Field experience in educational technology for preservice teachers

The main goal of teacher preparation programs is to prepare highly qualified teachers who are technology literate and understand how technology can be used both as a learning tool as well as a teaching tool. Field experiences provide K-12 preservice teachers the opportunities to reflect on theory and practice, to observe teaching in action, to formulate questions, to discuss findings and to gain new understanding on how technology can impact K-12 classrooms. This paper is an effort to better understand the impact of a school-based field experience project in Educational Technology. Participants in this study were undergraduate preservice teachers. Specifically, this study examines responses from participants via surveys and reflection logs. The study findings show that preservice teachers viewed the field experience project as a useful tool to examine teacher technology practices and notes constraints experienced by the participants. The field experience placements took place in K-12 schools in Connecticut during four consecutive semesters.