From Teaching Technology to Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning: Preservice Teachers’ Changing Perceptions of Technology Infusion

This article uncovers changes that occurred in preservice teachers' thinking about and use of technology infusion and its role in student learning. It reports on findings from a two-year evaluation study of a preservice teacher technology infusion project in which teams of teacher educators and K-12 teachers collaborated to infuse technology in their respective teaching contexts, and to create links between these contexts. Each team created (a) hands-on experiences with computer technology to support constructivist teaching, (b) two-way interactive videoconferencing between college courses and K-12 classrooms, and (c) field experiences in technology rich classrooms. Based on analysis of survey and focus group data, classroom observations, and analysis of preservice teachers' work, findings indicated that preservice teachers changed their views of technology infusion from thinking that they would teach and learn about technology to thinking they would use technology to support student learning. Project design features, as well as implications for future practice, are discussed. Educators have seen a recent proliferation of initiatives aimed at infusing technology into Teacher Education Programs. Current conditions contributing to this effort are: 1. Recent standards developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and adopted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); 2. The NCATE Task Force on Technology in Teacher Education's recommendation that schools of education have a technology infusion plan (NCATE, 1997); 3. The subsequent National Education Technology Standards Project (Thomas & Knezek, 1998); 4. The availability of federal funds from several sources; and 5. The demand of the K-l2 schools for technologically sophisticated teachers. What is the impact of these initiatives on preservice teachers' learning about teaching? How can technology infusion expand visions of pedagogical possibility? This article uncovers changes that occurred in preservice teacher's perceptions of technology infusion based on evaluation findings from the first and second years of an ongoing Goals 2000 Preservice Technology Infusion Project. The project design involved a summer institute each year, where teams of education faculty, content faculty, and K-12 teachers worked together to learn about specific computer technologies and their applications, planned for infusing technology into their respective courses, and created links among preservice teachers, and teachers and students in public school contexts. Teams participated in common professional development experiences and were supported during the summer and throughout the year to plan, implement, and assess technology infusion activities. This article describes features which participants identified as components of their technology infusion vision, as well as aspects of the project that supported their learning, will be described. Findings based on analysis of survey and focus group data, classroom observations, and analysis of preservice teachers' work indicated preservice teachers changed their views of technology infusion from thinking they would teach about technology, to thinking they would use technology as a tool to support student learning. The project was grounded in beliefs that technology integration in teacher education should provide preservice teachers with: * hands-on experiences exploring computer technologies and their applications in teaching and learning; * education courses that model technology integration; * field experiences in technology rich classrooms (Marshall, 1993); and * a rich, constructivist vision of technology infusion possibilities (Daniel, 1996; Faison, 1996; Hatfield, 1996; Jonassen, 1995; Pepi & Scheuerman, 1996). This project was developed based on the NCATE technology standards that preservice teachers be able to: * operate a computer system in order to use software; * evaluate and use computers and related technologies to support warranted instructional and assessment practices; * use computer-based technologies to access information to enhance professional development; and * integrate computer-based instruction in the curriculum (NGATE, 1997). …