Texas STaR Chart Profile: NBHS

Texas_STaR_Chart_Hearnsberger

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Teaching and Learning

Target

"The teacher serves as facilitator, mentor, and co-learner. Students have on-demand access to all appropriate technologies to complete activities that have been seamlessly integrated into all core content areas. All Technology Applications TEKS are met K-8; high school campuses offer all Technology Applications courses and teach at least 4 courses." --STaR Chart Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area

Progress and Trends in the Area

National

• Teachers reported that about a third of their students used technology to practice or review reading, math or other subject areas in both 2004–05 and 2006–07.
• Two percent of students produce media, Web, or presentation products on a weekly basis
  
• Forty-seven percent of teachers reported using technology to develop curricula or assignments in reading, math or other subjects in 2006–07, compared with 31 percent of teachers in 2004–05.
• By 2006–07, there were significant increases in the proportions of teachers who reported using technology in developing curricula or assignments; presenting reading, mathematics or other subject concepts to students; research and lesson planning; and creating tests or quizzes.
• Forty-seven percent of teachers use technology to develop curricula or assignments in reading, math, or other subjects on a weekly basis. Source: Evaluation of the Enhancing Education Through Technology Program Final Report
• Data collected by ATRL suggest a slightly inverse relationship between technology proficiency and learner-centered approaches. Source: Mary Burns
  

State

• Texas reported that 29 percent of their districts met state definitions of “fully integrating technology” in school year 2005–06. Source: NETTS 2007 State Survey.
• When last reported in 2007, 69.7 percent of Texas schools were in the "Developing Tech" range in the Teaching & Learning area of Texas Campus STaR Chart.
• At the same time, 25.5 percent were considered "Advanced Tech" and less than one percent met target.
• As part of its Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, Texas K-12 campuses are required to complete the STaR Chart annually.
• Data collected using the Texas Campus STaR Chart are used to update district technology plans, conceptualize a district technology vision, set benchmarks and goals, to monitor progress, measure student and teacher proficiencies, and document progress toward meeting technnology integration goals. Source: Texas Campus STaR Chart
  

Local

• New Braunfels High School has stayed in the same range in the "Teaching & Learning" area of the Texas Campus STaR Chart since 2006-2007. We scored 13, 15 and 14 points in the last three years.
  
• The point we lost last year was in the Frequency/Design of Instructional Setting subcategory. It went from a three to a two.
  
• Even though we only scored one point fewer in the latest report, it was enough to reduce our rating from Advanced to Developing. This rating is consistent with most of the rest of the state.
• We did best in the subcategories of Content Area Connections and Student Mastery of Technology Applications, scoring a three on each.
• We haven't scored below a two in any subcategory of Teaching & Learning on any Campus STaR Chart available online (reports since 2003-2004 available).

My Recommendations for Improvement in Teaching and Learning
The Campus STaR Chart puts New Braunfels High School at the "Advanced Tech" progress level for Infrastructure for Technology. We have the computers and the connections, but that is not enough to meet the needs of modern learners. According to Eric Jones in "Strategies to Put Instruction Ahead of Technology," "Training is embedded in instruction, not isolated from it, and is driven by the skills that teachers need to use the technology in the classroom, not by the technology itself." We need to move beyond lecturing with technology and into facilitating student creation using technology.

We can do this by teaching teachers to become "good learners" using technology (Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner). Good learners are

confident in their ability to learn; focused on the process of learning; not afraid of making mistakes or wedded to the idea of an "absolute, final, irrevocable solution to every problem"; and able to redefine themselves as learners who modeled these "good" learning approaches to students. --Mary Burns

This means that teachers are not afraid to let students use technology they themselves don't completely understand. This practice is necessary if we are ever going to completely integrate technology into the curriculum.

Based on data primarily from the Texas Campus STaR Chart, New Braunfels High School should offer more professional development focusing on technology integration. The entire nation is lacking in this area, and it can't improve until education leaders make it a known, funded priority by offering a variety of learner-centered professional development.



Sources

• http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/netts/finalreport.pdf
• Burns, Mary. "From Compliance to Commitment: Technology as a Catalyst for Communities of Learning"
  
• http://starchart.esc12.net/
• Jones, Eric. "Strategies to Put Instruction Ahead of Technology"