Blog Posting #1

The area of educator preparation and development is essential for today’s classroom teacher. Teachers must be able to prepare students for their future in a manner that assures that students will not simply survive, but be able to thrive in our hi-tech society. According to the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, preparing educators through professional development will help to move us from traditional schooling to 21st Century education. The challenge for our state and nation is being able to secure time, resources, and effective models for educator professional development. Resources are of major concern in many districts state and nationwide, which hinder the progress of being able to effectively implement technology into our classrooms. However, in there has been significant progress made in our school district when it comes to technology. Mesquite ISD has committed significant time and funds to develop a technological infrastructure that can address teaching teachers’ 21st century skills and how to implement them within the classroom setting. Mesquite is dedicated to staying on top of emerging technological trends. Currently, Mesquite Independent School District is in the process of installing Promethean boards in all classrooms across the district and they offer numerous staff development classes for teachers to understand how the boards operate and how to develop to flip chart that pertain to their specific curriculum. Another area that the district has committed itself to is a digital library. Any staff, students, and parents can access this library and download e-books or audio books to enjoy. All that the patron needs is an internet connection and a computer, phone, or compatible electronic device. My recommendation would be for districts to evaluate the current technology trends and how they can be incorporated in to the educational setting.