Colleagues,
I am often asked by teachers, program administrators, and professional developers what the best ways are to integrate technology into classes and programs. This is an important question, one which I have some views on, and to which I would love to hear your answers, and reactions to my thoughts. Let's hear from teachers, program managers, technology coordinators, professional developers, and others.
I usually answer that:
1) There is no single best answer for all programs as the answer depends on program variables, such as:
- What kind of hardware and software a program or class has available
- What kinds of access students have to the Internet at the program and outside of class
- Teachers' interest, experience, comfort, competency, and confidence in using technology for teaching and learning
- Whether or not the program has a technology coordinator to help the teachers
- What professional development is available in integrating or using technology
- Teachers' interest in, ability and time for creating their own online learning resources and lessons
- The program's or teacher's educational goals and objectives
- The students' learning goals and objectives
2) It is best to start not with the technology, but rather with the program's or teacher's education goals, often with content areas. The idea in successfully integrating technology is that digital tools -- hardware and software -- need to help the program, teachers and students accomplish their teaching and learning goals. For example, a teacher or program may be interested in how to integrate technology into teaching writing, for example at the adult secondary education or transition to college level. The question then might be something like: "What hardware and software can help our students improve their writing for the HSE exam and for work-related tasks such as writing a job application, resume, letter of application; communicating with co-workers and supervisors to leave clear, complete instructions or work-related information?"
3) It's a good idea to inventory the technology to which teachers and students have regular access. In doing so, I recommend looking not only at the program's hardware, software, and Internet access, but also what hardware teachers and students own, including portable digital devices such as smartphones and tablets.
4) Once it's clear what the program's or teacher's education goals are which technology might successfully help with, a technology plan of action is needed. Typically such a plan includes:
- Teacher or program teaching and learning goals, and specific education objectives
- Content area(s) to be enhanced with the use of technology
- What technology is currently available (from the inventory)
- What technology needs to be purchased (based on the goals and objectives)
- What professional development is needed and how it can be provided
- Action steps such as those addressing what technology is needed to accomplish certain goals, and what professional development and practice teachers need to use the technology well,
- A timeline for the action steps indicating when they begin and end, and who is the lead for each step or activity
- Evaluation -- how the teacher or program will know how well the technology plan goals and the class or program teaching and learning goals have been met
- A budget for the purchase of hardware or software and/or for teacher training
There's more, of course, but those are some of the highlights of my answer to this question.
Now it's your turn:
- What would you add?
- What would you do differently?
- What have you found to be the sticking points in integrating technology?
- If you have some solutions for getting unstuck, please share them.
David J. Rosen, Moderator
Technology and Learning CoP
djrosen123@gmail.com