Pre-K Through 12 Technology TEKS

In looking at the Pre-K Technology Applications, I choose to look at grades 6 through 8 because I am involved with grades 9 through 12. I wanted to know what students entering high school should know about technology.

In the area of foundations, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. They should also use data input skills appropriate to a task and comply with the laws and issues concerning the use of technology.

Information acquisition expects middle school students to use a variety of strategies to acquire information from electronic resources, in a variety of formats (such as bitmap, video, storage devices), and evaluate the acquired electronic information. Part of the evaluation process requires the student to resolve information conflict and validate information through accessing, researching, and comparing data. This is a critical skill because anyone can put anything on the internet. Teachers need to be well versed in guiding students to seek reliable, credible information.

The next area addresses problem solving. Students are expected to use appropriate computer-based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems using word processing tools as well as spreadsheet data, formulas, and charts. Furthermore, students are expected to use research skills and electronic communication to create new knowledge. Finally, students are expected to use technology applications to facilitate evaluations of the process and product of a task.

Finally, the area of communication expects students to formats digital information for appropriate and effective communication. This includes the creation of slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations, newsletters, etc. The student should also be able to deliver the product electronically in a variety of media. Students also use applications to facilitate evaluation of communication. This would allow students to track trends, use tools such as database managers, design for content delivery, and evaluation relevance.