Real-Time Classroom Simulations Used To Train Teacher Candidates

Education Week (1/6) reports on "the TeachME initiative at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando," which uses computer-generated "students" to help prepare teacher candidates for classroom experience. Supporters say that with "real-time classroom simulations like TeachME," future teachers can get "hands-on practice with urban students, or practice a discrete skill such as classroom management. Most of all, such simulations give teachers in training the ability to experiment-and make mistakes-without the worry of doing harm to an actual child's learning." Education Week notes that "the idea of classroom simulations could receive more attention in coming years, especially with the student-teaching aspect of teacher preparation now receiving scrutiny."