UT Tyler School of Education

Preparing Teachers to Use Technology

Effective use of technology makes work both more efficient and effective, and having the knowledge and skills to use it to make data-driven decisions within a classroom is important for increasing student achievement, as well as using technology to improve overall student performance. Thus, The University of Texas at Tyler’s teacher preparation program provides activities for students to both integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction (including activities consistent with the principles of universal design for learning), and activities designed to prepare teachers to use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement.  The following outlines the ways in which the UT Tyler program addresses these requirements.

Activities for students to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction, including activities consistent with the principles of universal design for learning.

• A digital portfolio of preparation, instruction, and assessment is required of students in clinical teaching (EDUC 4640 and EDUC 4057).
• A technology integrated lesson plan is required of students in the Introduction to educational technology course (EDUC 4321).
• Activities for designing effective curricula/instructions/lessons, as well as universal designs for learning are required of students (EDUC 4321).
• Lesson plans that align TEKS and ISTE standards are required (EDUC 4321).
• SAMR and TPACK models are used to design instruction for integrating technology in effective ways (EDUC 4321).
• Activities related to engaging students through technology (such as Flipgrid, Newseumed, Autodraw, Sway, etc. (See https://jdelello.wixsite.com/edtech)) are used to provide students strategies for a technology rich classroom (EDUC 4321).

Activities designed to prepare teachers to use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement.

• The use of different software to assess student understanding of standards is used (EDUC 4321).
• The students prepare academic games for use with students that both assess understanding and collect data (EDUC 4321).
• Students disaggregate and analyze data collected from DMAC (EDUC 4365).
• Reading data is collected and disaggregated (READ 4326).