Session 3: Technology Intergration in the Classroom

The question of the week....Can technology be integrated into an American classroom and be used correctly?

Well my answer to this is yes. If a teacher can use the technology that is in the classroom than it can be implemented correctly. I look at the correct part as is the technology being used or not because any teacher with some technology background would be using technology integrated in the curriculum to support the learning process. Most of the day is spent teaching languages arts thought direct instruction which can get old quickly to the students. The students need to be engaged in activities that support the skills they are learning. By using technology in the classroom it creates meaningful learning because they can make connections from what they learn to their personal life.

I have thought about the different ways technology can be used in the classroom and a came up with this idea. As I read on one of the blogs no one will ever fit into the whole category. Even though our society is changing everyday with the convenience of technology, some teachers still refuse to use it in their classroom.

I came up with 3 layers to the pyramid: No Technology Use, Teacher Use, and Student/Teacher Use.

- In the bottom layer "No Technology Use" - These are the teachers who refuse to use technology in the classroom. The computer sits on the side of the classroom collecting dust. This is a small number of teachers but it still exists today in our schools. In the future the goal is to eliminate this layers.

-In the middle layer "Teacher Use Only"- In this layer are the teachers that use the computer to create lesson plans, sub plans, communicate with other staff members, do reports cards , and keep grades in a program. The teacher uses the computer to complete daily tasks in the classroom. The teacher will also use the computer to gain more information on certain topics that are being taught. This layers is the biggest because I feel it is the most common among teachers.

-In the top layer "Teacher/Student Use"- the teacher is integrating technology into the classroom. The teacher creates videos related to curriculum and PowerPoint presentations. The teacher uses the LCD projects to present lessons to the student. The students are engaged in technology lessons related to lessons being taught as additional support material. The students are creating a project using the computer, a movie, or working in pair to research a topic. The students are able to use WebQuest and other online sites that are pre-chosen by the teacher to access educational material. This layer is small but in the future as technology becomes even a bigger part of our society and the new teachers are trained to use technology perhaps this layer will grow.

As I said earlier not every person fits into a whole layer. Teachers may do certain things from different layers to meet their needs. In a classroom the teachers choose the pieces of technology that will benefit the students and meet their needs.

Weekly Activity:

This week I revised my project proposals. I started gathering the items I need to create my 1st project. I listened to the podcast and made my response on my blog.