Preparing tomorrow's science teachers to use new technology

The impact of digital technologies on science teacher education is more pervasive than any curricular or instructional innovation in the past. The impact can be felt on three fronts. First, as with the hands-on science movement, digital technologies are changing the ways teachers interact with students in the classroom. Psychological theories (Borich & Tombari, 1997) based on the importance of language to learning, the ways organizing and relating information facilitates understanding, and the influence of social factors in the classroom are all impacted by digital technologies. Science education has generally involved teaching not only a body of knowledge but also the processes and activities of scientific work. This view has linked the scientific uses of technology with hands-on experiences. The term "hands-on science" was descriptive of the major curriculum reform projects of the 1960s and became a label for a revolution in teaching science through the next two decades (Flick, 1993). So-called "hands-on science" instruction impacted teacher education as new curricula made its way into preservice courses. Teacher education was also influenced by teaching methods, such as the learning cycle (Lawson, Abraham, & Renner, 1989), based on theories of student learning that implied the necessity of interacting with physical materials. Science and technology education have enjoyed a meaningful partnership across most of this century. The work of scientists embraces an array of technologies, and major accomplishments in science are often accompanied by sophisticated applications of technology. These elements have traditionally been a part of teacher education in secondary science.