Technology
Technology in the classroom.
How the program prepared teachers to assess, plan, and teach with the tools available in a modern Texas classroom.
The sequence
Nine steps, from assessment to practice
Training began by establishing what each teacher already knew, then built toward independent classroom use of presentation tools, adaptive content, project-based learning, and data-linked assessment.
No teacher was assumed to be starting from zero, and none was assumed to be fluent. The opening assessment set the pace for everything that followed.
Covered in training
- Proficiency assessment and terminology
- Presentation and media creation
- Adaptive content and class calendars
- Project-based learning
- Learning stations and smartboards
- Digital quizzes and electronic gradebooks
Step by step
The nine-step training sequence
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Step 01
Assess
A technology knowledge assessment is given to each teacher to understand their proficiency level.
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Step 02
Vocabulary
A brief overview of standard technical terms for teachers to know and understand.
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Step 03
Survey the tools
Presentation with slide deck and videos discussing all the technology available to the teacher for their subject. Examples are the use of videos for mini-lessons, how to coordinate live video from other teachers with expertise on the subject matter, and playing podcasts relevant to the subject as a supplement to engage auditory learners.
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Step 04
Build a presentation
Teachers are shown and participate in creating an effective presentation using images, graphs, sound clips, and video clips.
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Step 05
Adaptive content
Teachers are shown how to create and schedule adaptive content, and to create and share an online class calendar for their classes.
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Step 06
Project-based learning
Introduce project-based learning and how to implement it: beginning with a driving question, an inquiry process using search engines and database libraries, finding a solution to the problem, and a model for how students will present their findings in a meaningful way.
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Step 07
Learning stations
Teachers learn to create and run learning stations.
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Step 08
Interactive lessons
All teachers participate and engage in using the smartboard to create interactive lessons and quizzes that can be graded and analyzed by the class.
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Step 09
Assessment & data
Use different applications teachers create, like quizzes and tests that students can answer using their phones or school-provided tablets and computers. Teachers are able to analyze, collect, and manage the data, and link the grade to an electronic gradebook.
Sample walk-through
TEAL demonstration
A recorded walk-through of the tools as they were presented to candidates during training.
Related
Where this fit in the curriculum
Classroom technology was one strand of the wider pre-service curriculum, taught alongside planning, assessment, and classroom culture.