EDTECH 541 Final Blog

EDTECH 541, Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum, has been one of the most useful classes for me through this journey so far…and I’m not just saying that!  It truly focused solely on actually integrating technology.  Often times, I get in my own way in how to actually integrate technology.  I know that I want to, but that’s where I get lost.  This course has helped me dive straight in to actually creating meaningful lessons and activities centered around a content area that I teach.  I got to incorporate the basic suite, videos, the Internet, social networking, and more to a content area I’ve always taught.  I think the best thing about doing all of this work, is that it got me going…It got me going and discovering HOW to incorporate all of those things into one content area, enabling me to take that now into all the other content areas that I teach.

All of the assignments in this class were very purposeful and many met more than one AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology) Standard.  Below is a list of each assignment from this class, followed by the Standard or Standards that it met.

Vision-Mission Statement

AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge & Skills): 4.3 Reflection on Practice

Relative Advantage Chart

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge & Skills): 4.3 Reflection on Practice

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Instructional Software Lesson Plan

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Software Support Tools

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Interactive Presentation

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Spreadsheet & Docs Lesson Plans

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Video Integration Project

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Internet Lesson

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Social Networking Learning Activities

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Game-Based Learning

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Content Area Projects 1, 2, and 3

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Assistive Technology Project

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Resource Page

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations, 5.2 Method,  5.3 Assessing/Evaluating

Blog Entries

AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge & Skills): 4.3 Reflection on Practice

I feel like I have grown professionally, in that I now feel more comfortable going out and finding useful resources to help when integrating technology into my classroom.  Before, I would only use technology sporadically in the classroom.  It was more of an event than an actual part of my classroom.  That has changed now.  I truly feel comfortable and capable of integrating technology in more than one way into the curriculum.  Looking above at the assignments and what each standard was met, I am a little shocked that one of the assignments that was the most meaningful to me, only met one standard.  That assignment was the Resource Page.  Throughout the entire semester, I added resources to that page that went along with the module of that week.  I know have an extensive list of resources on so many different aspects of technology that I can refer back to.

One of my personal teaching philosophies was also able to shift throughout one particular module.  I have always been against using social networking in my classroom, thinking that it is just too much for fourth graders.  Although I am not fully on the band wagon for it, my thinking has definitely shifted.  I now feel that it is most definitely something that can be incorporated in a controlled and limited manner.  If I taught older students, I think I would be even more open-minded.

I feel as though I have always believed in the Constructivism model, which is strong in technology.  However, just because I believed in it, does not mean it was what I was using in my classroom unfortunately.  I feel with my newly gained confidence in how to go about integrating technology, that my beliefs will become more visible through my teaching.  Many of the activities and lessons I created throughout this course were created with this hope.

Self Assessment

Content – I would rate myself as Outstanding in this area (70 points).  I truly feel that my posts were very thoughtful and I was constantly trying to make connections between the content and real life situations.

Reading and Resources – I would rate myself as Proficient in this area (15 points).  I know that I often referenced reading in my posts, but I sometimes found it difficult to, as I was trying to personalize it maybe too much.  I did always use APA style when citing resources.

Timeliness – I would rate myself as Outstanding in this area (20 points).  I would usually have my posts written by Monday or Tuesday of the week, and rarely had them written after that, unless there was an unforeseen circumstance, which I unfortunately had a couple this semester.

Responses to Other Students – I would rate myself as Proficient in this area (25 points).  I was sure to always respond to at least two other classmates posts, but they were not always as meaningful as they should have been.  There were times when I was really moved or interested in something someone had to say, and was able to give meaningful comments, thoughts, or even questions, but unfortunately I know this was not every week.

Accessibility Features on My Computer

For my master’s work, I have been using my personal desktop computer, which is a HP  Envy that works on the Windows 10 platform.  There are many built-in accessibility features on my computer.  I have listed these below with a short description of each and how these features could help students with disabilities.

