The impact of preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3) program and the frequency of teachers' use of technology for classroom instruction among five southwest Mississippi rural school districts

One important issue or problem in education today is the gap between the levels of teacher technology skills and the level of skills needed for teachers to be able to use technology for classroom instruction. This study examined the impact of the PT3 program technology training on the frequency of technology use by PT3 participant teachers in the classroom. The study included five rural school districts in Southwest Mississippi. The PT3 program was located and implemented through Alcorn State University (ASU) in Lorman, Mississippi. The PT3 program was conducted from 2000 to 2003. The data collected from the program was used to determine if the PT3 technology training increased the frequency of participating K--12 teachers and ASU pre-service teachers to use technology for classroom instruction. The use of the data was approved by ASU College of Education's PT3 Director.; Two surveys and oral interviews were conducted, tabulated and summarized each year by the evaluator, which I served as for all three years. The results and findings of the study showed a significant increase in the comfort level and frequency level of technology usage by teachers and pre-service teachers each year after they completed the ASU PT3 technology training. Tables and data analyses of the collected survey information served as documentation of these findings.