Living in the Present Tense: Student Teaching Telecommunications Connect Theory and Practice

The potential of technology to reduce isolation experienced during student teaching appears promising. Previous studies have explored strategies to obtain student teacher responses using telecommunications. This study examines over 700 entries of secondary student teachers (n=18) and faculty relating to readings, projects, and daily experiences in schools through an electronic discussion group. From analyses, two categories emerged: challenges and accomplishments. Discussions were more open, scholarly, and reflective than anticipated and the group provided needed support for students facing difficulties. Samples of postings and topics are reported. Recommendations for enhancing reflectivity among participants and improving use of a technological discussion group are made. LIVING IN THE PRESENT TENSE Student teaching is often described as a lonely experience, where the student teacher is suddenly socially and physically separated from peers and professors and removed from the theory, debate, and discussion that they experienced in college classes (Schlagel, Trathen, & Blanton, 1996; Wittenberg & McBride, 1998). As more professors and students become technologically literate, the potential of technology to address this isolation seems promising. In their study of electronic mail and student teaching, Schlagal, Trathen, and Blanton (1996) reported on a year-long e-mail communication experience during student teaching. Stimulating writing through suggested themes for messages, focusing responses, and providing regular writing time during a student teacher's busy day were recommendations. Previous studies have described the entries students make in electronic mail communications (Anderson & Lee, 1995; Merseth, 1991; Thomas, Clift, & Sugimoto, 1996), have explored using e-mail, web pages, and search tools to enrich courses (Gunaratne & Lee, 1996; Hayden & Ley, 1997), and have studied student teacher analysis of internet lesson plans (Chirwa, 1998-1999). The purpose of this study is to discuss the nature of entries and interconnectedness of those entries made by secondary student teachers and first year teachers who participated in an electronic discussion group using Lotus Notes Discussion Group software. Context and Participants Seton Hall University has been a strong supporter of teaching using technology. In 1999, EDUCAUSE recognized the campus for superior networking. In 2001, due to hardware, academics, and services in technology, the university was ranked 14th in a survey of Yahoo Internet Life's "America's Most Wired Colleges" among United States' campuses and first among Catholic universities. Faculty in the Educational Studies Department have been highly active in using technology applications in course offerings. The program is in its third year of the Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3), a national initiative to foster technology enriched teacher education programs. The grant supports continued, focused training for faculty and adopted teaching/learning sites in which preservice education students can use technology. Four school sites and a technology rich state museum are serving as model users of technology to support K-12 student learning (for additional information, visit http://education.shu.edu/pt3grant). Within the department, the secondary education program has a strong commitment to develop students who become reflective practitioners with the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to make informed decisions about student learning. Increasingly, these decisions involve uses of technology. For the fall 1998 semester, two faculty members (one male, one female) team-taught a seminar that accompanied the student teaching semester for secondary education students, including 11 undergraduate and 10 graduate participants. Five of the graduate students were in their first year of teaching in private schools. …