Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
In My Honest Opinion...The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006 - 2020
I am probably a little bit jaded when it comes to looking at and discussing the Long Range Plan for Technology (LRPT). I have an Information Systems degree and I work in a technology magnet program that is housed on a Title I campus. As a result, I witness first hand on a daily basis the disparity between what we WANT for our kids and what they really have access to. As a result, I chose to focus on the Infrastructure component of the Long Range Plan for Technology for this blog post.
I suppose I should preface this by stating that these are my own viewpoints and opinions based on what I see, read, hear, and experience. They are in no way the opinions or viewpoints of my academy, my campus, or my district.
So…back to the topic at hand…or on your screen…what is Infrastructure? Simply put, infrastructure is the web of tools and technology needed to exist in the digital world that we are trying so hard to navigate in education. The laptops, computers, iPads, networking wires, servers, wireless routers, phone lines, power cables, laptop charging stations, carts, LCD projectors, SMART boards, Airliners, and even the cell phones we use are all parts of our infrastructure.
What progress have we made in this area? Well, we are certainly more connected than we ever have been in the past, but we still deal with the daily frustrations of sites that are blocked, loss of connectivity to the network, server issues, all of the things that frustrate the end user and sometimes make them give up on the use of technology.
The current trend is to get technology into the hands of the students regardless of whether or not anyone knows how to use it or support it or fix it when it breaks. We seem to be planning for the future, but in reactionary mode when it comes to the technology that we currently use. I believe that more and more LEAs are making the commitment to develop 21st century learners through the use of technology, but we are nowhere near the goal of 24/7 access for all.
How do we get there? Until the state begins to TRULY fund education and the integration of technology – EVERY child has some kind of computer and internet access both at school and home – we WON’T. We can get closer, but we will never reach that goal when we live in a state where over half of our students are economically disadvantaged. When you have to choose which bill you can afford to pay and still put food in the kids mouths, getting them a laptop and internet access takes a seat in the back of the NEEDS bus…
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