June 2003 — Features

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Preparing Technology-Competent Teachers

By E. Carol Beckett, Ed.D., Ines Marquez-Chisholm, Ph.D., and Keith Wetzel, Ph.

Preservice teacher-mentor teacher teams reported that three components of the workshops particularly important in facilitating skill development and application to the classroom were:

  1. The transfer of learning from the professional development setting to the classroom was cited by 93% of the participants. Learning allowed preservice and mentor teachers to engage in activities that could be used directly with their pupils later.
  2. The workshops provided participants with significant amounts of time to learn how to use technology through practice with a variety of applications.
  3. Participants were given ample time to adapt technology skills, materials and techniques for classroom instruction.

Unlike many professional development activities that only focus on skill instruction, the workshops provided both time and support for instruction and skill development essential for transfer to classroom uses. The Practicum Plus Program could not control all of the important factors needed to support the teams' implementation of the UOP for the following reasons:

  • The Internet access was down the days the K-8 students were to conduct searches for information.
  • The lab wasn't available at the time it was needed in the lesson due to once-a-week class scheduling in schools.
  • The preservice teacher wasn't there at the time of day the lesson was to be implemented, and the mentor teacher wasn't confident enough to do it individually.
  • Required standardized test schedules supplanted the curriculum lesson.
  • Further, it should be noted that the implementation of innovations takes time, and although the teams learned a lot, more training and support may have been needed.
Implications

The results of this study provided multiple implications for preservice and in-service technology preparation:

First, the data indicated that many teachers need additional help in developing appropriate assessments.

Second, the data revealed that bilingual and ESL teachers needed further help in incorporating the TESOL standards.

Third, the UOP offers multiple benefits for students. The pupil is the center as learner and the teacher is the facilitator of the learning through modeling, reflection and self-inquiry.

Fourth, pairing preservice and in-service teachers in a collaborative, interdependent team benefited both groups. Each shared his or her expertise and learned from the other.

Fifth, the issue of time for exploration and development of technology skills should not be ignored for either preservice or in-service teachers.

Finally, teachers discovered that using technology for instructional purposes is a viable way of enriching and furthering the learning experience.