ICT and Future Teachers : Are We Prepared for E-Learning?

Jones, A.J.

It is now common for relevant authorities to insist that all newly qualified teachers are able to use a range of ICT applications for teaching and administration (SCTP 1999, NCATE 2001, DfEE 1998). The Australian government has published several papers containing plans and strategies for bringing schools and teachers into the information age (DETYA 2000, DEST 2002). The former, under the title 'Learning in an online world' includes: Introduce strategic initiatives into teacher pre-service education to improve the ICT competence of commencing teachers. Develop teacher competency standards in using ICT in curriculum practice and incorporate teacher ICT standards into human resource management within education authorities and individual schools, including recruitment and promotion practices. (DETYA 2000: 52) The more recent paper, under the general heading of 'Pre-service,' states: For teacher education institutions to be able to train and graduate beginning teachers who have the necessary knowledge, skills, understandings and attitudes to make effective use of ICT in their teaching practice, a number of capabilities need to be in place. These can be categorised as: leadership and vision in the use of ICT; infrastructure providing appropriate access and technical support; curriculum/programs that integrate the use of ICT; partnerships with schools to provide appropriate professional experiences for pre-service teachers. competence in, and understanding of, the effective use of ICT for teaching and learning by teacher education staff. (DEST 2002: 14) The Department of Education and Training in Victoria (DE&T), in a professional development section of its website, has an outline of ICT capabilities that could be expected of teachers. Included are: using and managing technology using basic computer applications using desktop publishing and presentation software using multimedia using communication technologies using learning technologies in the key learning areas (DE&T, 2002) These documents, from both Australia and overseas, make it abundantly clear that every teacher is now expected to be capable of competently and effectively using the ICT and other learning technologies currently available in schools. But what of advances such as elearning that are not yet widely used?

Cite as: Jones, A.J. (2003). ICT and Future Teachers : Are We Prepared for E-Learning?. In Proc. ICT and the Teacher of the Future - Selected Papers from the International Federation for Information Processing Working Groups 3.1 and 3.3 Working Conference, Melbourne, Australia. CRPIT, 23. McDougall, A., Murnane, J. S., Stacey, C. and Dowling, C., Eds. ACS. 67-69.

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