The Technology-Infused Classroom

Fully integrating technology into the classroom promotes learning through understanding, and amalgamates with a student-centered constructivist approach. (Laucho, 2006) However, the professional educator must skillfully employ the available technology for meaningful learning. To me, the technology-infused classroom is an atmosphere that enthralls students by fully integrating technology into lessons and pushes the available technological tools to their creative potential. “…a student centered constructivist technology infused classroom is one where meaningful learning is improved and developed through the use of technology in students’ hands. Once technology is in the hands of a student how does that technology then foster meaningful learning?” (Laucho, 2006, para. 3)

Student users of technology should be able to produce, create, design, explore, analyze, evaluate, and discover. The technology must meet the needs of the user by meeting the student’s learning preferences and style, as well as their individual capacities. When I think of the technology-infused classroom I envision all students having their individual needs and preferences met. Technology has the capacity to reach at-risk students, special education students, mainstream students, and gifted students. Lessons presented on a technological platform can be differentiated to any number of levels. (Barlow & Wetherill, 2005) To accomplish these goals teachers need to teach how to use the technology and teach with the technology, giving students ample time to practice.

Throughout planning the teacher must ask themselves, “Which available technologies can I employ to improve learning for my students? The technology infused classroom is limited only by the ingenuity and creativity of the teacher in charge, as well as the resources available to the district. “Effective use of technology in educational environments and its successful integration increases the productivity of instructional processes.” (Ersti, et al., 2012) Here are some questions that can guide planning in the technology infused classroom:

1. Does the technology that I am using in this lesson plan enhance learning for my students?
2. Are the technologies I am integrating clearly linked to the learning outcomes and the learning environment?
3. Will the use of technology improve the engagement of my students?
4. Does the technology that I am using make learning more fun and meaningful for my students?
5. Are there opportunities to differentiate learning for the students using this technology?
6. How can I reach all of the various learning styles represented in my classroom using this technology?
7. Do I need to make accommodations for any of my students when employing this technology?
8. How will the students become proficient using the technology?

In my mind, the technology-infused classroom is the ideal teaching environment. The teacher would have ample resources to provide for the students. Newest technological advances are increasingly available for classroom usage. Tools are working and accessible to afford students to create in new and ingenuitive ways that foster independent thinking, problem solving, resourcefulness, and imagination. I get excited thinking about a classroom with endless possibilities…the technology-infused classroom! To conclude this video makes some amazing points about how we currently use technology in the classroom and what our goal in creating technology-infused classrooms ideally should be. It is a bit long, but I believe it is worthwhile!

Barlow, C. L., & Wetherill, K. S. (2005). TECHNOLOGY + IMAGINATION = RESULTS. T H E Journal, 33(3), 20-26.

Erişti, S., Kurt, A., & Dindar, M. (2012). Teachers' Views about Effective Use of Technology in Classrooms. Turkish Online Journal Of Qualitative Inquiry, 3(2), 30-41.

Laucho, R. (2006). Infusing Technology into Your Classroom. Retrieved from http://people.emich.edu/rlauchu/samples/EDMT%20602%20Final%20Paper.htm

Visual literacy and the use of the internet can have a tremendous impact on student learning and construction of knowledge. These strategies and tools can benefit the contemporary student by making learning accessible, relevant, and illuminating new ideas and processes. It is vital that students be both visually literate and technologically competent.

As technology becomes more prevailing students are expected to cultivate applicable marketable skills. Thus, the internet becomes a genuine instrument to develop multidisciplinary skills. The possibilities are so extensive. Teachers can integrate visuals, media, games, research, networking and numerous other devices to amplify the learning experience. The internet accommodates a myriad of learning styles, as well as developing a classroom environment that employs authentic learning methodology. Students have access to any content imaginable.

            “As we shift from an educational system which promotes teaching to one that supports learning, additional methods of accessing education will be required (Shimic, 2008). The Internet is a fast, efficient, and readily available modality for promoting technology based learning thus increasing educational access. The learning process is changing in all organizations. Collaboration, intercultural communication, accessibility and relevancy are all concepts promoted in organizations, including higher education institutions. There is push to increase the efficiency of learning and the transfer and facilitation of knowledge. Technology enhanced learning environments improve the learning experience by promoting cooperation, collaboration and self-sufficiency in learners.” (Tucker & Courts, 2010, pg. 38)

In my personal classroom I want the internet to play a significant role in delivering information to my students. I envision an atmosphere where students conduct independent studies online, connect with students located in diverse geographical regions using Skype, upload podcasts for listening to with iTunes, create annotated bibliographies with http://www.delicious.com, watch animations on http://www.brainpop.com, and play games on http://www.funbrain.com.  I am committed to staying current and aware of fresh new technologies in order to make the most positive impact on my students.

Visual literacy can be taught in conjunction with technology and internet to make considerable advances in the students’ overall literacy and competency. Both input and output strategies are vital in education. I believe that they are equally as important as each other and should both be included in regular instruction because one helps the student decode and the other aids them in encoding. Some strategies that can improve visual literacy and I would personally implement in my own classroom are:

Discussing images

Critiquing images

Thinking critically about images

Creating images

Selecting images for presentation

Sequencing

In conclusion I would like to leave you with a quote that I feel summarizes the main purpose of remaining abreast of technological advances for classroom usage. “The idea of integrating technology into the classroom is not a new concept. As new technologies emerge, educators are often eager to find methods of assimilating these technologies in their classrooms. These same educators often find it difficult to connect new technologies to the traditional view of classroom learning that concentrates on a fixed curriculum which focuses on learning through repetition and memorization. In order for the integration of technology into the classroom to be successful, teaching must be viewed as a way of facilitating learning, and view learning as series of processes which lead us to adapt behavior in a quest to acquire new knowledge. Using the Internet as a transferring mechanism to deliver multimedia rich content from the facilitator to the learner is one method of designing a dynamic classroom experience.” (Tucker & Courts, 2010, pg. 41-42)

Tucker, J., & Courts, B. (2010). Utilizing The Internet To Facilitate Classroom Learning. Journal Of College Teaching & Learning, 7(7), 36-43.