Learning from the Learners: Preparing Future Teachers to Leverage the Benefits of Laptop Computers

ABSTRACTTechnology is changing the teaching and learning landscape. Teacher preparation programs must produce teachers who have new skills and strategies to leverage the benefits of laptop computers in their classrooms. This study used a phenomenological strategy to explain first-year college students' perceptions of the effects of a 1:1 laptop experience on their readiness for college and the uses of technology for instructional purposes by high school teachers. Participants in the study had experienced a 1:1 laptop initiative for two or more years while in high school. The study included interviews with 15 participants from two different countries and five different high schools. Recommendations from student voices in this study call for teacher preparedness beyond the levels of traditional teacher preparation curriculum. Teacher preparation programs and ongoing professional development need to embed curriculum with practical applications of technology integration for teachers so that they are truly cla...