The author has helped to develop IT educational projects in various departments at the tertiary level for the last three years, and is alarmed by the many technological writings on the benefits of IT in education, which arguments look suspiciously simplistic and all pervasive. The author also witnessed the frustrations of teachers who are often disempowered under the impact of the IT education reform. This paper is a result of such concern and dissatisfaction of the seemingly uncritical and narrow approach in theorizing and implementing IT in education. It is hoped that by offering a more in-depth inquiry of the subject, that researchers and education professionals alike can take a holistic approach towards their work in teaching and learning with or without IT

One of the major teaching challenges of higher education is helping students to bridge knowledge with real life practice. This is especially important in applied fields including medicine, social science, education and engineering. Traditionally, practicum and internship programs are the only means for students to step outside of classroom learning and to connect with the outside world, and a chance to apply what they learn to real life problems. Increasingly, information and communication technology (ICT) is being used to create yet another dimension for authentic learning beyond the boundaries of the classrooms, and in addition afford collaborative and flexible learning mode. This paper details a collaborative effort between the engineering and the education disciplines, in using ICT to support students' professional growth in teacher education. An eLearning platform was created as a result of the joint effort for the training of student teachers in developing their professional knowledge in teaching and learning and gaining understanding of the work of a teacher. Through the platform, student teachers gain understanding about the teaching profession from different people of the education sector; and they can reflect and share their teaching practicum experiences with each other using the online communication tools.
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