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LEI Aloha Project Overview

The Learning Enhancement through Innovations project (LEI Aloha) in the University of Hawaii's, College of Education's (COE) Educational Technology Department (ETEC), created an infrastructure to systematically infuse technology into teacher education curriculum. Teacher preparation courses were redesigned to become 'Technology Intensive' (TI), in which both the instructor and students actively use technology. High tech resources and a mentoring program for faculty members in the COE and the College of Arts and Sciences were provided to effectively integrate technology into preservice teachers' educational experiences. Coupled with corporate and educational partnerships, workshops, online courses and summer institutes were provided for inservice teachers. The LEI Aloha video and resources website and local television broadcasts provided videos spotlighting innovative technology teaching practices in Hawai`i as well as, a wide variety of other resources such as lesson plans, tips, and tutorials.

The LEI Aloha project had three goals. Goal 1 was to increase the number of technology proficient role models at UH, specifically in the teacher preparation program. The model created for professional development was based upon a combination of workshops to supply broad-based information and strategies on technology integration, in conjunction with 1-on-1 sessions tailored to individualized needs of faculty members. Faculty mentoring in the LEI Aloha project paired a graduate student and a faculty member to improve skills and course design for technology integration.

Goal 2 of the grant was to work with Hawaii's public school teachers in partner schools to be technology proficient role models in integrating technology into the curriculum. This goal was expanded to include preservice teachers and other inservice teachers. The PT3 funds helped pre-service teachers meet new State of Hawaii Licensing Standards, mainly through the completion of ETEC courses. The LEI project assisted students in various ways to help them demonstrate their competencies required by the new standards. Inservice teachers at partner schools participated in workshops, professional development and online courses and conferences, and received technical support in completing technology integration activities.

Goal 3 of the grant addressed the need to increase access to quality learning resources for both faculty and students in the COE teacher preparation program. The COE's Technology Learning Center (TLC) was expanded to include multimedia workstations and a portable equipment pool that included laptops, projectors, tripods, digital video and still cameras. A key component to the project was the emphasis on providing digital learning resources for faculty and teachers that were accessible to individuals throughout the State. LEI Aloha primarily provided short videos highlighting exemplary technology infusion in teaching that were televised and accessible on the project website. The ETEC-Connections website (www.hawaii.edu/etec) was created to serve as a gateway to the many digital resources developed specifically for faculty and teachers regarding content and technology standards, technology integration, teaching strategies, technology resources, teaching materials, and online tutorials.

LEI Aloha History

In a response to a need for more technology proficient teachers in our nation's schools, the US Congress in 1999, established the Department of Education's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology grant program (PT3). The PT3 program's goal was not to ensure that pre-service teachers understand how to use a computer or access the Internet; rather, they were to understand how to create and deliver high-quality, technology-infused lessons that engage their students and improve learning. By supporting innovation and change, the program started a movement that aimed to break the cycle that leaves new teachers unprepared to use modern ICT because their teacher education professors were not modeling the technology-infused teaching methods needed to effectively teach in the 21 st century classroom.

During an initial 1999 PT3 Implementation grant and previous Eisenhower Professional Development grant awards, the Department of Educational Technology (ETEC) created an infrastructure of ICT resources and professional development programs that helped education faculty and pre-service teachers to become proficient at integrating ICT into their teaching (Fulford, Ho, & Eichelberger, 2000) . Learning Enhancements through Innovation (LEI) Aloha, as this PT3 project was aptly named, became an integral partner with the College of Education's new Outreach and Technology office. Many of the functions and services initiated by LEI Aloha were continued by Outreach and Technology.

An additional PT3 Catalyst grant in 2001 further expanded the role of LEI Aloha in the COE to include the development of a series of online courses for practicing teachers on sabbatical leave called the Technology Intensive Enhancement Series (TIES), and a mentoring program for teacher education faculty. This mentoring program allowed faculty to receive one-on-one assistance from a graduate student with designing their online courses. Those receiving this assistance have remarked that the consistent and individualized help they have received from mentors have been so much more effective than other professional development activities such as workshops and seminars.

Concurrent with the development of TIES courses, a team of instructional designers from LEI Aloha began developing multimedia modules that would be used to support the online courses. The modules, designed for distribution on CD ROM, provided information normally covered by lectures and demonstrations in a face-to-face course. Flash and Director animations were used to keep the content interesting and engaging. Audio narration minimized the amount of text needed making it suitable for a wider audience. Each topic was comprised of several "chapters" that could either be viewed in sequence or by user preference.

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