Need for the Project
Given new standards established by NCATE, our accrediting body, and The California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) the state teacher credentialing body, we must upgrade our
existing pre-service teacher education programs to programs in which faculty are (a) well-versed and
comfortable with technology in teaching; (b) able to articulate how technology can be used to support
teaching effectiveness in inclusive and highly diverse multicultural, multiethnic, multilingual, multi-ability,
and socioeconomic status classrooms; (c) able to develop strategies and integrate technology into their preservice courses, and (d) able to model uses of technology how it is used in instruction.
These needs come from changes in NCATE and CCTC requirements as well as our realization that
we are not adequately preparing our pre-service candidates in the area of technology. Recently, NCATE
declared:
The nation’s teacher education institutions must close the teaching and learning technology gap
between how, when, and where candidates will acquire the knowledge and skills they need; and the
linkage between pre-service and in-service professional development. --NCATE Technology
Report, p. 3-4
Further, CCTC is now requiring all prospective teachers commencing training after January 1, 2000
acquire, “a comprehensive level of comfort and understanding with respect to the use of computer-based
technology as teaching and learning tools.” Over time, the CCTC states, these new credential requirements
will “lead to a significantly greater integration of technology into pedagogical practices and course
curricula.” The state law requires that technology be integrated in the teaching of the curriculum and
instruction methods courses and student teaching experience. An emphasis is placed on field-based teaching
as much as possible. With the CCTC mandate, the influx of new students in teacher credential programs
will require greater levels of preparedness on the part of institutions that train teachers.
These requirements represent a dramatic and significant shift from current practice. Currently,
teacher candidates are allowed five years past their awarding of their basic teaching credential in which to
complete a course in the area of technology. This means, in the majority of cases, pre-service candidates
graduate from our programs and do not complete the technology requirement until they have completed five
years of service in the schools. Although the majority of pre-service candidates do complete course
assignments and projects using word processing, their technology skills are greatly limited. This carries
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over into the K-12 classroom, with new teachers lacking the skills to meaningfully integrate such
innovations as research on the web, use of scanners and/or digital cameras, e-mail, and graphics into their
instruction. While there may be teachers on-site with computer rich classrooms, these new teachers may not
be released to observe this infusion in practice, and therefore, are not provided opportunities to learn how
technology can support classroom instruction and how they can develop their own skills to support
technology infusion.
The responsibility for separate technology courses for new teachers is currently handled by faculty
in the Instructional Technologies Department (ITEC). In a sense, the offering of a separate course in
technology lets Teacher Education faculty “off the hook” for incorporating technology into their pre-service
education courses. Thus, faculty may not identify technology as a core competency in the courses they
teach, nor do they feel they are experts in technology and its application. They are often unfamiliar with the
curricular and instructional options and resources technology can offer teachers working in inclusive and
highly diverse Bay Area classrooms, and therefore, are unable to integrate them into their existing course
activities. Although some faculty have begun to integrate technology into their courses and require students
to complete assignments using technology, these instructors are still rare.
To respond to these mandates for a greater focus and integration of technology into pre-service
programs, the COE must not only upgrade the skills of faculty and support their infusion of technology into
existing pre-service method courses and seminars, but must also simultaneously work with K-12 educators
to ensure that once in field-sites, pre-service candidates are provided opportunities to observe technology
infusion in inclusive classrooms and have opportunities to implement and apply their technological skills
when engaged in observation/participation and student-teaching field-based experiences.
Therefore, one central need is to retool the skills of COE faculty and to provide them training in
how to integrate technology into their pre-service programs. Although some elementary, secondary, and
special education COE faculty members are well-versed in technology and have begun the process of
infusing it into their teaching, the majority of faculty do not and are at the beginning stages of computer use,
many focusing on word processing. Faculty are aware of the need for classroom technology integration
skills and may seek technology training through workshops offered through the Center for the Enhancement
of Teaching on campus and participation in non-university offerings, but to date, these training
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opportunities have not proven sufficient for faculty to gain the skills necessary to implement technology as
an integral part of classroom learning. This failure to bring about significant change may be due to the
somewhat fragmented nature of training efforts, conflicting demands for time, the inherent lack of a collegewide plan for systematically supporting faculty development in this area and the perception that this is a
formidable undertaking. Therefore, one of our needs is to develop a college-wide systematic program for
providing technology training to COE faculty members that results in Faculty with good computer
competence and the ability to model and teach integration strategies in the existing pre-service teacher
curriculum in meaningful ways. This training will focus on pre-service teachers’ work in inclusive
classrooms and becoming skilled in methods of enhancing learning experiences with technology in order to
meet the diverse learning needs and styles of children in Bay Area classrooms.
