Austin, TX — Today’s educators realize that they must provide students with 21st-century skills. But where and how can the educators themselves learn these skills? A visit to the College of Education (CoE) at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin provides the answer: Supported by iBook laptops, future teachers are becoming proficient in the educational technology skills necessary to teach a new generation of digital learners.
UT has long regarded technology as a priority for its teachers-in-training. In the past, CoE administrators had implemented a laptop pilot program with Apple PowerBook laptops, purchasing a small number of computers and loaning them out to students and their instructors. Dr. Lawrence Abraham, now chair of the CoE’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was serving as the College’s associate dean of teacher education and student affairs at the time. He says the pilot project revealed several advantages.
“We discovered that when everyone had the same equipment, faculty members were more willing and able to take advantage of the technology,” Abraham observes. “Also, students who had laptops 24/7 were much more comfortable using them. It gave them the flexibility of working at home or at school, or out in the schools where they were student teaching. Most importantly, we found that students regarded the PowerBook laptops as an aid to teaching and learning, rather than being a challenge.”
Dan Updegrove, UT’s chief information officer, agrees that the Apple laptops are ideal for those planning careers in education. “Laptops make a lot of sense for most college students these days, but they’re especially compelling for student teachers,” he says. “By definition they’re roaming from place to place. Coming into a classroom with their own computers, with lessons they’ve already prepared and are familiar with, seems like the ideal way of focusing on the subject, and not letting technology get in the way of teaching.
iBook: The Perfect Teacher’s Aid
When UT’s College of Education made the decision to require students to purchase a laptop, Abraham and his colleagues evaluated several hardware vendors. After carefully assessing all options, they made the decision to go with wireless iBook laptops containing a preconfigured software bundle, including the iLife suite.
