It was recently announced via this news release from the school, that Nicholls State University has signed a pledge that commits the University to prepare its educators with skills to successfully utilize digital learning technology for face-to-face, hybrid, and online classrooms.

This pledge, which is a commitment to the skillful use of technology in order to continue higher learning no matter if the class is taught in person, virtually, or a combination of both is called the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge. This pledge was created that resulted from a partnership between the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the U.S. Department of Education.

The International Society for Technology in Education is a nonprofit organization that strives to work alongside the global education community in order “to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems and inspire innovation.” The ISTE’s worldwide network “believes in the potential technology holds to transform teaching and learning.”

In the statement released by Nicholls State University, the school reported that they were “proud to be a leader in the field of educational technology.” This pride is not simply due to the University’s signing of the ISTE pledge for digital equity and transformation, but it’s also due to the fact that Nicholls’ Master of Educational Technology Leadership degree is currently only one of 3 Universities to also provide an ISTE Certification for Educators.

In 2021, Nicholls began this provision of the ISTE Certification for Educators with the help and support of two members of Nicholls faculty: Dr. Cynthia Vavasseur, professor of education, and Dr. Sara Dempster, assistant professor of education. Both Dr. Vavasseur and Dr. Dempster are two of only 1000 ISTE-certified educatorsworldwide.

Dr. Vavasseur, who is the program chair and lead professor in the program, spoke about Nicholls providing the ISTE Certified Educator Status by saying, “this will provide teachers in the Bayou Region the opportunity to gain this prestigious, internationally recognized certification. Moreover, it will provide the area with teachers who are highly qualified to implement technology into K-12 learning. Graduates will be experts at utilizing innovative technology for teaching and learning. Especially during a pandemic, graduates become key resources for their peers in best practices using technology for teaching and learning.”

Since Nicholls is an ISTE Recognize Program and now also an integral part of this innovative pledge that ensures future Nicholls teachers will be well-versed in the digital skills and tools that can potentially transform learning with the use of technology, Nicholls State University is a leader in the field of preparing innovative educators for K-12 students and beyond.

The CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education Richard Culatta spoke of Nicholls’s signing of the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge by saying, “knowing how to use technology to support student learning is an essential skill for any teacher to thrive in a post-COVID world. I’m thrilled that Nicholls State University is committed to embedding tech skills into their program so all Nicholls State University teacher candidates will be prepared to hit the ground running!”

After signing the pledge, Nicholls State University joined 33 other institutions that are committed to supplying and preparing teachers to successfully thrive in various types of digital learning environments. Additionally, this pledge aims to equip faculty members to continuously improve expertise in technology for learning, prepare teachers to use technology to pursue ongoing professional learning opportunities, apply various frameworks in order to accelerate transformative digital learning, and collaborate with school leaders to identify shared digital teaching competencies.

For more education-related information, click here.