Discussions

Your Name and Title:  Amy Williamson, Ed.D.; Assistant Professor

School or Organization Name: Angelo State University

Co-Presenter Name(s): n/a

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: San Angelo, TX

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Teacher Educators

Short Session Description (one line): This presentation will be a forum for teacher educators currently teaching online education courses to discuss what tools are working (or not working) to effectively prepare 21st century educators.



Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

            Because the very nature of teacher preparation is based on modeling practices, applying theories, and learning strategies in a traditional face to face format, some find it hard to believe that an online program could not only provide students with these same fundamentals, but also engage them and adequately prepare them for their own classrooms, as well.  With the surge of online courses, programs, and universities in the last 20 years, there is an increasing need to align student assessments with the technology available to them. Because online learning is steadily becoming the norm, and because it is representative of the 21^st century learner, it is important that more educators are aware of the types of tools they can incorporate in their own classrooms to ensure students are learning effectively and remain active participants in their own education.

Literature and support:

            Preparing teachers who can effectively meet the needs of today’s schools is a challenging task. In an effort to accomplish that task, more and more universities are expanding their education programs to include online certificates, courses, and degrees. When compared to face-to-face instruction, ratings for online teacher preparation programs have been found to be higher, as a result of more innovative online teaching and learning practices (Chiero & Beare, 2010).  Today’s learner thinks and processes information differently from their predecessors (Prensky, 2001).  Online learning is a solution for engaging 21^st century learners, and for preparing them for the classroom where they will have to be technologically savvy. In addition, online programs offer flexibility to students and to professors, making opportunities for learners in the field more vast. However, it is important to understand what works in online teacher education, and how traditional components (like reflection, field placements, and modeling) are being transferred and addressed in an online environment.

References

Chiero, R., and Beare, P. (Dec 2010). An Evaluation of Online versus Campus-Based Teacher Preparation Programs. Merlot Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6, 4.

Prensky, M. (Oct 2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9, 5. 1-6.

Scholarship Topics that could be discussed/addressed

• Reflective practices in online teacher preparation
• How do teacher educators model teaching practices for candidates online?
• How are candidates’ classroom performance monitored by teacher educators with online courses? What field components are used?
• What online tools are used to engage teaching candidates online?
• What does research have to say about online teacher education, compared to face to face and hybrid formats?
• How do products of online teacher preparation candidates fare in the classroom, compared to those from traditional, face to face programs?



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