Theodore J Kopcha

Biography

Dr. Theodore J. Kopcha is a former secondary mathematics teacher whose current research explores the integration of innovative technologies into the classroom and connecting them to mathematics. Over the past decade, Dr. Kopcha has worked closely with both pre-service and in-service teachers and has published extensively on teacher professional development and technology integration. His funded research reflects his focus on improving teaching and teacher education in the local community. His projects provide support to rural communities who are integrating technology into various disciplines through project-based learning and has been funded through sources such as UGA’s Public Service and Outreach Fellowship (2015-2016), the National Endowment for the Humanities (2018-present), and the Spencer Foundation (2021 - 2024). He has previously served as president of the Teacher Education Division for the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and currently serves as the Board Representative for the Teacher Education Division.

Areas of Expertise

  • Technology Integration in K12
  • Design-based Research
  • Embodied Cognition and STEM

Education

  •  PhD in Educational Technology, 2005
    Arizona State University

Academic Affiliations

Google Scholar Page Download CV

Contact

 River's Crossing, 205
 706-542-1889 (office)
 https://sites.google.com/site/tkopcha/home

Research Summary

My research interests focus broadly on technology integration in K-12 and higher education. My work explores how thinking is embodied during problem- and project-based STEM learning.

Grants

Spencer Foundation: Research Practice Partnership
2021-2024
National Endowment for the Humanities
2018-present

Awards and Accolades

Outstanding Journal Article: “Analyzing Children’s Computational Thinking through Embodied Interaction with Technology: A Multimodal Perspective.”

Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), 2021

Arthur M. Horne Faculty Award for Community Engagement and Research

Mary Frances Early College of Education at UGA, 2021

McJulien Best Paper Award

Culture, Learning, and Technology Division of Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), 2020

Scholarly Advancement of the Field

Teacher Education Division of Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), 2020

Donald O. Schneider Excellence in Mentoring

Univ. of Georgia, 2019

Guest Editor

Educational Technology Research & Development, 2019

Cited in US Dept. of Education’s policy brief: Advancing Educational Technology in Teacher Preparation

USDOE, 2016

Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award

Mary Frances Early College of Education at UGA, 2015

Best Paper, SIG-IT

American Educational Research Association, 2014

Innovation in Technology

American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, 2011