Educator Preparation and Development

Educator Preparation and Development

 Educator Preparation and Development is one of the areas of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. All these areas were developed to promote academic excellence. According to this plan, all educators:

• graduate from an educator preparation program that models current technology in instructional and administrative practices PreK-12.
• exit educator preparation programs knowing how to use technology effectively in the teaching and learning process.
• develop new learning environments that utilize technology as a flexible tool where learning is colloborative, interactive and customized.
• ensure integration of appropriate technology throughout all of curriculum and instruction.

"In the past few years the preservice teacher education programs have made substantial progress in preparing future teachers in information technology," says Dr. David Moursund, Executive Officer of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), "but they still have a long way to go."

"It takes a great deal of education and experience to achieve a comfortable level of expertise in this field," says Dr. Lynne Schrum, president of ISTE. "We want preservice teachers to learn how to use information technology as a tool for helping their students learn."

Survey researchers also asked about the field experiences of teachers — whether or not information technology was available in the K-12 classrooms where preservice teachers get their field training. They found that most of those classrooms have information technology available, but student-teachers do not routinely use that technology during their field experience.

"The use of technology in everyday classroom and practicum experiences — seems to be more important than specific computer classes," says Talbot Bielefeldt, a researcher for the survey. "Specific technology training has a role, but only up to a point. The institutions that reported the highest levels of student technology skills and experience were not those with heavy computer course requirements, but those that made use of technology on a routine basis throughout the teacher training program." observes Bielefeldt.

Says Lemke, "The findings in this report should be a wake-up call for higher education institutions and policymakers across the country — today’s students live in a global, knowledge-based age, and they deserve teachers whose practice embraces the best that technology can bring to learning." Top of Form

The article that I quoted in this piece sums it correctly—our students deserve tech savvy teachers.  

Bottom of Form

In the 21^st century when the students are so tech savvy, educators should be competent in new ways to teach. The instructional strategies should be based on current research and engaging for students. We need to have assessments that effectively measure what students are learning. We need to give students the knowledge, skills, and tools they need when they graduate from high school. To do that, we need to emphasize technology infusion to transform our teaching and learning.
On our campus, educator preparation is still in the developing level. Teachers use technology for administrative tasks and classroom management. There is use of online resources. 40% of educators meet SBEC standards. Administrators expect teachers to use technology. 6-24% of technology budget is allocated for professional development. Some teachers use smart boards, and document readers.