University of North Texas 
The Texas Center for Educational Technology (TECT) was founded in 1989 with Dr. James Poirot as its first executive director. Legislatively funded for three years, TCET came to UNT as a result of a competitive grant award from the state of Texas legislature for the research and development of instructional technology. UNT won out over proposals from Texas A&M, UT-Austin, Texas Tech, and others. Since its inception, TCET has been the most successfully funded center at UNT. TCET facilitates and conducts research; develops and evaluates collaborations between industry, education, and educational communities; and serves as a focal point within the State of Texas and beyond in order that instructional technology can be created and adapted for integration into the educational programs of our state and nation.
The grant UNT won was the first of its kind, and known as the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology (1988-2000). The plan specifically called for the creation of a center for research in educational technology, which ultimately came to be TCET. Since the center's inception, TCET has grown steadily to become nationally recognized in research and development in the area of educational technology for today's educational environments. TCET also continues to help lay the foundation for the future use of educational technology. More information about recent TCET projects can be found here.
TCET is well known through the management of a variety of projects:
| Project | Overview |
|---|---|
| Technology Leadership Institute | One of the original 1999 Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology Catalyst projects created over 100 multimedia products, contributed to Texas technology certifications, and established a network of teacher preparation institutions across a five-state region. |
| INSIGHT | Home to a library of online instruments to assess technology funded by the SouthCentral Regional Technology in Education Consortium |
| Higher Education Network | Another SouthCentral Regional Technology in Education Consortium project for the support of cadres interested in technology for education across a five-state region |
| United Star Distance Learning Consortium (USDLC) Star Schools Project | TCET was a major contributor to this multi-state educational consortium with a proven record of innovation and success in the production and distribution of educational programming. |
| Texas Applications Center for Educator Development | The Texas Education Agency recognized TCET as the Technology Applications Center for Educator Development to assist Texas teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum. |
| Intel® Teach to the Future | TCET was selected as one of two Regional Training Agencies in Texas for the Intel®Teach to the Future program. This program trained over 20,000 Texas teachers in technology integration. |
| Super Collider Opportunities for Public Education (SCOPE) | TCET utilized equipment and resources from the Super Collider Project to create unique learning opportunities in Science. |
| ThinkQuest | TCET is the Texas state partner for ThinkQuest. |
| Technology Applications Certification Program | Offered Technology Applications 8-12 certification and graduate credit to over 1,200 Texas teachers. |
| Texas STARgate | Provides online professional development based on the State Board for Educator Certification standards. |
| Sharing Technology Applications Resources with Teachers (START) | An initial educator awareness package was produced by TCET and distributed to curriculum coordinators and technology coordinators in school districts to assist classroom teachers in the planning and preparation for the Technology Applications TEKS. |
| Master's Across Technology (MAT) | Online graduate program leading to a Computer Education and Cognitive Systems (CECS) Master's in Teaching and Learning with Technology, along with preparation for several Technology Applications certifications |
| Evaluations | TCET has evaluated, and continues to evaluate, numerous state and regional technology projects. |
| Web-based Product Development | TCET created over 100 Web Library modules, professional development materials showcasing Intel® Teach to the Future teachers, professional development materials for Texas school districts, and more. |
| Sharing Technology Applications Resources with Teachers (START) | An initial educator awareness package was produced by TCET and distributed to curriculum coordinators and technology coordinators in school districts to assist classroom teachers in the planning and preparation for the Technology Applications TEKS. |