Trajectories and deviations: The complexities around preparing preservice teachers for teaching 21st century digikids

Abstract

This chapter discusses preparing preservice secondary teachers for 21st century digikids and the complexities surrounding this challenge. Curriculum policies and the 21st century skills movement describe an ICT trajectory for schools in readying students for their future lives. Socio-cultural theories of literacy and theories of motivation urge both connecting with students’ out-of-school interests to increase learning engagement, and building on the literacy funds they bring to in-school learning. Research shows that digital technologies play an important role in students’ out-of-school interests and literacy activities; they are “digikids.” There is, then, a call to prepare preservice secondary teachers for steering this trajectory. However, there are multiple deviations to such a flight path. There is evidence that school students and preservice teachers do not possess Web information literacy skills and that teacher-perceived constraints have led to an under-utilisation of ICTs in secondary schools - the very environment in which preservice teachers hone skills and begin career trajectories. Additionally, beginning teacher literature would suggest many of these constraints are compounded in early career. These complexities (trajectories and deviations) are explored vis-à-vis models of preservice ICT teacher education, in an attempt to find how preservice secondary teachers’ ICT learning could be developed for effective classroom practice.