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Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many
by Edutopia Staff
Technology is ubiquitous, touching almost every part of our lives, our communities, our homes. Yet most schools lag far behind when it comes to integrating technology into classroom learning. Many are just beginning to explore the true potential tech offers for teaching and learning. Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy.
VIDEO: Harrison Central High School: A Commitment to High Tech
Running Time: 9 min.
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.
Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the ne plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.
New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the classroom.
Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun. Return to our Technology Integration page to learn more.
Smartboards
Submitted by Mary Wilkinson, Mays, Indiana (not verified) on August 27, 2008 - 19:21.
The elementary school where I taught last year had two smartboards. They were great. The sixth grade teacher used one every single day, all day, in every subject. I was amazed and was just learning to use it myself. I was transfered this year to a small rural school with no smartboard and no money to buy one. Does anyone know where I can apply for a grant to get one of these fabulous tools?
Impact of ICT use in K-7 classrooms
Submitted by Samantha (not verified) on August 11, 2008 - 07:43.
I am a student teacher in Australia and am trying to finalise an assignment which is asking for evidence on the impact of ICT use particularly in the Health and PE area - does any one have any anecdotes or links to research that I can use... please.
Thanks
Integrating Technology
Submitted by Katie (not verified) on July 22, 2008 - 14:00.
Integrating technology can be a vital part to student learning. Smart boards provide a great technological piece into the classroom. Having students utilize the Smart Board will especially benefit the kinesthetic learners. Having computers in the classroom can also benefit the students. Having educational websites, games, or activities will enhance learning for many students. Many of my students last year played on the computer at home. It would be valuable to have them learn and play at the same time. I also took my students into the computer lab each week. They loved their time there!
SMART Boards
Submitted by Greg Schwanke (not verified) on August 26, 2008 - 13:10.
I agree that integrating SMART boards into any classroom can bring a whole new level of learning to our students. I am a 7th grade English teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. I am frustrated with the technology that the English department at my school has. Our Math department has SMART boards and I, as well as other English teachers, would like to follow the Math department and get some SMART boards. However, we need to find some research about the benefits of SMART boards in an English classroom. I was wondering if you could help me with my quest. Any direction will help.
Thanks
Smartboard in English Class
Submitted by Caroline LaMagna (not verified) on August 30, 2008 - 09:49.
I don't have any articles or research to link to for you, but I can tell you that for the past 3 years, I taught 8th grade English. I had regular classes and inclusion classes. I maintained my own website, Moodle site, used a school blog, and used technology in my classroom regularly. I had the Smartboard in my classroom about once a week. I also used the school laptops - I could not access the computer lab because the math classes had dominion over it...but I had 5 desktops in my room that I sometimes used for group work. I also had access to an LCD projector pretty much whenever I needed it. My students responded very, very well to the use of technology - some of them would go on my website at home of their own accord. This year, I started a new position as an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for two of the elementary schools in my district, so I don't know what the state test scores were for my students last year. However, the year before last, my kids had the highest scores in my building for 8th grade English and their scores were even higher than the district average. If I am remembering the numbers correctly, my school's average was 71%, the district average was 76% and my kids were at 81.5%. I really feel that the use of technology in my classroom is what gave my kids the edge. They really worked hard for me because they enjoyed what they were doing. I am so proud of them!
Smart Boards
Submitted by Kim Rourke (not verified) on August 27, 2008 - 17:39.
My first suggestion is to have someone who has a Smart board in your school show you the ropes. Hopefully, they will be willing to show you samples of some of the lessons appropriate for your English dept. There are lessons already made and submitted by other teachers that are often perfect for your lessons so you don't have to feel overwhelmed at first. Active participation by your students make Smart Boards as great for you as for your Math coworkers. You can do grammar work, writing process work, and vocabulary generating a lot more enthusiasm than with a chalkboard. I would also recommend looking into United Streaming video streaming. There are also many educational benefits to this, and you can pause the "show" and write directly on the Smart Board to emphasize some aspect of the show.
As you can tell, I LOVE my Smart Board and feel I have only begun to scrape the surface of its potential. I am a 4th grade teacher in Westland, MI and use it for every subject. I used to teach high school English/Spanish and I am sure a Smart Board would be a benefit to your curriculum. Good Luck!
Integrating Technology
Submitted by Alfred Low (not verified) on July 27, 2008 - 01:37.
Hi Katie,
The Smartboard is a great teach and learning tool. Can you share with us how is your lesson plan is like?
Thanks.
Technology & Learning
Submitted by Katie (not verified) on July 22, 2008 - 12:34.
I agree that technology can be an integral part of learning. I will be getting a Smart Board in my room this year and I can't wait until I learn what it can do. My school just received a new computer lab this past year. The kids love it! However, it is not compatible with the computers in the classroom, which makes it hard to do work.
The challenges of integrating technology
Submitted by Kevin (not verified) on August 1, 2008 - 09:06.
I agree that there are challenges. We have computers in our rooms at school, different types in the lab, and the kids use different ones at home. It's hard to teach a skill in the lab that they can't do in the room. It's hard to teach internet skills when many of our kids don't have the internet at home. We can't do much about that, but as a school/district, we just don't have the money to upgrade and make all the computers the same. K-2 have different ones, 3-5 have a different brand/model/year, and the lab is all the same, but a little different than the classrooms. As long as we plug along and keep doing EVERYTHING we can with what we have, it benefits the kids and they'll be better for it somewhere down the line!
Integrated Technology: Difficult but Important
Submitted by Jenny (not verified) on August 3, 2008 - 17:35.
I first wanted to ask a quick question, what is a SmartBoard because I have never heard about them before?
I also wanted to talk about the challenges of integrating technology. I teach in Kindergarten and so using technology is challenging because the children are so young and so more time has to be taken to teach them how to use it and what to do wiht it. Our technology teacher does not help with this because he logs the kids onto starfall and lets them play games for 30 minutes whenever they have technology class. The teacher are fed up with this and yet no help is given to ensure that our students are learning how to actually use the computers. This is especially hard on us because the Kindergarteners have to take NWEA computerized tests for assessment three times during the year, but they do not know what to do with the computer. I wanted to integrate more tech. time into my lessons, but could not because the computers for my room were always being taken out so they could be used for testing elsewhere. Even though it sounds like I am ranting, which in some ways I am, I do agree with you Kevin that we have to deal with what we have and keep plugging along. I am hoping to work something out with the tech teacher this year to help teach my students more about the computer and what there is for them out there. I am also planning on using my own laptop in the room for extra educational experiences like viewing a special video on the internet or writing to their favorite author. I also have to use the other technologies available to me like the listening center and whatever else I can get my hands on. Our world is huge and full of promise and possibilities and we have a wonderful opportunity to make that available to our students.
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