Project for Future Teachers - Knowing Our Students; Knowing Ourselves

Future teachers discuss their philosophies of teaching and learning in a global society, and explore the integration of technology and global learning networks into their classrooms to better serve students of all cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

This project seeks to transform our classrooms and schools by transforming the way teachers are trained. Future teachers gain direct experience with global learning networks as they engage in dialogue with their peers about teaching in the 21st century.

The Future Teachers forum is a meeting place for university professors of education and the future teachers in their classes. Three kinds of discussions take place: 1) future teachers from around the world compare perspectives on creating effective and equitable schools and classrooms that will better meet the needs of all students, 2) future teachers share their reflections as they learn first-hand about iEARN's projects as observers, or participants, and 3) professors of teacher education exchange ideas and resources for integrating global learning networks into their courses in different content areas.

The Future Teachers Project was launched during the 1999 iEARN annual conference in Puerto Rico and has been developed collaboratively during subsequent iEARN conferences to offer future teachers direct experience with innovative technology use and global learning early in their careers.