Technology Integration

The amount of available information is doubling every three years according to statistics. By the time kids graduate from high school, today’s students will have been exposed to more information than their grandparents were in a lifetime. It has been claimed that ninety percent of the technology we will use in the next decade has not been invented or currently there is no access to at the moment.

Education leaders have recognized the importance of students learning how to use technology and have enacted new technology standards that require teachers to integrate the use of technology into the curriculum for every subject. They have seen the great need for K-12 students to learn to use technology as a part of their daily lives in order to prepare themselves for a future filled with technology. Almost all workers in business, industry, government, and education are now required to use technology. The technology skills and knowledge that students gain in the classroom will create a foundation for the technology skills and knowledge they will need in the future.

There are many reasons technology integration is needed in education. Robyler (2003) compiled a list of reasons why technology should be used based on current research.

Elements of a Rationale for Using Technology in Education

1. Technology provides motivation for students by:

Gaining learner attention
Engaging the learner through production work
Increasing perceptions of control

2. Technology offers unique instructional capabilities, such as:

Linking learners to information and educational resources
Helping learners visualize problems and solutions
Tracking learner progress
Linking learners to learning tools

3. Technology gives support for new instructional approaches, such as:

Cooperative learning
Shared intelligence
Problem solving and higher level skills

4. Technology increased teacher productivity by:

Freeing time to work with students by helping with production and record-keeping tasks
Providing more accurate information more quickly
Allowing teachers to produce better looking, more “student-friendly” materials more quickly

5. Technology skills are required for an information age:

Technology literacy
Information literacy
Visual literacy

It is amazing to me that many teachers still think “TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION” is time students spend on the computer using software. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of great software out there that engages the learner, however, pushing the arrow keys, number keys, and/or A>B>C>D keys is not the real world.
Too many times, teachers confuse technology education and instructional/ educational technology. Teachers must understand that technology education is a distinct discipline that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to function in a technological society. Instructional or educational technology is a strategy for using different forms of technology (such as computers) to aid or enhance educational instruction and promote creativity. It is not a discipline. Classroom technology is a supplement to teacher instruction, not a replacement. Computer based instruction can individualize student learning and provide instant feedback and in some cases provide students with a written explanation and a visual aid. Computers are also patient and non-judgmental which allows motivating students to continue.
Technology Integration (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) is a term used by educators to describe effective uses of technology by teachers and students in K-12 and university classrooms. Teachers use technology to support instruction in language arts, social studies, science, math, or other content areas. When teachers integrate technology into their classroom practice, learners are empowered to be actively engaged in their learning.
When technology is integrated into the classroom, educators are taking the constructivist approach to learning. Students are becoming the experts while the classroom environment is shifting from teacher-centered to student-centered. An educator who is not supporting student learning by integrating technology in the classroom is causing a disservice to students and the work force that awaits them.
Teachers should strive to make technology a part of everyday life in the classroom. They should not use technology just to use it. They should find ways to use it so that it enhances instruction and improves student learning. The focus of technology integration activities should not be on the technology that is used, but on the student activities that are conducted using technology.
Technology integration does not happen by accident. Teachers must learn how to incorporate student use of technology into meaningful activities in their lesson plans. There is a learning curve to becoming proficient in technology integration, but once the skills are learned and activities are identified and located or developed, teachers find that technology can actually reduce preparation time.