1989 Volume 13 Issue 2_3 Pages 45-50
This paper summarizes, for a number of different countries, recent trends in teacher training in the educational use of computers and the various ways in which computers are used in schools. Computers are used in the following ways : (1) in teaching computer literacy, (2) as instructional tools, (3) as tools for self-expression, i. e., for word processing, drawing, composing, experimentation, and information retrieval, (4) as tools for school administration and management, i. e., schedulling, sociometry, preparing test items, etc., and (5) for educational research. Adequate teacher training is essential if these various methods for using computers in education are to become really meaningful, and today teacher training in educational computing is being established or has already been put into practice in a number of different countries. The various articles included in this issue, which describe those most recent trends found today in such countries as the United States of America, Canada, several European nations and in the Oceanic countries, point to a number of common features : 1. Teacher training in educational computing is being conducted at the national, or at least at the state or provincial level, in many of these countries. 2. Trends show that content is turning away from instruction in programming languages or the development of CAI courseware and is beginning to become more involved with the uses of word processors, databases, spreadsheets and graphics in the curriculum. 3. In-service teacher training in many countries is based on a "cascade" system wherein those first trained are required to train others. 4. Teachers undergoing in-service training receive support from a variety of sources, to include the granting of university credits, financial and working-hour study periods. 5. Governmental influence over in-service teacher training at the local school level is not truely sufficient.
