Integrating Technology Into the Classroom: Challenging but Achievable

     I found this article, "Integrating Technology Into the Classroom: Methods and Means" recently, and I feel that it completely encompasses everything that this course strives to instill within its students. Technology has made significant strides over the years and the possibilities seem endless. Just when we think Apple or another technology brand has outdone itself, we are quickly presented with an even better piece of technology. The same is true within most classrooms nowadays. Technology within the classroom has also come so much farther than anyone could have imagined. The very first paragraph of this article really caught my attention. A “portable classroom” just might be the most advanced technological form of schooling that I have ever heard of. My only concern when first reading this was that I was not exactly sure that this was a viable form of schooling. Further along in the article, however, author, Melissa Kelly, addresses everyone’s concerns about incorporating technology into their curriculum.
     Step by step, this article guides a prospective teacher, in a way, regarding exactly how beneficial technology can be within the classroom. From research, to website creations, to online assessment, this article shines a light on different aspects of curricula that can be enhanced with the incorporation of technology. I especially think that the creation of a website is beneficial to students. As a future English teacher, I have often thought about using this kind of method in my classroom, having the students create a website similarly set up to that of a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter so as to really put themselves in the shoes of a character from a novel that we studying. I found it also very clever that they provided an example for History teachers, having students write historical letters as if they were historical figures.
     I feel as though the reason this article is not only resourceful but vital is due to the fact that it does not try to sugar coat the fact that while technology is an advancement in the world of education that provides our students with a plethora of opportunities for learning in innovative ways, it is not 100% practical. However, Kelly definitely brings to the forefront suggestions on how to make the incorporation of technology such as the internet work in the classroom. She admittedly states that although it might be a bit of a challenge, it is definitely possible to create an environment conducive to learning within a technologically sound classroom. Kelly states, “Do all of the objections mean that we should not use the internet in the classroom? No. However, we must address these concerns before we fully integrate the internet into the classroom. The effort is definitely worth it because the possibilities are endless!” (2). Kelly definitely succeeded in addressing many of the concerns that I have had regarding the integration of technology within my own classroom. I believe she has not only given me suggestions on how to successfully achieve it, but she has also given a host of answers on how to address the challenges we might face along the way.

Fundraisers to Improve Technology in Westfield High School

     Although this article is a few months old, I found it to be inspiring. To improve technology in the Westfield school district, a raffle was held to help raise funds to improve the technology in Westfield High School. Also, an online survey was conducted so as to determine the need for more up-to-date technology in the classroom. As a result of each of these events, 10 projectors were purchased for the school and installed. Also, it was decided that they would a second raffle and a subsequent fundraiser to help bring more technology into the school, first by way of replacing the computer libraries. The addition of projectors will absolutely benefit both students and teachers alike in the classroom and replacing the library computers to newer models will definitely help the students, especially when they are required to complete assignments and projects online as well as have access to sites for research projects.
     Having up-to-date technology in the classroom is basically vital in today’s society. So often, I believe, we focus on the school’s that are adding iPads and such to their classrooms and often the schools that don’t even have projectors, such as Westfield High School, fall through the cracks. I think it’s important to put schools such as Westfield in the spotlight just as much as we put schools that have all the latest technology in the spotlight. It really is a disappointment that some schools can afford to add the latest technology to their curriculum while others cannot, relying on fundraisers and raffles to acquire even the most basic form of technology for their classrooms. I feel as though all classrooms should have the exact same technologies so that some students aren’t benefitting more than others. I am disheartened that this isn’t exactly a realistic theory, but at least having the most basic forms of technology should be granted to every school. Is there any way to ensure that every school receives technologies for their students? Should it be a requirement for every school to at least have up-to-date computers? How can we fix the problem of some schools receiving a multitude of technologies while other schools cannot afford to do so?

