Progress Report

My initial response to the progress report is that it is very promising, and, I think, more promising than the true reality of our classrooms. Teachers respond to the STaR Chart on their own. I wonder , however, how accurate those responses are when one takes into consideration whether or not teachers truly understand on what they are being assessed. Until reading this report, I’ve always considered myself very advanced in certain areas; however, I quickly realized that my knowledge is far less than I had originally identified. Yes, we have made tremendous progress; however, technology changes at such a fast rate that I do not believe our schools can keep up. Over 60% of teachers are at the developing tech stage in regard to teaching and learning (and, for the most part, the other three stages as well). After looking at data specific to my campus, however, I discovered that the majority of our teachers haven’t moved past this stage in a number of years. That’s a problem considering how much has changed in the world of technology over the course of the last year alone. I do like that online learning and distance learning are viable options for students, as the traditional school day no longer serves many of our students like it once did—especially students who are working full time, etc. Teachers who are trained in on-line instruction are much needed and, in my opinion, the wave of the future in regard to education. People are looking for convenience in this fast-paced and ever-changing world. Online learning is one answer. But more importantly, technology provides a more equitable education. Current technology proves promising in regard to quicker language acquisition (among many other examples), and of course we must strive to be better in this regard. But again, I believe our long-range goals are in jeopardy if more training and better resources are not in place like they should be. We can’t function in an ideal setting, as our setting in education is often the very antithesis of that. Are we making progress, yes. But we’re making progress at slow rate in comparison to how rapidly things change in the “outside world.” Reaching our goal involves regular access to equipment and resources, but it also involves moving teachers toward a digitally native status. At the rate we’re making progress, that is going to be a tremendous challenge.