STNet: A Network-Supported Environment for Student Teachers

Abstract

Adopting the rationale of reflective thinking as the underlyingphilosophy, we developed the Student Teacher Network (STNet) to supportstudent teaching. STNet provides an online place where university supervisors,experienced school teachers, student teachers, and students in the preserviceprogram can discuss teaching issues and browse resources asynchronously.The first year experience indicated that we need a more comprehensiverationale to guide the design and the implementation of the STNet, a resourcerichenvironment to support student teachers, an effective university-schoolpartnership to sustain the STNet, and reconsideration of the whole teachereducation program in order to infuse information technology into teachereducation program. Building a systemic and distributed teacher educationnetwork is one of the feasible alternatives.