While attending the Fifth World Conference on Computers in Education 1990 in Sydney, Australia, it became quite evident that many concerns with regard to teacher education are world-wide. The main concerns centered upon pre-service and in-service training. Various presentations, offered by educators from all over the world, disclosed that many similar approaches have been tried in an effort to meet the perceived needs. Although most seemed to agree that a start has been made at edueating teachers to integrate the computer into the curriculum, much still remains to be done.
The Federation of Women Teachers' Associations of Ontario, Canada took the initiative and devised a unique approach to teacher training. This presentation will describe it and the way in which more teachers have become knowledgeable and acquired the comfort level necessary to make good use of the computer as a powerful cross-curricular teaching tool.
Marilyn Dickson, an Executive Assistant with the Federation of Women Teachers' Associations of Ontario, was the mastermind behind this unique approach to training female teachers throughout Ontario with regard to using the computer in their daily learning environments. During this presentation, she will reveal all of the organizational information and results pertaining to the computer courses which have been offered.
Norma Dogger, an elementary school teacher by day and often a university course director at night, will expound on both her experiences as an FWTAO Provincial Computer Course participant and subsequently as an instructor for several of the FWTAO Regional Computer Courses offered in the province.