Magnifier – This a tool that allows the user to magnify parts or all of the screen in order to see it better.  This feature would be especially helpful to students with a sensory disability such as loss of vision.  If the students still has some vision, which is considered partially sighted, he or she would be able to use this feature in order to magnify parts or all of the screen to be able to see it more clearly.

Narrator – This a tool that will again be wonderful for someone who is partially sighted or blind.  This feature has a voice that tells you exactly what is on each screen and what you are doing on that screen.

Speech Recognition – This tool allows the user to speak directly into the computer to control the computer, open programs, and even dictate text.  This again would be a great feature for students with sensory disabilities and also for students with cognitive disabilities. Since students with cognitive disabilities have some learning difficulties using some kind of productivity software would be helpful (Robyler, 2016).  Being able to speak directly to the computer to type for instance would help these students be able to produce their work with more ease, focusing more on the word usage and grammar.  This would also benefit those students with physical disabilities.  If it is difficult for a student to physically move the mouse or type on the keyboard, this feature would allow them to still fully use a computer by simply speaking the commands.

High Contrast – This feature allows the user to change the contrast colors to different themes.  This allows those with sensory disabilities, mainly visual impairments, to adjust the color on their screen, making it easier to see.

Closed Captions – This feature allows the student to turn on closed captioning and adjust how they appear.  You can change the color of the text, the size of the text, the style and transparency, the background color and transparency, and the window color and transparency.  This feature would not only benefit students with sensory disabilities such as loss of hearing, but also students with cognitive disabilities.  If a students struggles with reading comprehension, he or she could use this feature to help them better understand something they are reading on the computer.

Robyler discusses in his text, Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum, how important inclusion has become since the Disabilities Education Act was authorized in 1990.  This law states that children with disabilities should be included in the education with children who are non-disabled and should only be removed from the regular education when their disability requires more attention than can be given in the regular class (Robyler, 2016).  This is only one reason, yet a large reason, why it is so important to give EVERY child, whether they have a disability or not the access to ALL technology.  This is where accessibility features come into play and are crucial.

References

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Boston: Pearson.

Obstacles and Solutions for Integrating Technology into Language Arts

As one who advocates for integration of technology into all curriculum areas, it was difficult for me at first to think of some obstacles, as I am usually only thinking of the advantages.  After doing some research, and finding an article title, “National Survey of Literacy Teachers Examines Obstacles to Bringing More Technology into Language Arts,” I thought I had hit the jackpot.  However, the obstacles described in this article include “not enough time within a class period, lack of access to technology, lack of technical support, not enough time to plan for integrating ICTs into instruction, insufficient time to teach basic computing skills, lack of incentives to integrate technology, inadequate professional development for integrating technology, and time demands of high stakes testing” (“National Survey,” 2011).  While these obstacles are legitimate obstacles, these are obstacles that can be found in any content area, not Language Arts specifically.

When thinking specifically Language Arts, I can think of a few obstacles that I have encountered.  One of those being plagiarism.  Young children, who do not know or understand what plagiarism is, believe that they can simple take whatever they find on the internet and put it into their piece of work word for word.  It is crucial that teachers not only explain what plagiarism is, but take the time to teach it, teach how to restate information, and then give credit to the original piece of work through references.   This is not something that should start in high school…it should start at a young age, before they ever begin finding information on the internet.

Another major obstacle I have encountered through using technology with Language Arts, and specifically writing, is typing skills.  In “Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum” by M.D. Roblyer, he discusses how there are opposing views on the importance of teaching keyboarding to students.  I am on the “side” that believes in teaching keyboard skills.  However, I do not think it should be a prerequisite before a student is allowed to do any kind of typing.  I think it is something that can be taught in conjunction with other activities, because there is simply not enough time in the day to take multiple days out of instruction to teach and work on strictly typing skills.

