Teaching and Learning section of the 2006-2020 Texas Long Range Technology Plan

Teaching and Learning


I chose the Teaching and Learning section of the 2006-2020 Texas Long Range Technology Plan to review. The Progress Report shows how the necessary tools and resources for administrators, teachers, librarians, and students are being provided in order to establish 21st Century classrooms. This section of the Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan highlights the impact of technology on Teaching and Learning.



Campus STaR Chart Data and Analysis for Teaching and Learning

The Texas Campus STaR Chart produces a profile of the campus’ status toward reaching the goals of the Long-Range Plan for Technology (LRPT) and No Child Left Behind. Each of the four areas of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technologyi is assigned a profile indicator that identifies its progress. The profile indicators place a campus at one of four levels of progress: Early Tech, Developing Tech, Advanced Tech, or Target Tech.

Early Tech - Early Tech means that instruction is teacher-centered and students occasionally use software applications and/or use tutorial software for skill reinforcement.

Developing Tech - Developing Tech refers to instruction that is teacher-directed and students regularly use technology on an individual basis to access electronic information and develop communication and presentation projects.

Advanced Tech - At the Advanced Tech level of the STaR Chart in Teaching and Learning, instruction is teacher-facilitated and students work with peers and experts to evaluate information, analyze data and content in order to problem solve. Technology is integrated into foundation area TEKS, collaboration is encouraged and technology supports the development of higher-order thinking.

Target Tech - At the highest level of the STaR Chart for Teaching and Learning, the Target Tech level, the teacher serves as facilitator, mentor, and co-learner. Students have on-demand access to all appropriate digital resources and technologies to complete activities that have been seamlessly integrated into all core content areas, providing learning opportunities beyond the classroom that are not otherwise possible.

According to the progress report, most Texas campuses are improving and are moving from lower levels on the campus chart towards the Target Tech level. The majority of Texas teachers and campuses evaluate themselves as either Developing or Advanced Tech in Teaching and Learning.


The LRPT discussed districts’ trends in increasing access to important 21st Century resources such as online learning, digital content, and online professional development. A few of the ways this is being accomplished is through the following:


The Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN), Digital content available through open-source and electronic textbooks, and the K-12 Databases provide safe, age-appropriate interfaces for elementary, middle, and high school students to engage in learning.



Distance learning opportunities have proven to be powerful tools for ensuring that students across the state have equitable access to quality education and instruction regardless of the school’s wealth, size, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.


Project Share is a new statewide system for delivering high-quality professional development to educators. It uses a collection of Web 2.0 tools and applications to provide professional development resources across the state, for personal growth, to build professional learning communities, participate in professional development courses and search for resources to be used in the classroom.



By examining the Long Range Technology Plan, I can see that Texas has a focus on ensuring that students are not just engaged learners but that they are also empowered learners. This is made evident through statewide implementation of digital content, the Texas Virtual School Networks, Project Share and other programs developed as a result of the state’s educational technology legislation.


In my opinion, there seem to be quite a few initiatives being made available but the plan should incorporate a strategy towards increasing the number and frequency of educators taking advantage of them. It is good to believe that most individuals would seek out these opportunities. However, many people are slow to move from their comfort zones. I believe there should be a structured plan to insure all educators are definitely being trained in particular areas and some system of check and balance for its usage.