Baylor University Technology Practices in Teaching and Learning
Educator preparation programs at Baylor University focus on ensuring that candidates are equipped to enter their careers with a variety of technological skills that will allow and encourage them to engage effectively and with confidence in digital instruction and learning.
Depending on the certificate sought, candidates are introduced to technology standards for both teachers and learners through grade-level and content-appropriate digital and virtual practice as they move through their clinically based experiences. In this way, knowledge and application of skills and best practices are learned and applied in professional contexts.
Baylor University supports educators in development of digital literacy and technological educator skills through Google Classroom Certification.
- In order to develop strong, evidence-based digital literacy, pre-service teachers obtain Google Classroom 1 Certification during the first semester of their Internship.
- Teacher candidates will first complete the Qualtrics Google Certified Educator Level 1 Capacity Matrix to pre-assess their literacy in various Google apps, tools, and concepts.
Thereafter, they complete the Google Level 1 Certification training modules and pass the Google certification exam.
Baylor University prepares educators to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction, including activities consistent with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), by providing candidates with educational opportunities to:
- Plan and submit lesson plans and designs, assessments, reflections, and other products to instructors and clinical supervisors using digital devices and applications. (TEKS Standards:1, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7)
- Design and engage in learning and the implementation of best practices that include flipped instruction, blended learning, digital learning, virtual instruction and learning, coding, and graphic design. (TEKS Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4; ISTE Standards: 4, 5, 6)
- Evaluate the veracity of online learning sources in the quest to guide students in using safe and ethical practices and honor intellectual rights and property both in use of and contribution to the digital community. (TEKS Standards: 1, 2, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 3, 7)
- Interact with a variety of technology applications, programs, and platforms to plan and implement standards-based lessons for students. (TEKS Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 5, 6, 7)
- Differentiate learning experiences for individual students using technology to address student needs through adaptive technology, independent study and research, and applications that address learner differences. (TEKS Standards: 2, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 3, 5, 6, 7)
- Implement digital content delivery strategies to integrate audio and video resources into learning through the use of video clips, text-to-voice, digital gallery walks, online population maps, simulations, animation, online text, video and audio recording and editing, and other digital resources. (TEKS Standards: 2, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 3, 5, 6)
- Design and implement instruction using digital devices including tablets, laptops, scanners, smartphones, smartboards, etc. (TEKS Standards: 1, 2, 3, 5; ISTE Standards: 2, 3, 5)
- Use accessible education materials (AEM) to maximize learning for the widest range of learner abilities, preferences, and rates possible. (TEKS Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 3, 4, 6, 7)
- Interact, share, and gather information with caregivers, colleagues, and community members through applications designed for ongoing communication, technology showcases, video conferencing, and research symposiums. (TEKS Standards: 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7)
- Demonstrate ethical acquisition and use of digital information including citing sources using established methods. (TEKS Standard:1; ISTE Standard: 3)
Baylor University prepares educators to use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement by providing candidates with educational opportunities to:
- Develop pre-, formative, and post-assessments using digital curriculum and assessment to plan, guide, and modify instruction through the monitoring of student progress and acquisition of knowledge. (TEKS Standards: 1, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 2, 5, 7)
- Practice using digital resources and applications to collect, organize, maintain, and examine student performance data using digital applications with the guidance of clinical instructors and university faculty. (TEKS Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards:1, 4, 5, 7)
- Interact with and utilize digital data to inform instruction through experiences including disaggregation of standardized assessment data and analysis of Texas Academic Progress Reports for evaluation of district performance on STAAR and EOC assessments. (TEKS Standards: 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 2, 4, 7)
- Collect, analyze, organize, and share classroom engagement data, levels of questioning data, and interaction data using digital devices, and examine results for the purpose of reflecting on teaching practices and adjusting instruction. (TEKS Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 3, 4, 7)
- Engage in educator self-performance through the utilization of videos of teaching, digital learning, and reflection. (TEKS Standards: 1, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 2, 6, 7)
- Engage in action research projects to collect, analyze, and report data as it relates to improvement of instruction and adjustments in classroom management. (TEKS Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 2, 5, 7)
- Collaborate with peers and instructors using the interactive digital platform provided by the university, thereby sharing and interacting about challenges, successes, ideas, student data, and student performance. (TEKS: Standards 3, 4, 5; ISTE Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
- Demonstrate ethical acquisition and use of digital information including citing sources using established methods. (TEKS Standard: 1; ISTE Standard: 3)
References used to plan technology curricula for candidates include the following:
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines
“The technology itself is not transformative. It’s the school, the pedagogy, that is transformative.”
—Tanya Brown, Center for Academic Excellence