Inquiry: The Teacher Educators Guide to Effective Technology Integration

Abstract

The majority of preservice teachers have had limited experiences learning in inquiry-oriented ways. As a result they know little of how to infuse inquiry into their future classrooms and they expect technology to be used to improve only their administrative efficiency and presentation skills. The teaching methods course is perhaps our best, and perhaps only, opportunity to turn the tide of teacher misconceptions about inquiry learning and technology use. By employing content-specific and inquiry-oriented uses of technology in our methods courses, teachers can move through four "conceptual changes" (adapted from Posner et al, 1982) of how to use technology in their teaching: (1) Dissatisfaction with their currently held conceptions about using technology, (2) an understanding of alternate (inquiry-oriented) uses of technology, (3) a belief that inquiry-oriented uses of technology are plausible, and (4) a belief based on experiences that inquiry-oriented uses of technology are fruitful.