UTD | MT SCIENCE

The plain and simple fact that today’s teachers were students in a totally different world has a tremendous impact on realizing the potential of information technology in science education. Evolving national, state, and district reforms aimed at developing consistency and continuity across the curricula require professional educators to design and implement new models of education suitable for tomorrow’s classrooms.

MT SCIENCE – Mobile Technology for teaching and learning SCIENCE in the real world is an innovative and critical resource made possible by a grant from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board. As the teachers of our teachers, we must update our higher education infrastructures to assure access to current information technology and meet the demands of an increasingly technological citizenry. UT-Dallas' past successes in delivering field-based programs within a multi-faceted learning environment make both content and pedagogy relevant. Using that same approach, supported by appropriate information technology, we will be enabled to provide a tangible opportunity for teachers to gain organized knowledge to make practical changes in education.

The basic premise of this program enhancement is that real-world experience, developed by creating an openly versatile, inquiry-based project centered on state and national science standards, weaves a single tapestry that prepares our teachers to lead our students powerfully and wisely. Theory does not effect change; people do. Teachers, in particular, must be encouraged to exercise playfulness, ingenuity, and creativity. Technique is acquired by the practice of practice, by persistently experimenting with and using tools and testing one’s own knowledge and understanding. MT SCIENCE would help advance the application and integration of new teaching tools and resources to bring teachers and technology and students and learning together – today.