Integrating Technology Effectively

Across every state in the U.S. school districts are moving to put more technology in the hands of students and teachers as a new and exciting form of educational aids are developed. Teachers are finding new web 2.0 tools and software to utilize that help to keep students engaged and excited about learning. Many children are surrounded by technology in their homes such as computers, tablets, and smart phones and use them daily to play games and view videos or television shows. These interactive devices keep children entertained for hours on end. If these tools can do this for children why not make them educational and find a way to incorporate them into the classroom. For the children that are not surrounded by technology at home it is even more important to get the technology into their hands at school so they can learn and be engaged in technology and devices to better prepare them for a world that relies on technology.

Integrating technology into the classroom is not as simple as adding a few computers and a smart-board  or giving every student an Ipad. Just giving them the device does no good. Teachers need to find or be given software tools that aid in the teaching of a concept or that checks for comprehension. The technology should be a supplement to instruction rather than the instruction itself. Good technology integration flows in the classroom. It moves seamlessly through the lessons as a tool to help facilitate learning and keep students engaged. Many of us remember or are still subjected to long less than exciting lectures or endless power point presentations that seem to go on forever. Students lose focus and their attention is drawn else where. Technology integration will help to keep student focus and engagement by offering them a new and exciting  way to experience the material.

I personally have not had a teacher that has integrated technology effectively in my classes. The closest to doing so was a classroom that used clickers to take attendance, and administer short quizzes to check class comprehension. While this technology was useful to the teacher it did not aid in student comprehension or engage students in a lesson. The few times teachers have tried to incorporate technology into the classroom there was always something that prevented the tool from being effective such as student unfamiliarity, lack of connectivity to the internet, or just the technologies ineffectiveness at linking to the material. Integrating technology ineffectively is in a way worse than not incorporating any at all. It can take the focus off of the lesson, waste time, and in turn lower students levels of understanding. There is a large push to integrate technology into the classroom today but if the concept is pushed onto teachers who either do not know how or are not given proper tools to assist in their content area then school district are spending millions on electronic paper weights.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech146.shtml
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration

photo credit: Karen Mcmillan via Flicker