The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology was designed for the purpose of implementing technology into the classroom, and facilitating the modern 21st century learner. In the past, there has been a disconnect with how much information is available, how many students have access to this information, and how to cover the void of veteran teachers who feel like “digital immigrants” in a foreign land. The plan covers these aspects and offers solutions to many. The issue at hand is whether or not the focus areas in the Long-Range Plan actually mend the deficits of technology in education. In the plan, there are four main focus areas: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Leadership, Administration, and Instructional support, and Infrastructure of Technology. The overall effect in all four of these areas has been improvement. The Infrastructure of Technology and Leadership, Administration, and Instructional support areas all showed the majority of Texas teachers in the Advanced Tech area. All four areas have improved overall, but these two showed the most growth with the most potential for ultimate success. One of the goals of this plan is to develop action steps to reaching the Advanced and Target Tech areas for all four sections. Texas is about halfway there. To ultimately reach this goal, there will need to be further financial support from the state (which is not likely in the coming years), support on the campus level including professional development and training sessions on technology in the classroom, and perhaps a community level event in which all stakeholders are trained to embrace certain parts of the new digital stream, such as social networking and blogging.
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