Using Technology in the Social Studies Classroom: The Journey of Two Teachers

This study examined perspectives and practices of two secondary social studies teachers who participated in multiple technology integration efforts during their pre-service teacher education program. The study presents similarities and differences of the teachers' technology use during three distinct phases of their development: methods instruction, student teaching, and post graduation/in-service teaching. The study found that while both teachers continued to use technologies that had been modeled during their teacher preparation, consistent professional development was essential in their development of new and innovative technology integration strategies. Both teachers consistently used technology as a classroom management tool, suggesting that teacher educators should explore potential teaching methods that can promote positive classroom management techniques. Other conclusions and implications for teacher educators are also presented.