If your answer is "No," is it because you lack enough access to technology? Is it because you don't feel ready? Or do you feel ready, but need additional support in your classroom? Depending on your answer, your path to tech integration may look different from someone else's. However varied access and readiness may be, tech integration can successfully occur in any classroom. Show
Below you will find a quick overview with suggestions of what kinds of tools and activities are best matched with various levels of technology access. All of the resources linked to are either free or offer free versions. If your class has an interactive whiteboard and projector:
If there is only one computer in your room:
If you have a pod of three to five computers in the classroom or access to a library with a pod of computers:
If you have access to a laptop cart or a computer lab:
If your students have 1:1 laptops or netbooks:
If you have access to a handful of mobile devices:
If your students have 1:1 mobile devices:
Getting to "Seamless" IntegrationTo begin to move your tech integration to the point where it is "seamless," consider these questions:
For more on levels of technology access and what that means for tech integration, read this blog post: "What Does 'Technology Integration' Mean?" You can also check out the outstanding Technology Integration Matrix produced by the Arizona K12 Center. It provides guidance on different levels of tech integration based on readiness and current practice, and offers links to sample lessons. Tips for Shared HardwareIn schools that are not 1:1, sharing resources can be a huge challenge. Here are some quick tips for sharing resources effectively:
Get more details about these six tips from this blog post: "Six Tips for Teachers: How to Maximize Shared Resources." Creating a Professional-Development PlanOnce you have discovered what level of access you have and what possibilities this access affords you, it is time to address your own comfort level with the technology that is in your classroom. This can be achieved through self-assessment and/or the use of a fellow teacher or an instructional coach in your school or district. Once you know your comfort level, then you can begin to build a professional-development plan for yourself. This can be done alone, as part of your "grade team," or as part of your school or district's personal-growth plan. You can also begin to seek out professional-development opportunities online and outside of your district or school to begin to connect with other educators exploring the same challenges and seeking solutions. For more resources for taking professional development into your own hands, check out our DIY Professional Development page. It doesn't matter what your comfort level is with technology in your classroom -- without a continuous professional-development plan, you will never be as effective as you can be. Many schools and districts have made the mistake of placing technology into classrooms without a comprehensive plan for training teachers. Often, this technology sits unused or underused. If you are a teacher in a situation where technology has been "thrown" at you with no professional development, be thankful for the new tool(s) that you have at your fingertips -- and then do your best to learn about how they can transform and improve your teaching and have a positive effect on student learning. You can do this either on your own or by asking for help from your colleagues, mentors, or professional learning community. Unlike many other aspects of teaching, technology changes constantly. Just as in any industry, it is vital that educators stay current with new trends and developments in both pedagogy and new technologies. If you have a tech-integration specialist at your school, then use this person to your full advantage, as they are the front line for the tools you have or may want to bring into your classroom. Hardware and EquipmentWhile hardware and software vary across classrooms, schools, and districts, one thing can be guaranteed across the board: technology, no matter what kind it is, will fail. This inevitable part of tech integration is often the number-one fear of classroom teachers everywhere. Whether you are taking the steps to integrate technology into your classroom on your own or as part of a schoolwide or district initiative, this fear must be the first hurdle to overcome. Here are some basic tips for when technology goes awry:
Using Technology for Feedback and AssessmentOne of the most exciting aspects of bringing technology into your classroom -- and into your students' hands -- is the enhanced opportunity for timely and meaningful feedback. Quick Checks: If you want to know if your students grasp enough of a particular concept before you move on, you can use tools such as Poll Everywhere, Socrative, or Mentimeter to get a quick snapshot of the class. By creating a short quiz or open-ended response question using one of these tools and having your students use an internet-enabled device to answer, you can get quick and easy feedback that will help inform your instruction. Personalized Feedback: Through the use of course-management tools such as Edmodo, Schoology, or Moodle, it is now possible for teachers to provide personalized feedback quickly and efficiently to their students. All three tools provide the ability for teachers to leave personalized comments and notes on student work, and they provide a messaging service for students who may want to send emails with questions or concerns about the course. Screencasts can also provide personalized feedback on student work. A teacher can record his or her computer screen while viewing student work, pointing out areas for improvement and areas where a student has excelled. Some great tools for this are Screencast-O-Matic and Jing. In addition, Evernote is a powerful note-taking tool that can be accessed through any Internet-enabled device through a web browser or the mobile app. It allows users to record audio notes, and it can be a great way to provide personalized feedback to students. Teachers can share these recordings, which are embedded in notes created through the app or website, with students through email. This can be a great way to keep students updated on their progress or to provide feedback on a particular assignment asynchronously. Because the feedback is recorded, students can also rewind and relisten for better comprehension or to refer back to if they like. Please note, all of these kinds of tools require that students have access to Internet-enabled devices on a regular basis and that they hand in their work digitally. For more on using technology to provide feedback to students, you can read this blog post: "Using Tech Tools to Provide Timely Feedback." The Role of Digital CitizenshipOur students are constantly immersed in technology, yet that does not mean that they know how to use it for learning. We also cannot assume that they know how to use it responsibly either. Just as we teach our children how to handle bullies on the playground, or as we admonish a student for copying someone's work and handing it in as his or her own, we must take the time to explicitly teach about cyberbullying, copyright, plagiarism, digital footprint, and proper conduct online. Of course, what we teach and how we teach it depend on grade level. We probably wouldn't teach first graders about the nitty-gritty details of copyright law, but we might teach them what kinds of information are safe or unsafe to share online. Likewise, while we may quickly review safe and unsafe information with high school students, we are more likely to focus on digital footprint and plagiarism. It is worth your time to spend some time early in the year setting expectations for online conduct, use of information found online, and staying safe when using digital tools. For more on teaching digital citizenship, you can visit BrainPOP, Common Sense Media, or Edutopia's Digital Citizenship Resource Roundup. Since it's clear that tech integration is here to stay, it is not a question of whether teachers integrate technology into their classrooms, but rather how to do it best. By taking small steps, teachers can begin to reap the benefits that technology can bring to their teaching and to student learning. This process does not have to be painful, and no one will become a tech-integration whiz overnight. However, even with limited access, with careful planning, some risk taking, and an open mind, teachers can successfully use technology to enhance their teaching and bring learning to life for their students. Continue to the next section of the guide, Workshop Activities. What are the 4 ways in which teachers use technology to support learning?If you're looking for ideas of exactly how to use technology in the classroom to enhance learning, some examples include:. Gamified learning.. Digital field trips.. Integrate social media.. Gather student feedback.. Creating digital content.. Using a shared, online classroom calendar.. Review and critique webpages.. What are the five forms of technology in the classroom?Top 8 education + classroom technology tools. Education technology.. Video conferencing platform.. Smart video cameras.. Hybrid technology.. Asynchronous learning tools.. Synchronous learning tools.. Online textbooks.. Learning Management Systems.. What are the 10 ways to use technology in the classroom?10 Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom. Looking for some tips on how to help you better integrate technology in your instruction? ... . Quiet a Noisy Classroom. ... . Use Videos for Mini-Lessons. ... . Add Multimedia Elements to Presentations. ... . Use Digital Exit Tickets. ... . Use Online Mind Maps for Class Brainstorms. ... . Gather Student Feedback.. Why are teachers not using technology in the classroom?Some teachers have expressed their fear of not being able to control what kids do on their screens. They also think that if technology is introduced in their lessons then kids wouldn't be so interested in the lesson and the content itself.
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