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Preparing Preservice Teachers to Use Technology Issues and Strategies ByStephenRodriguez

Dr Rodriguez is an associate pro- fessor College of Education, Texas A & M University, Corpus Christi, Texas

ow do we best t each preservice t eachers to use technology? To find answers to th is quest ion, c o n s i d e r r e l a t e d t e a c h i n g proficiencies a l r eady adop ted by y o u r own home state. Given t h e s e prof ic iencies , w h a t in- s t ruct ional approaches will best enab le preservice t e ache r s to

achieve t h e m ? With these two key ques- t ions in mind, m y purpose here is two- fold: first, to reflect u p o n adopted teaching p ro f i c i enc i e s in m y h o m e s t a t e , Texas, related to applicat ions of technology; a n d second, to p resen t s t rategies t h a t m a y help preservice t eachers to at- t a in the targeted proficiencies.

In Texas , a d o p t e d t e a c h i n g proficiencies are cap tured in key documen t s p u b l i s h e d by t h e T e x a s E d u c a t i o n Agency (TEA) (1994, 1995). Prescribed t e a c h i n g p ro f i c i enc i e s a p p r o p r i a t e l y place the K-12 learner a t the hea r t of the t each ing process. They address in- c reas ing s t uden t s ' knowledge, selecting a p p r o p r i a t e i n s t r u c t i o n a l m a t e r i a l s , main ta in ing equity and excellence for all, u s ing a var ie ty of resources to fu r the r communica t ion , and developing oneself p r o f e s s i o n a l l y . A d i s c u s s i o n of proficiencies related to the use of technology follows. A c o n c e p t u a l f r a m e w o r k highl ight ing major areas of proficiency a n d re la ted p u r p o s e s is p r e s e n t e d in Figure 1.

Integration of Technological Resources The teacher m u s t be able to integrate u se of technological resources , weaving those resources into the overall fabric of ins t ruct ion. In this way, the teacher pro-

motes s tudents ' consideration of the cen- tral t hemes of the subject ma t t e r from var ied cu l tu ra l a n d in te l lec tua l view- points (TEA, 1994). University educators can cont r ibute here by model ing inte- grated use of technological resources in preservice courses . Universi ty facul ty shou ld also engage preservice teachers in consider ing real-world ins t ruc t iona l problems t h a t m a y be solved by technological means . Clearly, the not ion of in- tegrat ion sugges ts t h a t technology m u s t not be a d d r e s s e d in isolat ion or as a s tand-alone issue removed from the context of teaching.

A related i ssue concerns preservice teachers ' use of technology as a personal p roduc t iv i ty tool. In tegra ted sof tware packages s u c h as ClarisWorks enable teachers to develop ins t ruc t iona l materials and newslet ters; to facilitate commun ica t ion with s tuden t s , parents , and other faculty; and to keep records and grades. S u c h appl icat ions offer university educators a practical focus for intro- ducing preservice teachers to computers.

Experience and Knowledge Construction The preservice teacher should recognize t h a t s t u d e n t s ' exper iences are at the hea r t of the matter. Under th is orienta- tion, the K-12 teacher 's job becomes one of a r ranging for s t u d e n t s to acquire experiences t h a t suppor t knowledge con- s t ruct ion. According to Driscoll (1994), " . . . const ruct iv is t theory res t s on the a s s u m p t i o n t h a t k n o w l e d g e is con- s t ruc ted by learners as they a t t empt to m a k e sense ou t of the i r experiences" (p. 360). Learners actively seek to make mean ing of experience, learn ing by do-

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ing activities in context, and developing knowledge over t ime (Driscoll, 1994; see also Brooks & Brooks, 1993).

Under this construct ivis t concept ion of learning, the c lassroom becomes a dy- namic env i ronment popula ted by a n active and involved c o m m u n i t y of learners. This l e a r n e r - c e n t e r e d focus a lso encompasses equi ty in excellence for all and use of varied forms of communica - t ion (TEA, 1995).

