SECTION 127.324. Communication and Technology in Education (One Credit), Adopted 2021

(a) Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

(1) No later than August 31, 2024, the commissioner of education shall determine whether instructional materials funding has been made available to Texas public schools for materials that cover the essential knowledge and skills identified in this section.

(2) If the commissioner makes the determination that instructional materials funding has been made available, this section shall be implemented beginning with the 2024-2025 school year and apply to the 2024-2025 and subsequent school years.

(3) If the commissioner does not make the determination that instructional materials funding has been made available under this subsection (a), the commissioner shall determine no later than August 31 of each subsequent school year whether instructional materials funding has been made available. If the commissioner determines that instructional materials funding has been made available, the commissioner shall notify the State Board of Education and school districts that this section shall be implemented for the following school year.

(b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12. Recommended prerequisite: Principles of Education and Training. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

(c) Introduction.

(1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards, industry-relevant technical knowledge, and college and career readiness skills for students to further their education and succeed in current and emerging professions.

(2) The Education and Training Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing education and training services and related learning support services.

(3) Communication and Technology in Education is an extended course of study designed to provide students with the fundamentals of planning, managing, and training services needed to provide learning support services in Kindergarten-Grade 12 classrooms. Students will develop knowledge and skills regarding the professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities in teaching related to educational technology; students will also understand laws and pedagogical justifications regarding classroom technology use. Students will develop knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice for age level when technology is used by learners. This course provides an opportunity for students to participate in training related to standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education.

(4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.

(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(d) Knowledge and skills.

(1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate written communication skills;

(B) perform job-appropriate numerical and arithmetic application;

(C) practice various forms of communication such as verbal and non-verbal communication skills used in educational and career settings;

(D) exhibit teamwork skills;

(E) apply decision-making skills;

(F) identify and implement problem-solving techniques;

(G) describe conflict-management skills;

(H) describe and demonstrate professionalism;

(I) describe effective work ethic practices;

(J) demonstrate appreciation for diversity;

(K) participate in training, education, or certification for employment;

(L) demonstrate skills related to seeking and applying for employment; and

(M) create a resume and cover letter to document information such as work experience, licenses, certifications, and work samples.

(2) The student understands the professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities when communicating in the educational field. The student is expected to:

(A) apply communication standards that promote professional, ethical, and legal conduct;

(B) identify times when communication between school and parents/community is necessary;

(C) distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate uses of social media and other communication platforms and methods; and

(D) cite sanctions and consequences for educator misconduct such as those stemming from inappropriate relationships.

(3) The student understands multiple forms of communication necessary for effective teaching. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate effective verbal communication skills with various stakeholders such as students, educators, parents/guardians, community members, and other professionals;

(B) demonstrate active listening skills to obtain and clarify information;

(C) identify various forms of digital communication for educators such as email, blogs, wikis, podcasts, vlogs, digital streaming, infographics, digital portfolios, or social media;

(D) construct effective and professional electronic communication with parents and stakeholders such as newsletters, emails, and websites;

(E) demonstrate effective professional collaboration and communication such as participation in professional learning communities, peer-coaching, and mentoring;

(F) demonstrate effective student-teacher communication such as assignment feedback and one-on-one interaction;

(G) facilitate effective student group work and multiple strategies for student engagement; and

(H) differentiate between approaches to communication based on student needs, including considerations for special populations and nonverbal communication.

(4) The student applies digital literacy concepts to communication with students and stakeholders. The student is expected to:

(A) apply digital literacy practices in communications to students and stakeholders such as desktop publishing, elements of art and design, and design thinking;

(B) demonstrate appropriate search strategies for finding resources on the internet such as Boolean searches;

(C) compare various digital media technologies such as digital books, databases, websites, interactive games, and digital videos; and

(D) evaluate and select appropriate software for specific purposes such as communication and research.

(5) The student evaluates technology and applications for classroom use. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate understanding of laws regarding classroom technology use such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), end-user license agreements (EULAs), and age restrictions;

(B) apply laws related to the legal use of electronic materials such as copyright, fair use, public domain, and open source;

(C) evaluate usage of classroom technology using a model such as substitution augmentation modification redefinition (SAMR) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPaCK);

(D) describe methods for approval of technology use in the district such as inventorying, licensing, and budgeting; and

(E) identify classroom management strategies appropriate for technology use in the classroom.

(6) The student creates engaging lessons and lesson plans incorporating technology. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the relationship between technology and student engagement in the classroom;

(B) design learning experiences that incorporate 21st century learning skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and resiliency;

(C) create lessons using different types of technology such as presentation software, spreadsheet software, image editing software, video creation software, polling software, and word processing software;

(D) apply technology to assess student learning at the beginning of, during, and at the end of a lesson;

(E) design authentic learning experiences that align with content-area Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and use technology to maximize active, deep learning across grade levels to show appropriate use based on age;

(F) create an interactive lesson that utilizes appropriate technology; and

(G) create a differentiated lesson that incorporates the appropriate use of technology.

Source Note: The provisions of this §127.324 adopted to be effective April 26, 2022, 47 TexReg 2166