Texas Woman’s University is one of only 40 educational institutions in the nation using TeachLivE, an interactive computer-simulated classroom where teacher education students interact with “virtual” children. The lab is housed in the department of education and resembles a classroom. When the laboratory goes live, five students at desks appear on a large screen in the front of the room. The virtual students are programmed to ask and answer questions. At times the virtual students will misbehave.
Heather Haynes-Smith, an assistant professor of teacher education at Texas Woman’s University, explains that “this technology mirrors what teachers see in the classroom with their students. Many times, early teaching experiences leave teachers feeling frustrated and unprepared. These students who use the TeachLivE lab will be ready to go into the classroom.” Dr. Haynes-Smith has been on the faculty at Texas Woman’s University since 2012. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Trinity University in San Antonio. She earned a doctorate in special education at the University of Kansas.
The TeachLivE system, which was developed at the University of Central Florida, can also be adapted for professional development exercises for current teachers.