|
| UIC College of Education Wins Technology in Teaching Award |
 |
|
The College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago will receive a prestigious prize for the use of technology in teacher preparation from the organization representing the nation's colleges of education.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education will present the 2004 Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology to the UIC College of Education Feb. 10 at the association's annual meeting at the Chicago Hilton and Towers. Microsoft Corporation is supporting the award.
UIC, through the Council on Teacher Education, has been a leader in the use of technology in its teacher preparation programs. This work, funded in part by a U.S. Department of Education Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology grant and the Steans Family Foundation, has served 14 teacher preparation programs in three colleges at UIC.
To address issues related to the "digital divide" between technology haves and have-nots, UIC's education faculty is preparing teacher candidates to create technology-rich classroom environments through a program called Teachers Infusing Technology in Urban Settings.
Developed by principal investigators Kimberly Lawless, Louanne Smolin, and Josh Radinsky, the program is designed to prepare teachers to use technology effectively in urban public school classrooms to increase students' academic achievement.
The program prepares tech-savvy urban teachers through three well-coordinated initiatives: a curriculum development model, a program of faculty development and a comprehensive approach to developing field experiences in urban schools.
The project builds upon UIC's position as a primary provider of new teachers to the Chicago Public Schools. UIC teacher preparation programs enroll approximately 1,100 students per year and annually recommend 250 to 300 teachers for certification.
"We are proud to be affirmed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for our model of technology infusion that in turn calls upon the talents of both university and school-based educators," said Victoria Chou, dean of the College of Education. "This award recognizes the achievement and efforts of many."
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national, voluntary association of colleges and universities with undergraduate or graduate programs to prepare professional educators. The 785 member institutions graduate approximately 90 percent of the nation's new teachers and other educators each year.
More information on the Teachers Infusing Technology in Urban Settings Project is available on the UIC College of Education website, www.uic.edu/educ/ |
|
