Topic 2: Technology Skills Individual Progress Plan

My Technology Goals

1. Become knowledgeable about the technology TEKS for students
   
2. Learn about interactive communication applications for students (blogs, Skype)
   
3. Develop lessons with integrated technology that coordinate with the curriculum
   
4. Learn about the various types of assistive technology available to students
   
5. Collaborate with other teachers on the use of technology in the classroom
   

My plan to accomplish these goals is to follow the course documents carefully, participate fully in all class discussions, and explore the resources available to me, like Atomic Learning and the textbook.

Topic 1: Standards Summary

The NETS seem to be the most comprehensive and well rounded standards for the teacher to follow in regards to their role as a teacher. They describe specifically what the teacher is expected to teach, perform, and participate in all aspects of their position regardless of grade level. The standards do not limit the teachers technology experiences to just in the classroom with students. They include standards for communication and professional growth in the community as well.

The TEKS are standards that outline the technology concepts that students should master in each grade level. They are specific to what the student must learn, so in essence, what the teacher must teach. The standards begin a general foundations in younger grades. As the student advances in school the standards build upon those foundations into more specific technology skills that should be mastered.

The MTT standards are a blend of both structures of the previous two. It is structured like the TEKS because it specifically outlines each technology strand that a MTT should be implementing. It is also similar to the NETS because it describes how the MTT should interact with students, the community, and other professionals. It states what an MTT knows and what they can do.