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tech director

How to Create a Responsible Use Policy for AI

by Emily Horn August 10, 2023

written by Emily Horn

It’s become more and more apparent that artificial intelligence (AI) is now a part of our everyday lives. Whether used for personal or professional reasons, AI serves many purposes and can help with or complete a variety of tasks – for educators and students. But there are benefits and risks involved, especially when it comes to data privacy and ethical use. Many schools and districts are considering or developing AI policy. Some have blocked AI altogether for both teachers and students.

But just as it was important when we moved to 1:1 devices in school settings, like it or not, it’s more important than ever before for schools to guide students and staff in learning to use AI responsibly and ethically rather than just blocking it. Let’s take a look at how we can build a foundation for acceptable, responsible use in schools through responsible use policies and help our students build good digital habits and become even more responsible digital citizens.

What Is a Responsible Use Policy (RUP)?

An RUP, also known as RUA (Responsible Use Agreement), is a formalized agreement that focuses on good digital citizenship habits and responsible use of technology. In contrast to an AUP (acceptable use policy), which outlines “dos” and “don’ts” and provides “sanctions” for misuse, an RUP intentionally focuses more on “dos.” Instead of the spotlight shining on what’s acceptable, it’s about students being responsible. Of course, it is still important for students to know who to contact about unsafe or inappropriate content or use. It is also important for them to know what will happen should they do something that doesn’t align with the RUP.

TCEA’s Miguel Guhlin points out that any misuse of technology (not just misuse of AI) should be addressed as it arises in alignment with a school’s holistic discipline policy. The same goes with academic integrity. Guhlin suggests taking a Restorative Justice approach should misuse arise. “School districts need to have aspirational documents. Misuse of AI should not be handled as a separate instance of discipline or given its own punishments.” I have to say, I completely agree.

All this is great. But how should a school approach AI when it comes to technology policy?

How to Integrate AI into an RUP

As you begin, it is important to reference your state association of school board’s policies, which have already been reviewed by a legal team, and any policy-related resources.

1. Form a committee of multiple stakeholders.

Intentionally form a committee with teachers, students, parents, administrators, technology staff, and members of the larger community represented. Ensure that there is more than one member who has experience with and knowledge of AI.

2. Gather resources (articles, podcasts, etc.) about the responsible use of AI to review and process together.

Review resources to expand the committee members’ understanding and views of how AI can be used by students to deepen learning. Explore responsible, safe, and ethical uses of AI in schools.

3. Determine appropriate “best” uses for AI that align with your school/district values.

After the committee has reviewed resources, discuss, clarify, and determine ethical, safe, and responsible ways students can use AI for learning purposes and their academic growth in your school setting.

4. Review current policy and discuss how and where language about AI should be incorporated.

Where do the committee’s determinations about AI use fit into current policy? How should the current policy be adjusted to reflect expectations for AI use moving forward? Revise and update the policy to outline and reflect expectations for the responsible and safe use of AI.

5. Solicit feedback on the drafted policy from the community.

Once the policy has been revised and updated, present the policy to the community and any governing bodies for feedback. It is important to actively listen to and hear concerns, feedback, and additional perspectives.

6. Edit, revise, and finalize the policy based on feedback.

Construct a final draft to submit for approval. Be prepared to provide background information, resources, research, and reasoning. In other words, be prepared for success or for additional changes to be made to the policy.

7. Once approved, publish the policy for students and parents to sign.

Once the policy has been approved and adopted, formalize it and provide it to staff, parents, and students, requiring students and parents to sign the policy.

8. Provide ongoing training and professional learning for staff.

In order for students to be taught to use AI safely, ethically, and responsibly, teachers must receive proper training and professional learning in this area. Educators should also receive content-specific training so they can employ safe AI tools and best practices when integrating AI into lessons, projects, and assignments.

9. As the AI (and technology) landscape continues to evolve, review the policy frequently.

A policy is a living document that should be revisited regularly and updated when necessary to reflect up-to-date research, tools, uses, and best practices. Be prepared for the use of AI to be an ongoing and ever-changing conversation within the school community, meaning your policy will likely need adjusting.