Wha t should K-12 teachers be able to do to engage s t u d e n t s and to capital- ize u p o n their school and out-of-school exper iences? Possibi l i t ies inc lude the following:

* accoun t ing for a n d bui lding u p o n learners ' existing skills, knowledge, and a t t i t u d e s - - a n d , more broadly, the i r existing schema;

�9 a r ranging for ongoing, active involvement of all learners;

�9 p l ann ing learn ing activities and cooperative projects t h a t are g rounded in a mean ingfu l context;

�9 mak ing visible connec t ions be- tween school experiences and out- of school experiences.

Driscoll (1994) provides a syn thes i s of the impl ica t ions of cons t ruc t iv i sm for

Teacher Proficiency �9 integrate technological resources

�9 use technology to communicate

�9 emphasize student experience

and technology applications

�9 select instructional materials

�9 increase personal productivity

�9 use technology to develop

professionally

IL. y Purposes �9 provide multiple perspectives

�9 provide interactive instruction

�9 further learning

�9 enrich communication

�9 communicate visually

�9 connect outside of community

�9 spark student interest

�9 support learning in context

�9 require student participation

�9 support student learning about technology

�9 spark student interest

�9 provide multiple perspectives

�9 support individualization

�9 avoid biases

�9 further learning

�9 gain comfort with technology

�9 work efficiently

�9 teach students related skills

�9 support life-long learning

�9 communicate with others

�9 conduct on-line research

�9 obtain information

Figure 1. Framework of Technology Proficiencies and Purposes in Preserviee Teacher Education

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ins t ruct ion. She describes five strategies for suppor t ing knowledge const ruct ion:

�9 emphas iz ing s tuden t - cen te red ins t ruc t ion

�9 providing complex learn ing envi- r o n m e n t s

�9 providing for social negot ia t ion

�9 j ux t apos ing to-be- learned con ten t

�9 n u r t u r i n g reflectivity abou t learning tasks .

All of these s trategies have implicat ions for technology use by fu tu re teachers . Video c a m e r a s , digi ta l c a m e r a s , a n d audio tape recorders allow K- 12 s tuden t s to gain experience in captur ing, organiz- ing, a n d p re sen t ing in format ion . Pre- service t eachers shou ld be prepared to operate s u c h equ ipmen t and to plan related learning activities. Media and mul- t imedia -based projects in varied subjec t a reas fu r the r provide signif icant oppor- t un i t i e s for K-12 s t u d e n t s to l i teral ly cons t ruc t p resen ta t ions while s imul ta- neous ly learn ing the "how to's" of technology usage. Teachers shou ld be prepared to lead s u c h s t u d e n t projects.

In the context of c lass room communication, t radit ional uses of instruct ional med ia in the c lass room are imperative. The benefi ts of us ing ins t ruc t iona l media s u c h as video, interactive video, and CD-ROM are well es tab l i shed (Heinich, Molenda, & Russell , 1993). By employ- ing bo th the visual and aud i to ry chan- nels, s u c h media move commun ica t i on out of the abs t rac t realm toward the con- crete. This, in tu rn , can increase bo th s t u d e n t in te res t and the memorabi l i ty of the mater ia l being presented. Inter- active med ia s u c h as CD-ROM m a y provide an additional advantage to K- 12 stu- d e n t s by provid ing for ind iv idua l ized learn ing pa ths and requir ing active par - t icipation. It is imperative, however, t ha t s t u d e n t s also be allowed to use technology to obtain informat ion, to communi - cate wi th others, and to organize and m a n i p u l a t e data . Conceiving of ins t ruc- t ional technologies solely as means of de- livering "canned" ins t ruc t ion in the form of computer , CD-ROM, and interact ive and t radi t ional video p rograms is insuf- ficient.

