Texas STaR Chart opinion on teaching and learning

The Texas STaR Chart is a tool used to create and update a district technology plan, create a vision for the technology future, set benchmarks and goals, and monitor progress toward those goals. In teaching and learning, one of the four areas of in the STaR chart, the traditional roles of teachers and students must be challenged. The information and technology available to students places teacher in the role of facilitator and students as active participants in learning. The STaR chart track progress in the patterns of classroom use of technology, frequency/design of instructional settings using digital content, content area connections, TEKS implementation, student mastery of TEKS, and online learning.
While progress is being made in this key area, most schools in our state as well as mine, are in the developing tech category where instruction is still teacher led and students regularly use technology. Most TEKS are met K-8 and high school courses are taught, but teacher facilitated lessons are not yet the norm in 69.7% of our state’s schools as well as mine. At my school as in many others across the state, teachers must become the facilitators of learning with student becoming 21st century learners with the ability to acquire information, validate that information, and problem solve using that information. Student must be encouraged to communicate that information with others online in various forms. Students that can accomplish these tasks have become those types of learners that can adapt and adopt new technology and learn for a lifetime. These students should have the ability to use higher order thinking skills and be placed in the forefront for the workplace. All of this cannot be done without adequate time and professional development as well as administrative support for this task.