Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020

Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020: Teaching and Learning

Ricky B. Eades

Lamar University

The area of Teaching and Learning as outlined in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 is one that continues to place the majority of Texas schools in the Developing Tech category.  Out of 8087 schools surveyed in 2010, over 50% (59.3%) continue to be labeled as developing.  However, there are 3054 schools or 37.8% that are considered advanced and a mere 73 schools in the state of Texas that has achieved the Target level. The stated data is created with the completion of the STaR chart by Texas teachers.  Each teacher and administrator fills out an evaluation of their current campus once per school year.   The state plan for improvement was created in 2006 and has reached its 5^th birthday.  It is disappointing that we do not have more Texas schools at a minimum meeting the advanced stages of development.  It appears that the majority of Texas schools are still following the trend of teacher directed technology as opposed to teacher-facilitated and student directed.  The “one size fits all” approach no longer meets the demands of our Texas students according to the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. Students must be communicating with their peers, as well as, experts to try and solve worldwide problems.  My local area is for the majority in the advanced range with 14 of 20 schools being evaluated as Advanced, four as Developing, and two as Early Developing. The schools across Texas are making progress and we continue to strive for excellence.

The Concerns of Educational Blogs

The Concerns of Educational Blogs

Ricky B. Eades

Lamar University

EDLD 5352 Instructional Leadership – SP2 11-EA1251

Educational blogs also have some hidden pitfalls that one must be careful to avoid.  First, a person must be aware of their audience and understand that the writings are available to the virtual world and that includes your immediate community.  It has been my experience to be extremely careful when stating information, opinions, or data concerning your own school or district.  The thoughts that you deliver could possibly become ones of controversy and misunderstanding if not delivered correctly.  My uses of blogs are ones for informational purposes and not any type of slanderous or resentful vendetta.  A good rule of thumb is to keep your writing research based and verifiable. The opinionated approach can leave a lot of room for innuendo and skeptic inferences.  One must also remember that blogs are written words which don’t contain the elements of emotion. Thus, the feelings of the writer and those of the reader are not always identical. With all this said the advantages of educational blogging still outweigh the perils and have a tremendous potential for educational reform.

Web Conference 2-27-11

Greetings,

I attended the web conference hosted by Dr. Abernathy and Ms. Cummings from Lamar University on Sunday, February 27 at 5 P.M. The course is EDLD 5352 and section EA 1251

    My first impression was Wow!  There were nearly 100 people in attendance and the chat was scrolling faster than the human eye could focus.  Then we get to the fun part of adding video and audio from the attendees.  To my recollection, we successfully were able to display four video images across the screen and I lost audio several times with the exception of Dr. Abernathy which came in loud and clear.  Our question and answer session started promptly a short bit after 5.  The questions flew in rapidly by the students.  Dr. Abernathy answered in a due process the best possible.  The questions focused primarily on required textbooks, instructions, assessments, and blog spots.  There were a few out of bounds comments made in the process but for the most part they went unnoticed in the confusion. Things settled down to an extent about 30 minutes into the conference and most students received answers to their questions.  At least, I did.  The professors were more than helpful as they juggled email addresses and vast amounts of information. I was happy with the outcome of the conference.

    In my opinion, there are a few things that could make the conferences run smoother.  First, the conferences could be scheduled by sections and eliminate the 100 peep gathering.  Second, the only video and audio transmitted come from the professors and thus opens up neccessary bandwidth. Third, the "Raise Hand" option is utilized throughout the conference assuring each student that they have the stage. With this said, I would like to elaborate on the video and audio portion of my comments.  I think that this type of technology is super cool, however, I have ample experience in dealing with it to know that is there seldom enough bandwidth to run it successfully.  It usually creates more havoc than smooth sailing and especially with a large group of people such as 100.  Please do not misunderstand, I think that this type of media is fantastic given the correct circumstances and equipment.

Overall, I gained knowledge from the conference.  I have a good idea now of what my leaders expect and their philosophies.  The course will be fast paced and definately worth the effort.

Ricky B. Eades

A Minister Of Education

    My  choice of reading for this week is the article Where’s the Ministry In Administration? Attending to the Souls of Our Schools by Paul Graseck.  Graseck writes, “a wise school administrator discovers that those who say education has nothing to do with religion do not know what education means”. (Graseck, 2005, p.378) To listen, comfort, support, and inspire are critical elements of an administrator’s career, that is if they wish to be successful.  A very miserable message or inference that can be given to a learning community from an administrator is “my job is more important than yours”. (Graseck, 2005, p.374) Once the proverbial wall has been erected the administrator loses all connection and ministerial obligations and their fate is directed towards lone survival.

