Flashback Friday: "Are Teachers of Tomorrow Prepared to Use Innovative Tech?"

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. This week we're looking at MindShift's article, "Are Teachers of Tomorrow Prepared to Use Innovative Tech?" from February 2013, which features data from a report we did with Blackboard Inc about the digital experiences and expectations of tomorrow's teachers. Check out a recap of the article below:

With a new generation of teachers coming into the work force, it's no surprise that there is a discrepancy between what principals expect of these teachers-to-be and what they're actually learning in school. 

Principals expect new teachers to be trained in educational technology.  They want new hires to incorporate social media into their classrooms as a way of communicating with students and parents; they also want new hires to already have experience with blended learning and teaching online classes. However, tomorrow's teachers' tech training focuses only on simple management tools. Despite this, 72% of pre-service teachers report they're well-prepared to use technology in the classroom; however their knowledge of technology may be from growing up with it rather than learning how to use digital tools during their training. 

Incoming teachers seem to be caught between generations: while they use technology in their own lives and to enhance their own education, they're learning to teach in a system that's behind the times. 68% of teachers-in-training learn about digital learning through field placements or by taking advice from their peers and professors. Despite these discrepancies between principals' expectations and the realities of tomorrow's teachers' tech education, it is certain that new teachers are more accepting and more knowledgeable of using technology in the classroom.

To learn more about the topic, check out the original article, "Are Teachers of Tomorrow Prepared to Use Innovative Tech?" (MindShift) and our report with Blackboard Inc.

Are you a principal and have something to add to this conversation? Participate in Speak Up 2014! Speak Up provides an easy way for students, parents and educators to participate in local decisions about technology, as well as contribute to the state and national dialogue about educational technology. Data from the surveys - including data regarding online classes - will be released in February 2015. Click here to register for Speak Up 2014 and mark your calendars for the survey's launch date on October 6!

Additionally, if you are a future teacher and want to leave your input, Speak Up for Higher Ed - Tomorrow's Teachers Speak Up! is open until October 6. Click here to learn more about the program and sign up.