What is Digital Tools and Applications

Current pre-service teachers are considered digital natives in that they have grown up with the use of technology. However, these future teachers often need explicit and modeled experiences to become a digital educator as they will be the future teachers in what has become an increasingly technological world that utilizes digital tools and applications. This chapter delves into the literature related to blended learning and preparing these preservice teachers to utilize technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) within a blended learning environment (BLE). Through immersion in a middle school science methods course that utilized a BLE, preservice teachers were provided with relative experiences for their future teaching career. Lessons learned and reflections from the preservice teachers provide foundational information for future planning.