I admit, I typically approach new technology with some level of trepidation. It took me a really long time to use a Kindle. (So many books in one place!) I'm still a little unclear on the purpose of Twitter.
That's why I want to weave technology into the classroom intentionally. There are reasons to use traditional, kinesthetic-based learning methods, but our ever-changing technology provides approaches for engaging students, personalizing assignments, and encouraging creativity. Students become invested in what they're studying and forget that it's schoolwork.
Check out this video from Edutopia:
So to recap: technology is scary, invigorating, expansive, and absolutely crucial for meaningful learning. Yes, I’m going to encourage you to unplug your video games and go play outside—but why not take your camera with you and create a photo montage that tells the story of what you discover out there?
My job isn’t to give you all the answers; it’s to help you craft your own questions, devise a method to find those answers, and challenge you to push yourself further than you thought possible.
So how does that work?
Well, it starts with connecting to my students. To devise interest-based projects, I need to know who my students are. Maybe we can create a classroom Facebook page where students get to know each other, ask questions, post thoughts, and keep the brain activity sparking outside of school.
Once my students are connected to each other, we expand. Global citizenship is invaluable in a world where information spills across borders, and students need to understand other cultures and languages in order to move about the world. Moodle connects students across continents.
Since my focus is English, I’d like to institute a year-long online newspaper project. Students can try out different roles—copywriter, managing editor, story manager, etc.—and see what fits. They’ll learn how to do research, write and edit articles, and collaborate to engineer a functioning paper for students and parents to access online. At the end of the year, we can use a video journal to reflect on the experience.
Learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and students need to see how tech skills are relevant across curricula. in eighth grade, my English and math teachers banded together and devised an overlapping project for us: We had to write a story infused with math problems. I wrote about the my first punk rock concert with my friend, Jennie (true), and threw in math problems that involved us scaling the building and outrunning some bad guys (less true). I still have that project some…oh…several years later.
Clearly, school districts will have varying levels of access to technology. Some schools may have SMART boards, while others have more limited resources. We need to be mindful of the socioeconomic realties of diverse student populations. Public libraries and Internet cafes are available to everyone; alternatively, students working in groups can share iPads or laptops for completing projects.
This is just a general outline with a few examples of integrating technology into the classroom. In five years, we’ll have entirely new technological capabilities—and if we cultivate our tech literacy by following the pulse of emerging trends, we’ll be ready for the changes.
Now go outside and play. ;)
Fink, Zachary. "An Introduction to Technology Integration." Online video. Edutopia. George Lucas Educational Foundation, 12 December 2012. Web. 2 December 2014. <www.edutopia.org>
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