A colorful infographic showing the 9 steps for Integrating AI into technology use policies from the article. — **Download the PDF.**

Resources for Creating an RUP

AI4K12.org: This is an initiative working to develop national guidelines for AI in K-12, a resource directory for AI instruction, and a community focused on AI in K-12 settings. There are many resources provided, such as posters, graphics, big ideas, activity guides, books, reports, and more. This site is worth spending some time on!

Classroom Policies for AI Generative Tools: This is such an interesting resource! Lance Eaton has created a crowdsourced document where educators can submit their course guidelines and policies on AI to be added to a 37+ page list. Most of the submissions are from high education sources, but this insight can certainly help us prepare our secondary students for what’s to come and give us some ideas for K-12 settings.

TeachAI.org: This brand new organization (steered by Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy, and World Economic Forum) is working to bring together numerous associations, companies, organizations, government agencies, and more for the purpose of producing guidelines for teaching with AI, to create a framework for computer science that includes AI, and to provide reports, webinars, and meetings about AI.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations (May 2023): This report by The Office of Educational Technology offers insights and recommendations “ to engage teachers, educational leaders, policy makers, researchers, and educational technology innovators and providers as they work together on pressing policy issues that arise as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in education.” I’d recommend taking a look at this report and reading some of the associated blog posts.

AI Acceptable Use Policy for English Language Arts (May 2023): This article by Alice Keeler provides a great resource for teachers whose schools may not have a schoolwide policy on AI just yet. This example classroom policy clearly outlines guidelines, violations, acceptable uses, and example prompts (acceptable and unacceptable). In my opinion, this is a great reference!

Writing School AI Policies? Use these 10+ Resources (June 2023): In this article by Matt Miller, you’ll find a ton of resources on the ethical, responsible, and safe use of AI for both teachers and students. Resources include publications from UNESCO and MIT, as well as several books and online courses.

AI Exploration for Educators: There is a wealth of information (like this Bringing AI to School: Tips for School Leaders guide) in this compilation of guides, blog posts, podcasts, studies, and more by ISTE. This is a great place to start looking into how AI can be used, to explore ethical questions and risks, and to get practical information.

Artificial Intelligence in K12 (Spring 2023): In this comprehensive report by CoSN, review challenges with defining AI, AI in education today, questions and considerations for schools, the potential of AI, and various resources.

AI + Ethics Curriculum for Middle School: With a growing career landscape in the field of artificial intelligence, MIT has created an open-source curriculum with lessons and activities on both the technical aspects of AI and its ethical considerations.

Setting Conditions for Success: Creating Effective Responsible Use Policies for Schools (2022): In this document published by CoSN in collaboration with ISTE, Digital Citizenship Coalition, and the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, you’ll be taken through the examples of what to do and what not to do, see tips on what to include and how to create an effective policy, and you’ll see examples of template for elementary and secondary students. This is more of a generic example that isn’t necessarily related to AI.

Additional Reading on AI:

TechNotes Articles:

August 10, 2023 0 comment

What Your Tech Director Wants You to Know about Cybersecurity

by Luann Hughes May 19, 2022

written by Luann Hughes

Gone are the “good old days” when the only emails we had to worry about were from a Nigerian prince asking for half a million dollars or an occasional threat of a computer virus. Your tech director has been faced with many new threats to school technology assets– networks, computers, and data security. You can be a big help in keeping your school district and your own personal devices secure by following a few time-honored adages from one of our founding fathers, Ben Franklin.

“An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure.”

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

While viruses and worms are no longer the primary threat, they are still a problem for schools and your personal devices. Antivirus software has grown to meet the challenges of today’s threats. Many solutions are now “EDR” (Endpoint Detection and Response). If you have a personal device (Windows or Mac) and need some protection for your laptop or desktop, you might want to consider an EDR solution for a more comprehensive answer that includes better protection against malware, phishing, and ADT’s (advanced persistent threats.) Just search for “best Endpoint Detection and Response solutions” to get some ideas about what might be best for your device. Getting an EDR solution for your personal device can provide good security coverage for both your device and personal data.

Your school computer most likely has the district’s endpoint protection already installed. You might check with your Technology Department to see what’s being used and if you need to check to make sure it is updated, especially over the summer. You probably have some limitations on your school laptop when it comes to downloading apps and drivers. That can be frustrating, but know your device is set up that way to keep your device, you, and your district safe. If you need something installed, check with your Technology Department.

