Chapter 11 TPCK in Preservice Education

Before I begin I just want to say that I love the way the inspirational quotations are dispersed throughout this TPCK Chapter.

I’ve been pondering ideas revolving around technology and preservice education a great deal. Many people become teachers because they are successful in school. They carry their successes with them, and sometimes wear them on their sleeves. Because these preservice educators were successful with a traditional approach to education, they are likely going to model their own teaching in the same way. I fear that these preservice educators will push technology to the side and continue teaching in the same way that people have been teaching for the last two hundred years.

We’re so lucky to have UMF so close. I feel like UMF has certainly come a long way embedding technology in their program since I completed my undergrad. That being said, as a mentor teacher, I have yet to see a huge push coming from my student teachers and practicum teachers as far as technology is concerned. I know that the knowledge is there, but I feel that the student teachers and practicum students I’ve had have been using technology for their own learning rather than that of my students. I’m surprised that they haven’t come to me with new and fabulous ways of embedding technology into their lessons. Perhaps it is because I haven’t had a student teacher this year.

It is my own colleagues at the high school who have been pushing the envelope and sharing tools and strategies connected to technology. I have been so impressed with the technology that has been shared by my colleagues.