TechEd for Teachers

In the September 2009 issue of T.H.E Journal, an article written by Dian Schaffhauser titled Which Came First the—the Technology or the pedagogy assess the current state of technology integration and use in the classroom. It claims that schools often argue that teachers are not receiving adequate training in how to integrate technology into classroom instruction; rather they are just being shown how to use technological tools.  Universities and teachers, however, argue that teachers are often not being given the technological tools they need in the classroom.  Newer approaches at the university level are now focusing on training teachers to use instructional technology in effective ways in the classroom.  The article points out that some universities even supply newer technologies to student teachers to bring to the schools who are hosting them to use in the classroom. This seems like it can be a mutually beneficial approach. It requires new teachers to integrate technology into lessons, while exposing older teachers to new technologies and illustrating to schools the effectiveness of using technology in the classroom.  The article also suggests the new generation of tech-savvy teachers is likely to have a profound effect on how technology is used in classroom instruction.  We are certainly going to see a profound increase in the use of technology in the classroom in the coming years and decades thanks to this new emphasis on technology education for teachers.