Password Rotation

To make it harder to hack into any of your accounts, plan a password rotation schedule. No one likes having to remember new passwords, but changing passwords is an easy way to deter potential security breaches. You can also use a passphrase instead of a traditional password. A passphrase is a series of words or a sentence that will be easy to remember for you, but because it is longer than a traditional password, will be harder to compromise.

“Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today.”

Device Updates

It is also important that you keep your device updates current. These updates are often released to help protect against new cybersecurity threats that come out. If you are using Windows 10 or 11, go to Settings, Update and Security, and then Windows Update. If you have a Mac, go to Systems Preferences and Software Update. Don’t forget about your cell phone when you are doing updates. Cell phone updates can help patch any security issues and keep your phone from being hacked.

Your school device is probably set to update automatically but check it regularly to make sure it is updating. If you aren’t sure your device is up to date, get in touch with your Technology Department.

“When in Doubt, Don’t.”

Spoof Emails

These days, emails are the most likely source of cybersecurity threats. There are several reasons for this, but one of the primary reasons is spoofing. Spoofing is impersonating someone else via email. It doesn’t take much technical skill to spoof someone’s account. Hackers often spoof emails in order to “phish,” which is when they try to get you to do something that will benefit them and hurt you by taking your identity, personal information, or money.

It is important that you read your emails carefully before you respond. Spoofers like to target administrators in school districts, including principals. If you get an email from your principal or another administrator in the district that doesn’t seem quite right, check it out verbally with that person first. Your technology department or help desk can also help you determine if an email is legitimate.

You might encourage your principal to start all of his/her emails with “Hello Mustangs!” or some other catchphrase that only the staff will know. It is most likely that a hacker won’t have access to that catchphrase. You can do the same with your friends and family to help keep everyone safe.

Social Media and Email Links

Look long and hard (and then look again) before you click on links on social media or in emails. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You can always do a search for a product or topic in the search bar of your favorite search engine to find information about the topic that is supposed to be in the link. If you do accidentally click on a link take immediate action. You should run a virus scan, change passwords, clear your browser history, and contact your Technology Department if you were using your school account and/or device.

“An Investment in Knowledge Pays the Best Interest.”

I’m hoping you find that your investment in reading this article pays the best interest– safe and happy travels online!

May 19, 2022 0 comment

Announcements/Important Dates CTO/CIO Educational Trends

TCEA Launches Tech Use Survey

by Jennifer Bergland June 6, 2018

written by Jennifer Bergland

One of the things I love about professional associations like TCEA is that they allow individuals with similar interests and professional goals to network with each other. This is especially true in a field like educational technology. Things move so quickly in this area of education that if you aren’t well connected with others that have similar jobs as yours, you might make strategic decisions that involve large expenditures without having all the necessary information.

This is why TCEA launched the TCEA District Technology Survey. The data from this survey will illuminate the landscape of technology use in Texas districts. The survey questions have been developed to gather information on a range of topics: instructional technology products and practices, technical support products and practices, and leadership of technology departments and staffing configurations. In addition, for those that opt-in, the information will also serve as a way to match individuals who are using certain products or who are implementing specific instructional practices in order to gain insight and assistance when needed.

The survey will close on June 15, but let’s look at some of the data we’ve already collected. Hopefully more people will respond, which means the data is subject to change. But this will give you an idea as to what type of information you can glean from the results of the survey.

BYOD

As you can see in the charts below, a good number of districts are allowing some of their students to use their own digital device at school.

survey

Device Checkout Program

Districts are also recognizing that some of their students may not have devices to bring to school. So they have devices that students can check out.

. survey

Every Student Has a Device

Although we are a long way from districts giving every student a device, the practice is growing.

