Proactive Preparation: Interactive Video in Teacher Education Programs

Imagine having your student teacher walk into the classroom ready to videoconference the first day? Or picture the brand new teacher you hired asking when can s/he start videoconferencing? If your student teacher or new hire is from Adrian College it will happen!

Greg is working with associate professor, Richard Lovett, from the teacher preparation program at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. Together they offer a 3 part module on videoconferencing in one of the Educational Technology courses. The students are required to use lesson plan design and develop an interactive, multi-media, hands-on instructional lesson – and deliver it by videoconference!

In the first module, the pre-service teachers learn how to modify a traditional, face-to-face lesson for videoconferencing. They are provided with many resources to research videoconferencing and how to design effective interactive videoconferencing lessons. The second module involves researching and studying best practices. In the third module the students deliver their lesson to their classroom peers via videoconference.

Students work in teams based on subject area. One Health/PE team taught CPR via videoconferencing providing everyone with CPR training manikins for practice. A group of students studying to be Elementary Art Teachers created a lesson on Primary and Secondary Colors teaching how to mix colored paints. A group of pre-service science teachers made a lesson on how fossils are created. The ideas and lessons were excellent – even Greg admits to being amazed at how incredible the lessons have been!

Class surveys show the pre-service teachers find learning interactive videoconferencing skills valuable to their careers as teachers. The students also learn the important skill of collaboration by working on teams to create one lesson. In addition, the videoconferencing modules create opportunities to practice sound lesson plan design and lesson delivery.

This teacher preparation model connecting technology and practice is an outstanding way to provide pre-service teachers with an opportunity to learn about videoconferencing in the K-12 classroom. By incorporating interactive videoconferencing in teacher training programs, Adrian College is making great strides in creating 21st Century teachers!