However, it is not enough that faculty gain skills in technology and explore methods for
integrating these skills into existing curriculum to support pre-service teacher development. It is also
necessary for faculty to see and use technology in action in area K-12 classrooms. By observing
technology in action and teaming with K-12 master teachers who effectively integrate technology into their
teaching of K-12 students, COE faculty can truly begin the process of infusing technology into their preservice curriculum. In this way they can significantly impact pre-service teachers’ thinking and
understanding of technology and their ability to apply it when working in K-12 classrooms during fieldbased requirements. Therefore, another need is to provide COE faculty opportunities to observe technology
in use in K-12 classrooms, to redesign their curricula, and to team with master teachers in the field to
develop method courses and seminars that integrate technology in authentic and feasible ways.
To build our capacity to respond to these needs, we have established six goals:
1.
To build a consortium to consolidate and systematize training opportunities for COE faculty and to
strengthen links with K-12 sites in terms of technology infusion.
2.
To conduct comprehensive needs assessment to identify (c) teacher educator technology-related
competencies, (b) to assess current levels of technology infusion across teacher pre-service
programs, and (c) to evaluate hardware and software needs of COE labs and K-12 classrooms in
selected school sites.
3.
To upgrade teacher educator competence in application of technological skills.
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4.
To develop, with the help of consultants as needed, integration models and strategies with expert
faculty and K-12 mentor teachers as examples of how technology may be integrated in pre-service
curriculum and field. experiences.
5.
To launch pilot tests of these integration models to serve as demonstrations of how COE faculty
can work effectively with K-12 master teachers in providing technology-rich field-based
experiences for pre-service candidates.
6.
To disseminate resources, ideas, programs strategies and lessons through a Web site dedicated to
this project which will also provide a forum for related professional works and to develop a CDROM with these revised resources at the conclusion of the project to each of the participants and
the teacher education faculty.
Achievement of these six goals will significantly enhance our capabilities, as a college, to move toward
realizations of our vision of preparing technology-proficient pre-service candidates for work in inclusive,
and highly diverse classrooms by providing technology rich, field-based experiences.
Project Design
The grant is a catalyst for us to actualize our vision of developing technology-proficient preservice teachers for inclusive, diverse classrooms through providing of technologically-rich, field-based
experiences. To achieve our goals, we have identified six capacity-building goals. They occur
simultaneously and build off of one another to form a multi-pronged approach to capacity building.
Specific objectives and outcomes related to each goal are provided in Table 1.
Goal 1: Build a Consortium
The overriding purpose of the consortium it to provide a vehicle through which the COE can
provide training and consultation support to COE faculty and COE faculty and K-12 teams, and to
formalize our conversations with K-12 districts and teachers around the issues of technology skills for preservice teachers.
Consortium members will consist of Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, (BASRC) including
the Bay Area National Digital Library (BANDL), California Technology Assistance Project, (CTAP) San
Francisco Unified School District, (SFUSD) Bayshore School District and the College of Education
consisting of ITEC, teacher education faculty Storytellers and Center for the Enhancement of Teaching.
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The Consortium, in various configurations (e.g., COE faculty, COE faculty and K-12 members) will engage
in activities presented in Table 1. The Consortium represents the heart of the project and the overseeing
body of all capacity-building activities.
Goal 2: To Conduct a Thorough Needs Assessment
As indicated in Table 1, a comprehensive needs assessment addressing four major areas will be
conducted and used to inform all project activities. The first needs assessment will assess skills of faculty in
the departments of elementary, secondary, and special education, approximately 65 members to determine
levels of competence and to identify needed areas of training in computing skills and integration strategies.
The proposed CCTC standards will serve as the basis of this assessment.