Survey

Open Education Resources

This chart indicates that 95% of Texas districts are at least interested in learning more about Open Education Resources and 40% are currently in the process of investigating what that would look like in their district.

survey

Additional Types of Questions

In addition to these questions, the survey also explores a range of other topics:

Types of applications used to manage technology
Types of applications used instructionally
Staffing patterns
Data privacy and security practices
Student use of email and social media
Department organization

Contribute to Survey Data

If you are a technology director in a Texas school district or charter school and you haven’t taken the survey, please do so. We suggest that the survey be answered by the technology director and/or their leadership team. Please forward this information to whomever would best be able to complete the survey. It is estimated to take between 15-20 minutes to take. The survey will be open until June 15. The results of the survey will be made public at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

June 6, 2018 0 comment

Educational Trends Leadership

Member Spotlight on Mark Simmons

by Susan Meyer May 24, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

TCEA has the privilege of knowing some pretty fantastic educators. Every month, we like to share a story about what one of our incredible members is up to. This time, we’re focusing on a technology director with big ideas: Mark Simmons. Read on to learn a little bit about Mark’s history, what makes him tick, and a big project he has in the works.

Photo of Mark Simmons by Miguel Guhlin

Teaching the Future

Mark is currently the Technology Director for Sabine Pass ISD. Before that, he worked for more than 20 years in the private sector as an IT professional. It was his kids who inspired him to get involved in education. He said they made him want to “share my experience and knowledge with the younger generation.”

These days, in addition to being a tech director, Mark teaches two classes on Cisco and Microsoft certification. When he isn’t working directly with his students, he is fielding requests from teachers, tackling paperwork, researching new technologies, or helping create technology-driven lessons.

When asked what he likes most about his job, for Mark it comes down to both a love of helping people and a love of innovation. “I love the support and freedom to try new ideas with both teachers and students. It’s satisfying to integrate technologies into the classroom and have those technologies disappear and become a seamless part of the lessons and projects.”

Tips and Advice from Mark

Mark has some great advice for new tech directors. He suggests: “Always begin and end your discussion with ‘How does it benefit the student?’ Treat your teachers and students as customers with customer service as your main priority. The rest will come naturally as all districts, as well as schools, each have their own unique environment.”

He always makes sure to use the resources at his disposal. “I take advantage of everything from TCEA. I not only use the collaborative website and email listserv, but I watch Lunch and Learns, attend conferences and academies, connect with other TCEA members, and if all else fails, I have the experts at TCEA on speed dial!”

Join Mark’s BIG Idea

When we say that Mark has big ideas, we mean it. His latest initiative won’t fit through the door of most classrooms. Intrigued? Here’s a little about the project in Mark’s own words:

“I have recently started a collaborative 3D printing project, asking any schools with 3D printers to join in a life-size RC car build. This audacious goal is an attempt to build an open RC car the size of a real car. Our school will be providing all the electronics, and I have interest from two companies that will help out with the filament and professionally painting the model. Our goal is to create something we can tour around to raise interest in and funding for STEM-related projects and equipment for schools.”

You can read more about Mark’s big idea here. And if you’re interested in being one of the schools to join in this exciting project, you can apply here.

We hope you enjoyed this look into the professional life of one of our wonderful members. 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 needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

May 24, 2018 0 comment

CTO/CIO Technical Support

Technology End of Year Procedures

by Miguel Guhlin May 9, 2018

written by Miguel Guhlin

Listen to Blog Entry

As school districts approach the end of the school year, one document is being reviewed and updated. The document that has captured the time and effort of technology departments in K-12 public schools? The technology end of school year (TEOY) procedures. The document captures the specific wisdom of putting away district technology for the summer. It can cover a wide variety of technologies, from computer labs to staff-issued laptops. In this blog entry, we’ll explore some general tips and offer a sample copy of an end-of-school year procedure.

Tip #1 – Review and Update

It may come as little surprise that the first tip is focused on reviewing and updating your TEOY procedures before April or May. Some quick ways to review it is to begin a multi-step process that involves stakeholders. Stakeholders can include:

Classroom teachers: This group of stakeholders offers practical insights into what works, or does not, when it comes to packing away technology. For example, leaving the classroom desktop computer(s) out for the summer may not work. While the technology department may want these left out for quick remote imaging, custodial staff may have a different idea about packing these devices up prior to stripping and cleaning floors.
District custodial support supervisor: This can involve the person(s) responsible for all custodial staff in the district and whoever sets the schedule for taking care of things.
Campus technical/instructional technology staff: Often, these individuals have walked the campuses and classrooms affected. They know what’s worked and what hasn’t at the start of the school year.

