Blog Post 2: Reflection on LRPT, 2006-2020

According to the 2010 Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, it was designed to support "an engaging, relevant, and future-focused system of education for young Texas learners, prepare each student for success and productivity as a lifetime learner, a world-class communicator, a competitive and creative knowledge worker, and an engaged and contributing member of our emerging digital society" (Texas Education Agency, 2010). The progress report describes the strategies that the state has used to support this goal, as well as the progress that has been made so far.

One of the first things that has impressed me about the Long Range Plan for Technology is that the original plan actually began in 1988. Since then, there have been regular updates to the plan as advances in technology have been made and have impacted society. This communicates to me a sincere desire by the state for their plan to be successful and meaningful.

The progress report states that in the area of Teaching and Learning, progress has been made through implementation of legislation, grant funding, and technology programs (p. 9). The STaR Charts reinforce this assertion, with decreases in the classifications of Early and Developing Tech (though it is still the highest classification at 55%), and an increase in the classification of Advanced Tech to about 35%. The Target Tech appears to have grown as well, though not by a large amount. I believe this is an accurate assessment, and I have seen evidence of many of the programs being made available such as distance learning, interactive video conferences, electronic course programs, and increases in the amount of digital content available in the classroom.

In Educator and Teacher Development, the progress report shows evidence of how the necessary resources for schools are being provided. Again, the STaR chart shows an increase in the Advanced Tech classification to about 25%, but about 65% is still classified as Developing Tech. I have not seen as much evidence in this area on my campus, and in fact, our classification level dropped to Developing Tech last year.

For Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support, the report shows progress through evidence of providing leaders with recommendations for the use of technologies and expectations for staff. The STaR Chart shows the greatest increase in the classification of Advanced Tech to over 50%, with a slight increase in Target Tech as well, to about 5%. The STaR Chart itself is evidence of the progress in this area, and is something that my campus has used for each year that I have taught there.

The last category, Infrastructure, is where I believe the most progress should have been made, and the highest classification is Advanced Tech (at almost 60%). There was an increase in the Target Tech classification as well. I see evidence of progress in this area through the various technology resources I have access through.

I beleive that progress has been made since 2006, and I am interested to see what further way this plan is updated as new advances in technology are made.