Kennesaw State earns International Society for Technology Education Recognition

KENNESAW, Ga. (May 20, 2021) — KENNESAW, Ga. (May 20, 2021) — For its innovative programs and strategies in today’s digital learning environments, Kennesaw State University’s School of Instructional Technology and Innovation has earned International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Recognition for Higher Education.

Kennesaw State becomes the fifth institution in the nation to achieve the distinction from the nonprofit International Society for Technology Education, which assists educators in advancing teaching and learning through technology. Also, the School of Instructional Technology and Innovation in KSU’s Bagwell College of Education is just the second program to meet 100 percent of the ISTE Standards for Educators on its first submission, according to the organization.

“The ISTE Recognition for Higher Education validates the quality, significance, relevance and expertise of all of the degree programs, initiatives and colleagues within the School of Instructional Technology and Innovation,” said Adrian Epps, dean of the Bagwell College of Education. “We are a creative and innovative unit that pushes the envelope in improving student success at all levels of the educational spectrum.”

Starting this fall, students in the Bagwell College’s instructional technology degree programs will develop portfolios they can submit to receive ISTE Certification upon graduation. Kennesaw State will be the only institution in Georgia offering education students the opportunity to become certified by both the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the International Society for Technology in Education.

“I am so proud of our faculty for this well-deserved national recognition,” said Traci Redish, the director of the School of Instructional Technology and Innovation. “They have developed innovative programs that empower birth-12 educators for success in today’s ever-changing digital learning environments. Becoming an ISTE Certification Provider is one step towards the national recognition we seek for the School of Instructional Technology and Innovation at KSU.”

Elevated to a school from a department earlier this year, KSU’s School of Instructional Technology and Innovation offers three academic degree programs – master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees in instructional technology – and graduate certificates/endorsements in personalized learning and online teaching.

The school shares its expertise through initiatives such as iTeach, which provides professional development, consulting and services to schools and districts. The school also is home to the Innovation Lab and the BCOE technology professionals (technology coach, instructional designer and webmaster), as well as the Teacher Resource and Activity Corner (TRAC) that helps education students, birth-12 educators and community members plan and prepare effective and creative classroom instruction.

“I have collaborated with faculty at Kennesaw State for many years. ISTE Recognition and the ability to provide the ISTE Certification to their candidates is a testament to their longstanding leadership in changing educator practice with the ISTE standards,” said Carolyn Sykora, senior director of ISTE Standards Programs.

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