Preservice Teacher Collaboration: Integrating Technology, Diverse Cultures, and Human Rights to Realize Public Education Possibilities

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Preparation for Inclusion and Justice: Keeping Pace With Demographic Shifts

Abstract

This session presents findings from a cross-continental collaboration of university pre-service teachers (PST) in university programs in the U.S. and Norway. This digitally mediated intervention explored effective integration of diverse cultures, human rights perspectives, and technology for supporting new teachers in realizing the possibilities of public education for improving students’ academic learning and appreciation of human rights. Conceptually framed by a new global humanism and multi-modal literacies, this research used pre and post surveys, a year-long collaborative inquiry among PSTs using WebEx, and workshops to guide PSTs in data analysis. Findings were that participants designed learning experiences for public school students leveraging wider community resources to enhance diverse perspectives, empathy for others, and novel ways to motivate student participations.

Authors

• Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite, University of California - Berkeley

• Lanette Jimerson, University of California, Berkeley

• Jabari Mahiri, University of California - Berkeley

• KIRSTEN STIEN, University of Tromso