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Let's get our priorities straight.




The first day of school for teachers is much different than the first day of school for students. The entire day is a celebration, an attempt to instill motivation and inspire through meaningful Professional Development (PD) courses. Over the last several years, technology integration has been an aspect of focus for PD. However, I think that we have been setting our priorities incorrectly. Educators have rushed to integrate technology, and it has dominated many classrooms to a point where the classroom objectives become secondary. Technology is a tool to enhance learning, and I don't think that technology should replace the role of a teacher. Below are some tips to utilizing technology in the classroom, and a couple of types of technology integration.

Tips for Integrating Technology

  • Start somewhere- It's not necessary to utilize technology in every lesson, especially if you are just starting out. You can use...
    • YouTube
    • Google
    • Creating on-line projects
    • Collaborative use of apps of interactive educational games
  • The lesson plan should have an outline of how the students will achieve the objectives, and why the technology being used is a good fit to enhance the process of learning.
  • Is the technology a preferred method of media. It is important to have an understanding of what types of media are preferred by the students. Best practices indicate that when students feel positively about the subjects and tools being presented, students willingly learn, as opposed to being forced into the process.


Blended Learning

Blended learning is  a good place to start-- for all teachers. This method is my preferred method in a face to face classroom. It's a process that acknowledge that students need to be stimulated by different activities and media in order to keep their interest. In fact, I think that all humans operate in this manner. I like to switch either the media or activity every 20-30 minutes. It's not necessary to switch the topic or learning objective, but in an effort to reach all types of learners it's best to switch media and activities to address different modes of learning. For the first 20 minutes I might engage students in an introduction and topic discussion, the next 20 minutes I have students address the objective through an individual activity with teacher and mentor support, and lastly, the students do a group activity. I have experimented with technology integration in the three different stages of my lesson plan, and I have noticed that technology is best utilized meaningfully when it is used collaboratively (look at this video); therefore, I think it's best used during the last 20 minutes of class.


Flipped Classroom

A flipped classroom attempts to make the best time and use of the teacher. Students complete the lecture type, or the disbursement of knowledge at home, and then students do the homework, project-based work, and collaborative activities in the classroom wit collaborative project-based assignments with my assistance. Another concern of mine considering the Flipped Classroom is not a critique, but rather a worry that students would not have adequate access to technology in order to complete the at-home research.

In conclusion, perhaps it would be best to experiment and design a program that best suits the needs of the students in the demographic that you teach in. What are some practices and attempts to integrate technology that have been successful.

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