    A much more preferred choice is for the administrator to become the pastor of the school.  One that does comfort and nurtures good feelings to the school congregation.  The writing is not advocating that biblical or religious teachings become curriculum standards, but instead suggesting that “people are spiritual beings, seekers reaching beyond themselves”. (Graseck, 2005, p.374) The fact of the matter is that we are all very curious and inquisitive about our world and ourselves and rejoice in this spiritual uplifting. It is crucially important that administrators not divorce the classroom entirely.  After all, they are still teachers by example and should remain so throughout their career. “Ideally, administrators will not abandon classroom teaching.  Instead, they will, whenever possible, teach a class”. (Graseck, 2005, p.376) 

    The word administrator in its meaning is not defined as “Boss”.  It is actually derived from the Latin administrare meaning to help or assist or in our context “to minister to”. “Imagine if school administrators saw themselves as ministering to teachers, if they saw their jobs as genuine caring for the teachers they supervise”. (Graseck, 2005, p.376)  The administrator often offers a shoulder to cry on, a confident, softy spoken words, and friendship.

    So exactly how do administrators become bosses rather than ministers?  How is it that they are on occasion viewed as teacher enemy number one?  The evidence is overwhelming in reference to the above statements.  Just walk into the teachers’ lounge inside a school where the principal is considered “on the other side”. And, the comments you will hear are not without merit.  Graseck tackles this phenomenon with three observations leading to the development of an ineffective leader. First, “Administrators sometimes become administrators to escape teaching”. Second, “Teachers who enter administration quickly forget the hardships of the teaching life”, and third, “Many teachers become administrators too early in their career”. (Graseck, 2005, p. 376) So in summary, good administrators should never forget the stresses inside the classroom and the many faces the classroom teacher must portray throughout the school day, and, all without a secretary!

    “School administrators who exhibit pastoral strengths with usually emerge from among

seasoned, successful teachers”. (Graseck, 2005, p. 377)  The viewing of administrators as ministers is not one of high popularity nor is it the status quo.  We are all convinced somewhat that our monies are best spent on buildings, technology, and peripherals.  The human factor that builds great communities has become a low prioritized necessity.  If we cannot at least dream of doing things differently someday then we probably will not make change or do anything different whatsoever.

References:

Graseck, P. (2005). Where’s the ministry in administration? Attending to the souls of our schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(5), 373-378.

Emotional Intelligence

    I chose as my  reading, Emotional intelligence. What it is and why it matters by Cary Cherniss.  Cherniss presents a writing describing the importance of emotional intelligence and the effect it can have on potential leaders. The writer states that “IQ by itself is not a very good predictor of job performance”. (Cherniss, 2000, p.4)  It is also argued that “it is more important to be able to persist in the face of difficulty and to get along well with colleagues and subordinates than it is to have an extra 10 or 15 points of IQ”. (Cherniss, 2000, p.5) The concept is a comparison of both cognitive and non-cognitive abilities in people and which characteristic is most advantageous for a leader.

    “The ability to manage feelings and handle stress is another aspect of emotional intelligence that has been found to be important for success”. (Cherniss, 2000, p.6) One important fact learned is that emotional intelligence is knowing what to say or emotion to present at the right time that will infect the audience.  However, emotional intelligence is not the guaranteed requirement for a fruitful life but rather a foundation that builds emotional competencies. For example, “the ability to recognize accurately what another person is feeling enables one to develop a specific competency such as Influence”. (Cherniss, 2000, p.8) 

    A problem arises of just exactly how do you measure or test an individual’s emotional intelligence?  There are several assessments that have been implemented over the past 10 years but the validity of each comes under suspicion.  Cherniss lists the instruments (p.8-9) as:

1. Bar-On’s EQ-1

2. Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS)

3. Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI)

4. EQ Map

One particular test stands out according to Cherniss, such as “Seligman’s SASQ, which was designed to measure learned optimism and which has been impressive in its ability to identify high performing students, salespeople, and athletes, to name just a few”. (Cherniss, 2000, p.9-10)

    Finally, the study of emotional intelligence is important to many of us because it can directly affect our work performance and the output of those around us.  What I hope that we learned is that a “person’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any job”. (Cherniss, 2000, p.10)  The values of emotional perception are becoming increasingly higher in our workplaces as cognitive traits decrease in productive worth.

References

Cherniss,C. (2000). Emotional intelligence. What it is and why it matters. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Industrial Psychology. New Orleans, LA.

Reflection and Thoughts

This was an outstanding read for me.  I had several “Ahh” moments and took a considerable amount of time for reflection.  There was one thought that kept popping into my mind about emotional intelligence. Do and did all of our great leaders possess this quality?  For example and as Dr. Carolyn Crawford noted in her lecture, what if Dr. Martin Luther King had addressed his audience with “I have an idea or I have a thought instead of the emotion invoking…I Have A Dream”! This leader certainly possessed a tremendous amount of emotional intelligence as he was able to influence a nation.  Further, as I studied this ideal, it became apparent to me that the leaders I respect most are engulfed with emotional intelligence. 

