Instructional Technical and Pedagogical Design: Teaching Future Teachers Educational Technology

Background

To become a teacher in the United States, preservice teachers (students who want to be teachers), must undergo a rigorous preparation and certification system that includes various assessments. These assessments include performance assessments from field experiences in classrooms, state-mandated tests, and completed accredited program from a higher education institution. While teacher certification requirements might slightly differ from state to state, most states require teachers to be proficient at using technology. To address this proficiency requirement, the higher education institution requires preservice teachers to complete a three-credit hour course related to technology use for teachers for three hours per week for one semester.

The only required educational technology experience in the teacher education program is a stand-alone, 3-credit hour course. This course is a pre-requisite requirement for being accepted into the teacher education program; admittance into the teacher education program depends on successfully completing the course. Approximately 400 students register for the course each semester, ranging in majors (early education, elementary education, secondary math education, secondary science education, secondary language arts education, secondary social studies education, foreign language education, physical/health education, music education, art education, and many other education-related fields).