Lastly, students struggle to know where to go on the internet to find information.  I have seen students do a Google search, scroll down the page, and say they can’t find any information, without even clicking on a link and reading what is offered.  I loved something that Gavin Dudeney said in his article, “No Place in the Classroom for Digital Illiterates.”  He said,  “To be literate today involves more than the “three Rs” of reading, writing and arithmetic. It requires skills to navigate a connected world, a world that is both much smaller geographically and – at the same time – much bigger, in pure information terms, than the one we knew BG (Before Google)” (Dudeney, 2011).  Students must be taught how to navigate the internet and how to do research on the internet, and not just set loose.

There will always be obstacles when it comes to integrating technology into any content area.  We just need to be willing to find the solutions to those obstacles for the sake of ourselves and our students.

References

Dudeney, G. (2011). No Place in the Classroom for Digital Illiterates. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/dec/06/teaching-digital-literacy

(2011, October 30). National Survey of Literacy Teachers Examines Obstacles to Bringing More Technology into Language Arts [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.ernweb.com/educational-research-articles/technology-integration-classrooms-literacy-professional-development-obstacles-survey/

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Boston: Pearson.

Relative Advantage of Using Technology to Enhance Language Arts Instruction

Since my selected are of content that I have been focusing on this semester is Language Arts, writing specifically, I am going to take a look at and discuss the relative advantage of using technology to specifically enhance Language Arts instruction.

Robyler starts out the ninth chapter in his book, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, titled Teaching and Learning with Technology in English and Language Arts by addressing today’s standards and how technology is helping to meet them. According to him, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Reading Association (IRA) have stressed the importance of students having the opportunity to use technology to develop their language skills through standards one, six, and eight (Robyler, 2016).  He also touches on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and how they explicitly include digital technologies in their standards, which most states have adopted.

Not only will technology allow both teachers and students to help meet standards, it provides the students with so many opportunities that they would not have if not given access to technology.  Some of these include access to numerous materials, new and different strategies to help with reading and writing skills of all genres, and new and different strategies to improve social interactions.  Students are offered free access to millions of reading material and information on any topic imaginable, they can see visual demonstrations to help them better understand, they are given support and feedback when it comes to editing and revising a piece of writing, and it of course gives the students an environment where they are motivated and engaged to work in.

Furthermore, using technology to enhance Language Arts instruction can help every student, including those with special needs.  There are numerous programs that students can use to help them read words aloud to students if reading is a struggle or help students type words if spelling is a struggle.

Teachers can also benefit immensely from integrating technology into Language Arts instruction.  It opens the possibilities of what the students can do greatly.  There are numerous types of software and programs available to engage students in the language arts processes including concept mapping software, note-taking software, curation software, and electronic outlining software.  These programs allow the teacher to really expand and vary their lessons, thus engaging the students more frequently.

References

Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (7^th ed.)  Massachusetts: Pearson.

 

Social Networking and the Walled Garden

This week, I am discussing my conflicting views of using social networking and whether or not to “take down” the walled garden.

Follow the link below to my voicethread discussing this issue:

Social Networking and the Walled Garden

Acceptable Use Policies

Most elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools have Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) written, in place, and enforced.  If they do not, they should.  An AUP explains in writing to administrators, teachers, parents, and students how they are supposed to behave when it comes to using and interacting with technology.

According to Mary Maderich (2013), an AUP should include an introduction, definitions of key terms, and a policy statement that includes how students will access the Internet, how it will be used in the classroom, how the teacher will restrict inappropriate items, online etiquette, privacy policies, a disclaimer, and a reminder of how using the Internet is a privilege.  It should also contain specific examples of acceptable uses, specific examples of unacceptable uses, consequences, and a section for all parties to sign, agreeing to the policy.  I completely agree with each of these components.  However, if a document such as this is too lengthy, wordy, and detailed, students, especially young students, will have difficulties reading it and truly comprehending its meaning.  In my opinion, there should be an AUP document with all of these details available for the administration, teachers, and parents to agree to and sign.  In addition to this document, I would like to see an additional document created in student-friendly language that the students can understand and relate to.

