Ball State University took a leadership role in teacher education when it sponsored its first-ever technology workshop led by Apple Computer, Inc. on Sunday. The workshop, which ended on Tuesday, lasted three days and taught teacher education leaders from the Midwest how to bring 21st century technology into the classroom, Laurie Mullen, associate dean for teacher education, said.
More than 40 participants from six institutions attended the conference, Mullen said. Matthew Mooney, a lecturer in instructional technology in the School of Education at Indiana University South Bend, attended the conference and said he was impressed with the students from Burris Laboratory School and Ball State's faculty.
"I think it's wonderful," he said. "I think what Ball State's doing is a very progressive and forward-thinking approach to teacher preparation."
The workshop used focus groups, activities and lectures to analyze how students of today get information, communicate and organize their lives. It was created to bridge the gap between the way students think and the way professors think and organize classes, Mullen said.
"Ball State is being recognized for their work in preparing future teachers to be proficient leaders in schools with regard to teaching and learning," she said.
Besides attending sessions, participants went to a reception and dinner at the Alumni Center and a showcase where teacher education instructors and students showed their ideas for integrating technology into the classroom.
One project entered by Ball State students Samantha Warner, Van Hnem Bualteng, Brooks Holloway, Adam Hofer, Andrew Brubaker and Joseph Ault was called "BookPod: A distributed podcast to encourage peer-inspired reading."
Students at schools subscribing to the podcast can download it from a Web site, Hofer said. The podcast is similar to CardCat, Ball State library's online classification system.
After they download the podcast, students can enter an access code for their school's library and receive summaries about books as well as audio and video podcasts of books located in the library, Hofer said.
Students can also comment on book reviews and on comments from other students, librarians and teachers about the books through a blog engine, according to the BookPod Web site.
Hofer said the BookPod creators hoped this will encourage students to become more engaged in reading.
The workshop also included a focus group session with a fifth-grader, an eighth-grader, a high school senior and Ball State students, Mullen said. The students talked about how they use computing and digital media such as iPods, cell phones, text messaging and blogs.
Workshop participants were interested in hearing what the students said because not all instructors use technology like blogs, Mullen said.
Ball State plans to continue sponsoring the workshop in the future, she said.
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