JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY AND TEACHER EDUCATION, V1,N2, 1993 -------------------------------------------------------- Something to do While We Wait For Godot Lamont Johnson, Steve Harlow, Cleborne Maddux College of Education University of Nevada, Reno, 89557 USA Abstract The authors use Samuel Beckett's drama Waiting for Godot as a metaphor for the delay in changing education through technology. In this play, the characters wanted to see action, but waited for Godot. Godot never came, and the characters never acted. The authors suggest three ways that teacher educators who work with technology can become proactive and start change: Model the use of technology in teacher training courses, invite colleagues into a dialogue about the application of technology to skills and subject areas, and take ideas to the schools where they can be shared with, and tested by, practicing teachers. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Building Practical and Theoretical Knowledge About HyperCard Through Collaborative Action Research Ted Riecken University of Victoria P.O. Box 3010, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3N4 Robyn Evans Bayside Middle School 1101 Newton Place, RR2 Brentwood Bay, Victoria, BC, Canada C0S A1) Abstract This article describes how collaborative action research was used a vehicle for the development of theoretical and practical knowledge about HyperCard as a learning tool. Through a joint inquiry, a university researcher and classroom teacher examined students' perceptions and use of HyperCard as a tool for constructing a social studies report on the Renaissance. The article provides an overview of the basic structure of the action research process and a discussion of what was learned about student perceptions of hypertext. The concluding sections contain a description of the authors' plans for further research, and an assessment of action research as a vehicle for professional development. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Simulated School Distract Information in a Course in School and Community Relations Larry L. Smiley Department of Educational Administration and Community Leadership Central Michigan University 319 Ronan Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 USA Abstract Graduate programs preparing practitioners in educational administration typically include a course in school and community relations. Students generally are not provided sufficient opportunity to experience hands-on applications of the components included in such courses. This paper describes a simulation activity in which students work in groups and practice several school and community relations activities that revolve around imaginary school districts. The simulation culminates with a public relations project for each imaginary school district that is developed and presented by the respective groups to the entire class. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Using the Computer to Teach Mathematics: A Working Conference for Teachers A Mechanism for Training Teachers to Evaluate and Use Software Franklin Steen Yale University 175 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT 06511, USA Robert Taylor Teachers College Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA Abstract This article describes a method of training teachers and education students to use the computer in mathematics education. The working conference is used in which participants work together in groups to choose software and create computer assisted lessons and lab sessions. All group work is presented to the entire conference and discussed. The working conference typically consists of two active components: software evaluation and lesson creation. In the international setting, a variant of the lesson creation component is used to help teachers create presentations to justify the acquisition of hardware and software to school authorities. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Development of Multimedia Instructional Materials in Teacher Education Ronald J. Abate College of Education, Specialized Instruction Programs Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 USA Abstract The College of Education at Cleveland State University is engaged in an ongoing project to alter the delivery of instruction in a preservice teacher education program. One aspect of the project involves the creation of a multimedia database that combines research- based teaching strategies with videodisc demonstrations of the strategies. The production approach implemented in the development of the multimedia database included an iterating cycle of needs assessment, prototype, test and revision. A description of this development cycle is presented. Factors influencing the use of multimedia in a teacher education program and the implications of faculty use are described. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Constraints on the Integration of Computers in the Curriculum B. Gerard Doornekamp and Gerrit J. Carleer University of Twente Centre for Applied Research in Education (OCTO) P.O. Box 217 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands Abstract Two pilot schools for general secondary education in Enschede and researchers from the University of Twente are taking part in the Technology Enriched Schools Project (TESP). This project has been started by the Dutch government within the framework of their policy to stimulate the use of computers in education. Until 1989 the use of computers in secondary education was still limited. One of the aims of the TESP is the integration of the use of computers in the curricula of all subjects. The members of the subject area were offered a five stage strategy to achieve this aim. After four years the integration has not yet been accomplished by the schools. There are great differences between the various subject areas. Some teachers regard the software as an addition to their lessons, while other teachers have replace d their 'old' lessons by computer lessons. The members of the subject areas have to deal with several constraints: the availability of courseware, the examination demands, the access to the computer rooms, the opinions among the members on this issue, and the typing skills of the students. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Preparation of Prospective Elementary Science Teachers in the Use of Technology Dorothy L. Gabel and William J. Boone School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405 USA Abstract In order to improve the quality of science education, Indiana University has established the Quality Elementary Science Teaching (QUEST) program to prepare prospective teachers more effectively. The goals of the program are to: strengthen students conceptual understanding of science, deepen their knowledge of the nature of scientific inquiry, and enhance their ability to use technology in learning and teaching science. This study presents how technology is used in each component of the program to prepare prospective elementary teachers of science. This study also reports the results of data collection aimed at assessing Indiana University elementary education majors views toward computer usage in the classroom. The data analysis suggests overall student exposure to computers and attitudes toward computers does not differentiate students choosing to emphasis science in their preservice preparation program from those following a standard set of courses. Secondly, the evaluation hints that students can have a strong belief in themselves as future science teachers without having had a great deal of exposure to computers or having a positive view of computes in the classroom. Finally, the data supplies evidence that students selecting a teacher training program stressing science may have used computers more frequently to collect and analyze data. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Columbus, da Vinci or Prometheus: A New Role for the Mathematics Teacher in a Computer Environment Evgenia Sendova Institute of Mathematics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences "Acad. G. Bonchev" Str., bl. 8 Sofia 1113, Bulgaria Bojidar Sendov Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, University of Sofia "James Baurchier" Str., 5 Sofia 1126, Bulgaria Abstract The paper deals with research on creating a classroom culture in which teachers encourage students to behave like working mathematicians - to explore and play with mathematical ideas and to communicate their findings. The experience with PLANE GEOMETRY SYSTEM - a computer environment supporting the mathematical creativity of teachers and students alike is described. New approaches for training teachers relevant to their new roles as fellow learners and contributing partners in the research process is suggested on the basis of an educational experiment in some Bulgarian schools. ================================================================ .