It is important for the AUP to be taught to the students and reinforced with the students.  It is not something that should just be given to the students one time, and then forgotten about, as it is a relevant policy that needs to constantly be referred to and referenced when appropriate.  Furthermore, it should be easily accessible.  Each school should have a copy of the policy to give to parents and located somewhere on their school’s website so it can be accessed whenever needed.  Also, a student-friendly version, possibly in the form of a poster, should be posted in the classroom so it is a constant presence for the students and teachers.

It is also important that this policy be revisited and revised frequently.  It is not a document that can be written once and then revised again ten years later.  The world of technology is constantly changing, and we must continue to change with it, and this includes what appropriate use of it looks like.

Unfortunately, it took me a very long time to find any kind of Acceptable Use Policy for my school district.  I did not find anything through the actual district, but did find a short paragraph referring to AUP through each of our town’s two high school handbooks.  I did not find anything through the elementary schools.  This was disheartening to me.  Below are some links to examples from other school districts.  I have specifically found examples for elementary schools, as this is the age I teach, and see just as much importance, if not more, at having something like this policy in place and enforced at the elementary level.

Saugatuck Elementary School Acceptable Use Policy

Iron County School District K-5 Student Computer Acceptable Use Policy

Thornhill Elementary School Acceptable Use Policy

Independence School District Technology Acceptable Use Policy for Elementary School Students

Resources

Maderich, Mary. “AUP Best Practices for K-12.” Aups. PBWorks, 24 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

Video Blog – Relative Advantage of Using Multimedia in the Classroom

Click this link to visit my video blog on the relative advantage of using multimedia in the classroom.

Relative Advantage of Using the Basic Suite in the Classroom

The Basic Suite consists of three major software tools: a word processing tool, a spreadsheet tool, and a presentation tool.  The most common example of these tools is the Microsoft Suite which includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.  Although these three powerful programs have been used in the classroom and learning environments for many years, the advantage that they bring to students continues to increase.

A word processing software tool, like Microsoft Word, is used to produce typed documents.  The types of documents that you can create has greatly increased over the years.  Not only can you create typed reports, but you can create brochures, certificates, resumes, letters, newsletters, flyers, etc.  These really allow not only students, but teachers to have so many options of materials to create.  Another relative advantage of using a word processing tool in the classroom is to save time and to improve appearance.  Typing out a document and adding graphics to it takes much less time than writing out all of the information.  For students who struggle with handwriting, it can greatly improve their performance and overall work, as they are not being hindered by an area he they struggle in.  Plus, it looks very professional when completed.  Finally, using a word processing tool allows students and teachers to share their work with one another, encouraging more collaboration between students with teachers and students with students.

Spreadsheets, like Microsoft Excel, is a tool used to organize and work with numerical data.  Teachers can use them to keep track of students attendance or grades, classroom budgets, and even student performance data.  Students can use them to also keep track of their own performance data and with many topics in math.  After entering in data, students can create all sorts of different charts and graphs to display their data.  The relative advantage of using spreadsheets is similar to using a word processing tool, as it saves time and produces an attractive looking end product.  It is also great to encourage students when working with mathematics and when working with their test/performance scores.

A presentation tool, like Microsoft PowerPoint, is used to display information in a slideshow format.  Teachers and students can create a powerful and engaging slideshow that includes text, graphics, images, video, audio, charts, and graphs.  Teachers can use this presentation tool to create lessons to teach directly to students or to have students watch on their own time.  Teachers can also use these to present large amounts of information to parents.  Students can use this presentation tool to visually represent research they have done on a given topic.  The relative advantage of using a presentation tool is that students and teachers can express their ideas and findings in a visually appealing way that condenses the information into something the audience will enjoy watching as long as it is done correctly.  Also, presentation tools are another great tool to use to collaborate with peers.

Resources

Robyler, M.D. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching 7th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Relative Advantage of Instructional Software

According to Roblyer (2016), instructional software are computer programs that are designed to either deliver instruction or help in the delivery of instruction.  Instructional software can be very beneficial for both the teacher and the students if used correctly and used at the appropriate times.  There are five main methods used when it comes to instructional software, and I will be briefly describing each, discussing the relative advantage to using these programs when it comes to fourth grade writing, and some examples of each.

