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Warren Clarke

Defining Technology Integration

Before we can discuss how to shift our pedagogy or the role of the teacher in a classroom that is integrating technology, it is important to first define what "technology integration" actually means. Seamless integration is when students are not only using technology daily, but have access to a variety of tools that match the task at hand and provide them with the opportunity to build a deeper understanding of content.

"Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions as accessible as all other classroom tools." NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION.

What is technology Integration?

Technology integration is the use of technological resources such as: computers, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, digital cameras, social media platforms and networks, software applications, the Internet, etc. in daily classroom practices, and in the management of an institution. Successful technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is:

Routine and transparent
Accessible and readily available for the task at hand
Supporting the curricular goals, and helping the students to effectively reach their goals.

Curriculum Integration

When effectively integrated into the curriculum, technology tools can extend learning in powerful ways. These tools can provide students and teachers with:

Access to up-to-date, primary source materia
Methods of collecting or recording data
Ways to collaborate with students, teachers, and experts around the world
Opportunities for expressing understanding via multimedia
Learning that is relevant and assessment that is authentic
Training for publishing and presenting their new knowledge

Types of Technological Integration

It is sometimes difficult to describe how technology can impact learning because the term "technology integration" is such a broad umbrella that covers so many varied tools and practices; there are many ways technology can become an integral part of the learning process. Just a few of these ways are listed below but new technology tools and ideas emerge daily.

Online Learning and Blended Classrooms

While K-12 online learning gains traction around the world (visit our Schools That Work package about online learning), many teachers are also exploring blended learning; a combination of both online and face-to-face education.

Project-Based Activities Incorporating Technology

Many of the most rigorous projects are infused with technology from start to finish. Visit our Schools That Work package about project-based learning in Maine to read about a middle school and high school that are getting excellent results from mixing PBL with a one-to-one laptop program.

There has been a lot of buzz about the benefits of incorporating simulations and game-based learning activities into classroom instruction. Visit our Video Games for Learning Resource Roundup page to learn more. Guest blogger Terrell Heick wrote about the gamification of education, or go straight for the practical resource and read Andrew Miller's "Game-Based Learning Units for the Everyday Teacher".

Game-Based Learning and Assessment

Learning with Mobile and Handheld Devices

Once widely dismissed as distractions, devices like cell phones, mp3 players, and tablet computers are now being used as learning tools in forward-thinking schools.

Instructional Tools like Interactive Whiteboards and Student Response Systems

In many schools, the days of green chalkboards are over. Read an article about how to put an interactive whiteboard to best use, or one with tips from a teacher about her favorite ways to use her whiteboard. Read an article about using classroom response systems for interactive assessment and watch a video where a student-reponse system is used in a classroom.

Interactive Whiteboard

Student Response Systems

Web-Based Projects, Explorations, and Research

One of the first, and most basic, ways that teachers encouraged kids to use technology was with online research, virtual field trips, and webquests. Watch videos about online collaborative projects Journey North and the JASON project.