(Page 1 of 3) - A Collaborative Distance Technology Model Preparing Educators to Serve Diverse Learners in High Need Schools authored by Fero, George. and Richards, Timothy.

A Collaborative Distance Technology Model Preparing Educators to Serve Diverse

Learners in High Need Schools

Section I: Context

A. Statement of the Issue

At a small, private college with a liberal arts heritage at the outer edge of a metropolitan
area, the teacher preparation program had difficulty meeting its obligation to prepare
teachers for service in diverse high-need schools. Teacher candidates needed to travel
over 20 miles to the nearest qualifying school and often did so with great trepidation due
to personal safety considerations, refused to go for those same reasons and the cost of
travel, or were unable to travel due to schedule conflicts. As a result of these concerns
and to meet the needs of the broader community it serves, the institution sought and
received a federal grant to develop a collaborative model that exposed all teacher
candidates to diverse high-need classrooms.

The model involves collaboration that is in its third year between the college faculty and
classroom teachers at four high need school districts in the middle of a Midwest
metropolitan area. Each year for five years five new classrooms are identified to
participate until there are a total of 25 classrooms at all grade levels and across all subject
areas participating in the project. Classroom teachers are collaboratively selected by the
college and the school district administration. Each classroom is assigned a desktop
computer equipped with a web camera and sound system that enables observation of the
classroom during classes by teacher candidates, and collaborative meetings between the
classroom teachers, teacher candidates and college faculty. Virtual visits are planned well
in advance and scheduled as needed. Classroom teachers are awarded a stipend,
technology preparation, and training in the college’s teacher observation model.

Teacher Education faculty participating in the project collaborate with the classroom
teacher so that classroom observations are related to content and methodologies being
taught to teacher candidates in various methods courses. Teacher candidates are given an
opportunity to interact with the classroom teacher via the distance technology and
through scheduled site visits during which the candidates interact directly with the K-12
students. Arts and Sciences faculty from the college also serve as content area consultants
to the classroom teachers, and are available for virtual visits to classrooms to interact
with both the cooperating teacher and K-12 students.

B. Literature Review

A review of the literature found that the use of web conferencing provides a relatively
inexpensive means to communicate over distance with real time imaging. Computer
conferencing has been successfully used to teach courses at the higher education level,
and is used extensively in business and health fields. However, there appears to be little
evidence in the literature that web conferencing is used by teacher preparation programs
to enhance the preparation of teachers for diverse classroom settings in high need
schools. (Chen-Chung L., Jia-Hsung L., (2005), Klecka, C.L.. Clift, R. T.; Yu-Ming C.