Drill-and-Practice

Drill-and-practice programs are programs where students can practice example items and receive immediate feedback on their work.  Some examples of common drill-and-practice activities are flash card activities, chart fill-in activities, and branching drills where students are given more difficult questions as they answer correctly.  Drill-and-practice is great because the students can get immediate feedback on their progress, it saves time for the teachers since there is really no planning or grading, and it increases motivation because students simply love being on computers.  However, when using drill-and-practice, the teacher must be careful not to overuse it as it is only meant to be for practicing and reinforcing concepts.

Examples of Drill-and-Practice in Writing Concepts

Quill – This online program allows students to practice their grammar and proofreading skills through drill-and-practice activities.

Time for Learning – This program offers practice on recognition of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and idioms – all important in the writing process.

The number one benefit for using drill-and-practice when it comes to practicing grammar is that it makes it fun for the students.  Grammar is not always the most entertaining and engaging concepts for students, so being able to do it on a computer will help engage the students.  Furthermore, it allows for the students to work at their own pace and practice more if they are not quite grasping the concept.  It also gives them immediate feedback so they know right away what they need to adjust instead of waiting for a teacher to get back to them with a grade.

Tutorials

Tutorial software is very similar to a formal lesson taught by a teacher, but instead it is taught through a program.  The student would proceed through the tutorial software and learn the key concept that is intended.  There are two types of tutorials: linear and branching.  A linear tutorial provides the same set of instructions, explanations, practice, and feedback for all students.  A branching tutorial on the other hand would take the students in different directions depending upon how well they were answering questions.  While tutorials offer many of the same benefits of drill-and-practice programs, the biggest draw back is that they really only offer one approach throughout the instruction.

Examples of Tutorials in Writing Concepts

Sheppard Software – This website offers a parts of speech tutorial that is interactive.

Time 4 Learning – This program offers tutorials on the writing process.

Time 4 Writing – This program will take students through the entire writing process twice.  Once to create an informational slideshow and another time to take that information and put it into written form.

Like the drill-and-practice software, tutorials will often give immediate feedback for the students to adjust their thinking immediately.  Tutorials are also very beneficial in that they allow the students to work through the material at their own pace.  For instance, one student may be struggling a bit more with the prewriting phase of the writing process than another student and can therefore spend more time on that section of the tutorial, only moving on once they are comfortable.  Tutorials can also be a great way for the teacher to conference one-on-one with students more easily, as they are not instructing the whole class.  It frees them up to move about, helping students one-on-one.

Simulations

Simulations are computerized models that can either teach about something or teach how to do something. When they teach about something, they can be either physical simulations or iterative simulations.  Physical simulations allow the student to manipulate things or processes.  Iterative simulations allow the student to speed up or slow down processes that are usually to fast or slow to see first hand.  On the other hand, when the simulations teach how to do something, they can be either procedural simulations or situational simulations.  Procedural simulations teach the steps to take to complete a task.  Situational simulations are hypothetical situations that students must solve.

Examples of Simulations in Writing Concepts

Essay Punch – This website takes students through a step-by-step guide in the writing process.

Paragraph Punch – This website takes students through a step-by-step guide in writing a paragraph.

It was difficult to find many simulation programs to use when it comes to writing.  However, the programs I did find fit nicely into procedural simulations.  These both teach the students the steps to take to complete either an essay or a paragraph.  The main benefit of this procedural simulation is that it can most often be more engaging for students to experience these simulations on a computer than just listening to a teacher.

Instructional Games

Instructional games are programs that take the basics of a game such as rules and competition and apply those ideas to learning a concept.  Using instructional games can be very appealing to students.  However, the teachers needs to be very careful that they are selecting an instructional game that is not just appealing, but also has strong instructional value .

Examples of Instructional Games in Writing Concepts

Quill – This online program offers an activity where students can work with a partner on another computer to generate a passage using a shared list of vocabulary words.

