Lessons Learned from Service Learning and Reverse Mentoring in Faculty Development: A Case Study in Technology Training

This article introduces technology training designed for university professors who work with preservice and emergency teachers at a College of Education of a state university. The technology training was delivered in multiple ways: (a) large group workshops, (b) small group meetings, (c) individual mentoring, and (d) just-in-time training. Service learning and reverse mentoring were the highlights of the project; they were used in individual training during which graduate students in the Instructional Technology (IT) program served as mentors to the university professors. Formative evaluation was conducted, and the results were positive. Such training worked well in this Teacher Education program and may benefit other higher education institutions or K-12 schools. ********** Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) under President Clinton's administration and No Child Left Behind under President Bush's administration have been major federal grants and topics frequently discussed by educators since 1999. The grants target national concerns about teacher qualifications and student learning that have become complex issues since rapid technology advancement entered education. Young children, who were born in an advanced technological world, are accustomed to digital technology and easily adapt to it. Most of their schools are "wired" to the Internet. Many of their teachers, however, feel uncomfortable using technology in their teaching. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (2000), only one-third of the teachers in the United States feel well prepared to use computers and the Internet in their teaching. This finding creates a growing challenge in modern education, especially in Teacher Education programs, in the United States: Teachers are not prepared to teach with computers and the Internet while their students are already very familiar with this technology. How can we help teachers employ technology in enhancing student learning? How can we train university professors to set examples in the use of technology, so that such teaching methodology becomes part of the practice of the future teachers? In response to these questions, technology training becomes necessary. In this article, the author intends to share her experience with technology training and the use of service learning and reverse mentoring during the training. Following an introduction to service learning and reverse mentoring will be an illustration of technology training in a Teacher Education program at a state university. The author will describe how service learning and reverse mentoring were integrated into and benefited the training. The formative evaluation results are presented afterwards but are not intended to serve as research data. SERVICE LEARNING AND REVERSE MENTORING Mentoring and service learning have existed as alternative teaching and learning methods much longer than their popularization in the past decade, but the increasing popularity has also led to a variety of research that supports each method as effective and meaningful when used appropriately. Service learning "entails a credit-bearing educational experience in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility" (Cameron et al., 2001, p. 105). Cameron et al. went on to explain that since this service is used in the form of scholarships, the definition requires direct connection with, and correlation to, specialized knowledge and professional activity. Service learning meets an assortment of educational goals in addition to building and practicing academic knowledge, such as improving self-concept, building awareness and tolerance of others, and increasing political engagement (Morgan & Streb, 2001) through collaboration, partnership, mentorship, and participatory learning. …