Toward More Meaningful Tech Integration: Supporting Preservice Teachers to Connect and Ideate

Abstract

Mentor teacher technology practices are typically not considerations when identifying practicum placements for preservice candidates. Yet, these shape how new teachers use technology in their own future classrooms. Grappling with patterns in candidate gathered observational data (121 pre-service teachers over seven separate technology-focused courses), this study explored the perceived impact of a designed Thinking Tool and ideation process in lieu of practicum experiences revealing little to no modeling of student use of technology for in-process learning. Data were collected from the Thinking Tool and candidate reflections, and findings suggest a value add toward generating multiple innovative applications. Ideation resulted in moving beyond book-end use in instructional designs to creatively integrating technology to support student talk and sense-making, collaboration, and student organization, engagement, and content creation.