Author(s):
Prior to COVID-19 and the shift to fully online instruction, educator preparation programs were teaching candidates to use technology in the classroom, but they were not focusing on how to teach in exclusively online or hybrid environments. In the future, all preservice teachers will need to know how to teach online, whether due to necessity or by choice. Drawing on the data from our three-year mixed methods research, this Lightning Talk describes a programmatic model for preparing preservice teachers to teach inquiry-based STEM education effectively in online learning environments that are equitable and inclusive of all learners. We first identify essential elements of critical digital pedagogy for facilitating STEM inquiry in online settings. Second, we describe how we have integrated these essential elements into our teacher preparation programs to prepare preservice teachers to foster online environments that are equitable and inclusive of all learners. Lastly, we present a set of indicators that we have developed to provide feedback to preservice teachers as they demonstrate their STEM critical digital pedagogy in clinical experiences during their teacher preparation program. This project offers specific programmatic approaches and instructional strategies for developing preservice teachers and their capacity to teach STEM in K-12 schools.
