Texas Administrative Code
Title 19 - EDUCATION
Part 2 - TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Chapter 126 - TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
Subchapter B - MIDDLE SCHOOL
Section 126.19 - Technology Applications, Grade 8, Adopted 2022
Universal Citation: 19 TX Admin Code ยง 126.19
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
(1) No later than August 1, 2024,
the commissioner of education shall determine whether instructional materials
funding has been made available to Texas public schools for materials that
cover the essential knowledge and skills identified in this section.
(2) If the commissioner makes the
determination that instructional materials funding has been made available this
section shall be implemented beginning with the 2024-2025 school year and apply
to the 2024-2025 and subsequent school years.
(3) If the commissioner does not make the
determination that instructional materials funding has been made available
under this subsection, the commissioner shall determine no later than August 1
of each subsequent school year whether instructional materials funding has been
made available. If the commissioner determines that instructional materials
funding has been made available, the commissioner shall notify the State Board
of Education and school districts that this section shall be implemented for
the following school year.
(b) Introduction.
(1) Technology includes data communication,
data processing, and the devices used for these tasks locally and across
networks. Learning to apply these technologies motivates students to develop
critical-thinking skills, higher-order thinking, and innovative problem
solving. Technology applications incorporates the study of digital tools,
devices, communication, and programming to empower students to apply current
and emerging technologies in their careers, their education, and
beyond.
(2) The technology
applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) consist of five
strands that prepare students to be literate in technology applications by
Grade 8: computational thinking; creativity and innovation; data literacy,
management, and representation; digital citizenship; and practical technology
concepts. Communication and collaboration skills are embedded across the
strands.
(A) Computational thinking. Students
break down the problem-solving process into four steps: decomposition, pattern
recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.
(B) Creativity and innovation. Students use
innovative design processes to develop solutions to problems. Students plan a
solution, create the solution, test the solution, iterate, and debug the
solution as needed, and implement a completely new and innovative
product.
(C) Data literacy,
management, and representation. Students collect, organize, manage, analyze,
and publish various types of data for an audience.
(D) Digital citizenship. Students practice
the ethical and effective application of technology and develop an
understanding of cybersecurity and the impact of a digital footprint to become
safe, productive, and respectful digital citizens.
(E) Practical technology concepts. Students
build their knowledge of software applications and hardware focusing on
keyboarding and use of applications and tools. Students also build their
knowledge and use of technology systems, including integrating the use of
multiple applications.
(3) The technology applications TEKS can be
integrated into all content areas and can support stand-alone courses.
Districts have the flexibility of offering technology applications in a variety
of settings, including through a stand-alone course or by integrating the
technology applications standards in the essential knowledge and skills for one
or more courses or subject areas.
(4) Statements containing the word
"including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the
phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Computational thinking--foundations. The
student explores the core concepts of computational thinking, a set of
problem-solving processes that involve decomposition, pattern recognition,
abstraction, and algorithms. The student is expected to:
(A) decompose real-world problems into
structured parts using pseudocode;
(B) analyze the patterns and sequences found
in pseudocode and identify its variables;
(C) practice abstraction by developing a
generalized algorithm that can solve different types of problems;
(D) design a plan collaboratively using
pseudocode to document a problem, possible solutions, and an expected timeline
for the development of a coded solution;
(E) develop, compare, and improve algorithms
for a specific task to solve a problem; and
(F) analyze the benefits of using iteration
(code and sequence repetition) in algorithms.
(2) Computational thinking--applications. The
student applies the fundamentals of computer science. The student is expected
to:
(A) construct named variables with
multiple data types and perform operations on their values;
(B) use a software design process to create
text-based programs with nested loops that address different subproblems within
a real-world context; and
(C)
modify and implement previously written code to develop improved
programs.
(3) Creativity
and innovation--innovative design process. The student takes an active role in
learning by using a design process and creative thinking to develop and
evaluate solutions, considering a variety of local and global perspectives. The
student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate
innovation in a design process using goal setting and personal character
traits, including demonstrating calculated risk-taking and tolerance;
(B) discuss and implement a design process
that includes planning, selecting digital tools to develop, test, and evaluate
design limitations, and refining a prototype or model; and
(C) identify how the design process is used
in various industries.
