CIDDList: Back-to-School Checklist for Technology in Teacher Preparation Courses

It’s hard to believe that the Fall 2023 semester is upon us. Last year, we published a series of blogs dedicated to preparing for the fall semester. Knowing that technology is ever changing, we have curated a list to help guide you in your thought process around technology in your teacher preparation program. This CIDDList joins a series of short blogs created to share new resources in easily digestible lists. Below are five tips as you prepare for the fall semester. 

1. Don’t ignore AI. Discuss how and when AI should be used in your course from the onset. Use CIDDL resources to support you in meaningfully integrating the technology into your course. 
2. Check your links. Video permissions change, websites disappear. Just because it worked last year does not mean it will work this year. And, resources improve. Maybe there is a new video that meets your objective better. Maybe there are multiple resources that can share similar information, allowing for further embracing of multiple means of representation.
3. Try something new! There are so many innovative tech resources available that can support your teacher preparation program. Model the various tech for your pre-service students so they can understand how they could use it in their own classrooms. Need ideas? CIDDL has several great blogs and how-tos on various tech. These include Boom Cards, Pear Deck, and time management tools. 
4. Keep it simple. Having students use a new tech each week may or may not meet your learning objectives. Just because it CAN do what you want, does not mean it is the best. For example, you could use Jamboard or Padlet for a discussion board, or you could use the embedded discussion board in your LMS. Consider ease of use for yourself as the instructor, your students, and issues surrounding accessibility.
5. Be open to change! Technology in teacher preparation is constantly changing and improving. Innovation does not stop. As new technology comes across your desk, be open to exploring it both on your own and with your students. Some examples of places to learn about new tech include CIDDL’s website and newsletter, the Journal of Special Education Technology, and There’s an AI for That (a website that curates AIs, which you can learn more about through our blog). Find a great resource? Tell us about how you are using it in the CIDDL community.