrong with this picture. One would think that after all the changes that have been made we would see a difference, but there is nothing to be seen. I agree with the No Child Left Behind Act, but I think that something bigger is missing. There are other countries such as China that spend less on education, but their students are some of the brightest in the nation. Where are we going wrong? I am not sure that pouring more money into the system is necessarily the answer. I understand that we as teachers need to be held accountable, but is the TAKS Test really the answer? From what I have seen it seems as though all that test is telling us is that our kids don’t know how to read and write. We are missing out on teaching them basic life skills because we have to make sure they are ready for “the test.” I don’t see the trends going in the direction that all students should be at grade level reading and math skills by 2014. Some of our students are doing well just to pass. Our students are unmotivated, how do you fix that? The problem lies deeper than schools; I think that it is within our society as a whole. We are inhibiting our kids from the time they are born. They need to know that they have to work for things and that it is not just given to you. They need to know that the only way to be successful in this world is to have an education, without and education where would you be?
