Saturday, March 26, 2011

Instructional Leadership: My Web Conference Experience

An administrator must work to support and model instructional technology; this is one of the many important roles a school leader must serve in effectively. I found participation in the web conference particularly useful, but was discouraged that it was more directed for students in the Technology Leadership course. Students enrolled in the Instructional Leadership, the same course in which I am enrolled, did not get questions answered. Students from the Instructional Leadership course had questions regarding the internship and other various questions regarding the course. The opportunity for collaboration was limited due to the great number of students participating in the conference. I did understand the technicality, and still found the experience of the web conference very beneficial. There were some technical glitches, yet I found the web conference a valuable learning experience. As a requirement of the course I demonstrated the skills to effectively use a web camera and participate in a web conference. As a school administrator, this skill will not only prove useful in supporting school online learning communities, but will prove useful in interviewing potential candidates for employment as well.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Instructional Technology Integration Plan of Action

Estacado High School, Lubbock ISD, 2010- 2011
Organization of Technology Integration

School Board

Role:
The school board shall write or have others write and approve Distirict policies, including the curriculum and technology integration of schools within the District.
Responsibilities:
The board must approve the Lubbock ISD Technology goals and objectives and must chose and approve the individuals who collaboratively develop a vision statement and goals for Lubbock ISD Technology. The goals and objectives in place support student achievment of the state’s Techology TEKS , and support the Teaxas Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020.

Superintendent

Role:
Collaboratively works with school board members and school stakeholders to ensure trusting relationships are built and to assist in the school decision-making process for the District. Serves as a leader for school administrators and all school stakeholders within the school distirct.
Responsibilities:
Serves as a leader in the community, and builds trusting relationships with all stakeholders including: students, parents, administrators, teachers, school faculty members and community members.
The Superintendent serves in the school decision making process and ultimately provides insight to the school board and makes recommendations to the board. The Superintendent collaboratively works to ensure the most knowledgable and most appropriate people employeed by the District are working to ensure achievement of Lubbock ISD Technology goals, and to ensure technology is being used to meet the learning needs of all students.

Executive DirectorInstructional Technology and CTE


Role:
He/she serves as the Executive Director of Intsructioal Technology and Career and Technology Education for Lubbock ISD.
Responsibilities:
This person must work collaboratively with other Insturcutional Specialists and Istuctional Technology Coaches to ensure resources and technology is aligned with the curriculum of the District in order to support achievement of school goals.
Serves as a leader to Instructioal Technology Specialsts, Instuctional Technology Coaches, school administrators, teachers, students and community members in ensuring technology is integrated in Lubbock ISD schools as appropriate to support the Texas Long-Range Plan of Technology, 2006-2020 and the TEKS related to technology competencies.

Instructional Technology Specialist, District Web Administrator

Role:
He/She serves as the Instructional Technology Specialist with a primary interest in District Web Administration.
Responsibilities:
Must collaborate with other Technology Specialists and the Executive Director of Instuctional Technnology to analyze data and use data to make decisions.
Serves as a leader of Instructional Technology for Instuctional Technology Coaches, school administrators, teachers, students and community members.
Serves as Web Administrator for Lubbock ISD, including: leading staff to accomplish professional development goals; producing a user friendly school website with staff access to gradebook, e-mail, and other relevant resources; provides communication to parents and commuity members, and provides school stakeholders with access to important information, some of which mandated by law.

Instructional Technology Coaches

Role:
Serves as an Instructional Technology Coach for Lubbock ISD, and works to provide assistance and professional development to school faculty members to support achievment of Lubbock ISD Technology goals and objectives.
Responsibilities:
Leads school administrators and school faculty members to integrate technology into instructional practices and to meet the learnig needs of all students.
Provides assistance to school faculty in correcting software and hardware issues that may arise.
Conducts professioal development in regards to accomplishment of the Competencies set forth by the District teachers must accomplish in order to receive technology such as document cameras and SMART boards.
Ensure teachers are aware of the policies regards the professional development the teachers must enroll in, in order to receive the technology equipment for use in their classrooms. Teachers are required to receive professional development regarding the new equipment before they receive any technology hardware or software from the District.

