Technology Applications TEKS

The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS create a foundation for the students’ future learning. The child is able to become more aware of technology around them, and use technology to enhance their learning. The students are expected to be able to follow basic directions to operate programs successfully. They should be able to name and use a variety of input devices. They should be able to learn new information with the use of technology and use software applications to create and express their own ideas. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)

Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades by exposing them to the basic information. Once they have the foundation, teachers are able to continue to move ahead with more advanced applications. It is like building a house. You have to have the first layers of bricks before you can add to that. Students have to have the basic first layer before teachers add to that knowledge. Teachers are able to connect the ideas to previously learned information for better understanding. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)

There are many different opportunities that students have to master the skills needed to be successful with technology. Within the Communication strand, starting in the Pre-K, the child uses software applications to create and express their own ideas. They use this software to enhance their learning experience. In K-2, the students need to be able to create products and make sure they are appropriate for the communication media. In 3-5, students are expected to use the knowledge they have already acquired in the earlier grades to format digital information but they must also be able to use graphics. Added to that, they will be using spreadsheets and data bases to develop charts and graphs by using data from various sources. In 6-8, students must continue to use the previously acquired skills and communicate information using slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations, newsletters, brochures, and reports. They must be able to create a variety of spreadsheet layouts. They are also required to match the chart style to data when creating and labeling charts. In high school, students must be able to continue to use the previously acquired skills and be able to format digital information for appropriate and effective communication. They also must annotate coding properly with comments, indentation, and formatting. They also must create interactive documents using modeling, simulation and hypertext. When the students move from one group to the other, they are continuing to use and perfect the previously learned information while adding a new and more complex skill. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)

Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS. (2005). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/ta/stustd.html.