Jeremy Price, School of Education
Principal Investigator: Jeremy Price, assistant professor, Department of Teacher Education, School of Education
Project Title: Upgrading the Online and Hybrid Learning to Teach with Technology Course to Support Justice- Equity-and Inclusion-Oriented Teacher Preparation
Funding: $5,000
Abstract:
EDUC-W 200 200 (Computer Use in Education) is an undergraduate prerequisite course for all students who are interested in becoming a certified teacher in the fields of Elementary, Secondary English, and Secondary Social Studies and provides students with a broad-based foundation in the uses of technology in the classroom. This project seeks to align W200 with the justice-, inclusion- and equity-orientations of the School of Education and to address the shifting demographic realities of American public schools. The course will be updated to provide learning experiences that: allow students to examine their identities within a broader cultural milieu in relation to educational technology tools and media; position technology tools and media within the nuances of urban schools and classrooms; and provide scaffolding, cognitive tools, and feedback to help teacher candidates create technology-based and media-rich materials and experiences that embody the principles of good and just teaching. Based on principles of backward design, the course will undergo an iterative upgrade cycle to reflect these overarching goals, collecting data from experts in the field, instructors, and students. Reaching between 250 and 400 students each year, the redesigned course will help teacher candidates understand the ways in which their instructional decisions around the selection, use, adaptation, and evaluation of technology tools and media impacts and is impacted by: teacher candidates' own positionality, identities, and experiences; issues of structural racism and diverse student identities; and the promise of recognizing the diverse experiences and backgrounds of learners as funds of knowledge rather than deficits.