Campus Administrators

Role:
Campus Administrators serve as leaders of the technology integration process. Administrators must work to support the use of technology in classrooms to ensure the learning needs of all students are being met.
Responsibilities:

Lead teachers, faculty members, students and commuity members to support the use of technology to prepare students for a global economy in the 21st Century and to icrease student learning and achievement.

Model the expectation of use of technology to meet the learning needs of all learners. The administrator must be knowledgable in regards to the use of technology for commuication purposes, to enhance instruction, to analysis and review data, and to create presentations.

Technology must be used for data analysis purposes. The campus administrators must promote the use of technology to inorm of data for analysis by teachers in order to drive decisions in classrooms that support student achievement for all.

Must support and provide the resources necessary for teachers to receive the appropriate professional development needed for new technology hardware and/or software.

Must ensure that the school’s technology goals support the curriculum and enhance instruction, and support achievement of the state’s TEKS related to Technology .
Department Heads/ Teacher Leaders

Role:
Serve as leaders to teachers in regards to the integration of technology in classrooms. Demonstrate the use of technology integration in their own classrooms.
Responsibilities:

Demonstrate the use of “best practices” involving the use of technology in classrooms to meet the learning needs of all students in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

Serve at the campus as a person of knowledge in the use of newly implemented technology hardware and/or software.

Mentor teachers in need or resistace to newly implemented technology harware/software.

Support the use of technology to provide data regarding student achievement, and demonstrate the use of data to drive decsisions for increased student achievement.

Teachers/ Faculty Members

Role:
Serve as the implementor of techology in classrooms to support student learning for all students.
Responsibilities:

Collaborate with school department heads, teachers leaders, school administrators and district technology specialists to ensure technology is appropriately used to increase student learning and enhance instruction.

Must take advantage of professional development needs in order to effectively use techology equipment to support student acheivement.

Use technology to gather data for analysis to monitor or adjust practices and strategies used in the classroom, including the way and to what degree the technology in the classroom in being used.
Students

Role:
Must be provided the opportunity to use technology in order to challege students to reach their fullest potetial and to prepare students for a global economy in the 21st Century.
Responsibilities:

Follow all school policies and district procdures in regards to the use of technology in the school.

Take advantage of the opportunity to use technology to enhance learning and prepare and educate oneself for a 21st Century society.

School principal’s role in implementation and monitoring of Technology Integration:
The school principal is directly responsible for the implementation and monitoring of Technology Integration at the campus at which he/she serves. The principal must serve as a leader of the technology integration process. School leaders must work to support the use of technology in classrooms to ensure the learning needs of all students are being met. School pricipal’s must monitor achievement towards school goals related to techology integration, and must ensure that departments heads, teacher leaders, and teachers are all fullfilling their roles and responsibilities in regard to technology integration. The school principal must also collaborate with Instructional Technology Specialists and Coaches in order to ensure effective monitoring towards mastery or techology integration goals. In order for implemenation of the Technology Integration, the school principal should also fulfill the following responsibilities:

Lead teachers, faculty members, students and commuity members to support the use of technology to prepare students for a global economy in the 21st Century and to increase student learning and achievement.

Model the expectation of use of technology to meet the learning needs of all learners. The administrator must be knowledgable in regards to the use of technology for commuication purposes, to enhance instruction, to analysis and review data, and to create presentations.

Technology must be used for data analysis purposes. The campus administrators must promote the use of technology to inform of data for analysis by teachers in order to drive decisions in classrooms that support student achievement for all.

Must support and provide the resources necessary for teachers to receive the appropriate professional development needed for new technology hardware and/or software.

Must ensure that the school’s technology goals support the curriculum and enhance instruction, and support achievement of the state’s TEKS related to Technology .


Plan of Professional Development:
Professional development is needed at Estacado H.S. in order for school improvement. In order to increase student learning and achievment, and to prepare students for a 21st Century global economy, stakeholders must commit to ensure a plan of improvement in regards to technology integration to support student achievement and instructional and organizational leaadership.