In fact, remember to make notes at the start of every school year. Check on whether last year’s TEOY procedures worked or just set everyone up for turmoil the following August.

Tip #2 – Dispose of Old Equipment

While some school districts hold onto technology until it dies with a pop or a quiet whimper at a critical moment, best practice says that the technology department should set expiration deadlines. Modern inventory management systems (e.g. Hayes, WASP, REI) allow you to “age” equipment. That is, you enter the date of manufacture of the device and then set the expiration date based on your district’s equipment replacement plan (obsolescence ranges from three to five years depending on the type of equipment and usage). One point to keep in mind is that technology in classrooms and lab should not be any older than the equipment you accept for donations and vice versa. Many a school district has been caught with donations that are obsolete on arrival.

Tip #3 – Take Advantage of Cloud Computing

In spite of the technology department’s best efforts, staff with a low level of technology proficiency may create hundreds of documents on their device. Unless you have forced users to auto-save documents direct to a cloud storage solution (e.g. Google File Stream), then you will need to revisit this topic. Remind staff that they have access to cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive or OneDrive). They should make every effort to move their files from the local drive of the device they use (e.g. Windows/Macintosh computer) to the work cloud storage location.

Tip #4 – Store Equipment at the Right Temperature

Nothing chaps my hide more than walking into a school during the summer only to find custodians and technology stuck in an un-air conditioned wing of the campus. Both people and technology equipment need to be at a temperature that won’t melt or shorten the life of components. Here is an excerpt of some of the top recommendations in the sample TEOY procedures for your review:

NEATNESS COUNTS. Neatness is essential when stowing away network cables, as well as input devices like mice and keyboards.
LABEL EVERYTHING. Tag every piece of equipment with the teacher’s name to whom it is assigned.
BOX IT AND TAPE UP THE BOX. Box up your equipment and be sure to tape the box up. Consider using baggies to house dust-sensitive items or components.

You can find more tips in the sample procedures.

Tip #5 – Put Policies in Place for Technology Issued to Staff

Every year, technology walks away and disappears. This is true in large and small school districts. While I support checking out equipment to staff (if the principal can take an iPad home and let her five year old get it all sticky, shouldn’t other staff have that opportunity?), it’s important to hold folks accountable.

Checked out equipment can also be problematic when staff transfer from one campus to another (and twice as big a problem when working with administrators). When staff on one campus discover they are moving to another campus, it is expected that they will return all equipment issued to them to the highest ranking administrator on campus or his/her designee.

A help desk work order can be submitted to have all confidential information wiped from the computer once necessary work files and documents have been backed up appropriately. A digital form, whether in Eduphoria, Microsoft or Google Forms, that gets reviewed works fine.

Put these simple procedures into place and both your end of school and your start of school will go smoother!

May 9, 2018 0 comment

CTO/CIO Educational Trends Leadership

Member Spotlight on Lee Sleeper

by Susan Meyer April 24, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, we can’t help but be excited about our incredible members and all the ways they are advancing teaching and learning with technology. Each month, we like to shine the spotlight on one member to share what drives and inspires him or her. We hope our readers can find value in their stories. You might just discover an idea or two to use in your own education journey.

Lee Sleeper

Today’s member spotlight focuses on an esteemed tech director and longtime friend and supporter of TCEA: Lee Sleeper. In addition to being the current Director of Operations and Technology for Bullard ISD—a 4A district with 2,600 students to support—Lee is also the head of the tech crew every year at the TCEA Convention & Exposition. This means he’s volunteered hundreds of hours to making sure our annual event runs smoothly for the thousands of educators who attend. And he is a past president of TCEA!

A Long Career for a Digital Pioneer

Lee describes his career path as “serendipitous.” First, he spent a 30-year career as a journalist—including public relations, publicity, photography, advertising, and teaching. Twenty-two of those years were spent at Sul Ross State University where Lee and his departments were early adopters of technology. “We saw the potential of how technology could benefit us. We were one of the first universities to move traditional typesetting to a desktop publishing system, and we were early experimenters with computerizing all athletic stats. We also were ‘pioneers’ in digital layout and design, moving the university catalog to the computer in the late 1980s.”