Sheppard Software – This online program offers multiple games for students to play to practice recognizing nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

The relative advantage of using instructional games to teach concepts is obvious.  It is fun and engaging for students.  Whenever you can engage students, they will take more away from the activity, which is always the intent.  The first activity on Quill can be made even more exciting by adding a competitive component to it.  In a world that is driven by playing games and competition, what better way to get educational materials to the students?

Problem Solving Software

Problem solving software is exactly what its name says it is.  It is a product or program that is designed specifically to teach students problem solving skills.  There are two main approaches when it comes to problem solving software.  The first is to address content-area problem solving skills.  This means that the software addresses specific content skills mainly in math and science.  The other approach is a more broad approach, which is content-free problem solving skills.  This means that the approach is based more on teaching problem solving skills so that the students can then take these skills to solve any kind of problem.

Examples of Problem Solving Software

Quill – This online program offers an activity that shuffles sentences.  Students must problem solve to arrange the sentences in the correct order.

Time for Learning – This program has a component that has students interpret and analyze written passages for important vocabulary work.

Voki – This online program allows students to type in their writing and then hear what they have written spoken out loud by an avatar.  This would allow students to possibly catch errors in their writing and fix them.

The advantages to using problem solving software are that it teaches students important skills that are needed throughout life in every situation and allows them to practice those skills in and fun and engaging environment.  Giving the students more life-like situations will help them to see the importance of learning these skills and transferring them into other places of their lives.

Final Thoughts

Many of the benefits I listed for each type of instructional software discussed how they are engaging and more fun for the students.  Although this is not the only purpose in teaching students, it needs to be present.  We live in a day and age where it is getting more and more difficult to grab students’ attention and keep them engaged in something.  Their attention is constantly being snagged up by the most up to date technology, programs, and games.  As much as there might be resistance to doing the same with education, we need to do what we can to keep students involved in their education.  With that being said, it is equally important to find instructional software that is rich in educational content as well as “fun” and engaging for the students.

References

Robyler, M.D. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching 7th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Mission and Vision

Technology has changed the world of education and continues to change it every single day.  In the past, education was more centered around the objectivists’ way of thinking, utilizing direct instruction throughout the school day.  Teachers were more focused on pouring as much information into a child’s brain as they could.  Children were expected to memorize facts and be able to pour them right back out.  Today’s classrooms are more centered around a constructivist approach where students are learning by doing through inquiry-based learning.  Teachers are taking a step back and giving more power to the students.  Students are creating their own knowledge through activities that they can relate to past experiences.  Technology has aided in this shift over the years and will continue to drive it into the future.

This change does not mean that we abandon our “old” ways of teaching and learning.  Math, Science, Reading, and Writing are all still crucial to a school day.  Instead, we must use technology to help enhance these core subjects and create students that are innovative and creative in their thinking.  Technology can and should drive learning straight out of the classroom.  It can and should help create young people who are able to go into society with a problem-solving mindset and know how to go about attacking a problem and what resources to go get in order to solve this problem.  Although technology is not the be-all, end-all of education, it has some serious advantages.  According to Roblyer (2016), technology can help motivate and engage students by gaining their attention and using real-world issues to make the work relevant.  Roblyer (2016) also discuss how technology can support student’s learning needs and prepare them for the future.  Our world is headed in a very technological-driven direction.  We would be doing a disservice to students to not assist them on that journey.

Technology integration should not be an event in the classroom.  It should be a part of the everyday classroom routines and it should flow smoothly.  This means that equipment needs to be available to all students, not just a select few.  It should not be placed in a cupboard or cart, as it should be used multiple times throughout a school day.  Furthermore, technology should be used in a way to support the classroom curriculum.  It is not just an extra piece, but it should be used to help the students reach their educational goals.  Technology can do this for students, helping them gain confidence and knowledge to enter a world driven by technology.

 

Roblyer, M. (2016). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (7^th ed.)  Massachusetts: Pearson.