Identified technology needs of Estacado High School:
The STaR Chart informs that the greatest weakness of Estacado High School is in both the areas of “Teaching and Learning” and “Educator Preparation and Documentation”. In the area of “Teaching and Learning”, Estacado High School consistently acquired a “Developing Tech” status from 2007-2010. According to the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area, provided by the Teacher Education Agency (TEA), this indicates that instruction is teacher-directed and students regularly use technology on an individual basis to access electronic information and develop communication and presentation projects. There is minimal use of technology in foundation TEKS. Most technology applications TEKS are met K-8; high school campuses teach at least 2 technology Applications courses. The STaR Chart informs that in the area of “Educator Preparation and Development”, the Key Area score is consistent with a “Developing Tech” status from 2007 through 2010. According to the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area, provided by the Teacher Education Agency (TEA), this indicates that use of technology is for administrative tasks and classroom management, There is use of online resources. Statewide, 40% of educators meet SBEC standards, and Administrators expect teachers to use technology 6-24% of technology budget allocated for professional development.

Stakeholders of Estacado H.S. must receive professional development in the following areas and in order to support school improvement and for the school to accomplish the following:
§ Demonstrate improvement in the gathering, analysis and use of data from a variety of sources.
§ Improve decision making in the integration of techology with instructional and organizational leadership.


Activities of Professional Development:
Goal: Demonstrate improvement in the gathering, analysis and use of data from a variety of sources.


Role/ Who:
Sarah Dormier (Facilitator)
Responsibilties:
Use technology to gather and provide data relevant to student TAKS scores overall and by objective to Mathematics teachers.
Collaboratively analyze data with Mathematics department to determine strengths and weakness for students by classroom.
Lead discussion regarding ways teachers can use technology to sustain strengths and improve classroom weaknesses in order to support achievement of campus goals.








When/ Time:
Mathematics Department Meeting, Estacado H.S., September 2011, Week 1, 1 hour
Description of Activity:
Use technology to gather and provide data relevant to student TAKS scores overall and by objective for E.H.S. Mathematics teachers.
Collaboratively analyze data as a Mathematics department to determine strengths and weakness for students by classroom.
Discuss ways teachers can use technology to sustain strengths and improve classroom weaknesses in order to support achievement of campus goals.
Specific practices with use of technology to enhance student learning for use in classrooms will be determined at the next department meeting. This discussion and/or topic will be placed on the agenda for next week’s discussion.


Role/ Who:
Sarah Dormier
(Facilitator)
Responsibilties:
Facilitate a enviornment where school stakeholders feel comfortable to share insight and knowlegde directed towards increased student achievement and school improvement.
Provide an agenda informing of topics to be discussed and addressed at meeting.
Lead and promote a collaborative enviornment to determine ways to support technology integration in classroom instuction at E.H.S.

When/ Time:
Mathematics Department Meeting, Estacado H.S., September 2011, Week 2, 1 hour
Description of
Activity:

Reach consesus on three “best practices” that demonstrate the use of technology to support learning for all students and support student achievement of the TEKS related to Mathematics and to Technology.

Discuss the three researched based “best practices” to be implemented in classrooms. Discuss any concernc techers may have and encourage questions related to any technology support needed.

Disucss ways to access the instructional methods with use of technology to enhance instruction. A pre-test and post-test of ten questions related to the topics being enhanced with technology to ensure student learning should be discussed.

Collaboratively develop a timeline for the pre-test, implementation of technology enhanced instruction and post-test.

A reflection of each teachers’ thoughts and opinions of the newly implemented researched based “best practices” shall be sought from all Mathematics’ teachers at the end of the professional development sessions.

Role/ Who:
Sarah Dormier
(Facilitator)

Responsibilties:
Facilitate a enviornment where school stakeholders feel comfortable to share insight and knowlegde directed towards increased student achievement and school improvement.
Ensure all teachers are aware of timeline of implemenation of pre-test, post-test, and instructional technology.
Provide an agenda informing of topics to be discussed and addressed at meeting, including timeline for implemenation.
Lead and promote a collaborative enviornment to determine ways to support technology integration in classroom instuction at E.H.S.

When/ Time:
Mathematics Department Meeting, Estacado H.S., September 2011, Week 3, 1 hour
Description of Activity:
Discuss the timeline, pre-test scores and discuss implementation of the instructional technology practices.
Discuss concerns, obstacles, and/or likes about the instruction implemented with the use of technology to support student learning. What seems to work, and what does not?
Prepare to bring pre-test and post-test scores, and your reflections of the process of integrating techology into classroom instruction to the next PLC or Matheamtics deparment meeting.