    I certainly do not wish to imply that we completely throw cognitive or high IQ intellectual abilities out with the dishwater. After all, a person must have a somewhat high level of cognitive intelligence to receive college degrees and such.  But, once you are in the workplace the emphasis becomes less associated with IQ differences and more with social and emotional factors.  The extra 20 or so points would be nice to add to my intellectual ability, however, facing difficulties, following through, and getting along with colleagues is far more advantageous in my occupation of choice.

    Again, this topic readily generated my interest.  It could be in part because it made me realize a few things and really think about my own self and abilities. The need for self improvement is constantly on my mind.  I find myself falling short of expectations on many occasions, however, the willingness to plow forward keeps my emotional intellect on high alert.

 

Advice to New Teachers

My advice to a new teacher would be associated with my above statement. I would strongly suggest to everyone that we build relationships with our students. I am talking about wholesome relationships full of honesty and trust. Teachers need to be seen outside their classrooms with their kids. It is awesome to go play a game of kickball with some 6th graders or to eat lunch with a few 8th graders, perhaps spend some conference time with a needy 7th grader. The kids love to see you at their sporting events and extra-curricular activities. You are indeed building an emotional bank account with these youngsters when you develop a healthy relationship. And, the benefit is enormorous because when we as teachers do make a mistake, the student is willing to forgive. New teachers, take some time each and every day to reflect. Look in the mirror! What adaptions need to happen for student success? Are my lessons relevent to the student? Finally, teach from the heart and not the textbook. Kids recongnize fakes immediately. They do know the difference. Teach within your comfort zone and have strong resistance of becoming a teacher puppet.

Ricky

Final Reflections On Action Research

The final hours are upon us and the action research blueprint is complete.  I am well satisfied with my chosen inquiry dealing with the “Consequences of Classroom Referrals and How They Affect Student Achievement”.  One troubling reflection or perhaps question that has been a concern is the following:  Am I following this wondering for the completion of course work or is it for the purpose of actually following a passion and conviction?  To answer that question is rather difficult.  I asked myself some reflective questions.  Was this issue a concern for me before the introduction to EDU 5311?  And, would I have ignited it on my own without the influence of a course requirement? The honest answers to both questions are Yes to the first and a reluctant but honest No to the second.   With this said, I would also like to point out that great changes often happen due to a series of events.  Perhaps this could be a perfect example.

The course Professors, Dr. Arterbury and Dr. Jenkins, has been terrific leaders throughout this endeavor.  Their understanding style of lecture motivated me to really do some looking inside the proverbial mirror while trying to develop understanding about my plan.  Dr. Jenkins and the late evening video conferences were something to look forward to as we discussed our course work and even to a small extent Odessa Permian and MOJO football.  Diane Mason also helped tremendously by acting as our moderator and coach and showing her patience with our frustrations.

The assignments and activities for our course were rigorous, but fulfilling.  Perhaps I put more work in them than was needed.  I realize that I can be a tad over winded at times and tend to ramble.  It is something that I am working on!  However, at the end of each week, I felt very enthused and anxious to share my work with my colleagues.  This might perhaps sound a bit silly, but the completion of the assignments gave me a sense of pride. I only wish that I could convey this intrinsic emotion to my students.

The forums were perhaps my most favorite times of the week.  I really enjoyed the sharing of action plans and thoughts between my colleagues.  The tone was always very positive and professional.  I was able to piggy back several ideas from my classmates and implement them for the improvement to my own plan.  The forums for me provided a private arena in which to share thoughts.  I preferred this venue over the world wide audience of our “Blog Spots”.  I find myself on the Blog talking very generally and not very specific.  However, the Blog reaches such a huge audience of readers when compared to the Forums.  This could prove to be very advantageous for an action researcher as we gather data and information from many sources. 

I would like to introduce to you one very influential and true confident in this new direction with my education.  Her name is Elaine Stribling and she is my site supervisor. Without her direction and friendship, I would be a lost lamb in a big pasture.  Mrs. Stribling is an accomplished administrator that I have been privileged to work alongside for 15 years and counting.  We both share the same educational philosophies and consequently have created a dream team of vision. 

Finally, while stopping this writing and reflecting a few minutes ago, I came to realize that I do have the passion for making education and students a top priority. This is not only my current job but is starting to become an obligation that I am pleased to fulfill.  The action research issues will be a steady focus for the next several months if not years. I actually am not convinced that one’s action research ever comes to a completion as one issue revolves into another and the cycle continues and exponentially grows.