Tag:

certification course

Congratulations to Our 2020-2022 Certification Graduates!

by Peggy Reimers November 30, 2022

written by Peggy Reimers

The pandemic certainly threw a wrench in many plans, and one of those plans was our recognition of members who have completed certification programs with TCEA over the past few years. That said, TCEA would like to proudly recognize and congratulate the dedicated and hardworking educators who have completed certifications with TCEA in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

These individuals have put in many long hours honing their craft, reflecting on their progress, and preparing a portfolio showcasing their new skills and tools. They did an amazing job and should be congratulated on their success!

Campus Technology Specialist Certification

2022

Satyendra Arora – Yew Chung International School, Beijing, China

Jennifer Baker – Kaufman ISD

Blaire Beathard – Richardson, TX

Amanda Bird – Greenwood ISD

Max Burman – Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union, Vermont

Leighanne Butler – Edgewood ISD

Dr. Chrisanne Christensen – Premier High School, Houston

Belinda De Jesus – Edgewood ISD

Curtis Depree – Potter’s House High School, Wyoming, Michigan

Oscar T. Galdeano – Edgewood ISD

Takiela Gallagher – Edgewood ISD

Edith Guerra – St. Joseph Academy, Brownsville, Texas

Breana Hendry – Whitesboro ISD

Lesley Johnson – Gadsden ISD

Jennifier Krnavek – Flour Bluff ISD

Kim MacKinnon – Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

Gene Palyu – Gadsden ISD

Brittanie Payne – El Campo ISD

Deb Seger – Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy, Kansas City, MO

Theresa Upchurch – Howe ISD

Vanessa Wilson – Broward, Florida

2021

Amber Acosta – American International School of Egypt

Wanda Adams – The American School in Vietnam

Lynn Bolts – Taylor ISD

Jami Davis – Mansfield ISD

Katherine Garza – Hillsboro ISD

Kathryn Lamar – Southwest Region School District, Alaska

Kandice Lammert – Crawford ISD

Robert Mesazaros – Nam Wah Catholic Secondary School, Hong Kong

Kristy McAlister – Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth

Tammy Morales – Navarro ISD

Meghan Moran – Franklin ISD

Betty Nazarian – Merdinian School

Joseph Scale – St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, The Woodlands

Nell Warnes – St Thomas High School, Houston, Texas

Carrie Valadez – Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth, Texas

2020

Rena Bowden – Grandview ISD

Amanda Hawthorne – Fort Sam Houston ISD

Eowyn Johnson – La Porte ISD

Rebekah Johnson – Prosper ISD

Brittney Nabors – Liberty Eylau ISD

Dr. Ashly Spencer – Birdville ISD

Destiny Wagner – John Paul II High School

Brian D. Williams II – Klein ISD

IT/Tech Director Certification

2022

Jeremy Coker – Woodville ISD

Alexander Garey – Wooster City Schools, Wooster, Ohio

Sarah Gunn – Sweetwater ISD

Lilly Jensby – Plano ISD

Stephenie Jordan – Katy ISD

Jarod Lambert – Conroe ISD

Amanda Lanicek – Springtown ISD

David Martin – Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union,, Hardwick, Vermont

Megan Miller – Winnsboro ISD

Betty Nazarian – Merdinian School, Sherman Oaks, California

Andrew Price – St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Dallas, Texas

Antwone Robertson – Grand Prairie ISD

Melynn Smith – Gilmer ISD

2021

Christopher Bowen – Georgia

Krissy Calhoun – Conroe ISD

Taryn Dungan – Harts Bluff ISD

Jeannine Freeman – Fort Sam Houston ISD

Brian Gray – Sanborn Regional High School, Kingston, New Hampshire

Jennifer Hazen – Aubrey ISD

Kiruba Janani – American International School Chennai, India

Alfonso Mendoza Jr. – Sharyland ISD

Reaz Shaheed – Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School, Malaysia

2020

Leah Heerema – Plano ISD

Justin Lascsak – Mineral Wells ISD

Would You Like to Get Certified?

