Empowering Educator Preparation: Implementing ISTE Faculty Standards and Supporting Faculty ISTE Certification

Outline

In 2024, UVU’s School of Education committed to becoming a national leader in technology-enhanced teacher preparation by adopting the ISTE Faculty Standards. The decision aligned with the university’s broader vision to promote innovation, inclusivity, and AI literacy across all disciplines. Faculty development has traditionally focused on pedagogy and assessment; however, this initiative reframed professional learning around digital pedagogy, innovation, and ethical technology use.

The ISTE Certification process, beginning with a 10-week course and culminating in a digital portfolio, provides a structured yet reflective pathway for faculty to demonstrate competency. This process has catalyzed a cultural shift: faculty across programs (elementary, secondary, and graduate) are now redesigning syllabi, embedding AI tools, modeling Universal Design for Learning, and co-developing digital equity projects.

Session Format (60 minutes):

15 min: Framing the need, digital transformation and faculty readiness.
15 min: Case study,UVU’s implementation model and certification journey.
20 min: Interactive reflection, mapping ISTE Standards to participants’ institutional goals.
10 min: Q&A and collaborative resource sharing.

Outcomes

Participants will:

Understand how the ISTE Faculty Standards can serve as a framework for systemic digital transformation in educator preparation and campus-wide.

Explore a scalable model for supporting faculty in achieving ISTE Higher Education Certification.

Identify strategies to align faculty professional growth with accreditation standards, institutional missions, and innovation initiatives.

Reflect on their own institution’s readiness for similar implementation.

Supporting research

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2017). Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: National Education Technology Plan Update. https://tech.ed.gov/netp

AAQEP. (2023). Guidance on Technology and Innovation in Quality Educator Preparation. https://aaqep.org

ISTE & CAEP. (2020). Aligning ISTE Standards with CAEP Accreditation. https://iste.org/resources

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2022). ISTE Standards for Educators. https://www.iste.org/standards