Technology Assessments Reflection

When reviewing the two technology assessments required for the first week I realized that my skills as a technology liaison skews the results. My self assessments are not typical of most teachers or administrators. I knew that I had some skills that others did not regarding technology, but I was under the impression that I was much closer to average. However, I have learned most of what I know about technology by teaching myself. I have taken a few classes, but mostly what I know has been through trial and error. Thus, I do not always know the correct terminology. So, when I completed the Texas Education Agency’s Technology Applications Inventory, I was unsure as to what I really knew. I do realize that one of my weaknesses concerns creating spreadsheets. I rarely work with spreadsheets in Social Studies (I only have used Excel limitedly). This is beginning to change since I am on a team that uses spreadsheets to analyze data regarding student behavior issues (i.e. number of tardies each period, for each day). With regards to the SETDA survey, I recognized that my district is doing a good job with respect to the technology hard ware and soft ware. Cypress Fairbanks ISD (CFISD) attempts to be one of the forerunners with technology integration in the classroom. Some examples include: mounted projectors in every secondary core-curriculum classroom; interactive whiteboards in a majority of classrooms (all levels); technology assistants and technology liaisons in every secondary school; and a laptop initiative where every 11th grade US history student receives a laptop and lessons which utilize the laptop software. Additionally, the administrations on both the district and school levels encourage and support teachers’ integration of appropriate technology in their classrooms persistently. Furthermore, CFISD endeavors to fund technology programs by giving schools and teachers time and money to implement technology into their classrooms. All teachers and administrators have websites, many teachers use blogs (such as Wikispaces), some teachers use text alerts with their students and their parents for reminders of upcoming tests, quizzes, and major assignments, and some teachers are beginning to use podcasts with their students. We can always use more money and time to integrate technology better, but CFISD is working hard on getting the technology to the teachers and the students.