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The brand new Okay–8 Texas Important Information and Expertise (TEKS) are right here and prepared for implementation with the beginning of the 2024 faculty 12 months! There are a number of modifications and updates in these new expertise utility TEKS, however one of the impactful modifications is the mixing of the TEKS into all topics. This implies everyone seems to be answerable for the brand new TA TEKS, together with librarians.
Librarians already educate lots of the subjects discovered within the new TA TEKS, however if you happen to want new concepts, we’ve compiled a number of simple methods to combine the TEKS into each elementary and center faculty libraries. You can too see extra concepts for implementation in Stephanie and Patrina’s Summer season Librarians Convention presentation at this hyperlink.
TA TEKS 1. Computational Considering: Coding and Breaking Down Concepts into Small Items
The brand new TA TEKS introduces coding beginning in kindergarten, which implies that you now have a documented purpose to drag out these Beebots, Code and Go Mouse kits, and Spheros. Begin with unplugged coding by breaking down a narrative into smaller sequential items. Make an enormous grid on the ground and permit college students to take turns being the principle character of the story whereas the remainder of the category helps (codes) the character by way of the story. Then strive doing the identical duties utilizing Beebots or different easy coding robots.
In secondary libraries, implementing puzzles or logic video games into your makerspace is an effective way to start out embedding computational pondering. Don’t overlook on-line choices too! Scratch, ScratchJr., Bloxly, Ozobots, Code.org, and plenty of different web sites supply on-line coding alternatives.
TA TEKS 2. Creativity and Innovation: Understanding Design Processes, Rising Applied sciences, and the Affect of Know-how on the Group
Do you could have a 3D printer that you simply don’t know what to do with? Effectively, it’s time to get that printer out of storage and discover ways to use it! College students can use packages like Tinkercad to create 3D initiatives to resolve on a regular basis issues. If their designs don’t work (they usually in all probability gained’t), they’ll observe the engineering design course of by returning to the net program to right the issues.
Within the secondary libraries, educate college students and/or lecturers methods to design comedian strips utilizing Canva. You probably have entry to Adobe Specific, this can be a useful gizmo to implement as effectively. Secondary college students additionally get pleasure from open-ended initiatives that may be executed in a makerspace.
TA TEKS 3. Knowledge Literacy, Administration, and Illustration: Studying Easy methods to Discover and Manage Knowledge
From utilizing key phrases to demystifying the intimidating Boolean operators, librarians are uniquely geared up to assist children discover dependable and related info. Librarians could make accumulating information enjoyable for youthful college students by posting information on their favourite or most checked-out books. Let college students vote for his or her favourite e book by placing a cotton ball in a jar. Because the cotton balls develop, they are going to see the numbers develop. What an effective way to assist younger college students see a visible illustration of numbers!
In secondary libraries, take a survey of favourite genres, books, or studying preferences (e book, audio, print) after which present college students methods to take this information and manipulate it to make it visible! You can too collaborate with math/science lecturers to indicate college students methods to manipulate and create visible information utilizing Google Sheets and Google’s Looker Studio.
TA TEKS 4. Digital Citizenship: Performing as a Accountable Citizen in a Digital Group
One efficient approach to educate Digital Citizenship is utilizing image books. This technique is profitable due to the conversations, and group constructing, that occur with a shared e book. In Patrina’s TechNotes article “Seven Image Books with Digital Citizenship Themes,” you possibly can uncover methods to use image books to show digital citizenship ideas.
In secondary libraries, create a library weblog the place you could have college students write weblog posts about digital security and etiquette. You can too assist college students make Tik-Tok fashion movies and submit them on the library weblog as effectively.
TA TEKS 5. Sensible Know-how Ideas: Utilizing a Pc and Figuring out the Items
With increasingly state testing occurring on-line, our college students are in dire want of right keyboarding and mouse abilities. Primary abilities must be taught utilizing a typing program, however you possibly can reinforce these abilities by having college students sort all types of issues within the library. Let college students sort out e book opinions or explanations for his or her coding actions. College students have to discover ways to title, share, and manage their information, so allow them to share their paperwork with you. Purchase nonfiction books about robots, computer systems, AI, coding, and different ideas which you can share with college students. Show them with an outdated laptop that you simply’ve taken aside to allow them to see the insides.
Librarians have been selling makerspace, coding, robotics, good analysis practices, and digital citizenship for years. Whereas these subjects appeared like added elements to the curriculum previously, they’re now a required a part of each Texas faculty. Doc your initiatives and share along with your directors the wonderful work you’re doing to help the brand new expertise utility TEKS within the library!
Patrina Nix
Patrina is a Library Media Specialist at Cedar Creek Excessive Faculty in Bastrop, TX, and the Lead Librarian for Bastrop ISD. She has been in training for 20 years as a instructor or librarian in Georgia, Colorado, Kansas, and Texas. She particularly enjoys presenting at academic conferences and mentoring new librarians. When she’s not instructing or main from the library, she loves two-stepping in dance halls and tubing down Texas rivers along with her husband and three daughters! Patrina shares her library and household adventures on Instagram at @CedarCreekReads and @PattieNix
Stephanie Galvan Russell is a Faculty Librarian, Instructional Know-how Specialist, and Educational Designer in Austin, TX. She serves as Chair of the TLA Spirit of Texas Studying Record Committee, has been Chair of the Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Studying Record Committee, and was a member of the 2023 TxLA Annual Convention Planning Committee. Stephanie is a graduate of the 2023 Class of TALL Texans Management Growth Institute. Stephanie was the 2018 YART Younger Grownup Studying Incentive Winner and TASL Media Digital Presence Honorary Award Winner for her weblog, The Lispy Librarian. She additionally manages the TCEA Librarians On-line Group. Her passions embrace efficient expertise integration, partaking and purposeful PD, and connecting college students to various books. She might be discovered on socials @lispylibrarian.
