OREANDA-NEWS. December 11, 2013. The UTeach Institute, a notable teacher-preparation organization at the University of Texas at Austin, has teamed up with Verizon to launch a program that is helping tomorrow’s educators effectively use mobile technology to improve student learning and interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math).

The initiative, begun in September and called the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Higher Education program, currently is available to students in UTeach secondary STEM teacher preparation programs at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Kansas at Lawrence, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the University of Texas at Austin. The partners plan to expand this program to four more universities, starting early next year.

The initiative was announced at an event at Kealing Middle School in Austin.  

Under the program, math and science majors pursuing secondary teaching certification through UTeach programs work with K-12 students, integrating mobile technologies into inquiry-based lessons. This integration greatly expands the resources and instructional tools available to teachers to engage students in relevant and exciting applications of math and science.

The program will also develop lessons and support materials based on best practices on integrating mobile technology into STEM teaching and learning, and they will eventually be added to the UTeach curriculum and available at UTeach’s 35 partner universities nationwide, reaching more than 6,200 students.

In addition, the National Math and Science Initiative – a national organization that focuses on improving student performance in STEM subjects – is working with the UTeach Institute to make the UTeach curriculum and preparation program available to even more colleges and universities.