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What does it mean to integrate technology?

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What does it mean to integrate technology?

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Integrating technology means using technology in the classroom to enhance lessons to make them more meaningful and supportive.

Link to other Padlet: https://padlet.com/alexiamathews/informational-texts-klvhkyezpzhm56nr

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In recent years a shift away from the concept of teaching technology to that of integrating technology has begun. In essence, what this distinction boils down to is a move away from treating technology primarily as a skills-based, disciplinary subject that students do (e.g., "We have IT next period") to seeing it as something that they use to enhance how they learn something else. With an integrated approach to technology education we treat technology as a tool that we can apply in all subjects and to various tasks, for the purpose of enhancing the learning process.

This does not mean that technology is not still also a subject in its own right: there will always be technology-specific skills and understandings our students need to have to be able to use it effec tively, particularly as they move through school. What it means is that as the nature and application of technology beyond school have evolved, so too must our approach to how we use and teach with it. This will help students learn to make informed, discerning choices about when, why, and how to use technology in and beyond the classroom.

This is why an integrated approach to technology is so valuable for learning: it puts student learning at the center as its purpose. Technology integration doesn't mean using technology all the time or, necessarily, more than you already do; it means using it purposefully, in ways and at times that make sense. When technology is integrated effectively it supports student learning in all its forms, allowing teachers to break down learning barriers and enhance wider teaching and learning.

What Is Effective Technology Integration?

Efficacy can be a tricky and subjective concept in education, since whether you consider something to have been effective or not really depends on what you hoped to achieve by doing it. We believe that the measure of truly effective technology integration is whether it enhances student learning.

When we think about technology's purpose in the classroom, and how we can leverage its strengths to help students develop the ability to learn successfully, we frame it around what we call the 3 Cs of learning: communicating, collaborating, and constructing under-standing.

Communication is vital to classroom learning, and we think about it in two ways: our communication as teachers and the communication we ask of our students. We ask students to communicate constantly: with themselves, each other, us, and the wider world.

Collaboration is the ability to work with others to create, solve problems, and learn. Whether within students' own class or school, or with other students, experts, and adults outside the school, working collaboratively is an extremely valuable skill for learning and one that is highly valued in adult life and work.

Communication and collaboration are twin pillars supporting the ultimate goal of learning: constructing understanding. Being able to transfer learning and construct deep understanding relies on students having the opportunity and support to attach content to concepts and make connections between classroom learning and real life. This is what allows our students to take the facts, knowledge, and skills they have learned out of theory and into reality; it changes their learning from abstract to concrete. We can use technology in ways that allow our students to communicate and collaborate more effectively and more seamlessly.

How Can We Integrate Technology Effectively?

Effective technology integration isn't about what you have; it's about how you use it. And how you use it depends on so much more than just curriculum, or just devices, or just pedagogy. It depends on having a purpose-based, holistic, and student-centered approach to integrating all aspects of technology in learning.

The process of developing that vision for technology integration and realizing it in a sustainable way can be long and challenging, but we believe it is worthwhile. As educators and as writers, our aim in our practice and in this book is to share what we have learned in our teaching and our work with others about how and why technology integration can make a positive impact on learning and to present an effective framework for schools and teachers.
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This blog has been adapted from Integrating Technology by Sarah Gilmore and Katierose Deos. Learn more at Heinemann.com

Follow us on Instagram @heinemannpub to stay up to date on the latest books, your favorite authors, and upcoming events!

Sarah Gilmoreis an EdTech Integration Specialist at Berlin International School in Berlin, Germany. She has taught internationally for many years as an Elementary classroom teacher, before specializing in the use of technology to enhance learning across the curriculum. In addition to her teaching and coaching work, Sarah presents at conferences and workshops internationally.

She is a co-founder of Intechgrate.euwithKatierose Deos, where she consults with schools and their teachers on integrating technology into wider teaching and learning. You can connect with her on Twitter at@S_J_Gilmore.

Katierose Deosstarted her teaching career teaching in K-8 classrooms in the United States. She is currently the Primary Years Curriculum Coordinator at Berlin International School in Berlin, Germany, where she works to implement, develop, and enhance curriculum at both the primary and whole school level. Katierose presents at conferences and workshops internationally.

She is a co-founder of Intechgrate.eu withSarah Gilmore, where she consults with schools and their teachers on integrating technology into wider teaching and learning. You can connect with her on Twitter at @DeosKatierose.

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What Technology Integration Is and Why It Matters

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Technology integration doesn't mean using technology all the time or, necessarily, more than you already do; it means using it purposefully, in ways and at times that make sense.

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Drexel University School of Education
Technology provides instant accessibility to information, which is why its presence in the classroom is so vital. Smart phones, computers, and tablets are already an omnipresent element of everyday life for students and teachers alike. It's only natural that the use of technological devices in the classroom are explored to create meaningful learning experiences for students of all ages.

Utilizing different types of technology in the classroom, including a virtual classroom, creates learners who are actively engaged with learning objectives. The implementation of technology also creates pathways for differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of students as individual learners within a broader classroom climate.

What Does Technology Integration Mean in Education?