TCEA offers two certifications to assist educators in becoming more proficient in specific areas. The CTS and IT/Director certifications consist of required coursework, a final project, and a portfolio.

Advantages of Certifications:

Stand out among your peers.
Ensure your knowledge is up to date and that you are proficient in it.
Provide additional value to your school by holding a certification in a specific area, becoming the “go-to” in that area.
Show your willingness and initiative to continue your education.

Campus Technology Specialist (CTS) Certification

This certification is designed to provide educators who wish to become, or already are, campus-level technology specialists. The emphasis is on developing skills to help classroom teachers successfully integrate technology into the everyday curriculum and build capacity at the local campus level. The certification is designed for teachers, librarians, and technology specialists. Attending the TCEA Conference for Educational Coaches (CEC) in the fall will earn you 6 hours toward the CTS certification.

Technology/IT Director Certification

The Technology/IT Director certification provides a program for educators who wish to become, or already are, district-level technology or IT directors. The emphasis will be on developing strategic leadership skills, as well as the ability to provide effective and engaging educational technology experiences for both staff and students.

November 30, 2022 0 comment

Good Teaching

Remote Learning Best Practices

by Diana Benner July 16, 2020

written by Diana Benner

Many teachers had to transition to remote learning with no advance notice or preparation earlier this year. Some are now planning for remote learning in the fall when we return to school. It is important to remember that remote learning refers to a class that intends to meet face-to-face in a traditional format. but might be transitioned or started online due to unforeseen circumstances. Let’s take a look at a few best practices for remote learning.

Accessibility

Making sure that instructional materials are accessible for all students is a must. It is always a good idea to provide more than one way for students to interact with the material. In addition, many platforms offer accessibility features. To learn more about accessibility, check out some of these resources.

Choice

In a remote learning environment, it is important to design lessons with choice. Choice will help students stay engaged with the content, and it is a great way to differentiate for students. Choice boards and learning menus are examples of activities that allow for them to be in control of their own learning.

Collaboration

Social interaction and collaboration is an effective strategy for learning in a remote environment. Students need social interaction. Allow them to complete assignments or projects where they can collaborate and connect with other students.

Communication

Schools are the center of our communities and thus play a very important role in our students’ and family’s lives, even beyond the classroom. When transitioning to a remote learning setting, teachers should have regular and predictable opportunities for families and students to connect with them.

Feedback

Focus on feedback. Students will need to be assessed on how they are progressing with their learning. Feedback can have a powerful impact on student learning. Guide students in their instruction with regular and timely feedback.

Flexibility

Remote learning must be flexible. We do not want students to feel overwhelmed and become frustrated. Remember, we are in a remote learning setting due to unintended events. Learning should be planned over multiple days to allow students to move at their own pace.

Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) should be at the forefront of remote learning. Incorporating SEL is never more important than during a crisis as students might be feeling anxious. Check in regularly with them and their families.

Time

The amount of time students are expected to learn and complete work is different from the amount of time instruction is delivered in a face-to-face classroom. Students will not be spending the traditional hours or the same amount of time on school work as when they are in a physical classroom. Focus on the most important learning outcomes when designing your lessons.

If you would like to explore these best practices more in detail, be sure to check out our Remote Learning Educator Certification online course. In addition, we have created mini-sessions that are available for you to view that focus on remote learning tips and tricks. If you have additional best practices you think should be added to the list above, please comment below.

July 16, 2020 2 comments

Educational Trends Good Teaching

Member Spotlight on Tech-Savvy Kindergarten Teacher Angel Herring

by Susan Meyer January 9, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, our incredible members are what drive our organization. While we support educators on their journeys to advancing teaching and learning with technology, they are the ones out in the field truly transforming the future. Each month, we like to recognize one of our members and shine a spotlight on the exciting things they’re doing to revolutionize education. We hope our readers can gain some good ideas, tips, and strategies from reading these success stories.

Angel Herring winning the Kroger Classroom Champ Award in 2017.

