Ines marquez chisholm

Teacher Preparation for Computer Competency

Future teachers must not only be culturally competent, but also computer competent Teacher educators must, therefore, determine what constitutes computer competency for teachers and how best to develop this competency among pre-service teachers. Basic computer competency for multicultural teachers includes:

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  knowledge of basic computer terminology and computer applications;
  
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  practical knowledge of computer hardware, including -CD-ROM, electronic pads, and modems;
  
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  readiness to use a variety of software for a diversity of personal, professional, and instructional applications, such as databases for record keeping, E-mail for professional support, and word processing for communication with parents, administrators, and students;
  
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  understanding of the potential benefits and disadvantages of educational computing; . evaluation of software in terms of instructional, cultural, informational, and technological worth;
  
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  evaluation of software in relation to educational goals, teaching philosophy, instructional approach, learning styles, and cognitive demand;
  
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  applied knowledge of how to teach students to use hardware and software, offer assistance to students at the computer, plan for computer use, manage each student’ access to computers, and allocate time and space for computer use;
  
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  awareness of cultural and individual preferences in learning, remembering, perceiving, problem-solving, inter-relating, communicating, obtaining help and recognition in relation to educational computing;
  
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  adaptation of computer applications for multicultural teaching, e.g. using word processing for writing oral histories or myths, using databases for historical data on various groups, and using graphics programs to design culture-specific traditional art (Digranes & Digranes, 1989), and
  
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  orchestration of classroom activities, class time, available resources, technology, and students’ needs within a supportive environment
  

Such a broad interpretation of computer competency, while incorporating computer literacy, extends beyond it Computer literacy generally refers to knowledge of basic computer terminology as well as skill in using computer hardware and software. Multicultural teacher educators should not be satisfied with merely developing computer literate teachers. Instead, multicultural teacher education must prepare prospective teachers for the challenges of culturally diverse classrooms by fusing technological and multicultural expertise. The pedagogical imperative is to move towards more global, integrative, informed, and pragmatic teacher preparation rather than to perpetuate fragmentary, idealistic, and anachronistic traditional programs.