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An Introduction to Technology Integration

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Today's primary and secondary students are extremely tech savvy, which is why implementing technology in the classroom has become a major focus (and in some cases a major obstacle) for educators. The students in your classroom constantly use technology to communicate with each other and learn about the world around them. Integrating technology into the classroom creates learning opportunities that are more engaging, and sometimes more effective, than traditional teaching methods and principles. A 2012 pilot study by textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt found that 78% of students scored "Proficient" or "Advanced" in subject comprehension when using tablets compared to 59% of students who relied on paper textbooks alone.

Developments in educational technology have facilitated the shift toward student-centered classrooms and dynamic project-based learning. Students who are allowed to actively explore real-world problems and challenges acquire a deeper understanding of the subjects they're studying than they would by simply reading from a textbook. Technology helps turn students into explorers and investigators who are better able to engage with the topics you are presenting in the classroom.

Consider the types of technology you and your students currently have access to. How can you leverage those assets to build project-based learning into your lesson plans? If you are not sure where to begin, here are three easy ways you can integrate technology in the classroom:
Online Research
A great way to integrate technology into the classroom is to have students conduct research online for various projects. There are many exciting ways to structure online research tasks. One extremely popular and effective online research project is called the Web Quest Model, an inquiry-oriented lesson in which most or all of the information comes directly from the web. There are thousands of Web Quest activities available online for you to implement in your classroom right away. You can also find templates online that make it easy for you to build your own Web Quest project for any subject and grade level.
Interactive Whiteboards
An increasing number of classrooms have access to interactive whiteboards (IWB). If you have never used one, think of it as a rolling touchscreen whiteboard that can display websites, images, and videos. IWBs are excellent tools for engaging entire classrooms in an interactive lesson. A 2010 study by Marzano Research Laboratory that involved 85 teachers and 170 classrooms across the United States found that using IWBs was associated with a 16 percentile point improvement in student achievement. If your school or district doesn't currently have the budget to purchase IWBs for teachers, refer to this collection of online grant resources for teachers from Scholastic to help secure funding for new classroom technology.
Digital Presentations
Tools like Prezi and Microsoft PowerPoint make it easy for students to create multimedia presentations and share their work to the class. Google Docs has a similar program that makes it easy for multiple students to collaborate on one multimedia project. With Google Docs, students can even work on the project from their laptops or tablets when they are at home. These collaborative tools make teamwork accessible and seamless, whether students are using the technology in the classroom or at home.

Online resources for using collaborative and interactive teaching tools are already plentiful. But to stay ahead of the curve and become an expert in integrating technology into the classroom, consider earning your Master of Education in Learning Design and Technology from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. This degree will help you improve student outcomes while also advancing your own career in education. Discover the opportunities that await instructional designers and learn why a master's degree in Learning Design and Technology is a good investment by calling 877-308-9954.

Check out the "How Educators Use Technology and Data to Guide Teaching and Learning" free eBook.

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3 Ways to Integrate Technology into the Classroom

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Today's primary and secondary students are extremely tech savvy, which is why implementing technology in the classroom has become a major focus (and in some cases a major obstacle) for educators. The students in your classroom constantly use technology to communicate with each other and learn about the world around them.

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8 Engaging Ways to use Technology in the Classroom to Create Lessons That Aren't Boring

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Are you tired of delivering the same old lectures on the same subjects year after year? Are you using the same lesson materials over and over and wishing you could make learning in your classroom more interactive?

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Technology Integration in the Elementary Classroom

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Works Cited Cooper, J. (2014). Classroom teaching Skills (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Retrieved April 2016, from http://coursemate.cengage.com/CPReader/View/9781285087573/default.aspx?eISBN=9781285087573#514f4b43-668c-4df0-b969-d93f745a7a34 Foundation, G. L. (2007, November 6). Edutopia. Retrieved 2016, from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-implementation Murphy, K. L., DePasquale, R., & McNamara, E. (2003, November). Meaningful Connections. Beyond the Journal , 9.

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Using Technology in Elementary School—Milton Hershey School

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Technology is entwined in almost part of our daily lives. It affects how we communicate, play, socialize, and learn. Now, technology is taking a part in classrooms. Smartboards, iPads, and Chromebooks are replacing chalkboards, notepads, and textbooks. With the strong digital future that lies ahead of us, it is only natural that schools are embracing the role technology can play in improving the learning experience.

Here are some reasons why technology in elementary education is important.

1. It expands the possibilities for teachers

Technology expands the realm of possibilities for how teachers teach. A PBS LearningMedia study found that three-quarters of teachers they interviewed found many benefits of educational technology. Benefits were that technology enables teachers to reinforce and expand the content, it motivates students to learn, and technology allows them to respond to a variety of learning styles. Further, 7 out of 10 teachers surveyed said technology allows them to "do much more than ever before" for their students.

2. Technology makes education more flexible

Matt Wallaert, a behavioral scientist at , says, "We don't all have to study the same thing anymore. One kid can be interested in butterflies and take a journey down that path, while another can be learning about rockets, and both are learning practical skills of physics." Everyone learns differently. Hence, with a classroom full of children with different learning abilities, technology allows us to implement differentiated instruction.

3. Technology makes learning exciting

Technology occupies an important space in students' lives. When not in the classroom, almost everything students do is connected to technology. A study by IT Trade Association CompTIA , found students prefer learning with technology. Overall, they feel that it makes learning more interesting and fun. Additionally, this study found that technology helped improve students' retention rates.

4. Technology prepares students for the future

Finally, technology in elementary education is important because it helps prepare students for the digital future. It teaches 21st-century skills are necessary to be successful in today's world. Now, a majority of jobs have a digital component that will only grow and get more complex as time goes on. Therefore, technology prepares students for their future. Further, it sets them up to be successful in our increasingly digital economy.

To those who are still unsure about using technology in elementary education, Dylan Arena, Ph.D., co-founder and chief learning scientist at says, "Technology by itself will almost never change education." Further, Arena says, "The only way to change educational practices is to change the beliefs and values of teachers, administrators, parents, and other educational stakeholders- and that's a cultural issue, not a technological one... It's about processes and people rather than bits and bytes."
In conclusion, there are several benefits of technology in elementary education. The use of technology at Roig enhances our multi-sensory approach to education by providing innovative, interactive approaches to learning.

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Why Technology in Elementary Education is Very Important

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Technology is entwined in almost part of our daily lives. It affects how we communicate, play, socialize, and learn. Now, technology is taking a part in classrooms. Smartboards, iPads, and Chromebooks are replacing chalkboards, notepads, and textbooks.

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nureva span classroom collaboration system

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bring your own technology (byot) programs

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The Benefits of Technology in Early Childhood Education

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ELB Education provides a comprehensive range of technology solutions and training for the effective use of innovative teaching technologies.