Hypothetically. In theory. For example. What
if...
Technology in Education is one of the first courses required for
undergraduate, teacher education majors at the University of Memphis. It
combines instructional design components with educational technology and
technology skills. Each of these could be its own course! However, the real challenge in
this course is that the students
have little to no background knowledge. They are asked to write lesson plans
that integrate technology, but they have never written a lesson plan. They are
asked to consider things like differentiation and modifications, but have not
yet had courses that have included these topics. So, we spend a large portion of the beginning of each
semester learning about state and Common Core standards, writing learning
objectives, considering the learner, and classroom management. Only then can we
can shift our focus to the content that is the true purpose of the class: technology integration.
Still, we are plagued with designing lessons and activities for imaginary
students in imaginary classrooms where everything is in theory. But we have
salvation: cue the field experience!
This course requires students to complete a five
hour field experience. We partner with Campus School, a first through fifth
grade, public, elementary school located on our campus. Each class from Campus
School visits the computer lab in our education building once a week. We also
provide carts of laptops, iPads, and iPod Touches that can be used in Campus
School classrooms in conjunction with the few desktop computers each classroom
is provided by the school system. Preservice teachers are divided into groups
of six and assigned a five week session in which they work with a class from
Campus School. The first week of the experience they observe and assist a Campus
School teacher with a technology based lesson. They are asked to note the skill
level of the students and the types of activities they are engaged in. They
note how the teacher relates the activity to the students’ prior knowledge and
how he or she manages the class and the resources. Then the teacher gives them
two topics for which they are responsible for developing and implementing a
lesson. For week two and three, the group of six divides into two groups to
plan lessons for the class on the given topics. They must complete a lesson
plan and prepare all materials for the plan as well as divide the
responsibility of implementing the lesson. Then on week four, one group teaches
while the other facilitates, and on week five, they switch teacher/facilitator
roles. Throughout the experience, they receive feedback from a field experience
proctor and the Campus School teacher. Upon completion of the field experience,
they write a reflection paper. The requirements of the paper are relaxed, and can be found here.
The field experience has become an integral part
of the course. It allows students to acquire background knowledge without being
spoon fed scenarios. It allows them to experience all of the working (and
non-working) parts of the lesson. It gives them an authentic but safe place to
practice and get feedback. Their reflection papers are evidence of the growth
that occurs. I often laugh when reading them because they have these “aha”
moments about things I know I stated numerous times in class, but obviously
didn’t resonate until they had the experience. Do you face similar issues in
your Technology in Education courses? I would love to hear what strategies you
use to deal with them. Does anyone else require field hours? How are they
organized?
Dr. Carmen Weaver
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
University of Memphis
carmen.weaver at
memphis dot edu
