Blog Posting #1: Teaching and Learning

According to the Texas Long Range Plan, technology should transform Teaching and Learning by allowing access to technology resources and tools 24/7 seven days a week, provide new methods to solving real-world problems, improve research-based strategies, and provide effective communication in a variety of ways. Substantial progress has been made in this area through the implementation of key legislation, grant funding, and educational technology programs. The Texas STaR Chart shows that the majority of Texas teachers and campuses evaluate themselves at the Developing or Advanced Tech level in Teaching and Learning. This implies that there has been an improvement in the number of teachers reaching higher levels of implementation of the Technology Applications TEKS and acquiring technology capabilities. Since the use of digital technology is changing traditional roles of students and teachers, the trend in education is now to provide access to engaging and rigorous instruction through the use of distance and on-line learning. As a response to this trend, the Texas Legislature established The Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN) to provide students with equitable access to quality, supplemental online courses. All courses are taught by a certified Texas educator and offer students with a wider variety of choices than those available at their home district. The flexibility of TxVSN has rapidly increased enrollment and the variety/number of courses provided. Curriculum and instructional materials have also experienced a significant change. Teachers are now incorporating digital content within teaching and learning. Smartboards and electronic textbooks are now replacing the traditional chalkboards and paper textbooks. K-12 Databases and online tutoring programs are also available to support equitable access to students and educators across the state. Through the use of educational technology, Teaching and Learning will continue to change significantly in order to transform the traditional classroom into the 21^st Century learning environment.