Why integrate technology? This is a question a lot of educators ask. Although more and more educators are accepting that technology is important to student learning, how will technology fit into the daily classroom environment is a question that many have not answered. The benefit to using technology, this article suggests, is that it will help give students experience they can use in their professional lives, college and career. The author really emphasizes the point that the skills students will learn will not be typing and how to run applications, but how to sort and process information digitally, such as when researching online.
Effective technology integration must be made across the curriculum, in ways that deepens and enhances the learning process. To achieve this, technology must support; active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction, and feedback (usually personalized and prompt). The end result of successful technology integration means the technology will become transparent or largely routine, similar to pencil and paper in the classroom.
The biggest point that I take away from this article is “Technology...changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means.” I could not agree more with this statement. This is now what I believe to be the biggest barrier to technology integration. Teachers (young and old) find that if technology does not fit their teaching style, they may be less willing to integrate technology as it does not fit their teaching style.
First of all, I did pick this article because it contains that all encompassing word, ubiquitous. Technology is successfully integrated when it becomes ubiquitous. More and more in our district, technology has not lost its appeal to children as they enjoy using it in the classroom, as it often stimulates independent learning and engagement. However it is becoming more routine in the classroom. Students expect to be using these devices often, if not on a daily basis. More time is spent on content then learning how to use the apps. However, I wish the article had suggested ways this could be accomplished.
As I was reading the article I was thinking of the term, ubiquitous, as well. It it my hope that by integrating technology into the classroom will help to meet the needs of ALL students.
ReplyDeleteI had a couple of questions when reading this. Is it possible to be ubiquitous when teachers are holding out on integrating tech? And are teacher training programs at colleges preparing new teachers with the ability to integrate technology by teaching them styles that make it easier to do? I wonder if this process will take time, or if some day soon, the next generation of teachers will come and all will be well. I think you are right in saying that the students are ready for it. I just wonder how long it will take staff to catch up.
ReplyDelete"Effective technology integration must be made across the curriculum, in ways that deepens and enhances the learning process. To achieve this, technology must support; active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction, and feedback."
ReplyDeleteThis is the ongoing challenge isn't it? This sums up perfectly what technology should represent in the classroom. This is obviously what I strive for, but unfortunately, I am looking at this and feeling like a failure! :( I feel that I have done much better in the last year trying to make this my tech attitude, but unfortunately I still fall short. It is a definite challenge that I am taking one step at a time. I feel like I hit different components that go with this at different times, but I am far from ubiquitous. I think a lot my feeling this was has to do with a lot of what we have talked about in class--not having the time, messing with too many different things instead of getting good at implementing 1 or 2 programs to really be helpful. It is something I will continue working on.
I would agree that in our district technology is being used more and more, but that ever elusive "ubiquitous" word is the key. I wish that it was as easy as just converting each lesson into an independent learning event that contains critical thinking. I am with Tyler, and wish it would give more suggestions as to how that can be accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI, like Marisa, also feel like somewhat of a failure when it comes to this. I feel that I spend a lot of time just teaching the application rather than letting the students guide the instruction. In my position though, there just doesn't seem to be enough time or enough Mrs. Wesners to get around the room and accomplish this.
In speaking to Alex's comment about teacher prep, I have a clinical student from ISU one hour a day this semester. I know that she has had one class in tech tools, but most of the tech she has used while teaching is tools I have shown her. I think a lot of the current college students were taught mostly using traditional methods so maybe the transition to a new teaching style would not be as natural for them as if/when we reach a group of students that were taught with transformed teaching styles.
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