The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020

I was pleased to realize all of the research and work that was done before putting together such a comprehensive and ambitious plan. They first did a very thorough analysis on the nation’s educational needs, and a study on the learners of today. They also made sure to hear teachers’ voices. They wanted to know where teachers were in their level of knowledge about today’s technology and its use in the classroom. They concluded that in order for our students to succeed after graduating our schools, we needed to create 21st Century classrooms, and place in front of each one of those classrooms a 21st Century technology prepared educator. The plan includes a vision about how to provide professional development for teachers so that they are capable of teaching technology education and fully integrate technology in curriculum & instruction. It provides additional visions on teaching and learning, support for administrators and school leaders, and on developing the infrastructure that’s capable of supporting this huge endeavor. The plan offers many recommendations for all stakeholders from TEA, to parents and communities. Reading and visualizing how this ‘21st Century classroom’ will look like and operate, and thinking about how different teaching and learning will be, makes me want to go back to the classroom!