California State University to Receive AACTE Award for Innovative Use of Technology

(Feb. 19, 2014, Washington, D.C.) – The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) will honor the California State University (CSU) with the 2014 AACTE Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology. The award, which honors programs that incorporate innovation beyond meeting national or state standards for program-wide educational technology integration, will recognize CSU’s CalStateTEACH Teacher Preparation Program and be presented March 1 at AACTE’s 66th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.

The AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology, which reviews submissions for the award, selected CalStateTEACH for its ability to bridge the theory and practice of teacher education through the use of multiple technologies and to communicate the impact those technologies have had based on qualitative or quantitative research. Specifically, the committee noted that the CalStateTEACH program exhibits sustainable impact, system-wide change during a time of state budget cuts, a strong research basis, a social justice agenda to make learning accessible to all, robust integration of technology and low-cost sustainability.

Participants in CalStateTEACH access curriculum materials, activity discussion rooms, important resource materials and technology support through a robust online course platform. They also engage with assigned CSU faculty member by e-mail, videoconferencing and face-to-face interactions at their school site, where they receive additional support from an on-site mentor or cooperating and master teacher.

“The California State University takes great pride in the talented faculty and staff who developed CalStateTEACH into a national model for preparing the highly qualified teachers of tomorrow,” said Timothy P. White, CSU chancellor. “Congratulations to all who helped bring advanced educational technology expertise to remote rural and urban underserved schools – garnering the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology.”

Find more information on AACTE’s 2014 award winners at www.aacte.org.

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AACTE: Serving Learners
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE’s reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education.