THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls State University has partnered with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) in an effort to become only the third university in the world to provide the ISTE Certification for Educators.
ISTE is a nonprofit organization that works with the global education community to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems and inspire innovation. They are the largest educational technology organization around the world, and their annual conference draws around 25,000 attendees. Of only 1000 ISTE-certified educators worldwide, two of them are Nicholls faculty: Dr. Cynthia Vavasseur, professor of education, and Dr. Sara Dempster, assistant professor of education.
“This will provide teachers in the Bayou Region the opportunity to gain this prestigious, internationally recognized certification,” Dr. Vavasseur said. “Moreover, it will provide the area with teachers who are highly qualified to implement technology into K-12 learning.”
Cohorts will last for 18 months, and the courses will be fully online. Students will receive a master’s in educational technology leadership and the opportunity to earn the ISTE Certification through a portfolio review by ISTE. Teachers who already have their master’s can enroll in the eight courses necessary to earn the designation.
The courses show students how to utilize technology in their classrooms. Topics include digital citizenship, collaboration and evaluation using technology best practices, technological tools and advocating for technology innovation.
“Graduates will be experts at utilizing innovative technology for teaching and learning,” Dr. Vavasseur said. “Especially now during a pandemic, graduates become key resources for their peers in best practices using technology for teaching and learning.”
ISTE is reviewing the program to ensure it follows their standards for educators. Once the program is aligned to the standards, Nicholls will be an authorized higher education ISTE Certification provider.
Dr. Vavasseur, who is the program chair and lead professor in the program, hopes to begin the first cohort this summer.
For more information contact Dr. Vavasseur at cynthia.vavasseur@nicholls.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Jan. 25, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@nicholls.edu