(4) Creativity and innovation--emerging
technologies. The student demonstrates a thorough understanding of the role of
technology throughout history and its impact on societies. The student is
expected to:
(A) evaluate how changes in
technology throughout history have impacted various areas of study;
(B) evaluate and predict how global trends
impact the development of technology; and
(C) transfer current knowledge to the
learning of newly encountered technologies.
(5) Data literacy, management, and
representation--collect data. The student uses advanced digital strategies to
collect and represent data. The student is expected to:
(A) compare and contrast data types,
including binary, integers, real numbers, Boolean data, and text-based
representations; and
(B) apply
appropriate search strategies, including keywords, Boolean operators, and
limiters, to achieve a specified outcome that includes a variety of file
formats.
(6) Data
literacy, management, and representation--organize, manage, and analyze data.
The student uses digital tools to transform data, make inferences, and
predictions. The student is expected to use digital tools in order to transform
data, analyze trends, and predict possibilities and develop steps for the
creation of an innovative process or product.
(7) Data literacy, management, and
representation--communicate and publish results. The student creates digital
products to communicate data to an audience for an intended purpose. The
student is expected to use digital tools to communicate and publish data from a
product or process to persuade an intended audience.
(8) Digital citizenship--social interactions.
The student understands different styles of digital communication and that a
student's actions online can have a long-term impact. The student is expected
to:
(A) analyze the importance of managing a
digital footprint and how a digital footprint can affect the future;
(B) create and publish a formal digital
communication for a global audience using appropriate digital etiquette;
and
(C) collaborate and publish for
a global audience on digital platforms such as recording and editing videos
using appropriate formal and informal digital etiquette.
(9) Digital citizenship--ethics and laws. The
student recognizes and practices responsible, legal, and ethical behavior while
using digital tools and resources. The student is expected to:
(A) adhere to local acceptable use policy
(AUP) and practice and advocate for safe, ethical, and positive online
behaviors;
(B) adhere to
appropriate intellectual property law when creating digital products;
(C) create citations and cite sources for a
variety of digital forms of intellectual property; and
(D) evaluate the bias of digital information
sources, including websites.
(10) Digital citizenship--privacy, safety,
and security. The student practices safe, legal, and ethical digital behaviors
to become a socially responsible digital citizen. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze real-world scenarios to identify
cybersecurity threats and propose ways to prevent harm; and
(B) evaluate scenarios or case studies to
identify warning signs of a cyberbullying victim such as withdrawal or lack of
sleep and predict the outcomes for both the victim and the bully.
(11) Practical technology
concepts--processes. The student evaluates and selects appropriate methods or
techniques for an independent project and identifies and solves common hardware
and software problems using troubleshooting strategies. The student is expected
to:
(A) combine various file formats for a
specific project or audience; and
(B) share and seek feedback on files in
various formats, including text, raster and vector graphics, video, and audio
files.
(12) Practical
technology concepts--skills and tools. The student leverages technology
systems, concepts, and operations to produce digital artifacts. The student is
expected to:
(A) integrate use of appropriate
technology terminology in scholarly inquiry and dialogue such as classroom
discussion and written samples;
(B)
implement effective file management strategies independently, including file
naming conventions, local and remote locations, backup, hierarchy, folder
structure, file conversion, tags, and emerging digital organizational
strategies;
(C) select and use
appropriate platform and tools, including selecting and using software or
hardware to transfer data;
(D)
demonstrate improvement in speed and accuracy as measured by words per minute
when applying correct keyboarding techniques;
(E) select and use appropriate shortcuts
within applications;
(F) apply
appropriate troubleshooting techniques and seek technical assistance as
needed;
(G) compare types of local
and remote data storage such as cloud architecture or local server and select
the appropriate type of storage to store and share data; and
(H) select and use productivity tools found
in spread sheet, word processing, and publication applications to create
digital artifacts, including reports, graphs, and charts, with increasing
complexity.
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