EDUC 5353 Week 1
Hello! I'm Danna. I live in Royse City, Texas, with my husband and our four dogs. This school year is my 14th year in education. I have taught elementary and middle school, and I currently teach high school English and Humanities. This is my seventh class toward my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction, so I can see the finish line. I am looking forward to furthering my education and am eager to learn new things that can help my fellow teachers and me flourish in the classroom.
In my free time, I enjoy experimenting with new recipes, reading (currently reading The Housemaid by Freida McFadden), crafting, thrifting, and spending time with my family. I also very much like to travel and experience new cultures and customs.
I will be focusing on teachers in my community and within my school district for this class. When understanding and reflecting on the digital divide and how it affects students and teachers at my school I see the largest gap among teachers and their ability to understand and use technology to its fullest potential.
My school district prides itself on being state of the art when it comes to technology; they do a great job providing teachers and students with the appropriate access to these technologies. Every single student in my district has a school-issued Chromebook starting in third grade. During this time students have the ability to begin taking classes to become Chrome ambassadors, someone who is well versed in everything Chromebook and Google and all of its functions. All of the students' Chromebooks are regularly updated and serviced and when issues arise, a team of technology professionals are available to troubleshoot and solve problems. Hot spots on school buses and designated areas around the community offer free wifi for students and parents to use.
The teachers are also provided with an array of technologies such as Chromebooks, BenQ boards, tablets, and multiple subscriptions to online educational platforms. However, there is a large difference in the training that is provided for the teachers versus the students. While students take classes and have years to become fluent in their technology usage, teachers are often given an hour of training during the chaotic first week of in-service on how to access, use, and implement these mandatory new technologies. After that one-hour meeting, directions, and support on how to utilize the technology in the classroom are never mentioned again. It is up to the teacher to figure it out on their own time which often leaves the teacher frustrated and stressed. Most teachers that I work with regularly do not feel as if they have the proper training, resources, or time to utilize technology in their classroom creating a digital design divide.
Demographic data about my town and school district community-
- Median household income is from 118,000 with 12% of households earning $200,000 or more annually.
- The average home price in Royse City is 444,000.
- The population of Royse City has doubled twice and is expected to grow by 31.9% from 2019 to 2024 and is currently right under 40,000.
- Schools include- 7 elementary, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school.
- In the next two years, schools will include 8 elementary, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools.
- School enrollment is over 10,000.
- Student Ethnicity-
- White: 48%
- Black: 9%
- Hispanic/Latino: 35.7%
- Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander: 1.5%
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.6%
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.2%
- Two or more races: 4%
- 46.9% of students are at risk
- 43% are economically disadvantaged
- 13% are limited English proficient
- 96% graduation rate
- There are over 1300 school teachers and staff.
- 96% of teachers are certified
- 10 years is the average teacher experience
Danna, I haven't been in the classroom for several years, but when I was teaching, the newest technology I had was a Smartboard that two people could use at the same time. As you mentioned in your post, I was given a brief introduction on how to use it, and honestly, the students were the ones who helped me figure it out. I think this is a fantastic focus, and I'm excited to see what you do with it.
ReplyDeleteHi Danna! It’s great to meet you and hear about the incredible work your district is doing to support students with technology. I completely agree that the gap in training for teachers can create significant challenges, especially when so much is expected of us to integrate technology effectively. Your focus on addressing this digital design divide is so important—it sounds like you're in a great position to advocate for meaningful change and provide support for your fellow educators. Looking forward to learning more from you this semester!
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