Share Paper: Professor-driven Internet Projects with Partner Schools Provide 21st Century Models for Pre-service Teachers

  1. Terry Smith, University of Saint Francis, United States
Friday, March 11 2:10-2:30 PM McGavock's C

Abstract: Schools of education have been criticized for a lack of modeling 21st century skills in technology and collaboration, the result being that pre-service teachers are often unprepared to use technology meaningfully in their classrooms. This paper relates how professors can model experiences via Internet projects with school partner classrooms which: enhance the professor’s expertise, provide authentic technology-in-the-classroom experiences for pre-service teachers, and model collaborative 21st century teaching techniques for student teaching roles and beyond. This case uses an elementary Internet project managed by an education professor – the Monster Project (www.smithclass.org/proj/Monsters). The project is used in a science and social ...