Integration of technology in education simply refers to the use of technology to enhance the student learning experience. Utilizing different types of technology in the classroom, including a virtual classroom, creates learners who are actively engaged with learning objectives. The implementation of technology also creates pathways for differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of students as individual learners within a broader classroom climate.

How to Integrate Technology in the Classroom

There is a common misconception that the integration of technology in the classroom can be a financial burden for school districts, but students do not necessarily need their own tablets or laptops to succeed with technology. The use of technology during whole-class instruction can foster student engagement for auditory and visual learners. Integrating simple technologies Power Points, games, internet homework assignments, or online grading systems can be difference makers in students' growth in the classroom.

Power Points and Games

Powerpoint presentations can be used to introduce a classroom concept while providing the opportunity for engagement. Along with the use of graphics and bulleted information, links to videos that accompany the ideas presented in the Powerpoint can be embedded within the slides.

Educational apps in the classroom like Kahoot can be used to review information after a lesson or unit. Teachers can create and share Kahoots with one another while students can create anonymous user names to participate in the game. This allows for whole-class participation from students who may usually be reluctant to participate in class. Kahoot is accessible to play on phones or computers and teachers can determine if they want students to work independently or be assigned to teams.

Internet Homework Assignments

Posting homework assignments online (via learning platforms like Blackboard, Brightspace, and Moodle) is one way many teachers can begin to integrate technology in the classroom. Assignments are easily accessible, which can increase student engagement and help students become more organized.

Online grading Systems

Communication is a key element in education that helps teachers, administrators, parents, and students recognize a student's strengths and areas for improvement. Online grading systems such as PowerSchool open and facilitate lines of communication where teachers can post grades, analyze student attendance patterns, and manage transcript data.

Classroom Tablets

For classrooms that are fortunate enough to have tablets for students, technology can allow teachers to implement differentiation throughout instruction. Students can work at their own pace during assignments and teachers have the opportunity for one-on-one instruction.

Listserv

Software such as Listserv allows parents to manage and organize their emails. Parents can receive updates from teachers about important announcements, newsletters, and discussions that keep frequent lines of communication open.

Strategies of Implementation for Age Groups

The benefits of technology can enhance any contemporary classroom. However, the way technology is implemented and used in classrooms of various grade levels and content areas will differ.

Ways to Incorporate Technology in the Elementary Classroom

For younger students, technology can be used to build fundamental skills to prepare them for future independent learning. Students can use interactive games to reinforce math, spelling, phonetic, and reading skills. Sites like Spelling Training permit students or teachers to upload their own word lists to practice word pronunciation and create interactive games. Parents can also use these sites to exercise fundamental skills beyond the walls of the classroom.

Using Technology in the Middle School Classroom

As students begin to take steps to transform into independent thinkers, they can use technology to develop basic life skills. Students at the middle school level will gain independence by having different teachers for each subject. Using technology to acquire skills such as conducting research can be applied to any content area. Websites like Easy Bib guide students to find credible sources through a variety of search engines and teach students to correctly cite those sources to avoid plagiarism.

Technology in High School Classrooms

Once students reach their secondary education, they can discover ways to use technology that can be beneficial for college and career development. Familiarization with Microsoft Office and Google Drive teach students to make spreadsheets, slide show presentations, and share documents where they can receive fluid feedback on their work. Many careers use these elements of Microsoft and Google to organize information and collaborate between colleagues or clients.

Why is it Important to Integrate Technology in the Classroom

Teachers often find success when they present the opportunity to use technology in the classroom. There are various benefits and effects when technology is used for educational instruction and some may argue that not all of the effects are positive. Having an infinite flow of information and entertainment available at any given time could be seen as a distraction, but if technology is integrated into the classroom with routines in place that are monitored or assessed, the pros of using technology in the classroom outweigh the cons.

Keeping students engaged

Active engagement is a key part of any lesson plan. Whether students are working independently or collaboratively, technology engages students because it is interactive.

Helps students with different learning styles

Not all students learn and retain information in the same way or at the same speed. Technology is an opportunity for teachers to differentiate instruction to modify information for the appropriate learning capabilities of their students. The use of technology can also allow students to work at their own paces.

Prepare students with life skills

Technology has become its own form of literacy because of how often it is used in everyday life. Many careers use at least one aspect of Microsoft Office or Google Drive on a daily basis: balancing budgets on spreadsheets, creating decks or slide shows to be presented, or attaching documents to emails to communicate important information. Allowing students to learn and refine these skills prepares them for life beyond the classroom.

For additional information about programs or certifications associated with technology in the classroom, visit Drexel University's School of Education Instructional Technology Specialist Certification program.

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How to Integrate Technology in the Classroom - School of Education

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Check out our list of tips for the best ways on how to use technology in the classroom. Learn the benefits & effects of technology with Drexel University.

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Lumen Learning | Open for student success

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10 Benefits & Uses for Technology in the Classroom | Lumen Learning

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Learn more about the benefits of technology in the classroom and how it can be integrated in unique and effective ways.

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What Is Successful Technology Integration?

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Well-integrated use of technology resources by thoroughly trained teachers makes twenty-first-century learning possible. From our Technology Integration Professional Development Guide.