When he started at Bullard ISD in 2002, the district only had about 350 computers, many of which were over five years old. Lee describes what it was like when he started: “For those in the networking world, the flat network was connected via hubs. A normal day meant traveling to each campus to reboot the network after broadcast storms brought it to a halt.” Today, things in Bullard are just a little bit different. The district has approximately 2,200 computers and a switched network with 10Gbps connections to the network operations center. “We have gone from two servers in 2002 to 12 physical servers and 36 virtual servers.”

No Rest for the Busy!

In his position at Bullard ISD, Lee has administrative oversight of transportation, maintenance, custodial, food service, and technology—all of which keeps his day full. He describes: “An average day begins about 5 a.m. with a drive through district facilities to make sure we do not have any major problems. I try to walk each of our six campuses at least once a week. My first staff meeting with my operations’ coordinator is at 6:30 a.m. to look at ‘opportunities’ facing us for the day. I meet with my technology coordinator about 7:45 a.m. to go over the day. The day usually comes to an end about 4:30 p.m. by monitoring the two-way radio to ensure our afternoon bus routes finish without complications. Board meeting nights and committee meeting nights can take the day to 9 p.m.” Luckily, Lee enjoys what he does and particularly the variety each day brings. He describes it as his dream job because he knows he will never be bored or lack for things to do!

Looking Out for What’s Next

Lee isn’t looking to stop innovating any time soon. There are a number of initiatives he is working on at Bullard. “On the tech side, we have qualified for E-Rate discounts on equipment the past three years, allowing us to replace our wireless system. This year, we will upgrade all backbone switches. We are implementing a STEM approach at all levels, and I am fortunate to be involved in that implementation.”

To keep up with what’s new and valuable in ed tech, Lee’s favorite resource is the collective knowledge of his fellow tech directors, with a little help from the TCEA PD team. “When I was on the TCEA board, my colleagues on the board were my greatest resource. Since then, the availability of TEC-SIG has been a great benefit. We began implementing a districtwide STEM program last summer, and TCEA’s PD instructors and workshops have been invaluable.”

Lee’s Tips for Tech Directors

When asked what his best tip for new tech directors is, Lee had not one, but three pieces of advice to follow:

Know your network
Know your teachers
Know what they need

It’s a great philosophy to lead by and one that shows exactly why Lee Sleeper has been such an asset to Bullard ISD (not to mention to the TCEA Tech Crew!) for so long.

We hope you enjoyed this peek into the life’s work of one of our members. 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.

April 24, 2018 0 comment

Good Teaching Professional Learning Technical Support

Member Spotlight on Veteran Technology Director Patricia Startz

by Susan Meyer December 28, 2017

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, we have the incredible privilege of supporting our members and helping them to advance teaching and learning through technology. We try to share the innovative work that our members are doing so that our other readers and followers can be inspired and learn some tips and tricks from educators in the field. Today, we’re spotlighting a seasoned educator in her 25th year of of teaching and technology service.

Patricia Startz is currently the Technology Director at Falls City ISD, south of San Antonio. Her long and impressive career began with earning her bachelor’s in Mathematics and Computer Science, along with a teaching certification, from Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University). She started a job at Falls City the very next Monday after graduating and never looked back! In her time there, she also managed to get a master’s degree from Lamar University in Educational Technology Leadership and Administration in 2012.

Putting Out Tech Fires and Supporting New Initiatives

Patricia is always on the lookout for what can go wrong and how to best address problems before they start. “Our new campus has been online since early August last year. The transition went smoothly, most of the year has been smooth, but, there are always ‘hiccups’ that keep me on my toes.” She starts each day addressing any emergency needs that have cropped up. If everything is running smoothly, she starts on her own list, including hardware and software repairs on laptops, network maintenance, security camera maintenance, Google administration, online testing, campus plans, and more.

Luckily, Patricia is up to the challenge of ever-changing priorities and the need to be always alert to the next big thing. When asked what she likes most about her job, she cites the variety and changing schedule from day to day. “Each day provides an opportunity for sharing and learning.” She is excited about the challenge of integrating the 80 new Chromebooks that her district recently acquired. Like all technology roll-outs, it hasn’t been without its adjustment period. But Patricia was excited to celebrate when the computers were all up and running.

