Section I: Content

A. Statement of the Problem In Y2K (the year 2000), how are Schools, Colleges, and/or Departments of Education (SCDEs) using the World Wide Web for identification, program and coursework dissemination, connections with other teacher education programs and professional development efforts, and for the synthesis and evaluation of new information? How do SCDEs provide Internet, World Wide Web (WWW) curricular resources and experiences which assure integration among students seeking credentials as teachers, superintendents, principals, school psychologists, school counselors, and special educators?

B. Literature Review Cybercasting is the dissemination of information on computer screens using the World Wide Web. Analogous to broadcasting, producers and viewers of the SCDEs’ webpages have the tools to widely and freely share information and ideas.

This roundtable discussion is designed to serve as a review of the use of the World Wide Web by 100 SCDEs during 2000. This study will extend the discussion first developed in a 1999 AACTE poster session on how the World Wide Web is used by SCDEs to forge community links and serve learners and the research on the use of the Internet as a support in the teacher education process.

Blenz-Clucas (1996) examines the use of the Internet to connect students, parents, teachers, and other community members with PK-12 schools. Casey (1994) examines how TeacherNet, a community of student teachers linked by electronic mail, supported pre-service experiences by "increasing student reflectivity, rapport with supervisors, team support, self-esteem, knowledge and use of information access and retrieval, and use of computers at home." This presentation will also be placed in the context of social issues generated by the use of information technologies – in the areas of intellectual property rights, privacy, evaluation and assessment, and access to technology.

This discussion will also build on a research study presented in a poster session on cybercasting by SCDEs during February 1999. The webpages of over fifty AACTE member institutions and SCDEs for several other countries were reviewed for the quantity and quality of information at their sites. Each website was analyzed with a checklist of informational items including school address, faculty directory, program listings, course descriptions, course syllabi, detailed program descriptions, interactive course syllabi linked to other resources, faculty works in progress and papers, SCDE reports online, student works in progress online, and webpages with surveys for formative evaluation of the programs. The presenters concluded that consideration should also be given to the ease of navigation within a school’s website and other special features of content and presentation. A webpage on this research study was developed and is readily accessible. The presenters also submitted the study for reproduction as an ERIC document.

This year’s study will focus on how SCDEs make use of web-based interactivity to prepare individuals who are skilled in the integration of school leadership roles. Websites will be featured that are designed to serve as a virtual forum for discussions across disciplines and professional roles. Extrapolating from these exemplary models, the presenters will suggest strategies for enhancing professional conversation on student learning and community development.

C. Contribution This roundtable will serve to continue an ongoing discussion on the use of the World Wide Web by schools, colleges, and departments of education. Of particular focus for February 2000 will be how SCDEs make use of web-based information sharing to develop conversations and unified action plans to increase student learning across the various roles of professionals in schools.

Discussion at this roundtable will also include such topics as the applications of online courses, program evaluation for distance learning, and future integration of educational technology in teacher education curriculum. The research for this presentation will also include the development of another webpage that will catalog the innovative uses of the World Wide Web by AACTE members during February 2000 and discuss the evolution of this technology since February 1999. Highlighted on this research webpage will be the SCDEs’ effects at maximizing networking among educational professionals.

D. Conclusions This study will result in an overview of exemplary uses of the World Wide Web for preparing school leaders by 100 schools, colleges, and departments of Education during February 2000. This roundtable discussion of these sites will also include a review of how the 50 sites examined for last year’s presentation have evolved over the year. This resulting webpage for this study will catalog exemplary applications and suggest trends for the future. This study will also be submitted to ERIC and be expanded for submission to the Journal of Teacher Education and educational technology journals.

Section II: Outcomes and Methods

A. Learner/Participant Outcomes During this roundtable, participants will compare exemplary practices in preparing school leaders to play integrative roles found on the websites of over 100 SCDEs. Participants will share their own experiences with the development and applications of web-based information and suggest additional exemplary websites and practices in this area. Other topics for discussion will include suggestions for improving the methodology for analyzing the quality of websites, potential trends in the use of the WWW by SCDEs, and ways that technology-using teacher educators might more effectively network on this and other topics.

Methods Paper copies of the study’s Y2K webpage, including the grid of informational elements on exemplary webpages, will be shared along with illustrations of exemplary practices for integrating school leadership found on websites. Participants will be asked to describe their experiences with developing and using web-based information, with a particular focus on how networking has enable the greater integration of school professionals. Name and email addresses will be collected to initiate increased networking among colleagues interested in the use of the WWW for integrating school leadership to enhance student learning.
 
 

1. Title of Presentation

2. Description of the Proposal Session This roundtable discussion will overview WWW applications by SCDEs. Exemplary applications for integrating school leadership roles will be highlighted and the challenges and potential of the WWW will be discussed.
 
 

3. List of Presenters:

Institution Eastern Connecticut State University

City/State Willimantic, CT 06226

Email stoloffd@ecsu.ctstateu.edu

Paper Title Cybercasting SCDEs: A 2000 Review
 
 

Names Dr. Nada Mach

Institution California State University, Dominguez Hills

City/State Carson, CA

Email nmach@DHVX20.CSUDH.EDU

c. Instructional Design/Development

5. Strand 5: The Preparation of School Leaders – Roundtable Discussion

David L. Stoloff, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair,

Education Department

Eastern Connecticut State University

83 Windham Street, Webb Hall Room 129

Willimantic, CT 06226

tel. no. (860) 465 - 5501 fax. no. (860) 465 - 4538

email: stoloffd@ecsu.ctstateu.edu

WWW: http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/stoloff.html