Teacher Educator Technology Integration Initiative: Addressing the Technology Preparation Gap

Abstract

This article documents how our college sought to address a technology integration preparation gap, with the implementation of the Teacher Educator Technology Integration initiative. We draw upon findings from an external program review that was commissioned to evaluate the initiative, including the type of support provided to teacher educators and how their participation in the initiative changed their technology integration practices based on the TETCs. This article outlines how our college came to identify the need for the Initiative, describes the frameworks and structures of the Initiative’s pilot year with four discipline area licensure programs, and details adjustments made to continuously improve the professional development experiences designed during the pilot. In our findings section, we describe three components of the Initiative that were responsible for teacher educators’ successful learning: (1) developing trusting relationships through coaching; (2) the use of situated learning that incorporated key strategies that were found to be effective in the literature; and (3) technology integration professional development focused on developing mindsets and skillsets. In addition to these three components, we determined that it was critical for college leadership to build a scale up timeline and a sustainability plan alongside the professional development work to ensure the Initiative’s success.