June 2003 — Features
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Preparing Technology-Competent Teachers
- Did the PT3 training result in the participants mastery of computer competency skills?
- What percentage of participants created the units of practice (UOP) as intended?
- What percentage of preservice teacher-mentor teacher teams achieved the level of "accomplished" for their UOP?
- What percentage of participants taught the UOP as intended?
- How did the mentor teachers and practicum students use the cohort listserv in the workshops?
- What were the perceptions of university faculty regarding the effectiveness of the Practicum Plus Program workshops?
Program Description
The PT3 Practicum Plus Program incorporated many of the features of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT). Like the ACOT project, the PT3 Practicum Plus Program objective was to improve students' learning through training teachers in the use of computers in the classroom. However, the PT3 program training focused on technology integration where teams of preservice teachers and their mentor in-service teachers developed UOPs, which were then implemented in their K-8 practicum classrooms.
Description of Practicum Plus. The preservice teacher-mentor teacher teams attended workshops together during the summer prior to the fall semester. The summer workshops lasted six-and-a-half hours for six days. Three two-hour follow-up fall workshops were held after school in September, October and November. Recruitment of mentor teachers and preservice teachers was held during the semester prior to the summer workshops. PT3 staff, Arizona Classrooms of Tomorrow Today teachers and university faculty facilitated the workshops.
These workshops provided each preservice teacher-mentor teacher team with the opportunity to assess the technology available in the schools and districts. They explored and assessed various types of hardware and software; bookmarked relevant Internet sites; evaluated Web sites; and used a listserv to share ideas, strategies and resources, while developing two UOPs addressing state and national standards. In addition, teachers shared technology-integrated activities they have used successfully in their classrooms. Invited speakers introduced district standards, local technology resources for teachers and examples of their own UOPs.
The UOP, collaboratively created by Apple Computer Inc., The National Science Foundation and the New American Schools Development Corp., is a framework for organizing ideas and embedding technology into teachers' instruction so that learning rather than teaching is emphasized. UOP activities are structured to encourage learner autonomy, initiative and inquiry, while nurturing curiosity and dialogue among learners. The activities are designed to provide opportunities for constructing new knowledge and understanding through authentic experiences. Goals are focused on performance and understanding (University of Pretoria 1996).
