Abstract
Technology holds an important role in the development and preparation of teachers, and this role has become ever more critical with the recent move to virtual and hybrid learning across the world. Teachers must be prepared to adopt and purposefully use technology, often with little training or instruction in the field. This chapter describes the integration and use of technology as an embedded tool to leverage in the preparation of pre-service teachers using three distinct strategies within a program in the northeastern United States. The authors will share their experiences in the execution of these strategies that target the development of flexible, intentional, and reflective teachers who can enter the workforce ready to use technology both for their own professional development and as a tool for student learning.
TopBackground
Twenty-first century teaching is influenced by a variety of challenges and demands such as long-lasting achievement gaps and fluctuations in desired skill sets driven by changes in the economy and the reliance on technology (Partnerships for 21st Century Skills, 2010). Teaching in early childhood education, focused on the youngest learners (birth to age 8), requires that both new and tenured teachers be prepared to become change agents for embedding this desired knowledge and skills into their curricula while still meeting state and national standards. Further, teachers are expected to be ready, willing, and able to employ technology. Technology literacy has therefore become a focus for teacher preparation programs, guided by frameworks of Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT; United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2018) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK; American Association for Colleges for Teacher Education [AACTE], 2008). It is the responsibility of teacher preparation programs to prepare their graduates to teach and assess twenty-first century knowledge and skills, and also possess it themselves, including cultivating their teacher identity. Further, teacher preparation programs must prioritize effective technology integration through the negotiation of the relationships between technology, pedagogy, and content.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Critical Thinking: Actively analyzing information gathered through observation, experience, or reflection.
Scaffold: To support or guide.
Play: The active engagement in an activity for enjoyment.
Teacher Identity: The characteristics of a teacher.
Stance: A person’s attitude or beliefs about something.
Reflective Practice: Thoughtful consideration related to one’s practice.
Self-Guided Learning: Learning at your own pace with little instruction.
Intentionality: The act of being purposive in thought, belief, or action.
Developmentally Appropriate: Developed through the respect and acknowledgement of both the age and individual needs of the child.
Modeling: To demonstrate or show by example.