The second needs assessment will evaluate existing faculty training opportunities and the ability of
these programs/services to meet the needs of COE faculty. This needs assessment will be carried out by
selected members of the Consortium and will involve their meeting with program trainers and coordinators
to discuss program options and focus.
The third needs assessment will assess current levels of technology infusion and needs across
teacher pre-service programs and courses. As indicated in the table, faculty teaching like courses will meet
to discuss current practices. It is proposed that at least 20 members, representative of involved COE
programs, will participate in this activity and that this activity will be managed by ITEC and BASRC. A
fourth needs assessment examines hardware and software needs.
Outcomes of the various needs assessments will be reviewed by members of the Consortium and
used to make decisions concerning the type of training activities and supports provided to COE faculty - K12 teams. All project activities will be based on data gathered through the needs assessments.
Goal 3: To Upgrade COE Faculty Competence in Technology Skills for Faculty Identified as “Novice”
It is anticipated that the majority of faculty are currently fall in the category of “novice.” The
Project differentiates these needs and will provide a series of specialized training opportunities for faculty
identified as novice so that they can begin the process of retooling and upgrading their technological skills.
Based on needs assessment, unique and systematic training opportunities will be provided for these faculty.
Some of these trainings will be individual one-on one sessions so that the faculty member moves beyond
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knowledge to skill levels. In addition, through the Consortium, opportunities will be provided for training
and for faculty members to observe technology integration in action in K-12 classrooms. These activities
will be structured by interdepartmental teams, with elementary, secondary, and special education faculty
learning together. This structure will increase mutual understanding across departments and allow for the
sharing and pooling of expertise needed to prepare candidates for work in highly diverse and inclusive
classrooms. Through these activities, faculty will acquire a repertoire of computing skills, and consistent
with the learning approaches we are advocating, learn these skills in the context of problem solving,
authentic situations, and active learning.
These activities will result in the development of this faculty group’s baseline skills so that they are
able to move to the next phase of curricular redesign and technology integration into coursework. With
this foundation, faculty can begin the process of upgrading their current methods courses and seminars for
pre-service teachers into courses that integrate technology to support the learning processes of our highly
diverse student populations.
Goal 4: To Develop Integration Models with “Expert” Faculty and K-12 Master Teachers
“Expert” faculty and K-12 expert master teachers will be formed into teams that will work to
upgrade pre-service courses to integrate technology. Existing curriculum and instructional practices will be
deconstructed in order to identify the instructional events in which computer integration activities may be
applied. Important among the goals of technology integration is to involve students in the process of
learning how to plan lessons which are structured around authentic situations and use computers as a tool in
the problem solving process.
This deconstruction and redesign of existing courses will be conducted in a cross-departmental and
interdisciplinary fashion. Expert COE faculty will be organized into teams whose membership includes
elementary, middle, secondary, and special education faculty to facilitate the development of course
experiences reflective of skills needed for work in inclusive classrooms. ITEC and BASRC will serve as
consultants to these teams. Cross-fertilization among faculty members will stimulate creativity and new
approaches to utilizing technology as a tool in teaching content as well as developing inquiry based and
project oriented instruction methods and lessons. Depending on need, teams may be formed around specific
domains (e.g., literacy) with a cadre of faculty from elementary, middle, secondary, special education, and
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those with expertise in working with English Language Learners, dialoguing on how to integrate technology
to support enhanced teacher preparation and student learning. Other teams may be interdisciplinary and
focus on a particular (e.g., elementary education and special education faculty). Team formulation will
evolve as the models develop based on needs and specified outcomes, and faculty expertise.
As the curriculum is redesigned, attempts will be made to use a developmental approach in the
selection of technological skills across selected courses, so pre-service candidates move through a sequence
of technological experiences, from introductory, basic computing competencies to more advanced skills.
These workshops will be conducted on best practices and web-based downloadable guides provided by
BASRC and ITEC to support the teams with resources, and model solutions and interactivity for the
designing a model curriculum that articulates activities, skills and knowledge to be developed at various
stages during the pre-service experiences and culminates in the candidates’ demonstration of technology
integration during the culminating student teaching experience. It may emerge that a developmental
approach to technology is most appropriate, or alternatively course that content determine the technological
competencies to be developed. Evidence gathered from the teams’ processes will provide the basis for next
steps for technology infusion and suggest the best means for integrating that into a pre-service program.
