October 1, 2003

ITTFPreservice2003.pdf

CCT has just published findings from our formative evaluation of the Intel Teach to the Future preservice program. Intel Teach to the Future is a professional development initiative focused on improving K-12 teachers' integration of technology into their classrooms. The formative evaluation focuses on determining whether and how faculty members are using the curriculum with their preservice students, describes benefits and challenges faculty associate with the experience, and presents preliminary evidence of the impact that program participation may be having on their teaching and their preservice students' use of technology.

Key findings from this evaluation include the following:

• Faculty had positive responses to the Curriculum Review (90% of survey respondents reported that they would "probably" or "definitely" recommend the training to a friend or colleague).




• The large majority of faculty members who complete the training do make use of part or all of the curriculum (80% of survey respondents reported using at least one module once or more than once since their training).




• Three primary modes of implementation are being used by participating faculty:
  
  1. Using a small number of curriculum modules (one to three) to structure specific actitivies or class sessions in the context of an education course, particularly curriculum design or content courses.

  
  

  2. Using all or almost all of the modules (eight to ten modules) as the primary curriculum for an instructional technology course.

  
  

  3. Offering freestanding workshops to preservice students outside of regular class time to introduce them to specific applications or practices described in the curriculum.




• In some cases, program participation is catalyzing or supporting larger planning processes focused on redesigning how preservice students are introduced to educational technology.CCT has just published findings from our formative evaluation of the Intel Teach to the Future pre-service program.




• Faculty members were almost evenly split between those who did and those who did not work with colleagues to create a coordinated approach to integrating this curriculum across multiple courses within a school of education.




• Data indicate key opportunities to strengthen the use of the Intel Teach to the Future curriculum in preservice contexts:
  
  • Supporting higher-level guidance and coordination of the integration of this curriculum across multiple programs within schools of education.

  
  

  • Introducing preservice students to the curriculum at a point in their education when they have adequate background knowledge to inform the creation of a unit plan (the central activity of the curriculum) and opportunities to field-test portions of the unit plan in classroom settings, through practicums or other student teaching experiences.