EDLD 5352 Week1 Part 3: Key Ideas of the Long Range Plan For Technology

The Texas Long Range plan for Technology, 2006-2020 is a document that details the plan for technology use and development in the world of education. I was not aware that such a document existed before taking this class but it is very good to know that there is such document that is well laid out. The plan, like everything else in education is laid out under various headings called domains and those domains are as follows:

• Teaching and Learning
• Educator Preparation and Development
• Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support
• Infrastructure For Technology

Each of those domains is further explained in the document and gives more detail on the expectations for technology use and development in all areas of education.

Teaching and Learning
This section refers to the increased use of technology for our learners so that they may benefit from the things we are trying to teach them. Students should be able to manipulate technology not only to understand what they are currently being taught but also to find new questions that they can solve on their own. All learners must have access to reliable hardware and software that will not only enhance their learning but will encourage them to become more creative and explore the world around them even more.

Educator Preparation and Development
This section stresses the fact that we as educators need to be taught how to use the technology and learn ways to integrate it into every aspect of our teaching. Not only will this enable us to become better at explaining things to students but it will also make us all more productive so that we can handle those administrative tasks even better. The basic mandate of the long range plan is that all educators need to go through a program that shows the effective use of technology integration for all grade levels.


Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support
This section talks about the leadership being involved in all aspects of the drive for increased technology use because they are the ones who ultimately decide on the allocation of resources. Leaders are also the ones who need to be the driving force to motivate the teams to use more technology, and at the district level they are responsible for ensuring compliance with the state and federal requirements.


Infrastructure For Technology
This section addresses the need to improve on the infrastructure that we have in place so that it can keep up with the growing demands in the upcoming years. The existing infrastructure will need to be upgraded as time goes by and there will also need to be investments into the purchase of new and better hardware and software to keep up with the demand of the population.

I now see how involved the long range plan is and how every member of each level must work together to be able to take advantage of technology so that we can improve. One thing that I was surprised to learn was that distance education is used for lower grades as well as for college students. I was also surprised to learn that the technology plan only allocates about $50 per student per year, as I think that this is a very small amount, given the current costs of equipment.

At every domain there are recommendations to the Texas Education Agency on what still needs to be done or what needs to be improved in order to make the long range plan be successful. It is now up to the leaders to inspire people to move ahead and embrace the technology so that we can all be in compliance and also benefit ourselves and our students.

As an instructional leader at my campus I can be the cheerleader to get everyone revved up about the ways that using technology can make our lives easier. I can motivate staff by showing them how much the use of technology will simplify things and save them time. I already know that our students are excited about using the computer for anything so it will not be too much of a stretch to get them on board as well.