Digitally Enhanced Education in California: Educational Technology and Digital Media Use in California’s Teacher Preparation Programs – A Status Report

ABSTRACT

In 2011, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) published a white paper on digitally enhanced education in California in preparation for a summit convened by the California Teacher Advisory Council (CalTAC). The summit was part of CCST’s Innovate to Innovation (i2i), a multifaceted project intended to assess key aspects of California’s innovation ‘ecosystem.’ One of the four areas of recommendation resulting from i2i concerned the need for California to “foster an innovative learning environment where teachers are working alongside, instead of in front of, their students in a collaborative environment with more opportunities for students to work at their own rate.” (CCST, 2011). Expecting teachers to succeed in such an environment requires changes in how they are prepared prior to entering the classroom and supported once they are responsible for their own classrooms. This paper is designed to inform the conversation at the upcoming “Summit on the Integration of Digital Media into Teacher Preparation” about the status of California’s teacher preparation programs with regard to ensuring teachers have the knowledge and skill to deliver a relevant 21st century curriculum to students. Specifically, it provides an overview of the importance of adapting teacher preparation programs to effectively integrate educational technology and digital media, the barriers and challenges to doing so, current approaches, and possible avenues for change, as well as some next steps.