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Why is integrating technology important?

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Why is integrating technology important?

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Integrating technology into curriculum is vital to student development. There are so many benefits to integrating technology into the classroom it's unreal. Integrating technology into the classroom allows the students to have a sort of freedom to the things they're learning. When they are given a topic to learn about and get to find everything, they feel more independent and are finding things they enjoy. It also provides students with resources they can use forever. Using Word, Excel, Adobe Sparks, and other resources shows students different resources out there that they can be creative with. Integrating technology might help students find their career. Using coding resources might show a couple kids something they love that they otherwise never would've been introduced to. Technology is everywhere. Teachers use it to make lesson plans, so the students should be using it for assignments. When students see the technological world around them and are able to see all of the amazing resources in an educational setting they learn to be more responsible digital citizens and use resources for the right reasons.

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Redefining Learning & Teaching using Technology. | Jason Brown | TEDxNorwichED

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How Integrating Technology Transformed My Classroom

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By Jessica Sanders

It's everywhere: at your house, in your pocket-but in the classroom? Technology has invaded the teaching space, and many educators are on board: "Educators and researchers agree: The old model of education that worked for two centuries, in which the teacher stands in front of a chalkboard and lectures day after day, is no longer enough," according to Improving Engagement Through Classroom Technology (IETCT).

While nearly 74 percent of all teachers say they use digital resources in their lessons, there's still 26 percent that hasn't yet adopted a tech-friendly lesson plan. It's important to note that the teachers within that 74 percent could likely expand their current efforts as well.

Whether you've integrated technology into your classroom or not, consider these five benefits; even a small step, like using an educational website to demonstrate your lesson, could help both you and your students.
More: Use Our Online Read-a-Thon to Boost Reading
While hands-on activities encourage students to get involved in the lesson, technology makes it easier than ever to reverse the common active (teacher) and passive (student) roles. "Technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons," according to Ed.gov.

Using technology in the classroom, with apps or iPads for example, reduces the time you spend teaching at the front of the classroom, which allows you to be more involved with each student's learning independently. You can now walk around the classroom to offer resources, guidance and one-on-one support as students are working within the program.

Technology helps build student confidence in two important ways:

1. You can use technology to create a flipped classroom, in which you post lectures online for students to watch before class, using class time to elaborate on the materials with collaboration and exploration based on what they learned in the video. "By allowing students to partake in their own learning, they are able to own the knowledge they achieve, which in turn builds confidence," says Mike Acido, of TeachThought.com, about the benefits of the flipped classroom technique.

2. In our technology-driven world, it's likely that your students will go on to learn in classrooms where computers and software are a large part of the learning process. Introduce technology now to help them gain confidence with these tools later in life and get in the habit of using it constructively. "Although today's students have grown up with technology, they don't always know how to use it correctly in an educational or work environment. Thus, it's equally important that they learn how to properly use technology to conduct research and access information (also known as digital literacy)," according to IETCT.

More: Foster Passion-Driven Learning in the Classroom
Many schools have adopted technology in their classrooms, and Northdale Middle School, in Coon Rapids, Minnesota is one of them. While not all schools have seen (or tracked) a change in their students' learning, this one did. "In the third year of their use there, the tablet computers have led to increased engagement among some of the most severely disabled students and have accelerated their learning," according to Maria Elena Baca of the Star Tribune.

Northdale used iPads, which increased engagement and learning while decreasing negative behavior among the students. It can be assumed that the tactile nature of children make iPads perfectly suitable to their style of learning, though the study did not include whether this is the case.

Fractions test scores increased by 15 percent on average in an edtech study conducted by GameDesk. In the study, USC professor Michelle Riconscente watched as 122 fifth graders play Motion Math, a fractions app for elementary school children, 20 minutes a day for five days. What they found was a significant increase in test scores: "The results of this study suggest that what children learn through gameplay can help them perform better on the kinds of questions asked on state and national standardized tests," says the research group.

Though this is only one small study, it shows that technology can be beneficial in the classroom if you find the correct implementation for your students. Some teachers have found Learn2Earn's Whooo's Reading to be particularly successful in bridging the gap between education, in this case reading, and technology.

The graph below exemplifies how technology and gamification can make all the difference in how your students learn. At Learn2Earn we worked with a 6th grade class, releasing two rounds of gamification features in the product to see how they would affect time spent reading.

In round one we allowed the students to change their owl's color, wing patterns and eyes and in round two we released the owl shop, coins and wisdom points. You can see how average reading times increased with the second round release, when even more fun features were added.
More: Why You Should Use Open Source Education Software
Many teachers are beginning to see the benefits of technology in the classroom, incorporating iPads, apps and video lectures into their lesson plans. A whopping 71 percent of teachers say apps are beneficial to learning and 65 percent of teachers say technology allows them to demonstrate lessons in ways they couldn't otherwise.

That's not all, 3 out of 4 teachers say technology helps them motivate students, accommodate a variety of learning styles in one lesson, and reinforce or expand content according to OnlineUniversities.com. "For the same amount of money you would pay for a few thousand books on a shelf, you could have access to digital databases that give students access to literally millions of sources," Jim Tracy, headmaster at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass, told U.S. News.

Technology is invading the classroom, and for most teachers, it's providing a new way to work with students, teach lessons and improve overall motivation, and in some cases, test scores. Consider how technology-apps, iPads, video lectures, ebook reading-can improve your classroom and benefit your students.

Which tech tools do you use in your classroom? What has been the most successful? Tell us in the comments.

Learn more about your fundraising read-a-thon at Learn2Earn.

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5 Research-Supported Benefits of Technology in the Classroom

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By Jessica Sanders It's everywhere: at your house, in your pocket-but in the classroom? Technology has invaded the teaching space, and many educators are on board: "Educators and researchers agree: The old model of education that worked for two centuries, in which the teacher stands in front...

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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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First Grade Favorite Color Google Sheets Lesson

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First Grade Favorite Color Google Sheets Lesson