Technological/Pedagogical Solutions for 21st Century Participatory Knowledge Creation
Abstract: The United States needs more scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians (STEM) to drive economic growth in the 21st Century. A bold collaboration by the City of Akron, Akron Public Schools and The University of Akron to house a STEM focused middle school within the renovated National Inventors Hall of Fame is nearing completion. Critical to the success of this initiative are classroom teachers prepared to engage digital native students within a robust technology-enhanced learning environment. This paper reports on efforts to use the NETS-T framework and 21st Century teaching principles to empower teachers to meet and exceed Ohio Content Standards in learning environments where emergent Internet technologies support student interaction and knowledge construction. The framework for the development of the teacher professional development was technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) grounded in a constructivist learning environment.
Presider: Pamela Whitehouse, Midwestern State University