Opinion piece-Long Range Plan: Educator/Prep and Development

Texas Long Range Plan: Educator Preparation and Development

This plan includes all long range plan for technology goals in Texas. One area included is the preparation of educators and their development of technology into their classrooms. Two goal are developed. One is that all future educators graduating from educational programs leave the university level trained and ready for technology in the classroom. The second if that all current educators be trained and master technology to effectively implement into their classrooms. If these are achieved, our classrooms will witness a rise in technology and will meet the needs of 21st century learners. Progress and trends in this area include local, state and national goals. All wish to develop technical support for educators that is effective and high quality. Professional development is crucial to teacher training. The state is to revise and update the requirements for teacher training and to update technology requirements for an educator certificate. At the local level, professional development of technology TEKS is to be quality and online learning is to be developed and encouraged.

For further improvement in this area, all building principals must be trained and mastered in the technology that is required in the classroom. Until this occurs, educators who are resistant to this new wave of teaching, will not be pressured to join this technology revolution.