Role/ Who:
Sarah Dormier
(Facilitator)
Responsibilties:
Facilitate a enviornment where school stakeholders feel comfortable to share insight and knowlegde directed towards increased student achievement and school improvement.
Provide an agenda informing of topics to be discussed and addressed at meeting, including the implementation of the instruction with technology used.
Lead and promote a collaborative enviornment to determine ways to support technology integration in classroom instuction at E.H.S.


When/ Time:
Mathematics Department Meeting, Estacado H.S., September 2011, Week 4, 1 hour
Description of
Activity:

Use technology to analyze data, such as the pre-test and post-test student scores.

Collaboratively use data to determine student strengths and weaknesses, and determie if any improvement was documented.

Mathematics’ teachers will read their reflections, and input and insight from stakeholders will be sought.

Technology will be used to develop a survey seeking insight regarding the professional development sessions and their effectiveness to preparing teachers to gather, analyze, and use data from a variety of sources to drive decsisions.


Activities of Professional Development:



Goal: Improve decision making in the integration of techology with instructional and organizational leadership.


Role/ Who:
Sarah Dormier
(Faciltator)
Responsibilties:
Demonstate to teachers leaders and department heads of E.H.S. the importance of and how to lead a professional development session related to the integration of technolgy to drive decision making in classroom instruction for all teachers of E.H.S.
Promote sustainable leadership by providing the opportunity for other teacher leaders to collaboratively develop practices that promote the use of technology in classrooms.
Facilitate a enviornment where school stakeholders feel comfortable to share insight and knowlegde directed towards increased student achievement and school improvement.
Provide an agenda informing of topics to be discussed and addressed at meeting.
Lead and promote a collaborative enviornment to determine ways to support technology integration in classroom instuction at E.H.S.


When/ Time:
Department Heads Meeting, Estacado H.S., October 2011, 1 hour
Description of
Activity:

Teacher leaders will particpate in groups, selected by the table at which they chose to sit. In these groups teachers will accomplish tasks aimed at supporting improving desision making in the integration of technology with instuctional and organizational leadership.

Teacher leaders will: collaboartively develop “best practices” instruction that support the use of technology in order for all students to learn.

Discuss, reach consensus and document which “best practices” will be used by which departments.

The department heads will be responsible to teach the teachers of his/her department the “best practices” which integrate technology, and to monitor and evaluate the “best practices” data including pre-tests and post-tests student scores.

A time-line will be created dipicting when department heads will impement professinoal development session related to technology integration for teachers of the department and for documenting when the pre-tests, instuctional technology practices and post-tests will be implemented by teachers. Teacher leaders must ensure that teachers are following the timeline and implementing the instructio infused with technology.

Department heads will be asked to reflect on their experience of demonstrating and presenting the professional development session related to instructional techology integration.

Role/ Who:
Sarah Dormier
(Faciltator)

Responsibilties:
Demonstate to teacher leaders and department heads of E.H.S. the importance of and how to lead a professional development session related to the integration of technolgy to drive decision making in classroom instruction for all teachers of E.H.S.
Promote sustainable leadership by providing the opportunity for other teacher leaders to collaboratively develop practices that promote the use of technology in classrooms.
Facilitate a enviornment where school stakeholders feel comfortable to share insight and knowlegde directed towards increased student achievement and school improvement.
Provide an agenda informing of topics to be discussed and addressed at meeting.
Lead and promote a collaborative enviornment that supports improving the decision making process related to technology integration at E.H.S.

When/ Time:
Department Heads Meeting, Estacado November 2011, 1 hour
Description of
Activity:


Department heads will be asked to discuss at the table at which they chose to sit, their experience with the instructional technology integration professioal development session. Guiding questions directed at improvements and highlighting strengths of the professional development sessions will be provided to enhance discussion.

Teacher leaders will be thanked for taking advantage of the opportunity to serve as a teacher leader.

Improvements to the “best practices” instructional technology integration practices will be sought from stakeholders. Questions regarding the ease of use or the difficuluty of the technology harware and/or software provided will sought.

