Appendix T

In EDU 577, we were encourage to use CEO Forum’s StaR Chart assessment to determine our schools current technology level. After entering data about our district, and reflecting on the technology use, I summarized the recommendation from the assessment. I used this assessment to help develop the district’s current technology plan. The use of this assessment tool shows my understanding of the following elements from the NETS-T, CTTC, and CCCT.

NETS-T – V.a, V.c, V.d

CTTC – I.b, I.d, I.c, II.d, III.a, III.b

CCCT – 2.4, 3.5, 3.6

Robert H. Ives, Jr.

5/30/07

A2 – STAR Chart

EDU 577

After completing the CEO Forum's STaR Chart assessment, it is determined that my current educational setting is at the Mid Tech level. They list the following benefits of being at this level:

• Improve higher-order critical thinking with access to multimedia content
• Master basic skills through drill and tutorial software
• Greater information resources available for research and education from Internet and CD-ROM
• Most students/teachers able to communicate with parents, experts, other students and teachers outside the school

(CEO Forum, 2007)

While I would agree with the above benefits, I wish these benefits were more consistently reaped throughout the district. The positive benefits afforded to students are related to the willingness of the teachers to utilize the technology. The majority of teachers in my school district are not comfortable using the available technology. This means that students are not consistently taught necessary skills. In fact, at the elementary school, there is currently no computer teacher. Each classroom teacher is responsible for bringing the students to the lab for computer skills. This leads to huge gaps in technology education among the student body. They are taught different skills dependent on the skills and initiative of their classroom teacher.

The results also indicate that my district is at a high level of hardware, but at low level of use and integration. I believe there are two reasons for this discrepancy. First, as mentioned above, teachers are afraid to use the technology due to only a mid level of professional development. Less than 10% of my districts budget is used for professional development. Secondly, there are not enough computers for technology to be integrated successfully. There are only two computers in each classroom, and only one open lab for a school of about 500 students. There are also no LCD projectors or smartboards in the classroom. It is not easy to integrate technology with these limitations.