As we are all aware, the usage of technology in elementary schools is minimal and unfamiliar to many teachers. I believe our generation of teachers will be able to change this perception as we become more educated in our curriculum classes and further immersed into our field experiences. Even if teachers are not particularly well versed in technology, they can still incorporate it into their lessons. Knowing your students’ needs and interests, however, are by far the most important facets to consider when constructing a lesson plan. Tech-Integrated Planning, by Judi Harris and Mark Hofer, highlights the proper steps to take when integrating technology into the classroom. First, the technology must align with the nationwide and statewide curriculum standards. Since much of the world in which we live centers on the progression and development of technological resources, technology in the classroom should be reinforced by content-based learning activities. I have summarized the article’s technology planning instruction for your benefit and future usage.
1) Choose learning goals.
a. Teachers should align their planning with the district, state, and national content based curriculum standards.
2) Make pedagogical decisions.
a. Consider eight pedagogical decisions when you are planning.
1) Who will direct the learning? Student or the teacher.
2) Are you able to draw inferences from previous lessons?
3) How can you activate students’ background knowledge? Ways to Engage?
4) Is higher-level thinking addressed?
5) How long does your lesson last?
6) Does this lesson need step-by-step directions? Or are the students able to explore the topic for themselves?
7) Who would this lesson best be directed towards? Whole group, small group, or individual instruction.
8) What other resources will be needed in order to complete this lesson?
3) Select activity types to combine.
a. Varying subjects differ in terms of inquiry, instruction, and learning activity types.
4) Select assessment strategies.
a. Formative and summative assessment should align with the standards just like the pedagogical decisions.
5) Select tools/resources.
a. The main goal of Grounded Tech Integration is as follows: “ If teachers choose learning goals in accordance with students’ learning needs, if they make pedagogical decisions according to instructional and contextual realities, and if they select learning activity types (including assessment strategies) to match those goals and realities, then the instructional plan is likely to succeed.”
The underlying question arises, “ How do we integrate technology effectively in K – 6 literacy learning?” Technology should not be used as an addendum to regular curriculum, but integrated within our lessons on a continual basis. Students will then become more familiar with the educational technology accessible to them, as well as, become better readers and writers in the process. In the article, Grounded Technology Integration Using K – 6 Literacy Learning Activity Types, Schmidt et. al concludes, “Grounded technology integration is based in content, pedagogy, and how teachers plan instruction.”
The first three subcategories include: Pre - Reading activity types, During –Reading activity types, and Post – Reading activity types. The subcategories for writing mimic those of the reading categories. It is not always necessary for teachers to implement technology in all three categories. I do believe, however, teachers could potentially use technology in at least one of the three subcategories. Although not all 88 activity types are included in this article, sample activity types are classified to support the two literacy processes: reading and writing.
The pre-reading activity I found to be the most interesting were the literature circles. I believe this activity would be most effective for upper elementary students (grades 3 – 5), during book clubs or small cooperative groups formed by interest or ability level. Furthermore, “digital book talks” could be implemented in order to connect schools across the world. As a result, students will be able to build ideas and knowledge upon cooperating with their peers within their class and beyond their own classroom boundaries. What reading activity could you see using in your classroom? How could you use this activity for different types of learners? The writing process learning activity types were all thought provoking. I found the brainstorming activity type to be the most useful across all grades. Concept-mapping software is a simple, yet effective way of outlining important topics and their supporting details. I believe you could use concept-mapping software in all disciplines. What writing activity could you see using in your classroom? How could you use this activity for different types of learners?
In conclusion, knowing your students instructional needs is the most important when planning a lesson. I believe it is important to have a balance between traditional instruction and technological instruction. Traditional instruction is appropriate when learning basic math facts or writing a paragraph on character development. What subjects would be more effectively taught in terms of instruction and learning activity types? When using technology appropriately and within the confines of the standards, the positives of integrating technology outweigh the negatives. For example, technology provides students with automatic feedback. Students are able to print out what has been completed on the computer to share with their peers and teacher. The Activity Types approach allows teachers to classify their activities found in textbooks with the current standards.
Thank you! J
Lindsey, thank you for your thorough and helpful overview! Your insights have directed my thoughts to some key concerns.
ReplyDeleteSo far, we've explored the nearly limitless uses for technologies in the classroom, but the question still remains: How do we seamlessly integrate technology into our curriculum so that it supplements (rather than distracts from) the content? With the many examples of technologies and their practical applications for the classroom, it may be tempting to design lessons with a certain technology in mind. This "technocentric" (as the article defines it) approach, where teachers use technology for the sake of technology, may be fun to plan and implement, but it certainly does not benefit the students! As teachers, I agree that we should always remain cognizant of our students' needs above all else. The students, NOT the technology available, should inform our curriculum planning.