Teacher leaders will be politely reminded that they are expected to ensure that teachers are following the timeline that was collaboratively created. Data including pre-tests and post-tests student scores will soon be needed for discussion.

Role/ Who: Sarah Dormier
(Faciltator)
Responsibilties:
Demonstate to teachers leaders and department heads of E.H.S. the importance of and how to lead a professional development session related to the integration of technolgy to drive decision making in classroom instruction for all teachers of E.H.S.
Promote sustainable leadership by providing the opportunity for other teacher leaders to collaboratively develop practices that promote the use of technology in classrooms.
Facilitate a enviornment where school stakeholders feel comfortable to share insight and knowlegde directed towards increased student achievement and school improvement.
Provide an agenda informing of topics to be discussed and addressed at meeting.
Lead and promote a collaborative enviornment to determine ways to support technology integration in classroom instuction at E.H.S.

When/ Time:
Department Heads Meeting, Estacado November 2011, 1 hour
Description of
Activity:

Department heads will discuss the data related to the pre-tests and post-tests scores.

Improvements and strengths will be discussed and recognized. Weaknesses will be discussed and noted for further development.

Teacher leaders will be given the opportuity to discuss their reflections regarding the process of serving as a professional development presenter and leader.

Collaboratively develop a plan to use the data to further improve student learning and to use the data to drive the school decision-making process in regards to instructional techology integration.

Discuss ways to monitor the use of the demonstrated “best practices” related to instructional technology integration throughout the campus and to support student learning and achievement.

Plan of Evaluation: Technology Integration, Estacado H.S.


The evaluation process in regards to Estacado High School, education, and technology integration must include the following components:
Use of data including campus and district improvement plans and state technology plans.
Provide monitoring reports measuring professional development effectiveness in regards to the use of technology to improve the gathering, analysis and use of data from a variety of sources.
Provide monitoring evaluations of professional development and its effectiveness to improve decision making in the integration of technology with instructional and organizational leadership.

Evaluation:
Goal: Use of data including campus and district improvement plans and state technology plans.
STaR Data analyzed and reviewed by school administrators and teacher leaders by August 2011.
A plan for improvement that supports the Lubbock ISD Technology goals and objectives will be developed by administrators and teacher leaders and the data is communicated to other stakeholders by September 2011.
School leaders must ensure that all minimum state expectations are being met in regards to technology integration in Texas’ schools on a consistent basis.
Estacado H.S. Site Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM) and school stakeholders must develop campus goals and objectives related to instructional technology integration that support the Lubbock ISD Technology goals to promote student achievement and school improvement.


Evaluation:
Goal: Provide monitoring reports measuring professional development effectiveness in regards to the use of technology to improve the gathering, analysis and use of data from a variety of sources.
A school administrator uses a survey created online to determine if the professional development goals were met, and determine if teachers now demonstrate the skills necessary to use data analysis to drive decisions for school improvement and to support student learning in classrooms today.
School leaders create reports monitoring the effectiveness of professional development in preparing teachers to use data to drive decisions that support student achievement and to integrate technology in to instructional practices in order to support learning for all students.
Seek insight, knowledge and ideas from other stakeholders in regards to professional development effectiveness related to instructional technology integration.
Present to faculty the findings of the data. The data should support and provide evidence of the positive effects the use of instructional technology integration practices have on student learning and achievement.


Evaluation:
Goal: Provide monitoring evaluations of professional development and its effectiveness to improve decision making in the integration of technology with instructional and organizational leadership.
Teacher leaders and administrators will collaboratively develop a process for monitoring and then acting for school improvement using evaluation of professional development data.
The data gained from teachers and their insight and thoughts must be used to improve professional development measures and meet the learning needs of all teachers.
Data will be used by school stakeholders, including evaluation data to improve the effectiveness of professional development in order to improve decision making in the integration of technology with instructional and organizational leadership.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

A Reflection: The importance of achievement of the technology education goals to transform American education

