Teacher education and information technology: challenges for teacher education

The need to fit education within the emerging complex cultures of the twenty-first century has brought with it a more mature understanding of the challenge to integrate new technologies.Many governments, including in the United Kingdom (UK) and Portugal, are determined that educational systems will take an 'inclusive' approach, possibly because they are beginning to glimpse the inequalities, as well as the potential, that novel forms of communication can engender.Teacher education appears to have moved centre stage along with communications technologies in several countries around the world, particularly in Europe and North America.The readership of this journal includes many who have passed through the stages of naive enthusiasm into mature critical professional reflection on information and communications technology (ICT) in education, including teacher education.Many recognise the challenge to retain the vision of the opportunities provided through new technologies and the need for both care and courage to work these innovations into effective teaching and learning.The Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education (JITTE) has played a role in providing a scholarly view and evidence of the roles that new technologies can play for teacher education and links with theory.JITTE was established as the first international research journal in this field in 1992.The challenges appear even stronger today.I recognise this as I contribute to the Challenges'99 conference in the Universidade do Minho, in Northern Portugal.