This article describes how a blogging exchange between preservice teachers and elementary school children was used as part of a social studies pedagogy course. The objective of this exchange was to develop the preservice teachers' understanding of children's differing learning needs, interests and learning styles while the children were immersed…

A mixed-method study was carried out to investigate how teacher attitude and professional development influence learner-centered Information Communication Technology (ICT) integration. A questionnaire, interviews and observations were used to gather data in a school district in Nova Scotia, Canada. Teacher data were categorized by grade level,…

The project described created a stimulating and professionally relevant way for preservice teacher education to build student teachers' skills in critical reflection, collaboration and communication. Using a constructivist approach throughout, the project's key objectives were: to help students overcome resistance to using technology; to bridge…

This research study was designed to inform the development of a new teacher assessment model. The goal of the Teacher Success Model (TSM) initiative is to develop a systematic, evidence-informed statewide model for teacher assessment. While the initiative included all teachers, support professionals, and evaluators, this study focused on induction…

Keeping-up with progressing technology tools has been a troublesome issue for educational technology instructors for over ten years as they endeavor to prepare beginning teachers to integrate technology in their future classrooms. This paper promotes instructors' ideas about behaviors of 21st century teachers, and explores efforts to support their…

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of video for teacher education and professional development accompanied by widespread recognition that to be beneficial, video must be used in activities that induce particular modes of inquiry. However, little is known about how teachers typically watch video. The present study investigates the use of…

This paper reports findings from a two-year multi-site, multi-method naturalistic research project on the use of multimedia case instruction to prepare teachers for teaching students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Participants were 251 teacher education students across five universities. Independent variables included testing condition (pre…

Teacher technophobia is analyzed using an activity systems framework and we contend that technophobic teachers make the mistake of confusing and collapsing the tool into the object thereby figuratively altering the geometry of the classic activity system triangle. Three case studies of technophobic teachers are reviewed and compared with…

To be effective, teacher education programs need to engage teachers in learning as professionals. This includes learning experiences grounded in classroom practice and guidance to develop as professionals so teachers can take on roles of leaders and mentors in their classrooms and in partnerships with universities. New web-based communication…

Much educational software is designed from a specific pedagogical stance. How teachers conceive of the pedagogical stance underlying the design will affect how they utilize the technology; these conceptions may vary from teacher to teacher and from teacher to designer. There may be a conflict between the designer's pedagogical beliefs inscribed in…

The process of teacher identification, selection, initial training, and on-going professional development that has developed at the Illinois Virtual High School (IVHS) over the past seven years is described and discussed in this article. Validation was based upon existing practices and research. To provide background the creation and initial…

Virtual Schooling (VS) for K-12 school students using distance technologies has increased rapidly in the 21st century with the growth of online learning and virtual schools in more than 44 states in the USA and as e-learning in over 20 clusters of rural schools in New Zealand. Although VS requires a special set of teaching methods, teacher…

The number of students taking online courses in K-12 has increased exponentially since the inception of virtual schools in 1996. However, K-12 virtual schooling is a relatively new concept for those involved in teacher education. As teacher education departments build pre-service preparation programs, in-service professional development…

Nine New Zealand secondary schools participated in the OtagoNet project, using videoconferencing technologies to deliver courses to multiple sites. This paper reports findings from a study conducted between 2001 and 2004 to evaluate the effectiveness of OtagoNet. It was found that videoconferencing technology had a significant impact on pedagogy…

The authors share findings, insights, and implications from "Going Virtual! The Status of Professional Development for K12 Online Teachers," a 2007 report supported by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL, now known as iNACOL). The authors conducted a national survey of 259 K-12 online teachers, administrators, and professional…