What Should Teachers Know About Technology? A Revised Look at the ISTE Foundations

Abstract

The 1989 alliance between the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) paved the way for significant changes in policies concerning the incorporation of technology within teacher education. The technology specialty programs and unit revisions adopted by NCATE have formally signaled that technology is an essential component of teacher education that must be accommodated. The cornerstone of all NCATE programs is the ISTE Foundations, which outline what every teacher should know about and be able to do with technology. By themselves, the Foundations have served as models for technology planning and infusion in teacher education across the United States. In 1996, the ISTE group completed a major review and revision of the 1992 Foundations, resulting in a structured set of competencies and performance indicators as foundational elements for all teachers. The revised Foundations are presented along with discussion of major changes in them. The Foundations will serve as benchmarks not only for professional education units involved in the NCATE accreditation process but also for programs across the nation as they integrate technology into the preparation of all teachers.