UNL’s Tech EDGE earns national recognition

22 Feb 2016    

Tech EDGE, a collaborative partnership between UNL and eight Nebraska PK-12 partner school districts, has been awarded the 2016 Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. AACTE will present the award to Guy Trainin and Laurie Friedrich from the Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education, on Feb. 25 at the group’s annual conference in Las Vegas.

Tech EDGE, developed by Trainin, assistant professor, and Friedrich, a faculty affiliate, through a grant from the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, incorporates a variety of instructional strategies to prepare preservice and inservice teachers with research and theory grounded in practical best practices in technology integration.

“Preparing the next generation of educators in Nebraska’s K-12 schools is an important priority for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,” said Ronnie D. Green, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNL. “I’m so pleased that Tech EDGE is being recognized for its inventive work in helping teachers infuse technology into the classroom. Guy Trainin and his colleagues are to be commended for reaching beyond the norm and providing UNL students and a global audience of educators with effective and innovative resources for improving student learning.”

Tech EDGE at UNL includes classroom instruction with preservice teachers on how to utilize technology tools to improve student achievement. Trainin says the goal of Tech EDGE is to “create a generation of teachers who are effective and confident using new technologies to prepare the students of Nebraska to participate and lead in tomorrow’s global society.”

Trainin and colleagues have produced a series of video podcasts that has created a worldwide audience to learn the benefits of using mobile technology as instructional tools. The Tech EDGE podcasts can be seen on YouTube or iTunes U. Another key component of the project has been Tech EDGE conferences that bring together educators to discuss new ways to reach students with technology. The next Tech EDGE conference is Feb. 27 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, followed by a March 16 conference at UNL. More information is available at the Tech EDGE website.

“We commend UNL and its eight PK-12 partnership districts as they lead the way to prepare our teacher educators, future teachers, practicing teachers, and learners to acquire and to fully utilize and integrate the technology to achieve in the 21st century,” said Elizabeth Finsness, a member of AACTE’s Committee on Innovation and Technology, which selected Tech EDGE for the award.

AACTE’s issued a news release announcing all their annual winners on Feb. 18.