iPads: The New Classroom Laptop Transforming Schools in Elizabeth

     I recently found this article about iPads becoming the forefront of technological advancement in the Elizabeth school district. Allowing students from all areas, whether affluent or underfunded, the opportunity to learn by way of the newest and most advanced piece of technology is what will ultimately aid in transforming the classroom to be a part of the 21^st century. Incorporating technologies such as an iPad will allow students to become accustomed to what will eventually become the most utilized technology. It will also give them a chance to explore new media, to learn and have learning be an enjoyable process as opposed to the tedious process it might currently be for students. I also believe that it is wise for them to have access to certain websites and such that they might not have access to at home without the iPad. Having round the clock access to sites and such used in the classroom to perhaps aid in a research paper or homework assignment, especially for students who do not have access to a computer in their home, is what might make all the difference in certain students’ lives, in turn, perhaps increasing their grades.
     Alberto Marsal, the Coordinator of the Technology Dpeartment at the JEDTA school, claims that the incorporation of iPads into the school’s curriculum will lead to “higher attendance, increased student achievement and a positive attitude for all our students” (1). He also states, “We have already seen increased student engagement as a result of our initial rollout of these iPads” (1). I hate to think so pessimistically, but could the initial increase in attendance be ultimately the result of each student receiving their own iPad? It’s not every day that a school will give each student a brand new form of the latest, most advanced technology that tend to be quite expensive. Perhaps the hype of each student receiving an iPad will boost attendance initially, but I don’t believe it will keep the attendance rates up consistently throughout the school year. While I do believe that incorporating iPads instead of laptops is innovative and revolutionary, sparking in students a new desire to learn, I do not believe that it will be the sole answer to increasing attendance and grades. As I have mentioned in other blog posts, I think it will still be an ongoing challenge to ensure that students are using the iPads for academic purposes only and not finding ways to use them solely for pleasure and personal use. It must be made clear to the students what the objective is behind them receiving this piece of technology. They must be made aware and fully comprehend that the iPads are as important as a textbook in the classroom, and are not there to provide distraction or entertainment from a lesson.

Interactivity #5

Lesson Plan Analysis Map with NETS-S Standards

     The teacher whom I selected to interview regarding the NETS-S Standards is a middle school (grade 8) English teacher in the Old Bridge School District. Her initial reaction to my first introducing her to the standards was surprised and intrigued, as she had very little knowledge of these standards. She found the standards to be motivating, stating that it would be beneficial to incorporate them throughout the school but did not know if it would be wise to do so with their limited, although expanding, means of technology. She stated that perhaps when they are fully equipped with a multitude of academic technological resources, such as more computers and SmartBoards in each classroom, that would be the best time to begin to take the standards into consideration.

     The school has not, as of yet, begun to implement these standards in their classrooms. However, they do seem as though they slowly but surely want to improve the amount of technologies they have in the classrooms and incorporate them into their lesson plans. They have begun to incorporate the use of SmartBoards in each classroom, but they are used upon each teacher’s discretion. She did recognize the fact that some of the teachers want to use the SmartBoards and other forms of technology and have already found that using technology is much more useful and beneficial than when they tried to do without it. Perhaps she did not know about the standards because she is an English teacher and does not find it necessary to incorporate technology into her lesson plans that she has been successfully using for many years.

     I was not surprised at the teacher’s response to the questions. She explained that there are other standards that they know they must follow, but until they receive more means to incorporate technology, the NET-S standards will not be met. She also stated that she does absolutely realize that education is rapidly becoming computerized and technology is taking the spotlight in most classroom settings nowadays. She was not completely averse to considering using more technology, but due to the fact that technology is ever more present in today’s society, many teachers need to be educated on these standards and how influential they can become in the classroom.

     As a future educator, I would definitely speak to other educators in my school about the NETS-S and NETS-T standards. I would make it a point to explain that implementing these standards within the school’s diverse amount of curriculums will only benefit both students and teachers in the long run. Allowing schools to become more technologically sound will help students and teachers alike embrace the 21^st century technologies and use them to their advantage to become scholastically successful. By implementing these standards into each classroom, we, as educators, would only be reinforcing and solidifying different aspects of a curriculum that we might otherwise have been struggling to get students to connect with and understand. As we begin to incorporate these technological standards, we are subject to an array of lesson plans that might otherwise go unnoticed when we do not possess the technological means to include it within our own classrooms.



Expanding Classroom Technology by way of Laptops

West Deptford School Officials Change Strategy in Expanding Technology Education

     Although this article does not have much substance to it, as it only explains how a certain district is preparing for, as they put it, “21^st century learning,” which they define as learning through more technological means than as of late, it provides a thought-provoking argument. Although I believe they have the right intentions of wanting their students to become acclimated with the technological ways of the 21^st century that are quickly taking precedent over previous, non-technological means, I also believe that perhaps they could do a little more research and not be so quick to convert every aspect of their curriculum by way of new up to date technology.

