About the Certificate
What is a TWT non-credit certificate?
A Teaching With Technology certificate, granted by the College of the Liberal Arts, provides evidence of effective use of technology for teaching.
Who awards the TWT Certificate?
The certificate program is awarded by the College of the Liberal Arts, college departments, and the Office of Digital Pedagogy and Scholarship.
What is the process of the TWT Certificate?
The certificate is awarded based on an online portfolio created by the instructor. The portfolio is reviewed by a TWT coordinator in your program or department. Most programs use a rubric similar to the one posted at this site.
What is the value of a TWT Certificate?
Instructors who receive certificates have successfully created online portfolios that demonstrate their thoughtful use of technology to best support teaching strategies and create optimal learning environments for their students. The certificate can be used to evidence professional development and technical competency for work in the College of the Liberal Arts and related positions outside of the college.
How to Participate
Who can participate?
Candidates for the TWT must be either a College of the Liberal Arts Graduate Student or Instructor.
| Graduate TWT | Instructor TWT |
|---|---|
| Candidate must be enrolled in the Graduate School and provide examples of incorporating technology into an instructional setting.
This includes Graduate Assistants (GAs) and other graduate students with instructional experience in their discipline. |
Candidate must be on the Penn State payroll. Candidates can include:
|
How can I register for the program?
Instructions for registering for the certificate program are listed on the Registration How To page.
If my department does not have a coordinator, what should I do?
Use the Contact Us page to request a coordinator. Please provide the name of your department and department chair, and the TWT program will contact the department to make the arrangements on your behalf. You should not complete a portfolio without a coordinator. This could cause delays in the review of your portfolio.
Timeline
When are deadlines?
You can determine deadlines with your program coordinator. There is flexibility for completing and approving portfolios, however your timeline should meet the following general guidelines:
- Graduate students – Portfolio should be approved before graduation. Thus deadlines correspond to a period of two weeks before the final written thesis is due.
- Instructors – Deadlines are scheduled for several weeks after the semester ends. Candidates should still be on the payroll when the portfolio is approved.
Note: A Graduate portfolio can also be submitted by that time so long as the student has not graduated before the portfolio submission.
What happens if my coordinator is not available at the time of the deadline?
It is always recommended that you contact your coordinator at the beginning of a semester so that he or she knows your intentions. If your coordinator knows ahead of time that he or she will be away, you can arrange for an alternate deadline or your coordinator may be able to find a replacement to assist you. In emergency situations, deadlines can be extended.
How can instructors learn the technology and teaching skills they need to know?
There are a variety of options available including seminars from ITS Training, educational technology presentations and online tutorials. Updates on new training opportunities and presentations are posted in program News blog. See the Technology Training page for a list of available resources.
What are some strategies for scheduling the development of the portfolio?
The TWT Certificate program is a flexible program, which means there are many options for setting your own timeline. Examples for the Teaching With Technology portfolio can be documented while you are using them, and the final portfolio developed later.
The main hurdle for many people is to stitch their examples together, but you can read the Portfolio section for information on how to craft a portfolio. Some candidates may choose to complete the portfolio in a semester with a light teaching load. Others may work on it gradually over the course of several weeks.
Generally, it is a good idea to work with your coordinator to determine a final deadline for your portfolio review, then work backwards to identify periodic check-in dates. For instance, you might schedule check-ins with your coordinator at three key stages: an early check-in with your coordinator to review the concept or wireframe for your portfolio; a mid- to late-stage check-in where a rough draft of all or most all of your portfolio content is complete; and a final draft review a week or two before you submit your portfolio for the official certificate review. This kind of production schedule will give you several opportunities to receive feedback on your work in progress while allowing you time to incorporate that feedback into your portfolio design.
Can I work on my portfolio away from Penn State?
Yes, as long as you are eligible for submission at a future point in time. For instance, if you take a semester off for research purposes, you can continue to work on the portfolio, and may even be able to submit it from a distance.
Portfolio
What are the requirements of the TWT portfolio
A complete list of requirements are posted on the Portfolio Rubric page, but the requirements can be subdivided as follows:
- The portfolio should be on the Web, but it can be built on any platform. Although the design options are up to you, the portfolio should be legible and usable in terms of finding information.
- A teaching philosophy statement. This will help you and your audiences understand the rationale for implementing certain technology strategies.
- Examples of successful application of technology to increase student engagement and learning.
What is a TWT philosophy statement and what should it include?
A TWT philosophy is your personal statement about the benefits of effective use of technologies for teaching and how technology use fits into your future work and life. A teaching philosophy statement should answer how you define effective teaching and learning, your beliefs on best practices for teaching and why you have these beliefs. A teaching philosophy statement can also reflect on your personal history, especially in terms of why you chose the academic discipline that you have.
How big should a TWT portfolio be?
There is no minimum or maximum size or number of elements in a TWT portfolio. Your portfolio can be simple or flashy, depending on your skills and how you want to represent yourself. See the Portfolio Rubric page to base your decisions on what to include.
I have little experience working with “multimedia.” What should I include?
The portfolio rubric recommends including multimedia elements because images, video, and audio can be powerful channels for getting a message across to students. This does not mean you need to become a professional videographer or artist though. There are many options available, including:
- Simple Concept Maps,
- Excel Charts,
- Photographs you take,
- Grassroots videos and podcasts – these are meant to be quick and dirty.
You can also borrow images and video from other sources, as long as you have obtained rights for them. There are also many options available for sourcing free to use images, video, and audio. See the Using Multimedia in Courses page for more information.
Do all of my examples have to be from Penn State courses?
Relevant teaching with technology experience from outside of Penn State can be incorporated into your TWT Portfolio, but please inform your coordinator so that he or she is aware of outside examples.
Can an instructor resubmit a portfolio if a coordinator does not initially approve it?
In cases in which a portfolio is not approved upon the first submission, candidates may make revisions and additions and resubmit during a following semester. Technology projects are often an iterative process.
If I begin a portfolio while a graduate student, but am hired as an instructor at Penn State before earning a TWT certificate, can I submit the portfolio I was working on before I was hired?
Yes, you can use a pre-existing portfolio to obtain an Instructor certificate, but please work with your coordinator so that he or she is aware of your situation.
How long will my portfolio be available after I leave Penn State?
Your Penn State Access ID and personal Web space will be available for 6 months after graduation. Prior to leaving Penn State, you may want to copy your portfolio so that you can easily reconstruct it at another location.