Technology and Communication Current technology also provides a range of o p p o r t u n i t i e s for c o m m u n i c a t i o n . Elect ronic mail, bu l le t in boards , a n d "chat lines" allow s tuden t s to communi - cate with their teachers , o ther s tudents , a n d sub jec t a r ea exper ts a r o u n d the world, a n d to conduc t research and ob- ta in informat ion. Communica t ion with others can be inexpensively e n h a n c e d via two-way video t r ansmis s ions us ing an applicat ion such as CU See Me. Stu- den ts can t h u s work cooperatively and expand their hor izons beyond the local communi ty to gain unders tand ings of remote people and cul tures .

W h a t else can univers i ty facul ty do to enable fu tu re teachers to use technology so as to provide meaningful learning experiences for K- 12 s tuden t s? First, t eacher educa to r s m u s t acquire basic technology skills. This m e a n s learning to use c a m p u s compute r networks, and gaining exper ience in c o m m u n i c a t i n g a n d a c c e s s i n g i n f o r m a t i o n v ia t h e I n t e r n e t a n d the World Wide Web. It m e a n s gaining comfort with operat ing video casset te players, laserdisc players, liquid crystal display uni ts , and other anci l lary equipment . Further , it m e a n s mode l ing effective p r e s e n t a t i o n skills and using well designed media materials.

I believe univers i ty facul ty shou ld require their s t u d e n t s to apply technology in complet ing course requi rements . To do this, teacher educa tors m u s t have access to required equ ipment and software and shou ld be prepared to teach their s t u d e n t s how to use them. While exact a s s i g n m e n t s vary depending on the n a t u r e of a given course, they might include us ing computer networks for on- line r e sea rch or communica t ion , developing media or mul t imedia mater ia ls for ins t ruct ion, finding and reviewing interactive mater ia ls in interactive video and CD-ROM formats , or doing collaborative projects wi th K-12 t eache r s and s tuden ts a t remote locations.

The key is to bui ld technology applicat ions into t eacher educa t ion courses in an organized and sus t a ined m a n n e r t ha t will lead fu ture teachers from fa- miliarity to competence in applying avail-

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able technology options. Universi ty facul ty who lack the requis i te technological skills might cons ider col laborat ing with o ther facul ty or service cen te r per - sonnel to provide requi red ins t ruct ion.

Selecting Instructional Materials Another proficiency ta rge ted b y TEA addresses teachers ' ability to select inst ruc- t ional mater ia l s and technologies tha t are developmentally appropriate and that engage in teres t in learning. This ability shou ld inc lude select ion of interact ive mater ia ls in interact ive video, CD-ROM, an d c o m p u t e r - b a s e d fo rmats . F u t u r e t eachers first need to k n o w a b o u t the capabil i t ies inheren t in these formats . They should be able to r u n var ious types of p rograms and know the s t rengths and l imitat ions of given formats .

Univers i ty faculty, too, need to be famil iar wi th the k i n d s of in te rac t ive med ia tha t are available, and with specific so f tware t i t les g e r m a n e to given curr icu lar areas. They shou ld be able to demons t r a t e available sof tware and provide preservice t eache r s wi th oppor tu - nit ies to use, explore, and evalua te it. To do these things, a proper ly equ ipped c o m p u t e r lab and an a d e q u a t e sof tware collection m u s t be established. Grau and Hirumi (1994) offer an excellent guide to select ing and eva lua t ing ins t ruc t iona l sof tware tha t shou ld be use fu l in some preservice teacher educa t ion cour ses (cf. Heinich et al., 1993).

Technology and Professional Development Using technological r e s o u r c e s to facili- ta te profess ional growth is ano the r tar - geted TEA proficiency. Key i s sues here inc lude defining profess ional goals, and p u r s u i n g t h o s e goa ls t h r o u g h va r i ed learning oppor tuni t ies .

