Literacy skills honed from reading books and writing papers has long been recognized as invaluable to building and sustaining intellect. Educators are charged with strengthening literacy programs, and they typically rely on conventional practices and increased time focusing on text-based media to do so, yet their efforts have not significantly…

It is no longer a question whether or not technology should be used in the classroom. The emphasis is ensuring that teachers use technology effectively to create new opportunities for students to learn and raise their achievement. The use of technology in the classroom requires teachers to be knowledgeable and competent in ICTs and to integrate…

This article explores English-language-learning (ELL) youths' engagement with popular media through composing and publicly posting stories in an online fan fiction writing space. Fan fiction is a genre that lends itself to critical engagement with media texts as fans repurpose popular media to design their own narratives. Analyses describe how…

Researchers in technology and teacher education have been charged with designing inquiry methods that speak broadly about the impact of technology in the preparation of teachers, beyond what is possible through the use of localized case studies and small-scale investigations alone. The Distributed Collaborative Research Model (DCRM) is proposed as…

This study focused on "digital natives" as preservice teachers to examine their beliefs, attitudes, and technology experiences and expertise, identify the strengths and weaknesses in their technology knowledge and skills, and explore what technology preparation was needed to prepare them to integrate technology in their future classrooms. Results…

Three sections of the same distance education class completed a series of Web-based concept map assessments using one of two methods. Open-ended maps applied in section 1 led students to conduct more relational thinking overall, but variance in map items was very high introducing more subjectivity in scoring. Pre-selected term mapping applied in…

This study examined cyberbullying in three distinct phases to facilitate a multifaceted understanding of cyberbullying. The phases included (a) a quantitative survey, (b) a qualitative focus group, and (c) development of educational scenarios/simulations (within the Second Life virtual environment). Phase III was based on adolescent feedback about…

Knowledge management (KM) and data-driven decision making (DDDM) are terms that are used with more frequency in teacher education. Although accreditation expectations and the increased focus on accountability have pushed these ideas to the forefront, the tools that support them are still not robust. Electronic portfolio assessment has been one…

The purpose of this research study was to explore predictor variables for faculty instructional computer use. Analysis of data collected from 198 college of education (COE) faculty members indicated that instructional computer use and mainstream computer use form two strong and distinct variables. This study also proposes a faculty instructional…

This study investigated student perceptions of using instant messaging software for online interactive chapter discussions in a graduate teacher educational technology course. The criterion instrument was a 47-item scale that measured Chickering and Gamson's (1987) first four principles for good practice in undergraduate education, yielding…

This study examined the teacher work samples of 197 student teachers to determine their level of technology integration during student teaching. Findings indicated that most student teachers planned to use some kind of technology, although only 40% planned to include computers and less than 20% planned for the use of computers by students. The…

This article introduces an online jigsaw model for preservice teachers' science content learning. Following a description of the model and its developmental genesis, analysis of an external proficiency measure serves to evaluate the model's validity. Data stem from a sample of 333 students who completed physical science courses in either a…

This descriptive study investigated the benefits and costs of using electronic portfolios (EPs) in preservice teacher education. Grounded within change theory, the study examined the perspectives of faculty in six programs in which EPs have been used on a large scale for two or more years. Benefits identified include increased opportunities for…

This study sought to identify the attitudes and perceptions of students in an introductory educational technology course situated within a teacher education program. Data were collected in the form of anonymous feedback throughout the semester. Findings included: students tended to enter the course with either a good deal of technology knowledge…

This descriptive study investigated the benefits and costs of using electronic portfolios (EPs) in preservice teacher education by examining the voices of students in six programs thought to be mature in their implementation. Benefits included opportunities to reflect, better access to and organization of professional documents, increased…