Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Meet the Unique Academic Needs of 21st Century Learners

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of current demographic and technology trends found in educational contexts. Particularly, this chapter highlights the obstacles that teacher preparation programs may face in regards to the changing student demographics and ever evolving technological components found in classrooms settings. This chapter provides examples of technological resources that can be utilized in teacher preparation programs to enhance pre-service teachers' content knowledge and afford them opportunities to discuss topics focused on cultural diversity. Specifically, this chapter will provide strategies on how educators in K-12 settings and institutions of higher education can integrate technology-enhanced tools such as Web 2.0 applications, social learning platforms, gaming, and virtual fieldtrips into their curriculum to improve students' learning gains. Suggestions at the end of the chapter call for pre-service and in-service teachers to collaborate through cross-training in order to effectively provide students meaningful academic experiences.

Case Study Method to Increase Preservice Teachers' Experience With English Language Learner Accommodations and Self-Efficacy

“…There are many accommodations that educators can incorporate into their classes to help ELLs learn both academic language and grade-level concepts. For example, educators can incorporate language objectives into their lessons (Reinhartz, 2015), provide translated resources and documents (Abedi & Dietel, 2004), scaffold new concepts (Lucas, 2008), provide comprehensible input (Lucas, 2008), include comprehension checks and clarification requests (Shrum & Glisan, 2016), and use various technologies to support immersion and practice (Torres & Tackett, 2016a). Incorporating instructional strategies that are structured for ELLs is important since researchers have found that educators who provide effective instruction to their ELLs are also more likely to provide appropriate teaching strategies for their native-English speaking students too (Stronge, 2018) (Samson and Collins, 2012, p. 8).…”