Educator Preparation and Development in East Texas

According to the 2010 Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology for the schools of Texas, administrators must lead the way for teachers and work to find ways to help teachers incorporate technology in all levels of classroom engagement. Effective leaders will look to the LRPT for ways to make their school stronger. They will make decisions with the budget that will include updated technology and professional development for teachers. In order to meet goals, districts will collaborate, and then they will create a vision that includes. Districts must use the STaR Chart to gage their performance and set long-range goals. The Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) hopes to guide Texas by demonstrating ways to lead schools into the future. My district is working hard to do this. In order to keep students moving towards the new 21^st Century learning environment of success, administrators and teachers must actively seek ways to engage students in activities that will enhance learning and develop computer skills. Teachers within my district have received updated and innovative technology within all core subject area classrooms. Many teachers are technologically advanced and use various resources that the internet allows to engage learners within the classrooms; after all, the actively engaged learner is goal for all educators. Because of educator expectations, we must move towards a reflective and high performing attitude of excellence that leads students to higher levels of learning through computers. My district offers several tools for classroom instruction and enrichment. We have math labs, English labs, and other interactive programs that assist learning. Students respond well to these programs, and they fall in line with the technology goals of the district. The district is also in the process of making textbooks available and accessible to students from home through the internet. We are working hard to ensure that our students graduate with the knowledge they need to be successful in the 21^st century. As educators we must continually chart our own progress, assess what is working and what is not, and develop new and innovative strategies that will lead to successful technology applications for our students. Districts are using tools such as Epsilen, online learning, and service centers to stay ahead of the students, and this is a necessary part of technology growth.