December 9, 2015 has been designated Educational Technology Appreciation Day by the Texas legislature. After supporting technology staff at all levels for over thirty-five years, we at TCEA were delighted to see hard-working technology professionals recognized for their contributions.
In order to help districts across the state honor their technology staff and celebrate technology in education, we’ve put together some great ideas and planning tools that can help. A press release template is available for download and can be easily tailored to announce your district’s plan. You can also browse a categorized list of twenty-eight celebration ideas offered by our members. These and other information are available here.
Education Technology Appreciation Day is important for two reasons. First, our technology teams play a critical role in providing rich learning opportunities for our students. Long hours of work and planning go into the set up and maintenance of networks, hardware, software, and other elements necessary for digital learning. The establishment of a day honoring technology staff communicates our appreciation of their efforts and their importance in our schools.
Second, recognizing the work of technology experts helps spread the word about the use of technology in our schools. Districts often struggle to provide the best possible tools for teaching and learning with limited budgets. Additional support, especially with broadband and other infrastructure challenges, is needed in order to help schools contend with the increasing demands and expenses associated with digital learning. Both for appreciating the professionals who support our teachers and students and for raising awareness about the need for more technology dollars, Education Technology Appreciation Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the amazing things happening on campuses all of Texas.
The Proclamation
Representative John Kuempel of Seguin offered the resolution for Education Technology Appreciation Day during the last legislative session. TCEA President David Jacobson, Area 13 Director Randy Rodgers, and Executive Director Lori Gracey were present for the reading of the proclamation, which specifically honors hardware and software technicians, network administrators, webmasters, database and lab managers, instructional technologists, technology administrators, and other technology staff.