Debra Sprague

Faculty Development in the Integration of Technology in Teacher Education Courses

AbstractThis article describes the results of a course in which Master and Doctoral level students in the Instructional Technology program at George Mason University were paired one-to-one with Graduate School of Education faculty in order to assist the faculty in developing their technology skills. The pairing of students with faculty is based upon a model developed by Iowa State University. Students enrolled in this course were interviewed in order to determine their technology skills and expertise. They were then matched with faculty who were interested in learning that particular skill. The article discusses the results based upon interviews with the faculty and journals written by the students.

Podcasts in Education: Let Their Voices Be Heard

ABSTRACT One technology made possible through Web 2.0 is podcasting. Podcasts are audio, video, text, and other media files that can be played on the computer or downloaded to MP3 players. This article discusses how to create a podcast and ways to use this technology in education. Benefits and issues related to podcasting are also provided.

Educational Implications of the Digital Fabrication Revolution

At the 2010 National Technology Leadership Summit (NTLS), participants were introduced to and explored the educational opportunities that digital fabrication offers. Efforts to infuse engineering principles into the K–12 curriculum make this topic particularly timely, and it is likely to become increasingly important and relevant to all our personal and professional lives. In light of the excitement about the potential of this emergent technology, the National Technology Leadership Coalition (NTLC) journal editors have agreed to share an editorial we have collaboratively created (a complete list of NTLC journal editors is included at the end of the editorial).

Changing Teachers – Teachers Changing Schools: assessing a graduate program in technology education

ABSTRACT Innovative uses of technology may require a revision of educational policy and practice if technology is going to have an impact on the educational system. In 1993 the University of New Mexico College of Education began a four semester in‐service graduate program to develop teacher knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that might assist the teacher to confront todays challenges without being restricted by past patterns. During the second year of its implementation, a comprehensive research study was instituted to assess the impact of the program. This paper presents findings relevant to the outcomes of the program. The results reveal that significant shifts occurred among participants in the frequency of use of technology and student‐oriented strategies and that participants were increasingly concerned with assuming leadership roles in their schools and school districts. Four dimensions of the program were central in achieving these results: its cohort nature, the fact that it was graduate, the us...