Cur ren t technology affords the K- 12 t eache r with previous ly u n h e a r d of oppor tun i t i es for in te rac t ion wi th peers . The previously identified options for communica t ing with o thers apply here. In addition, the adven t of the World Wide Web and similar In te rne t c o m p o n e n t s provide oppor tuni t ies for on-line search- ing and i n fo rma t ion access . Fur the r ,

universi t ies , service centers , and local school distr icts provide oppor tuni t ies for profess ional deve lopment once the K- 12 t eache r en te r s the in-service category. Local, regional, and na t ional t echno logy c o n f e r e n c e s a f ford a d d i t i o n a l o p p o r - tuni t ies .

Universi ty educa to r s shou ld demon- s t ra te t echno logy-based opt ions for profess ional development . Cour se ass ign- m e n t s s h o u l d r e q u i r e p r e s e r v i c e e d u c a t o r s to explore these opt ions and to apply t h e m appropr ia te ly . Other op- t ions for re la ted profess iona l develop- m e n t ou t s ide of the un ivers i ty se t t ing shou ld be m a d e clear.

Strategies for Enabling K-I 2 Teachers to Become Proficient This d i s c u s s i o n conc ludes b y offering some p lann ing and ins t ruc t iona l s t ra te- gies for enabl ing preservice t e ache r s to achieve the des i red competenc ies . They a re der ived f rom m y exper i ence a s a t eache r educa to r and ins t ruc t iona l de- signer, and from d i s cus s i ons wi th o the r un ivers i ty educa to r s involved in t eache r educat ion .

University faculty should collaborate in planning for sys temat ic , ongoing coverage of t echno logy proficiencies . A good place to s t a r t in s u c h p lann ing is to r e a c h c o n s e n s u s a b o u t w h i c h prof ic iencies are to be targeted. T h e n facul ty can work together to p lace the proficiencies in given courses and to con- s ider re la ted t each ing responsibi l i t ies . Team teaching m a y be an opt ion for de- livering requi red ins t ruct ion .

It is impor t an t to e m b e d coverage of technology t h r o u g h o u t the cu r r i cu lum, r a the r t h a n dealing wi th it in a single cour se toward the end of the p rog ram of s tudy. Cour se s tha t do a d d r e s s technology a s a ma in focus shou ld provide oppor tun i t i es to develop or se lect mater i - als t ha t a re tied to specific cha l lenges g e n e r a t e d in t e a c h i n g m e t h o d o l o g y courses .

Util ize a problem-solving approach. Considerat ion of technology in preservice c ou r se s shou ld be g rounded in the solv-

"Current technology

affords the K- 12

teacher with

previously unheard

of opportunities for

interaction with

peers."

SEPTEMBER 1996 TECHTRENDS 21

ing of p rac t ica l i n s t ruc t i ona l p rob l ems tied to c u r r i c u l a r i ssues . Technology is a m e a n s to an end. Applying t echno logy for its own sake is u s u a l l y inappropr i - ate, t h o u g h it m a y be accep tab le as a s ta r t ing po in t for technologica l novices.

Make sure tha t s t u d e n t s ' prerequis i t e ski l l s are in place. The d i l emma h e r e is t h a t s t u d e n t s pos- sess wildly vary ing degrees of c o m p u t e r skills. Those lacking skill a re a t a disad- v a n t a g e to s t a r t in c o m p u t e r - r e l a t e d courses . In o rder to i n su re t ha t s t u d e n t s pos se s s r equ i r ed en t ry skills for a given course , cons ide r p re tes t ing them. Those lacking the r equ i r ed en t ry skills shou ld e i ther be d i rec ted to comple te an a l ter - native, more f u n d a m e n t a l course or oth- erwise be "b rough t up to speed" to en- s u r e t h e y h a v e t h e b e g i n n i n g sk i l l s needed to s u c c e e d in the course . One opt ion is to a s s u m e t h a t all s t u d e n t s are n o v i c e s a n d i n c l u d e d i s k h a n d l i n g , m o u s i n g skills, file m a n a g e m e n t , a n d o t he r bas ic c o m p u t i n g skills in an in- t r o d u c t o r y course .

