Technology Integration!
Today's students are dependent on an education that incorporates technology. Students are constantly surrounded by technology in their home lives, and will continue to be surrounded by it for the remainder of their lives. (Scary thought!) Solorom & Schrum, authors of Web 2.0 How to for Educators (2010), argue that teachers should use the tools that students find appealing, such as iPads and laptops, to help prepare them for the future. Instead of asking students to "power down" at the start of class, teachers should encourage students in their use of technology to connect and communicate with others (Module one, n.d.). Today's students are goal-oriented and driven, yet they need to be actively engaged in learning, and technology is one way to accomplish that. Students also want to be measured "and see how much they are improving," and technology is one way that can happen (MacArthur Foundation, 2010).
I recently interviewed a 3rd grade teacher on her use of technology integration in the classroom. One of the points she mentioned was that her students benefited from the visual representations of their state-wide standardized test grades. They liked comparing their results to the results of others. Technology is important not only for learning, but also for reflection. Students do not always have to be immersed in technology, instead, they can use tools such as blogs and wiki pages to reflect on learning (MacArthur Foundation, 2010).
Technology use, I'm sure, varies by school and district. My school was fortunate to receive a start-up grant with money for technology, so we were able to furnish our classrooms with the latest and greatest on the market! It is important to note, however, that just because we have it available does not mean we all use it. This afternoon I attended a staff meeting where we focused on technology integration in our school. The majority of our teachers admitted to not ever having used the interactive white boards in their classrooms because they do not know how. The technology integration specialist responded by organizing a workshop for all teachers to attend in order to learn how to use the tool. Teachers and administrators alike need to be willing to put in the necessary effort to implement the technology they have available. Technology is necessary, not only for teaching 21st century skills, but also for developing creativity and engagement (MacArthur Foundation, 2010). It is something that educators can no longer afford to brush off and avoid using.
Module one: Reviewing
the role of the technology integration specialist (state/national standards)
(n.d.).
Retrieved April 1, 2014 from https://bb.snhu.edu/
Solomon, G., &
Schrum, L. (2010). Web 2.0 how to for educators. Eugene, OR: International
Society
for Technology in Education.
MacArthur Foundation.
(Producer). (2010, December 01). Rethinking learning: The 21st century
learner
[Video]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=c0xa98cy-Rw
I think that you bring up several great points here. First of all, as you said, the role of the technology integration specialist is changing. Their role is no longer about teaching solitary typing and computer skill classes. Instead, they are responsible for coaching and guiding other teachers on how to incorporate technology into every day learning that will enhance the learning experience of the students. In addition to this, the technology teacher is also responsible for providing professional development opportunities for teachers. I have to say, the technology specialist in my school does a fabulous job with this. He is always willing to help teachers brainstorm about ideas on how technology can enhance a particular lesson or unit. He also provides quality and helpful professional development opportunities that teachers can take advantage of.
ReplyDeleteYou are also right in that our students today are constantly surrounded by technology in their lives and the schools environment needs to recognize this. It is our responsibility to embrace technology and teach our students to use these tools in an educational way that will provide them with the skills that they need to be successful in the future. Also, like you said, our students do like to be monitored. When you think about all of the online video games that they play, they are motivated to keep going because they want to reach a certain goal or level. This can easily be carried over into school. Thus, we must measure our students in a way that they are able to recognize and monitor their progress. I also motivate my students to improve on standardized testing by showing them visual representations on how well they have done in the past and provide them with a goal for the upcoming test. This helps to give them an idea of how they have done and it also motivates them to do well on the upcoming test.
Great post!
I really enjoyed reading your post. I like that you brought up reflection as a way for technology to enhance a student's learning. It's important to be able to reflect and think about what you've done, how you did it and what changes you might make if you had to do it again. As teachers and technology integration specialists, that should be something we do every day.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding the needs of the teachers is also very important, and providing training is a big part of the responsibility. It would be terrible to have a great piece of technology, like an interactive white board, go unused because no one knows how to use it.
I also agree with you that technology is necessary to teach 21st century skills and engage students as well as develop creative skills. They will need them as they further their education and join the workforce. Great post!
You bring up some amazing points! I love that your school is talking about integrating technology at staff meetings, I hope that is something our staff can soon discuss. Many of our teachers use the SMART boards in our classrooms, but we don't use them for anything creative. We will show photos, videos, etc, but other than that many don't do anything. Did you get a grant for all your technology or did you school district pay for it?
ReplyDeleteI worked this year as a technology coach at my school. I tried to give professional development, but nearly no one showed up. Teachers are already overworked, underpaid, and overstressed. This is why it is so important that the tech coach and integrator help these teachers learn how to incorporate this technology. I was not paid to be a technology integrator, it was strictly volunteer, and I would have been more than happy to help other teachers. I even sent out emails about exciting new technologies I was finding in my graduate classes to my fellow teachers. I explained some of the technology and gave links to find out information. I got virtually no replies, so I don't even know if these emails were read. I guess next time I will send the emails with "read" receipts. It was quite discouraging.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, great page! It is so sad that teachers have not even used the interactive white boards. Is it a matter of not having the time to learn or is it a matter of the teachers not having the initial training that they deserved. Great effort on the part of the technology integration specialist! It is so very true… teachers and administrators alike must be willing to put in some effort to implement technology!
ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the thoughtful feedback. To answer a few questions…
Lyndsie- We purchased all our technology as part of our Federal Start Up grant we received when our school opened in Fall 2012. We were really fortunate to receive so much technology!
Amy- I am at a loss of words for you. On the one hand, I appreciate you recognizing that teachers are overworked, underpaid, and overstressed. On the other hand, that is no excuse for not trying to learn how to use technology. I am ashamed on behalf of all teachers that they treated you like that!! I hope that by earning your Masters teachers will begin to take you more seriously and take advantage of all the knowledge you possess.
Denise- I think it is a matter of both- teachers not having time to learn and not having the training. It seems like teachers here eager to learn, they just do not have the knowledge how! I hope that by offering a training session our teachers will begin to utilize the technology more!