Preparing Preservice Teachers to Integrate Technology: A Longitudinal Study.

Acadia University was the first institution in Canada to offer a fully-integrated laptop program across all curriculum areas at this liberal arts college. Since 1996 students and faculty have brought laptop computers to technology-enriched classrooms. In a follow-up project, the School of Education secured a $350,000 McConnell Foundation grant to integrate technology across all aspects of preservice teacher training in a 2 year BEd program. Preservice teachers were immersed in a technology-empowered environment in hopes of preparing them to use technology in public schools. This paper presents the results of a 5-year longitudinal study where students were given laptops to use in their teaching positions after they graduated and became certified teachers. The research established how this sample of teachers were able to integrate technology into their instruction over the first five years of their teaching careers in public schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]