Procure the required fac i l i t i es and mater ia ls . In o rde r to l ea rn a b o u t technology, s tuden t s a n d facul ty m u s t have access to the app rop r i a t e h a r d w a r e a n d software. Care m u s t be t a k e n to specify r ea son - able, "doable" cur r icu la r goals and learning act ivi t ies t h a t a re c o n s i s t e n t wi th available technologica l r e sou rces .

Provide day-to-day ins truct ion that addresses l imited content , promotes succes s , and is "hands-on" in nature. Universi ty educa t o r s shou ld take care to l imit the a m o u n t of ma te r i a l t hey at- t e m p t to cover wi th in a single l e sson on t echno logy . The " less is more" adage appl ies here . Lea rn ing activit ies shou ld requi re s tuden t s ' active involvement and p r o m o t e t h e i r s u c c e s s . I n s t r u c t o r s shou l d provide explici t i n s t ruc t i on pr ior to asking s t u d e n t s to d e m o n s t r a t e a skill and shou ld avoid ass igning excessively diff icult t a s k s t h a t h a v e n ' t b e e n fully s tudied.

Provide o p p o r t u n i t i e s for exp lora t ion and co l laborat ive work. Preservice t eache r s need to "get comfort- able" us ing c o m p u t e r s a n d o the r technologies. This c an be accompl i shed by

providing oppor tun i t i e s for o p e n - e n d e d explorat ion of ins t ruc t iona l software and c o m p u t e r app l i ca t i ons . Co l l abora t ive activit ies in which two or more s t u d e n t s work toge the r are also helpful in this regard.

Conclusion I recognize the complexi ty of enab l ing f u t u r e t e ache r s to apply technology. Po- litical a n d b u d g e t a r y i s sues exist ing at individual t eacher educa t ion ins t i tu t ions add to the complexity. This d i scuss ion is offered as a con t r ibu t ion to the ongoing dia logue a m o n g all c o n c e r n e d pe r - sons. T e a c h e r educa to r s , in addi t ion to a t t end ing to s ta te adop ted proficiencies, m u s t exchange ideas wi th each other, wi th s tuden t s , with school t eache r s and adminis t ra tors , and with member s of the c o m m u n i t y . The re is also need for related r e sea rch tha t can guide the t eacher e d u c a t i o n effort (see Robin, Price, Willis & Willis, 1996).

No one denies the pe rvas iveness of t e c h n o l o g y in t oday ' s world. T e a c h e r educa to r s m u s t cont inual ly strive to pre- pa re preservice t eache r s for dealing with t h a t world and for enabl ing the i r own K-12 s t u d e n t s to mee t tomorrow's soci- etal and technological chal lenges.

R e f e r e n c e s

Brooks, J. G. , & Brooks, M.G. (1993). The Case for Constructivist Classrooms. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Alexandria. VA.

Driscoll, M. P. (1994}. Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Boston. Allyn and Bacon.

Grau, I. & Hirumi, A. (1994}. Educational Appli- cations of Computer Technology: A Guide to Selecting & Evaluating Instructional Software. Instructional Technology University of Hous- ton, Clear Lake.

Heinich, R., Molenda, M., & Russell, J. D. (1993). Instructional Media and the New Tech- nologies of Instruction (4th ed.). New York Macmillan.

Robin, B., Price, d. D, Willis, J., & Willis, D.A. (Eds.} (1996}. Technology and Teacher Educa- tion Annual. Charlottesville, VA. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Educa- tion.

Texas Education Agency (1994). ExCET Prepara- tion Manual: Professional Development. Aus- tin, TX, Author.

Texas Education Agency. (1995). Learner-Cen- tered Schools for Texas: A Vision for Texas Educators. Austin, TX, Author.

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