     As I was reading the district’s argument they presented as to what their technological scenario in the schools would include, it sparked in me a concern. Why is it that grades five, eight and nine through twelve are bestowed new technology in the form of up to date laptops while grades six, seven and teachers are stuck using the laptops that they already have, although they claim them to be up to date? Even leaving the teachers out of this argument, what is the logic behind doling out new forms of technology to certain grade levels but not others? I’m genuinely confused as to how they decided that every grade except six and seven would receive the new laptops. Granted, they did not have enough for every grade but I still do not understand their justification of completely skipping over these two grades. Yes, they still have access to laptops, but why introduce an updated form to a younger grade level and then expect them to use an outdated form for the next two years if the laptops are not updated within this time period?
     I understand the district’s want of the teachers and students to become “tech savvy,” however, I wish they had given more of an explanation as to what else they plan on incorporating in the classroom. Yes, it is understandable that standardized tests may be issued online in the future, but how does this justify the use of Twitter in the classroom? It seems as though many schools always throw around the idea of using Twitter in the classroom, but it doesn’t ever seem as though they can support this idea with a logical explanation. I do absolutely believe that allowing students to have access to websites for academic purposes, such as a site like BlackBoard or Edmodo, and teaching them how to properly use them to communicate with teachers and students is beneficial. I also believe that allowing students to use laptops for academic purposes will prove to be beneficial in the classroom as well. However, I have yet to be convinced as to how social networking such as Twitter can be useful in an academic setting. They discuss how technology should be the curriculum as opposed to it being just “an add on” within the curriculum. However, I believe that it still poses challenges to have technology take center stage within the classroom setting. It worries me that having technology become the center of the students’ curriculum, it might prove to be more of a distraction than a useful tool. While incorporating technology into the classroom is important, solely relying on it for each and every lesson plan seems a bit excessive. I think it might teach students to become too dependent on technology if that is all they are expected to know. Yes, we do live in a society where technology takes precedent over many other things, but could it possibly be detrimental? Am I just being old-fashioned and unwilling to accept the fact that our society is ever-changing to adapt to newer forms of technology? Perhaps. But I stand by the fact that teaching students to write with a paper and pen is just as important as learning to type on a keyboard.

Social Media in the Classroom: Advantage or Disadvantage?

Teachers Tweet and Students Skype as Classrooms Go Digital


     While reading this article found in my local newspaper, the Home News Tribune, the first quote that really caught my attention was “Social media is altering the educational landscape.”  A statement like this immediately worries me, for I feel as though social media and the classroom are a lethal combination. From my experience, social media is the escape that students quite often turn to when they want a distraction from their school work. That is why this article intrigued me. I was very curious upon reading the introduction as to how teachers made it possible to incorporate social media networking sites such as Twitter into their curriculum to enhance student participation and interest without it becoming a complete distraction resulting in failure to convey a particular lesson’s themes.
     The article mentions that since most students belong to a social networking site already, they might as well use it to their advantage when dealing with school projects and group collaboration. I was beginning to become slightly convinced that certain social media technologies might be more beneficial than not when I then read that a rule banning cell phone use in school was lifted when teachers found a certain educational need for them in the classroom. Although I found the newest technology called eClicker in which students can text quiz answers to their teachers and receive almost immediate feedback quite interesting, I am still a little leery. The article states, “Any cellphone use as a learning tool must balance functionality with the need to assure that the devices are not used in disruptive ways,” wrote Freehold Regional Schools Superintendent Charles B. Sampson. “Certainly smartphones can be used as a powerful learning tool in the proper context.”  Be that as it may, how is it possible to monitor every student and to be sure that they are using their cell phones for educational matters and not sneaking text messages or deceitfully playing games or browsing the internet or social media networks on their phones? Although we have access to a host of information that might be pertinent to a certain lesson at our fingertips, I don’t believe that means students should be allowed to have access to their cell phones during a lesson.
     I do have to say, however, that other social media type of technologies listed in the article are becoming ever more present in the classroom, especially in higher education. Although my high school tried to incorporate technology into our different curriculums, I never had to rely on technology as much as when I entered college. From the school email, to Blackboard, to Google Docs, I can see how technology is making its way to becoming not only a convenience, but a useful tool in the classroom. However, I am still unsure about how I feel about using social media in the classroom. While I frequently partake in social networking websites, especially to converse with students about group work or forming study groups and things of that nature pertaining to school work, I am not convinced that it will fit in well with classroom curriculum with elementary and middle school students. It might be beneficial in high school, but I feel the only place it might not be detrimental to learning is in the college classroom where students possess a level of maturity where they can separate a distraction from a relevant lesson.

Interactivity #4

Lesson Plan Analysis

     I chose this particular lesson plan because I felt as though it successfully integrated technology into an already existing lesson plan, making it more enjoyable for the students while they learned. The hands-on website truly allows students to visualize compound words coming to life right before their eyes, helping them to understand how certain words come together to create a whole new word. I also found this form of technology to be quite innovative, in that it is applicable and geared towards students around ages 6-8.

     I do not believe there were any gaps between the curriculum goals, teaching strategies and technologies used in this lesson. The only aspect I did feel, however, that needed to be adjusted to avoid any gaps would be the fact that it would benefit the students by giving an introduction to what they would be learning in this lesson as opposed to letting them dive right in and start with the activity on the website.
     This technology is essential in teaching the curriculum goals, in that, it gives the students more of a detailed opportunity to visualize and comprehend compound words and how they are formed rather than just listening to a teacher explain it. While a teacher can use visual aids inside a classroom using a textbook or a bookshelf, this website allows students to be subject to a multitude of other words that cannot so easily be shown in a classroom setting. Using a PowerPoint presentation in the beginning of the lesson to allow the students to first get an idea of common compound words allows them to comprehend what they will be seeing on the website.