Abstract
The growing belief among all involved in education— that children and adults should be lifelong learners—has spawned the emergence of interest in the continuous, progressive, and transportable documentation of learning, or e-portfolios. At the same time, technology is opening up new possibilities regarding when and how learning can take place. Consequently, teacher education should aim to increase ICT literacy, but should also focus on how it can be used to improve pupil learning, to create more effective teaching resources and how to generate new learning models (Barron, 1998; Wishart & Blease, 1999).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Initial Teacher Education: The preparation of teachers before they gain employment.
Partners in Learning (PiL): Aimed at helping schools and teachers increase their understanding of ICT by partnering with Microsoft.
Reflective Practice: The act of evaluating previous activity with a view to future action.
e-Portfolio: A digital profile of teaching experiences and reflections through which a community of practitioners can engage in online professional dialogue and support.
Microsoft Innovative Teachers Programme: Aimed at supporting teachers in their professional development needs in relation to information communication technology (ICT).
Managed Learning Environment: A virtual workspace in which curriculum, resources, and online activities are supported, monitored, and facilitated.
Teacher Induction: The work-based learning that teachers engage in once they have gained employment in an education context.