How TCEA Provides Learning without Limits

Patricia and her staff have used a number of TCEA training opportunities in the past to help them stay current and keep learning new strategies for technology advancement. She attends the System Administrator and Technical Support Conference in October and the TCEA Convention & Exposition in February. She is also involved in TEC-SIG, the special interest group just for technology directors and technology coordinators.

For additional training, Patricia had TCEA professional development staff come right to Falls City before a big technology roll-out. “We have had TCEA staff come to our district to provide Google tools and Google Classroom training in preparation so that administrators and teachers were ready for the transition.” For more information about onsite training, please see here.

Tips and Favorite Tools from an Ed Tech Master

Patricia has three pieces of advice for other tech directors looking to make big changes in their schools or districts: train your staff, look for free resources, and keep things balanced. As she explains:

Technology changes rapidly. To keep up, you have to take the initiative to constantly train up, whether or not it is required and whether or not your employer pays for it. Take advantage of as many of the freely-available training resources as you can. Then, be seen and heard! Skills and knowledge are most beneficial to you and the staff you serve when shared. Somehow… try to get home by 5:00 p.m. and on weekends so you do not miss your family’s important moments. You cannot get those moments back. Try to make and keep a balance.

Patricia also offers advice on her favorite tech tools. She’s a big fan of Google Classroom and Microsoft Classroom and encourages good training in order to “discover how their awesomeness can help teachers implement differentiated and engaging learning experiences for all their students.” Her go-to resources? “When what I need to know just isn’t covered in the two-minute videos posted on the various free sites, [I use] TCEA. Specifically, the training sessions at the SysAdmin conference, the Convention, the Microsoft Testing for certification at the Convention, and the multitude of various sessions offered throughout the year via webinar or on the TCEA campus.”

We at TCEA are so happy to have Patricia Startz as one of our committed members! 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 at smeyer@tcea.org to suggest a member we should brag about.

December 28, 2017 0 comment

Announcements/Important Dates

Certification Graduates for Fall 2015

by Dr. Bruce Ellis January 1, 2016

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

TCEA would like to congratulate the following amazing educators who have completed a certification with us during the fall of 2015. These individuals have put in many long hours honing their craft, networking with peers, and preparing a portfolio showcasing their new skills and tools.

Campus Technology Specialist Certification – This certification is designed for campus educators wanting to develop and demonstrate abilities to integrate technology effectively and build capacity at the local campus level. This certification is designed for teachers, librarians, and technology specialists. Earning this important certification is Faylynn McMahon of Comal ISD.

Technology/IT Director Certification – This certification is designed for educators who wish to become (or already are) district-level technology or IT directors by developing skills to lead staff and students in the effective visioning, implementation, and use of educational technology. Graduating with this certification is Justin Krause of Right Step.

NEW! Chromebook Certification (Level 1) – This certification helps classroom teachers build foundational skills in using the Chromebook as an effective instructional tool with their students. The program is completely online and self-paced, making it convenient for educators with busy schedules. Graduates for Fall 2015 earning this certification include:

Cheryl Blocker. Lubbock ISD
Charlotte Castillo, Goose Creek ISD
Donna Corbin, Lubbock ISD
Holly Garcia, Lubbock ISD
Katelyn Gribbon, Lubbock ISD
Sarah Henderson, Lubbock ISD
Lori Holt, Lubbock ISD
Marci Kinch, Lubbock ISD
Nancy McReynolds, Lubbock ISD
Rebecca Ray, Lubbock ISD

TCEA currently offers these and other certifications to assist educators in becoming more proficient in specific areas. Each certification consists of required coursework, a final project, and a portfolio. Coursework takes place via a combination of live webinars, face-to-face trainings, and/or online courses. While each certification begins in September, anyone can join at any time during the year to get the process rolling and start their coursework and catch any missed courses when they are next repeated or the following fall.

More information about the certifications that TCEA offers can be found here. If you have questions about any of the certifications, you can always contact Dr. Bruce Ellis at bellis@tcea.org or by calling 512.450.5396.

January 1, 2016 0 comment