Week 8- Transforming Learning Through Technology

As technology merges into the classroom it is important that we integrate student standards so that we can measure learning and fine tune our instruction accordingly. However, successful technology integration in the classroom does not happen without certain challenges and pitfalls.
For example, technology in the classroom can be used to teach lessons in creative, dynamic ways that lead to greater student achievement. Learning and research should be guided by the teacher, but not restricted and constrained. Furthermore, new and experienced teachers need to trained on the use of technology that focuses on teaching and learning. The use of technology in the classroom promotes new methods of teaching in the classroom. Such methods can capture the imagination of students and promote many different learning theories. Additionally, from 1994 through 1998, schools with low numbers of minority students were three times more likely to have Internet access in classroom settings than schools with high numbers of minority students. Similarly, high-income schools were twice as likely to have Internet access in classrooms as low-income schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 1998). It is imperative that all students have access to technology and the internet in the classroom. A vision for the roadmap to successful technology integration in K-12 classrooms can be outlines in the nine state policy actions.

I thought that the state policy action outlines in this article were fantastic. They clearly state the purpose for technology integration and provide a framework from which leaders in technology integration in K-12 schools can use as a guide. This is a great article for anyone involved in schools that want to or need to incorporate technology into their classrooms.