Since 1999, the national PT3 Program and its grantees have been working to transform teacher education so that technology is integrated throughout teaching and learning. Their goal has been to ensure that new teachers enter the classroom prepared to effectively use the computers that await them. Change of this scale is a formidable challenge, but grantees have developed innovative strategies to advance the cause.

The Arrowhead "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology" (APT3) grant brought together UMD faculty, in-service teachers and pre-service teachers (UMD Education students) to encourage the integration of technology into teaching, at the university and in K-12 schools, for three years (2000 - 2003).

UMD's APT3 Project cost $3,425,556 over three years.

Approach:

APT3 established 18 collaboratories - unique social structures composed of cooperating teachers, university faculty and preservice teachers. Collaboratories planned for and integrated technology into existing pre-kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum by asking two key questions:

Through these collaboratories, faculty, in-service and pre-service teachers integrated technology standards and practices into university coursework and K-12 classes. Everyone learned a lot in the process! In addition, videoconferencing was used to connect UMD Education students with real world classroom diversity experiences that would otherwise have been unavailable to them.

The collaboration that began with the APT3 project will continue, because so many valued connections have been made between university and K-12 professionals. In addition, the collaboratory model was so successful that additional groups are being formed in the Duluth Public Schools.

Impact: