May 1996 — Features
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Teacher Training: Helping to Construct the Information Highway
Thus, computers sit idle at the back of the classroom, sometimes used for games during "free time," or for drill and practice. A great number of teachers just do not have the skills to utilize computers in other ways.
If technologies are to actually be infused into the curriculum, daily classes and the teaching and learning process, relevant and meaningful training is critical. This is much different than training teachers to simply operate a computer. Additionally, to make a lasting change in the classroom, a practical application "hands-on" phase must immediately follow the training sessions.
TREK Teacher Training Model
In light of these factors, an urgent need exists for a good teacher training model to help teachers become proficient in the process of infusing technology into their classrooms. One such training model has been piloted, analyzed, replicated and refined at the TREK Institute (Technology Research Exploration for Kids) at Dana College in Nebraska. The TREK Teacher Training Model evolved out of a number of summer institutes for children, which are now in an eighth year of operation.
The TREK Teacher Training Model (TTTM) was designed to train teachers during the first week of the summer institute using nationally recognized award-winning master teachers as scholar/facilitators. These master teachers were teachers first, and technology experts second. They received a majority of their training at NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Geophysical Atmospheric Station.
Classroom teachers were selected for training by a specific set of criteria, plus recommendations from supervisors and colleagues. During the institutes, they were immersed in hands-on manipulative activities and a variety of technologies, working with teaching materials that they would own at the closing of the institute.
Pilot TREK institutes in 1991 and 1992 provided insights to crucial components needed in the program. After participating in the two one-week institutes, evaluations from teachers indicated enthusiasm about incorporating their newly acquired technology skills and integrating mathematics and science activities into their classrooms. However, follow-up data analysis indicated a large majority of teachers did not utilize their new knowledge and skills because:
