Constructivism Meets Technology Integration: The CUFA Technology Guidelines in an Elementary Social Studies Methods Course

Abstract

Schools and colleges of education have been criticized for not adequately preparing preservice teachers to integrate technology in their future classrooms. It has been proposed that a central component in the preparation of preservice teachers is for the instructors of content methods courses to model strategies for integrating technology that enhance learning. Mason et al's (2000) “Guidelines for Using Technology to Prepare Social Studies Teachers” (CUFA Technology Guidelines) were developed specifically for social studies educators and are premised on the belief that one role of social studies educators is to model appropriate uses of technology for preservice teachers. This article presents results of a research study that investigated the characteristics of a social studies methods instructor whose practice was guided by the CUFA Technology Guidelines. In particular, this article describes how the instructor's constructivist philosophical beliefs influenced her integration of technology as encouraged by the CUFA Technology Guidelines.