According to U.S. Board of Education data, only 20% of the nation’s 2.5 million teachers feel comfortable using current technologies in their teaching environment.

Retraining of existing teachers requires widespread teacher development. In the meantime, with a foreseeable need of two million future teachers, there is a strong necessity to educate teaching students to be proficient with technology in the classroom.

During the year 2000, the Teacher Education Program (TEP) at Colorado State University-Pueblo was awarded a grant from Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology program (PT3). The goal of this program is to “meet the challenge of developing technology-proficient educators.” PT3 was established by the U.S. Department of Education after receiving a congressional appropriation in FY 1999.  225 grants were awarded. 

Because technology proficiency education must be more than training in basic computer skills, teacher preparation must take a new path. Active support is needed by deans, superintendents, presidents, and other leaders who will commit significant resources to program innovations.  Teacher preparation must become “an institution-wide responsibility, supported by a clear vision, with a well integrated interdisciplinary curriculum and strong partnerships with K-12 schools and educators”(PT3 Program, 1999). 

Grants were awarded to consortia consisting of higher education institutions, stage agencies, school districts, nonprofit organizations, etc. The awarded grants are being used to support innovations to transform teacher education programs “into twenty-first century teaching environments.” 

The vision of the program at Colorado State University-Pueblo is to implement a comprehensive project that prepares TEP students to use technology to improve the quality of K-12 education. Among the activities occurring are:

• Development of partnerships with two PK-12 school districts; one urban, one rural
• Enabling preservice students to use technology in field experiences and student teaching
• Integration of a cohort of K-12 classroom-based, technology experienced educators into TEP
• Development of a virtual school district web site (Dos Rios Virtual School District) and learning applications for classes
• Implementation of an inexpensive, individual faculty development program at the University level.

The Dos Rios School Virtual District (Virtual School District, A Simulation)

The Goals of the Dos Rios Virtual School District (VSD)

How to Use the Dos Rios VSD

List of Case Studies

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Dr. Victoria Marquesen and Dr. Renee Drabier are the co-directors of the project.

Additional information is available through these links: www.ed.gov/teachtech/, www.ed.gov/Technology/ and

http://www.pt3.org/