Teaching with Technology

Technology Integration in the Classroom

What is it with humans and anything "tech?"

Teaching with technology is, without a doubt, the most automatically engaging approach to student instruction that exists.

I don't mean to say the only engaging approach...just the one that can be relied upon to catch kids' interest no matter what application or curriculum it is used for.

Unfortunately, this also promotes its misuse by many teachers. So first, it is important to talk about what technology integration in the classroom isn't.

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Technology integration in the classroom - NOT babysitting

Quiz time: Is there any difference between plugging a toddler into a Disney movie to keep him quiet and plugging a student into an educational gaming site to keep him quiet?

Answer: Very little...IF the content of the web game is disconnected from the curriculum for the grade level.

I have known far too many teachers who consider playing computer games either on or off the internet to automatically be a valuable exercise in teaching with technology rather than a potential time-waster. It's kind of like handing out a coloring book...fun, perhaps, but coloring - and computer gaming - are not standards.

And...when students are using computers...teaching and mentoring is still required. All too often, the computer lab is "teacher paper correction time" rather than instructional time.

To be fair, many teachers are uncomfortable with technology and are trying to expose their kids to something, even if they are not quite sure just how to make that happen effectively.

I also want to be clear: games have their place, and can be a component of multimedia in the classroom, but they must be an enhancement to instruction, not a replacement...see my "World Maths Day" example below.

So how should we be using teaching with technology correctly to leverage it's benefits without abusing it?

Guidelines for Teaching with Technology

The recommendations I'll be covering in this section are built around three guiding principles regarding technology:

• It must be engaging. This one is easy to achieve...the kids love anything to do with computers or laptops in the classroom...or any types of digital equipment and the accompanying software.
• It must be in the hands of children. This is a big one. Children learn best with hands-on implementation rather than passively observing teacher demonstrations.
• It must tie into curriculum standards. It's the "hook" that grabs their interest and makes them persevere through technology frustrations...all while they are learning content whether they intend to or not.

Here's an example of the second and third points combined to illustrate what's possible: enhanced interactive whiteboard use. Yes, the kids are using technology in the classroom hands-on when they manipulate items or work problems on the board and that alone is engaging. But allowing them to design their own mini lesson plan for reading to show the rest of the class using Smart Notebook take-home USB bracelets...that's hands-on engagement.

I'm fully aware that for many teachers, figuring out how to use an interactive whiteboard themselves is a challenge, but before you dismiss my example as unrealistic, consider this:

There will be no room in modern society for people who are not comfortable with all aspects of computers and being connected through technology. None. There is not a single job above the menial labor level where a worker is not required to interact with technology. And the higher you go up the scale on skills, the more you are required to use it.

So when teachers make minimal effort to put technology in the hands of kids in a meaningful way, we are not meeting our obligation to prepare them to be successful in the world of today. And there are so many options for integrating technology, as you can see in this list of elementary teacher websites.

A bonus guideline

The final criteria that I follow when I'm considering technology integration in the classroom is this:

• Web 2.0: A preference for interaction with others when possible.

"Web 2.0" is all about users working with other users rather than by themselves. Facebook is, of course, the extreme end of interaction, but there are lots of meaningful steps to be taken in teaching with technology without diving into social networking.

As noted above, some games are great for instruction...when they can include this interactive component. I have had my class participate in World Maths Day (it's British) for several years, largely because they compete against kids from around the world as they receive continually more-challenging problems to solve.

And I am a big fan of connecting classrooms with Skype. Being able to share research findings or play "math Jeopardy" games with kids from another time zone energizes students to raise their knowledge to a new level.

Betsy's Video Tips: Classroom Computer Storage

Accessing Technology

Unfortunately, getting sufficient laptops in the classroom - actually in the hands of kids - is still a challenge for many schools and districts. But there are ways...for the teacher who is committed. I have enough laptops in my classroom so half my kids can be on them at the same time.

This is not normal in my building or my district. So how did I accomplish this?

• Formal Grants. There is a fair amount of free money and hardware available for those teachers who are willing to make the effort to apply. Your district administration may know about them. Sometimes you must make a commitment to attending training sessions or to training others, but it is worth it to get your own, dedicated equipment so you can be teaching effectively with technology in the classroom.

• Salvaging. Several of my laptops came from my district IT department because other classrooms no longer wanted them...because their batteries were worn out. I don't care...just plug 'em in! My kids don't care either.
• Sharing. Yes, I regularly let my kids use my teacher laptop. Not every kid; they must demonstrate to me that they know proper care of other laptops in the classroom and can be trusted not to "mess around." But technology is meant to be used, and I can't stand seeing a computer sit idle when I can see four kids clustered around a small screen trying to research a social studies project.

If you wait around for computers to arrive based on your administration's schedule, you will likely never be teaching with technology to the level your kids really need. Make the effort to corral as many as you can using unconventional means.

You'll find that technology integration in the classroom becomes a constant thing if the equipment is easily accessible, rather than something relegated to special projects because you must make a trek to the computer lab to get online.

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