Goal 5: To launch pilot tests of integration models.
Courses or student teaching experiences will be field-based and will include candidate
requirements to observe technology in action, to use technology in the completion of course assignments,
and to pilot technology in their work with K-12 students during field experiences. These pilot classes will
also be observed by “novice” teaches as possible examples of what a technology-integrated course can look
like. These pilot tests of integration models will help us to determine our next steps by assisting us in
identifying the most effective type of curriculum upgrading for successful integration, the types of skills
needed by instructors of these courses, the type of supports needed to make these courses work, and the
organizational structures required to support pre-service candidate observation, use, and implementation of
technology and the observation of “novice” faculty. They will service as blueprints for our next steps of
expanding the design and implementation of technology-rich courses. Candidates enrolled in these teamtaught courses will be our first candidates to be enrolled in technology-rich experiences.
Goal 6: Disseminate Findings and Technology Integration Resources.
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A Web site will be developed and maintained by ITEC to provide a forum for ongoing information sharing,
dialogue, ideas, resources, programs, strategies and lessons. The Web site will be used throughout the
project to disseminate latest findings, curricula, downloadable guides, and to provide repository for
materials and contributions which, in their final form, will be burned on CD-ROM. The Web site will also
contain Professional Forum for publishing our best work for review, comments and linking with other
similar projects. The CD-ROM will be given to each of the participants at the conclusion of the project.
RESOURCES
The Consortium: A strong and focused consortium will come together under this grant with the combined
resources, expertise and commitment to bring about systemic change to meet this challenge. We have
identified the following resources at SFSU capable and willing to come together with The College of
Education (COE) for this effort. COE has three computer classrooms, 3 computer labs, 3 large servers,
Cahill Learning Center and videotaping and editing facilities. All classrooms and offices are wired for
Internet with T-1 lines. COE will be purchasing $75,000 in new and upgraded computers for the Teacher
Education Faculty offices. The Elementary, Secondary and Special Education Departments will all be
participating with approximately 65 faculty members. The COE will form the heart of this consortium.
The Center For the Enhancement of Teaching (CET) offers courses to all SFSU faculty on a wide variety of
computer applications and short courses for productivity.
The Instructional Technologies Department (ITEC) ITEC will be the main provider of technology
integration services and expertise. ITEC will consult with teams and individuals, present workshops,
develop, post and maintain the Web site, provide servers for storing project instructional resources and
information and CD-ROM burning. Within the COE, ITEC offers graduate level classes for educators and
professionals in the design and production of instructional programs using technology, courses for teachers
in Instructional multimedia, Web authoring, inquiry-based uses of the Web, instructional graphics,
presentation and the supplemental authorization as resource specialists in the schools. Teachers can also
take courses in the development of teacher training materials for and by computer resource specialists. (See
also Appendix, 7. Evidence of Previous Success.)
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Storytellers program: Graduate student instructors (“Storytellers”) teach basic computer skills to faculty and
staff members of COE. Using a methodology which includes one-to-one instruction, metaphors as
mnemonic devices, and a comfortable, positive, environment for the learner, the program has been quite
successful. (See also Appendix, 7. Evidence of Previous Success.) Its continuation will allow greater
numbers of faculty and staff members to increase their computer proficiency and their ability to include
technology in instruction. Storytellers will be supported through ITEC.
To assist ITEC and faculty in acquiring the skills and resources necessary for using technology as
an integral part of field-based learning experiences, to offer a more global perspective, and provide
technology rich sites, the following members from the educational community will also serve on the
consortium:
Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, (BASRC) including the Bay Area National Digital Library
(BANDL) provides a wide variety of cutting edge workshops on school reform and the integration of
Internet technology into subject areas for the K-12 classrooms. They are well known for their research in
best practices and the use of World Wide Web as a tool for research, learning and communication.
San Francisco Unified School District, (SFUSD) SFUSD offers exemplary field-based programs, which are
not integrating technology with teacher education but would serve as ideal environments to begin this effort.
These include Muir Alternative Teacher Education program (MATE), which has received national
recognition for its innovation as a teacher preparation program and professional development school.