Today’s member spotlight focuses on an ESL kindergarten teacher in her 12th year of teaching: Angel Herring. In addition to being a well-respected TCEA member, she’s also a board member of Kindergarten Teachers of Texas and member of the teacher organization Delta Kappa Gamma. Angel is also no stranger to being recognized for her fantastic work. In the last two years alone, she’s won the Kroger Classroom Champ Award, GPISD’s Excellence Educator Award, Kindergarten Smorgasboard’s Golden Apple Award, and the Technology Eagle Award. Read on to learn more about Angel and how she engages her young learners with technology.

The Power of Early Learning

The kindergarten classroom can be a chaotic place full of noise and excitement for learning. For Angel, this just means that her days are filled with joys and challenges. She finds great happiness in creating a foundation of education for her students. Angel explains: “We start with learning letters and numbers. We cover all the subjects every day and incorporate technology as often as we can. By the end of the school year, the students have learned at least 36 sight words and can read on level 4.”

To Angel, the best part of her job is seeing her students’ be successful at learning something new. “They are so happy with themselves, and I rejoice with them when they succeed and master their tasks at hand.”

Early Tech for Tiny Tots

Just because her students are young doesn’t mean they can’t experience positive effects from the thoughtful integration of technology in the classroom. This school year, her district bought Clear Touch Panels for each school, and she was chosen to participate in the pilot program. She’s excited about the options for interactivity, saying “The students are loving the different activities we are doing with it.”

Angel was also able to secure a grant from the Kindergarten Teachers of Texas to get Bee-Bots for her classroom. These easy-to-use, friendly robots are perfect for little learners just dipping their toes into robotics.

Angel’s Best Tech Tips

Angel recommends TCEA’s Elementary Technology Conference (formerly Tots and Technology), which she has attended for the last four years, as a great place to discover new technology and best practices for the elementary classroom. “It has a wealth of resources and great presenters,” she explains. She also is continuing her career focus on technology by participating in TCEA’s Campus Technology Specialist Certification .

One of the tech tools she most recommends for other teachers is Bee-Bots, and she encourages teachers to find creative ways to incorporate them into their lessons. Her favorite apps are Doodle Buddy, which lets students fingerpaint without the mess, and Kahoot, which makes learning fun with cool quizzes and games.

Want more of Angel’s best tech tips? She recently started a blog called Technology Tips for Teachers and runs a Facebook page Technology Tips for Techie Teachers in Elementary, where you can find great resources and ideas.

To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who deserves a little spotlighting? Email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org .

January 9, 2018 0 comment

minecraft on smartphone screen held by a hand

Coding/Computer Science Microsoft Tips and Tricks Professional Learning STEM/STEAM

TCEA’s New Minecraft Certification Course

by Miguel Guhlin October 25, 2017

written by Miguel Guhlin

Interested in using Minecraft: Education Edition as an effective instructional tool with students? Ready to learn critical future world skills for virtual world construction? Check out TCEA’s newest certification course, Minecraft: Education Edition Certification (Level 1).

Minecraft certification course

In this self-paced, online course, you’ll have the freedom to learn at your own speed with up to a year to complete the certification. Most educators who enroll, however, complete it within a few weeks. And the course, which counts for 18 CPE hours, is only $99 for TCEA members and $148 for non-members (includes a one-year membership).

Microsoft Certification Course Pricing and Discounts

Bulk discounts are also available for campuses and districts. You only need to enroll seven or more staff members at one time to obtain the discount. Email Bruce Ellis for more details on bulk discounts. To find out more about this certification, visit this website.

Minecraft in the Classroom

Learning Minecraft: Education Edition will enable you to show others how to use Minecraft as an educational tool.

But wait, there’s more! Learning the basics of Minecraft: Education Edition will also open coding possibilities for students. As shared in this announcement “Minecraft has added a Code Connection companion app which allows teachers and students to use…either the visual block-based editor, or the JavaScript editor, to build programs.” These programs make it possible to spawn animals, construct buildings, and more.

Start Your Journey of the Imagination

Register for the TCEA Minecraft: Education Edition Certification (Level 1).

October 25, 2017 0 comment