TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENTS

As the era of technology driven education is in full swing it is imperative that student's skills and knowledge be assessed. Without an accurate representation of where the student's knowledge lies educators cannot raise the bar. The Texas Technology Application Standards states that students must be "technology literate" by the end of their eighth grade. This is a fact that is out there and must be addressed. Assessments need to be in place in order to help the student move further in their technology driven world. There are several ways that assessments can take place. The process can be incorporated into the curriculum of the core subjects. A state wide assessment is also a viable option. However the means of assessing, it is a given that it needs to be done. The world they will enter after high school is a world of high technology. Whether or not the school had ample technology is not a factor; the world does. Also knowing that they will be assessed the student will be more apt to strengthen their skills. The districts' technology plans need to address the issue of assessing student's knowledge. It is critical this day and age that students leave high school feeling very confident in their ability to use technology.

Teachers also should be held accountable for their knowledge and skills in technology. It is included in the new Texas teacher certification exams. But what about the veteran teacher, like myself, who did not have to take that section of the test. At the very least a checklist of knowledge needs to be collected and analyzed in order to provide staff development in appropriate areas. It is a tough task to plan technology workshops when you are uncertain of the skill levels of the participants. The STaR Chart gives a good representation of technology uses and equipment etc. It would be a useful tool in planning, but it needs to be more basic. Specific pieces of equipment, specific software that the school has purchased all need to be understood and used to best of each teachers ability. The tools are steadily becoming available, we need to teach the teachers to use them.

REFERENCES:

Texas STaR Chat: (http://starchart.esc12.net/)

Texas Technology Applications Standards: (http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/ch126.html#s1261)