Date of Award
Fall 12-4-2017
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology
Department
Instructional Technology
Committee Chair
Dr. Anissa Vega
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Ivan Jorrin Abellan
Second Committee Member
Dr. Julia Fuller
Abstract
The steady momentum of emerging technology tools continues to impact the educational environment, generating dramatic changes over the past five years (Spalding, 2016). According to the 2016 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), educational institutions that prepare educators often fail to give teachers the technology skills required to do their job well. Many teacher preparation programs claimed technology was integrated throughout the courses within the program; however, the comfort level with technology for pre-service teachers entering the teaching field remained low (Moore-Hayes, 2011; Giles & Kent, 2016; NETP, 2016; Niess & Gillow-Wiles, 2016). As members of the educational learning community, teacher preparation programs must remain focused in supporting pre-service teachers as technology integration has become an integral part of the teaching process. This case study focuses on the experiences of two pre-service teachers as they address teaching requirements during their practicum, working to seamlessly integrate technology into their students’ learning experiences. Both teachers participated in the ITEC 3100 stand-alone course at the beginning of their Junior year. The course extended the learning experience beyond basic skill development to include an overview of various technology frameworks. Using both the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2007) and the Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi) Model (Moersch, 2013), the course design focuses on identifying specific tools and strategies that best support pre-service teachers as they develop the necessary skills to integrate technology into the learning environment ultimately enhancing the learning experiences for the students.