What is Technology-Enriched Environments

Drawing on the empirical data from two longitudinal studies, the chapter describes the evolution of teachers’ educational beliefs and their actual classroom practices when using ICT in the schools. It also identifies three different classroom cultures with differing assumptions and practices concerning teaching, learning, and technology use. Highlighting the fact that teachers’ beliefs are shaped by everyday classroom and school experiences, and using teachers’ statements, metaphors and observations, the chapter shows changes occurring in the beliefs and classroom practices of several teachers. It shows that following several years of ICT use teachers changed their educational lenses, demonstrating multiple views rather than pure beliefs. Finally it demonstrates that the enculturation of teachers into ICTenriched classrooms is influenced not just by the technology used, but also by the richness of the overall learning environment with its emphasis on non-structured tasks and rich technology-based resources, and by their exposure to new educational vistas.