Teacher Technology Competence Base

This chapter looks at the teacher and his/her technology competence base. It will attempt to determine what technology competencies the teacher should have before engaging in the use of any educational technology in the teaching and learning process. The content will argue that schools need to support teachers in accessing needed technology and in learning how to use it effectively. Institutions responsible for pre-service and in-service professional development for educators should focus explicitly on ensuring all educators are capable of selecting, evaluating, and using appropriate technologies and resources to create experiences that advance student engagement and learning. Teachers should be expected to model how to leverage available tools to engage content with curiosity and a mindset bent on problem solving and how to be co-creators of knowledge. In short, teachers should be the students they hope to inspire in their classrooms. Six concepts will guide this chapter; these are technological, instructional, methodological, evaluative, communication, and attitude.