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STUDENT TEACHERS’ REFLECTIONS AND COLLABORATIONS THROUGH ELECTRONIC MAIL DISCUSSIONS

The development of reflective teachers is a major goal of many teacher education programs. Learning to reflect requires that preservice teachers have many opportunities to explore and question ideas about children, teaching, and learning (Fosnot, 1989). Throughout their teacher education programs, preservice teachers can be encouraged to reflect on their understandings about children and teaching; however, the most constructive time for reflection may be during the student teaching semester. Research studies about student teachers' stages of development support the need to encourage reflection during student teaching. During their first weeks of student teaching, preservice teachers are most concerned with discipline, content mastery, and positive relationships with cooperating teachers (Van Manen, 1977; Zeichner & Liston, 1987). Fuller & Bown (1975) describe this as the survival stage. For them to move beyond these survival concerns, student teachers require support and encouragement to engage in reflective thinking (O'Donoghue & Brooker, 1996; Smyth, 1989). Creating an environment that links student teachers in a network together eases the stress of the early weeks of student teaching and provides a sense of community (Bennett & Pye, 1998; White, 1995). The use of technology to facilitate students' reflections and collaborations is receiving support from teacher educators who have incorporated electronic mail journals and class listservs into university classes in teacher preparation programs (Bennett & Pye, 1998; Johnson, Harlow, & Maddox, 1995; White, 1995; and Zimmermann & Greene, 1998). According to Bennett & Pye (1998), electronic journals and class listservs provide an excellent environment for open communication between university students and instructors.