Project Include offers the focus of including students with mild to moderate Learning disabilities. Our
Clinical Schools program has been honored by the California Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
as an outstanding teacher preparation program. . (See also Appendix, 7. Evidence of Previous Success.)
California Computer Assistance Project is part of a statewide network that supports the use of technology in
the schools. They offer workshops and a wealth of materials for teachers integrating technology in their
classrooms. They will also serve on our review board helping to review materials for the final CD-ROM.
Bayshore School District in Daly City also provides technology rich schools, a diverse low income
population and an on-site technology coordinator and instructional designer.
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EVALUATION
Objectives, Evaluation and Timelines are presented in Table 2 of the Appendix, item 6. This details
evaluation methods used and the duration of each of the objectives. Where appropriate, CCTC
requirements will be used as a standard. Formative evaluation will occur throughout the project to provide
feedback for revisions and guidelines for next steps. Each of the members of the consortium will provide
experts to serve as members of the Design Review and Advisory Board (DRAB) and the Formative
Evaluation Group (FEG). These experts are donating their time to the project and are identified on page 2
of the budget.
For Goal 1, Building the Consortium, outcomes will be evaluated by mid and endpoint surveys of the
participants to determine that the consortium members are involved and contributing as planned. Objective
2, the extent to which the links between COE and K-12 schools and among project consultants are
strengthened will be conducted by interview of key personnel and observation. Based on the results, the
project director and the FEG will proceed or contact the consortium members to make modifications to
meet the needs of the project.
Goal 2, Needs Assessment, is itself an evaluative process using surveys, observations, focus groups and
interviews to determine the level or adequacy of each of the components compared with expected standards.
We will be determining faculty skill levels, resources needed and training options available. The assessment
of faculty computer skill level will be conducted with surveys. Focus groups will examine pre-service
courses and report their findings in a survey. In evaluating the needs assessment process, the project
director and FEG will monitor the duration of the process to make sure it is completed according to
timelines. Where appropriate the validity of the results will be checked against known data.
Goal 3, Upgrade Technology Skills of Faculty at “Computer Novice” level is based on the abilities and
needs of these faculty. Training solutions are individualized based on the goals and related to skills
development. Goal statements will be made on individual report forms and reviewed by the project
director and the FEG. For Objective 2, the faculty will evaluate their training experiences through a survey
and the faculty members progress will be documented through ongoing reports of observation, testing
and/or work samples. Since it is critical that faculty gain these skills, modifications to training such as extra
individual help will be made immediately by the instructor and project director when ongoing feedback
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indicates training activities are not achieving the desired result. Objective 3, observations of master
teachers, will be evaluated by interview. Helpful “best practices” will be featured on the project Web site.
Goal 4, Develop Integration Models with Expert Faculty and Master Teachers calls for expert review of
both the model pre-service courses and the plan for technology integration in the field by DRAB, FEG and
the project director. Team reports and samples of materials will be monitored by consultants working with
them and reports by team members will also be submitted reviewed by the experts. After revisions,
suggested by experts in consultation with the team, are made as indicated by the expert review, the model
courses and any curriculum materials will be posted on the Web site for review and comment.
Goal 5, Launching Pilot Tests of Integration Models, will be evaluated by the director reviewing ongoing
reports from the team and consultants involved. The project director will consult with the groups weekly to
solve any problems that arise or bring in consultant assistance as needed. Novice faculty will be
interviewed by the project staff to ensure that their experiences are helping them to learn from the models.
Experts will review the final results and make any suggestions for improvement.
Goal 6, Disseminate Findings and Materials, is designed to offer options and to assist other faculty in the
development their technology integration courses. In addition, we wish to share results that contribute to
best practices and the professional growth of colleagues in our sister teacher education institutions by
making these results, materials, sample lessons and courses available to be viewed or downloaded from our
Web site. We will record the number of “hits” and conduct an expert review of our Web site and ask those
who visit for comments. Any participant in this project may submit papers, projects or curricula for review
and publication on the Professional Forum of our Web site. When any necessary revisions have been
made, all of the digital resources collected during the project will be saved on a CD-ROM for each of the
faculty, the teams and the consultants so that they can make use of the work done in this project to facilitate
their progress into the implementation phase.
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