This study evaluated preservice teachers' professional-knowledge transformation while they participated in simulated professional-development activities via a Second Life virtual classroom-an Internet-based multiuser virtual environment (MUVE). While a cohort of preservice teachers experienced the MUVE environment, the instrumental exploratory case study highlighted how 2 preservice teachers among the 12 internalized professional knowledge, as well as how that knowledge transferred into active teaching practice. The study was framed around sociocultural theory as it pertains to enabling intramental functioning through co-constructed activities. The preservice teachers' debriefings and reflective statements suggest that they entered the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)-the range of potential an individual has for learning, with that learning being shaped by the social environment-indicating the positive potential of using an MUVE to promote self-regulatory pedagogic behaviors.
In order for the twenty-first century teacher to acquire the necessary professional skills to effectively instruct today's digitally native students, institutional constraints must be lifted such that the institution does not impede the ability of the pedagogue to grow beyond what is expected to that which is instructionally transformational. After examining current trends in teacher preparation programs, there is a noticeable gap between the digital literacy of faculty and the digital literacy of students. Because of this deficiency, digitally literate novice teachers have looked to social media to form their own “secret” communities of peer mentorship and professional development external to their school and school district settings. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the literature related to how novice teachers form these secret communities, how residency in the community is established, and how visitor participation (i.e., veteran teachers and school administrators) is perceived within the community.
Engaging in reflective practice is certainly not a new concept in the field of teacher education. Over the course of their pre-service training, teacher candidates characteristically experience changes in their teaching philosophy, and by extension, their pedagogic identities. Typically, these changes occur at the initial, midpoint, and final stages of the candidacy resulting from iterative reflective practices demonstrated through coursework and field experiences. Traditional models of teaching and learning situate these reflections through exchanges of experiences during discussions in face-to-face classroom or field-based settings. However, as existing and emerging technologies continue to impact teaching and learning in the 21st century, teacher preparation programs must respond in kind by adapting courses and aligning curricula to be responsive in the short term and nimble enough in the long term to change as institutions of higher education are only at the precipice of understanding the deeper impact of technology on teaching and learning.
In the introductory chapter for this volume of cases in digital transformation, author Rebecca Blankenship considers the emerging role of institutions of higher education in providing innovative environments for teaching and learning. She provides a practical foundation for the emergent and evolving need among colleges and universities to embrace digital equity through progressive initiatives that provide diverse and modern learning environments reflective of the needs and expectations of the 21st century students they serve. The author frames her discussion within the contexts of increasing digital literacy among faculty, instituting a culture of innovation and change, as well as considering how initiatives such as the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) provide realistic solutions for the technology gap between the traditional brick-and-mortar university and the evolving needs of 21st century students and expectations of the increasingly connected and competitive global workforce.
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