For the past five years, the four teacher educator associations representing the core content areas of science education (AETS), mathematics education (AMTE), English education (CEE), and social studies education (CUFA) have collaborated on a series of national technology leadership initiatives with the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE).

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE Journal) is one tangible product of that collaboration. Each of the five participating associations cosponsors the journal and has editorial responsibility for the section of the journal corresponding to the content area it represents.

This year the editors of the CITE Journal established the Technology Leadership awards to encourage and recognize exemplary uses of technology in teacher education. A call for nominations was distributed to the more than 500 past and current recipients of the Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology federal grant program.

In keeping with the CITE Journal's mission and collaborative objectives, the editors were specifically looking for exemplary uses of technology that prepare teachers to enhance student learning of content (e.g., mathematics, science, English, or social studies), rather than those facilitating administrative tasks in the classroom. Awards were presented in two categories: Exemplary Use of Technology in a Teacher Education Methods Course and Exemplary Use of Technology in an Introductory Technology Course.

Nominees for this year's awards each submitted a three-page description of their innovative technology use, as well as online resources and student work samples. A panel of judges comprised of CITE Journal editors and their colleagues from teacher education gave greatest weight to the following aspects when considering the nominations:

Exemplary Use of Technology in a Teacher Education Methods Course

1. Technology is used to teach subject-specific content or pedagogy.

2. Technology use is student centered.

3. Technology use is innovative within its educational context.

4. Preservice teachers demonstrate an ability to integrate technology into their own K-12 instruction.

5. Student work samples provided are illustrative of the above criteria.

Exemplary Use of Technology in an Introductory Technology Course

1. Technology is presented in the context of subject-specific content or pedagogy in a way that addresses K-12 instructional issues.

2. A connection exists between the ITC technology use or practice and a related methods course or field experience.

3. The use or practice is innovative within its educational context.

4. Preservice teachers demonstrate an ability to integrate technology into their own K-12 instruction.

5. Student work samples provided are illustrative of the above criteria.

We thank the members of the selection jury* who carefully reviewed each nomination and its supporting materials. They identified a number of examples of innovative technology use through this process, but four programs stood out as best meeting our criteria.

Use of Technology to Teach Content in a Methods Course

Winner: Using Technology Tools to Support Content Learning in English and Language Arts, Jamie Myers, Pennsylvania State University

Honorable Mention: Integrating Technology Into an Intermediate Literacy Methods Course, Denise A. Schmidt, Donna J. Merkley, & Carol J. Fuhler, Iowa State University

Use of Technology to Teach Content in an Introductory Technology Course

Winner: The Introductory Technology Course: A Tool for Technology Integration, Keith Wetzel, Lance Wilhelm, Mia Kim Williams, Arizona State University West

Winner: Integrating Technology in the Elementary Curriculum, Debra Sprague, George Mason University

We are pleased to provide descriptions of these courses and associated teacher educators in this issue of CITE Journal. An electronic journal offers the opportunity to provide links to online resources. We hope that you will find the online resources and examples of student work provided to be useful.

The editors of the CITE Journal are soliciting follow-up commentaries to encourage ongoing dialog on this topic. If your teacher education program is engaged in similar practices, we would encourage submission of brief commentaries —two- to four-page contributions commenting on the innovations highlighted, possibly describing parallel innovations or practice in your own teacher education program.

Another round of awards is slated for 2004. We would encourage you to consider nomination of exemplary uses of technology in your teacher education program. In addition to exemplary uses of technology in teacher education methods courses and introductory technology courses, we are seeking nominations for exemplary uses of technology in the following areas:

1. Exemplary Use of Technology to teach content by a preservice teacher in a student teaching experience.

2. Exemplary Use of Technology to teach content by a novice teacher during the induction years after graduation (first or second year of classroom teaching).

Additional information about the next round of nominations can be found at the following URL:

http://www.citejournal.org/awards/

Selection Jury: 2003 CITE Journal Technology Leadership Awards

Natalie Milman, George Washington University
Dee Anna Willis, Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Michael Berson, University of South Florida
David Hicks, Virginia Tech
John Lee, Georgia State University
Gladis Kersaint, University of South Florida
Cathy Loving, Texas A&M University
Carl Young, Virginia Tech
Cindy Bowman, Florida State University
Lynne Schrum, University of Utah
Terri Bucci, The Ohio State University, Mansfield
Randy Bell, University of Virginia
Stephanie Van Hover, University of Virginia