Finding Time for Technology in an Elementary B.Ed. Program

Abstract

An introductory course in Information Technology was implemented in an elementary teacher education program to ensure that students were adequately prepared for computer activities as they undertook their student teaching practica. So that this course could be accommodated within the timetable it was taught in collaboration with an existing Language Arts course. This collaborative effort was undertaken through complementary teaching with blended assignments. These assignments are presented here with samples of students’ work. A discussion of each of the assignments describes how students benefited from this type of interdisciplinary instruction. The authors provide an overview of their collaborative efforts and explain how their experiences have provided insight into developing a more flexible and more integrated teacher education program.