| 1 | 1 | | By: Button (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.C.R. No. 104 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 2013; |
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| 3 | 3 | | May 9, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 4 | 4 | | Education; May 14, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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| 5 | 5 | | Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 14, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Technology has revolutionized the way we think, |
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| 10 | 10 | | work, interact, and play, and in the educational setting, it can |
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| 11 | 11 | | engage learners, promote discovery, and enhance the acquisition of |
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| 12 | 12 | | knowledge and skills; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Today, many students are comfortable with and |
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| 14 | 14 | | practical in the use of technology; a 2012 study by the national |
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| 15 | 15 | | nonprofit organization Project Tomorrow found that a large |
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| 16 | 16 | | percentage of Texas students access the Internet through their |
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| 17 | 17 | | personal smart phones, laptops, and tablet computers at home but |
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| 18 | 18 | | are rarely allowed to employ them in the classroom; moreover, 72 |
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| 19 | 19 | | percent of Texas parents indicated that they would provide a mobile |
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| 20 | 20 | | computing device for their child if the school would permit the use |
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| 21 | 21 | | of such learning tools, for instance through "Bring Your Own |
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| 22 | 22 | | Device" programs; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Outside the classroom, young people are able to use |
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| 24 | 24 | | technology to create personalized learning environments that |
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| 25 | 25 | | directly fuel their passion for knowledge; schools frequently do |
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| 26 | 26 | | not offer such a highly customized experience, causing a growing |
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| 27 | 27 | | disconnect between how students acquire knowledge and collaborate |
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| 28 | 28 | | with others in their daily lives and how they are expected to learn |
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| 29 | 29 | | and participate in the classroom; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, The use of technology in the classroom can make |
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| 31 | 31 | | education more student-centered and offer the ability to tailor |
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| 32 | 32 | | instruction to serve youths who come from diverse backgrounds and |
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| 33 | 33 | | have different interests and goals; although children may be |
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| 34 | 34 | | "digital natives" with high technical ability, they still need |
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| 35 | 35 | | guidance in developing critical thinking skills that will allow |
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| 36 | 36 | | them to maximize their potential to thrive amidst the rapid change |
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| 37 | 37 | | of the information age; teachers are likewise eager to take |
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| 38 | 38 | | advantage of the vast digital resources available to broaden |
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| 39 | 39 | | horizons and deepen the learning experience; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Technological proficiency is a requirement for |
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| 41 | 41 | | success in an increasingly global economy, and the use of mobile |
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| 42 | 42 | | computing devices in schools can better prepare young Texans to |
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| 43 | 43 | | become productive members of society; now, therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 45 | 45 | | hereby encourage school districts to adopt policies that promote |
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| 46 | 46 | | the use of technology and technological devices in classrooms; and, |
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| 47 | 47 | | be it further |
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| 48 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an |
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| 49 | 49 | | official copy of this resolution to the commissioner of the Texas |
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| 50 | 50 | | Education Agency. |
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| 51 | 51 | | * * * * * |
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