This digest summarizes diverse viewpoints in the controversy over the meaning and practice of "computer literacy." The issue of whether being able to read and write computer programs should be a a computer literacy requirement for teachers is specifically addressed. Attempts to define computer literacy goals for teachers are noted,…

The infusion of technology in schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDEs) may be placed along a continuum. At one end of the continuum, technology infusion is described as not being central to the teacher preparation experience. At the other end of the continuum, progress is represented by changing courses and changing thinking. This…

Teachers cannot prepare their students to be information literate unless they themselves understand how to find and use information. This Digest discusses the concept of information literacy (the ability to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources) and its relevance for teachers. Professional associations for K-12 and higher…

To meet the economic, political, and social challenges of today's world, teacher education in global and international education is now mandated by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Global and international education is defined as education that develops the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are the basis for…

Recent projections estimate that minorities, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians, will comprise one-third of the U.S. population. Currently, the majority of prospective teachers are White females, a situation which stands in sharp contrast to the backgrounds of the students they will teach. This digest examines…

This digest reviews some of the literature on middle grades teacher preparation focusing on the following topics: (1) characteristics and needs of early adolescents (aged 10-14); (2) the kinds of schools and programs suited to early adolescents; and (3) characteristics of a teacher education curriculum that would adequately prepare teachers for…

To ensure that future generations of girls as well as boys fulfill their potential without restriction, it is important that gender equity be taught in teacher education programs as a matter of course. Gender equity is defined as the set of behaviors and knowledge that permits educators to recognize inequality in educational opportunities, to…

Integrated services is a coordinated, holistic approach to addressing children's needs, particularly the needs of at-risk children, in which the school is the hub of a network of service providers and a link between these service providers and children and their families. The focus is on wellness and prevention; the programs provide a…

Census-based estimates suggest that at least 3.5 million children in the United States are limited-English-proficient or non-English-speaking. Half of all U.S. teachers have one or more of these children in their classes, but only one in 17 has any specific training to teaching English as a second language (ESL). Of those actually teaching ESL…

This digest examines the relationship between elementary and secondary teachers' use of computer-based technologies to deliver and support classroom instruction and the training provided to prospective teachers by teacher education institutions. It offers an overview of obstacles faced by teacher educators in providing appropriate technology…