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Just as technology has transformed corporate America, so is technology transforming education and the preparation of teachers. When PT3 grantees "talk technology," they prefer to think of "technology with a small 't.'" They focus not on the technology itself, but on how it can boost traditional classroom lessons. Understanding how to seamlessly integrate technology into the curriculum to enhance learning is far more important than understanding the intricacies of HTML, or the advanced functions of a digital camera.
In this strategy area we focus on how specific technology tools are enhancing teaching and learning from the kindergarten classroom to the college lecture hall. Several grantees are using the power of technology to overcome traditional obstacles in teacher preparation.
They are finding, for example, that certain technology tools help them engage students from a wider range of learning styles. Other grantees are discovering how to take full educational advantage of technology tools, such as handheld computers, that are already firmly established in the non-educational world. Still others are tapping into the power of computers to model complicated math and science concepts and allow students to quickly visualize these concepts. Finally, many grantees have developed online databases that are allowing them to efficiently collect and organize data that tracks progress and outcomes-information that can then be used to document compliance with NCATE accreditation standards.
PT3 technology tool stories include the following:
- Video technology is allowing Montana State University and Purdue University to conduct "remote field observation," giving their preservice teachers the chance to learn from master teachers in urban settings much different than their local classrooms.
- The University of Virginia, California State University-Bakersfield and University of North Carolina-Wilmington are exploring the use of digital handheld computers in history and language arts lessons. Small and inexpensive, these computers offer the possibility of putting low-cost computing technology into the hands of every student.
- Understanding difficult math and science concepts is made easier with the use of computers to build and visualize complex processes. The National Computational Science Alliance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is spearheading efforts to create and advance the usage of modeling and visualization tools and software in teaching and learning. Using these new tools, students can, for example, manipulate health variables to "see" the effect on the cardiovascular system, or chart the development of characters in English literature.
- The PT3 grant at Ball State University has created an online tracking system tied to ISTE NETS standards that documents progress towards technology integration.
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