Issues

ACCE position

What opportunities are there for teachers-in-training to gain access to personal computing skills in university environments with shrinking resources?

How can teachers-in-training have access to good learning technology practice in schools and access to positive role models?

How can universities be encouraged to ensure that education graduates are Learning Technology Competent?

Universities and teacher training institutions should

• ensure all education graduates are provided with opportunity to develop personal technology skills and an understanding of curriculum uses of learning technology.
• ensure that student teachers understand the global and community contexts surrounding learning technology movements in Australia and provide them with access to workplaces and industries that use information technology and technological processes.
• provide education students with opportunity to experience a technological workplace while using university facilities such as administrative systems, library systems, and computing systems and processes.
• Universities should be encouraged to place students in practice teaching schools where positive attitudes to learning technology are practiced and role-model teachers are available.
•  provide documentation for graduating students that describes their assessed level of Learning Technology Competence. Education students should be encouraged to develop an action plan for the future enhancement of their classroom experience and Learning Technology Competence.

How can universities be supported to graduate more information technology specialist teachers?

Many students who complete a first degree in a computing field are reluctant to enter teacher training when they can enter the IT industry immediately on graduation. This results in a loss of potential teachers in specialised IT areas. How might this loss be avoided?

Universities, teacher training institutions and education systems should promote information technology and specialist technology courses and to encourage graduates to enter the teaching profession.

This could include financial assistance from tertiary institutions or employer systems, or alternatives such as HECS exemption or reimbursement. Scholarship or targeted bursary systems could offset HECS costs.