University News
Western Presents Best Practice at IBHE
October 1, 2002
MACOMB, IL – Integrating technology into teacher preparation at Western Illinois University was presented as a best practice in education for members of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) Oct. 1.
Western’s Dean of the College of Education and Human Services Bonnie Smith-Skripps and senior double major in bilingual education and Spanish Brandy Wilkie outlined the initiatives undertaken over the last decade to ensure that Western graduates “tech-able teachers.”
“During the past decade we have implemented not only a technology infrastructure within the college curriculum, but a support system as well to provide our faculty with the technical and instructional design support for integrating various technologies into teaching and learning,” said Smith-Skripps. “It has changed the emphasis from teaching to learning. Not only do teacher education professors use technology in instruction, but the students actively engage in various technology applications during their classes and use technology in completion of their assignments.”
WesternÂ’s best practices provide a range of technology support for preparing teacher candidates to involve future students in the learning process. They learn low and high tech applications and how to make the best choices regarding technology as applied to a particular studentÂ’s abilities and desired learning outcomes, according to Smith-Skripps.
As part of the presentation Wilkie outlined examples of her student-centered presentations from academic courses and experiences in the teacher education program.
In 1998 the College of Education and Human Services received recognition from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education for innovative uses of technology. In 2000 WIUÂ’s Teacher Education Program served as a model in National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) task force report on the use of technology in the classroom. In 2002 the College of Education and Human Services was one of six colleges of education selected for a national study of programs that prepare technology-competent teachers conducted by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the United States Department of Education.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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