Lessons Learned From the Implementation of a Technology-Focused Professional Learning Community

In this chapter, “lessons learned” and best practices that have resulted from the implementation of technology-focused professional learning community in a College of Education, as well as recommendations for future implementations are addressed. The Technology & Teaching Professional Learning Community, which was created by faculty in the College of Education at UNC Charlotte, provided professional development to faculty engaged in teaching hybrid and online courses. This was one of several professional development efforts at UNC Charlotte, but one, the authors suggest, that created a safe and effective space for scaffolding instructors less familiar with online learning technologies and tools.

Re-Thinking Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Preparation

Powerful and modern digital technologies have significantly impacted mathematics teaching – both what is to be learned and how it should be learned. Technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) is the knowledge that teachers rely on for teaching content with appropriate digital technologies. What preparation do mathematics teachers need in order to develop this knowledge needed for integrating appropriate digital technologies as teaching and learning tools? The challenges of understanding TPACK and identifying appropriate educational programs for pre-service mathematics teachers call for thoughtful attention toward the development of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that support the dynamic nature embedded within the TPACK construct. The design of appropriate pre-service teacher learning trajectories for developing a rigorous TPACK emphasizes that both how and where they learn to teach mathematics are fundamental to what is learned about teaching and learning mathematics. Redesign ideas and models support re-thinking and re-designing pre-service mathematics teacher preparation programs.

Using Student Choice to Promote Technology Integration

This chapter describes the results of a curriculum redesign of a course in technology integration in an initial licensure undergraduate program. By looking at the diversity of interests and skills as a strength of students, rather than a problem with the class, the authors have been able to develop a class structure that increases student achievement and interest. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a course model that better accommodates the diversity of majors and technology experiences available to students. While all students are held accountable to the same course objectives, multiple options are provided for learners to choose a path to meet those objectives. Rather than requiring all students to participate in the same activities, students are allowed to select activities and content related to their individual content areas and skill levels. Allowing students choices helps alleviate problems in delivering content to students with different majors and background knowledge.

Meeting the Needs of Exceptional Students

Today’s K-12 classrooms are learning environments that present teachers with the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of learners. Utilizing technology and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help teachers to meet the exceptional needs of learners in a variety of areas. This chapter presents ideas and strategies to utilize technology to facilitate the implementation of UDL principles (using multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression in the design of instruction) in teacher education and K-12 classrooms. Each principle of UDL is described, and examples of technology that can support implementation of the principle are shared. The chapter concludes with considerations for teacher education programs including providing modeling of UDL instruction and designing instruction with UDL in mind.

Lessons from the ITS Program

Educators concerned with building technology-rich preservice teacher education seek inspiration in many places. Looking to successful graduate programs might serve to inform those who seek a foundation on which to build successful programs. With years of experience experimenting and studying teacher education at the graduate, inservice level have led to a set of design strategies the authors recommend as guides to making robust decisions about technology-rich preservice teacher education. This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section presents a brief discussion of preservice teacher technology education and the Integration of Technology in Schools (ITS) advanced studies graduate program. The second presents five guiding design strategies to inform the continuous process of technology-rich teacher education. The chapter concludes with a third section that discusses the implications of those design strategies for preservice teacher education.

Infusing Technology into a Physical Education Teacher Education Program

Technology is changing the way Physical Education is taught. From heart rate monitors and pedometers to podcasting, exergaming, and desktop applications, tomorrow’s teachers need to know how to infuse technology into their teaching. The use of technology in Physical Education can increase both student learning and teacher productivity. Courses in a comprehensive PETE (Physical Education Teacher Education) program can be divided into the following categories: Fitness related courses, Activity courses, Assessment courses, and Methods courses (including field experiences and student teaching). A strong PETE program will infuse technology into the course work in all four categories, in addition to a stand-alone technology course that introduces the various forms of technology that will be used in their future Physical Education classroom. This chapter will describe how to prepare future physical educators to utilize the myriad of technological options available in the field.

Knock Down the Walls, Open the Doors

Hybrid classrooms, or blended instruction, blend the traditional face-to-face instruction model with newer technologies of online learning. 21st Century students crave a more interactive learning environment, but unfortunately, today’s teachers largely lack exposure to Web 2.0 technologies and technological expertise to offer such learning tools to their students. Therefore, teacher preparation programs, state departments of education, and local education authorities must improve the technical skills of teachers. Once teachers have 21st Century skills, they will be prepared to offer a more dynamic learning environment to students, including hybrid learning environments. This chapter will explore the possibility and effectiveness of utilizing hybrid-learning environments at the high school level. This will be accomplished through review of the literature, an evaluation of the educational objectives met through the implementation of hybrid learning, addressing the obstacles to implementation, and suggesting methods of improvement for teacher preparation programs, state departments of education, and local education authorities to improve the technical skills of teachers.

A Practical Guide for Integrating Technology into Social Studies Instruction

This chapter provides a resource to practitioners not only about what types of technologies can be integrated into Social Studies instruction, but also provides resources by Social Studies content area (U.S. History, World History, Government, Civics, Economics, Geography, Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology). The intended audience is the Social Studies teacher who wants ideas on how to improve their instructional delivery and learning environment through the integration of technology. Differing levels of technology integration are defined. Major types of technologies covered in the chapter include audio, video, simulations, and interactive whiteboards. Implications include the opportunities for Social Studies educators to provide students content in more readily understandable ways and in richer learning environments.

Multiliteracies

In this chapter, the author explains how a theory of Multiliteracies helped to shape the development of a graduate course which, in turn, initiated changes in an undergraduate content-area literacy course in a teacher education program. Both courses are described, and ways in which digital technologies changed the way the instructor and students collaborated, worked and learned are discussed. Service learning aspects of these courses are explored with examples of how pre- and inservice teachers engaged with K-12 students and teachers in the community. Implications for teacher education faculty and students are presented as well as the need to implement Multiliterate pedagogies across the K-12 spectrum.

ePortfolio Integration in Teacher Education Programs

Though ePortfolios have grown in acceptance by teacher education programs across the United States, there still remain many questions regarding whether the tools are meeting student and teacher education program needs. This chapter will address this concern by first describing ePortfolios within teacher education. Next, the chapter will present a stakeholder interaction model and identify the individuals involved in an ePortfolio system. Then, a series of integration questions will be highlighted from a teacher education perspective. Two teacher education programs’ ePortfolio initiatives are evaluated using the Electronic Portfolio Student Perspective Instrument (EPSPI) (Ritzhaupt, Singh, Seyferth, & Dedrick, 2008) in relation to several integration characteristics. Finally, recommendations to teacher education programs are made.