The U.S. department of Education relased a draft of the National Educational Technology Plan: Transformig American Education: Learning Powered by Technology ; this document provides information regarding ways information and commuication technologies can assist in transfering student learning and education in Americas’ schools. The document provides information in the following: Learning: A model for the 21st Century; Assessment: Measuring What Matters; Teaching: Improving Learning Though Connected Teachig; Infrastructure: People, Processes, and Technologies for Learning; Productivity: Imporving Learning Outcomes While Managing Costs; and R&D: Solvig Grand Chanllenge Problems. An effective administrator must not only be familiar with state standards, state expecations, and how to use technology to support student learning and in regards to education and technology, preparing students for a global economy in the 21st century, but must also be knowledgable in technology national stanadards and national data. The National Educational Technology Plan: Transformig American Education: Learning Powered by Technology informs that education has become an urgent priority driven by two cleal goals. By 2020: We will raise the proportion of college graduates from where it now stads so that 60% of our population holds a 2-year or 4-year degree; We will close the achievment gap so that all students – regardless of race, income, or neighborhood – graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers. (National Educational Technology Plan 2010, Office of Educational technology, U.S. Department of Education, 2010, p. v). The National Education Technology Plan 2010, addresses the key role technology will play to achievment of these national education goals by the year 2020.

A Summary and Reflection: The first progress report provided by the Texas Education Agency: Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology.

In 2008 the, for the first time, Texas Educcation Agency copyrighted and presented to the 81st Texas Legislature a Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. This report informs of progress towards Texas’ schools achieving goals related to the use of techology to support and enhance student learning for all studets and to prepare students for a global economy in the 21st Century. Progress of campuses in Texas towards mastery of goals is monitored in the areas of : “Teaching and Learning”; “Educator Preparation and Development”; “ Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support”; “Infrastructure for Technology”; and progress by Education Service Senters is also documented. Information including curvey data, various, relevant individual Texas’ schools case studies, charts and graphs conveying information of student use of technology in schools and percentages of achievment in topics such as: How grades 6-8 use computers for school work; How grades 9-12 use technology for school work; How grades 6-8 use technology; How students 9-12 use use technology. Grades K-2 and 3-5 are also addressed in regardes to achievement of techology goals. Various other information regardig achievement of technology standards in student prgoress in Texas’ school as of the year 2008 is provided. Items such as “Major Findings: Traits of Higher Classroom Immersio Techers” and “Characteristiccs of District and School Leadershop at Higher Technology Immersion Schools”, as well as various other valuable topics are discussed, and valuable information towards school improvement is provided. I found the TEA Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 “Charasteristics and District and School Leadership at Higher Tchnology Immersion Schools” data to be particularly intersting as it informed that leaders of these school demonstrated: Effective leadership transition after principal change; Articulate a vision and goals for Technology Immersion; Strongly supports professional development; Provides encouragement for teachers; changes practice; Express goals and expectations for classroom technology use; and monitors teachers’ classroom practices. This information will prove useful to any effective school leader.

Teaching and Learning: A component of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020

The STaR Chart is a required component of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, and informs the area of “Teaching and Learning” to be the greatest weakness of Estacado H.S. In the area of “Teaching and Learning”, Estacado High School consistently acquired a “Developing Tech” status from 2007-2010. According to the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area, provided by the Teacher Education Agency (TEA), this indicates that instruction is teacher-directed and students regularly use technology on an individual basis to access electronic information and develop communication and presentation projects. There is minimal use of technology in foundation TEKS. Most technology applications TEKS are met K-8; high school campuses teach at least 2 technology Applications courses. The Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area, provided by the Teacher Education Agency (TEA) also informs that 69.7% of campuses state-wide are also in the “Developing Tech” level of progress. I would hope to acquire information to further my knowledge of further developing the school in the technology standard expectation of “Teaching and Learning”. This is also an area in which I feel I am at a “Target Tech” status. I feel I am able to serve as a facilitator, mentor and co-learner related to the “Teaching and Learning.” National progress informs of similar results in regards to the level of technological progress in the area of “Teaching and Learning”. The Texas Education Agency, Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, in regards to “Teaching and Learning” expects all learners of Texas schools to: have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources and services for individualized instruction 24/7; use information and communication technologies to collaborate, construct knowledge and provide solutions to real-world problems; use research based strategies in all subject areas to improve academic achievement; and communicate effectively in a variety of formats for diverse audiences.