In my own practicum experience, I have observed the problems that can arise from a technology-inspired lesson. Last week, to "fill time", the teacher used a neighboring clasroom's SMART board to teach a math lesson on addition and subtraction. However, the students were unable to concentrate on the problems because they were distracted by the graphics and sound effects used in the presentation! For this particular lesson, the technology used was unnecessary, and traditional methods probably would have proven more effective.
With that said, I think there are many great opportunities to integrate technology as a supplement to a K-6 classroom curriculum, provided that teachers follow the Activity Types model to match appropriate technology to their classroom needs.
Hello everyone!
ReplyDeleteLindsey, thank you for providing us all with such a helpful post. I thought a lot about your question, "What subjects would be more effectively taught in terms of instruction and learning activity types?".
Personally, when I teach my own class of students, I think I will find different classroom technologies most helpful in assisting me with science instruction. I think a big part of this is because science is the area where I need additional help to build my enthusiasm. I also find it more difficult to make basic science concepts that students learn in primary grades more hands-on, so I think that by incorporating technologies this would allow students to take more "ownership," as we've learned in other classes is important for students to do. From simple things like showing students exciting videos on brain pop to allowing them to use cameras to show phase change, I think being able to use technology in science is a great way to supplement their learning and help students be excited about this subject.
I think these resources will be very useful when we're student teaching and, later, in charge of our own classroom. I hope I remember what I've read and go back and reference these ideas later on!
I'm looking forward to reading other ideas because, as always, I'm learning a lot from you girls! Hope everyone has a great night :) See you all tomorrow!
I agree - these articles were pretty enlightening. By planning curriculum using activity type learning, the lessons, I think would be more effective. The technology to supplement the learning rather than being the focus. What actually interested me a lot was the fact that many of the examples of how to put technology into the lesson could be done without the technology. By including technology, I would be able to speed the lesson up and get more teaching in. For example, in Social Studies, one of the suggestions is to do a review session using Jeopardy. This is possible to do technology, but the technology simply enhances the game by allowing it to progress somewhat faster and to gain student interest much easier.
ReplyDeleteLike Jennifer said, the teachers have a list of what technologies can be used for certain activities and no longer having to contemplate what technologies can be used for specific activities. I've noticed in my own observations that this often means lessons centered around these technologies.
What I liked most in reading these was the emphasis on not using technologies in isolation. In lesson planning, I would find purposely using several different technologies very useful in keeping the lesson curriculum-based rather than technology-based. By dividing the focus between technologies, more time could be spent on figuring out how to integrate everything together and, at least for me, would more likely result in a better lesson.
I'll see you all in class!
I could see myself using technology in science as well. Not because I need extra enthusiasm for science, but because I love science! I love learning about new discoveries and technologies in the science fields. I would want to share these with my students as often as possible. If technology can help them to also develop interests in science, then it's a very good idea.
ReplyDeleteI've seen technology used in my classroom in the form of the document camera, interwrite tablet, and computer all projected on a screen at the front of the room. These are used constantly so that they are not awkwardly integrated. The students know the teacher is going to use the interwrite tablet to demonstrate proper letter formation, the document camera to show correct examples of "morning work," etc. When I taught my math lesson I used the document camera, which was not as smooth as the teacher, mostly because I don't have experience with it. Since the students are used to the technology, it was not weird for them to do the activity.
There are downsides to constantly integrating technology. During the video I watched in class, the teacher was so dependent on the technology she said she would not know what to do if she did not have it. If there were a power outage or something, the classroom would come to a halt. Technology is good for many things, but it can also be a handicap.
I think as a teacher I would need to use technology like the interwrite table, if only because I was not a teacher before these technological advances. I cannot write neatly on the board, for example. After being placed in a classroom that uses technology exclusively, It would be difficult to move to a classroom that did not have the technology. The first few months of school would be getting re-acquainted with traditional classroom materials.
Lindsey, thank you for such a thorough post!
ReplyDeleteThese articles provided a wealth of information for the novice teacher, as well as for the one wary of technology. I agree that having to begin with a piece of of technology and frame a lesson around that is both daunting and ineffective. Teachers are the ones that must steer the lessons and use technology for supplementation.
I looked into the Math technology and found some great ideas. WIth respect to "applying a mathematical representation to a real-life issue," I think it would be a great idea use virtual manipulatives for illustration (I didn't even know there was such a thing!) I also think that given the breadth of math content covered in one year, technology is increasingly important to retaining student interest. A lot of what is covered in classes is through the same drill and practice, day in and day out. I think math, especially, could use some spicing up.
As Jen mentioned, I hope refer to these articles in the future. They provide a wealth of ideas. See you all in a few...