This document discusses the rationale for integrating technology in the classroom. It provides several benefits of technology integration such as increased student engagement, access to information, preparation for college and careers, and academic achievement. It also discusses how technology can support higher-order thinking, content area mastery, assessment, and the needs of diverse learners. The document argues that effective technology integration requires a technology plan with goals, professional development, infrastructure support, and evaluation.

1. Technology integration in the classroom What is….. What should be…..

3. Empowerment

4. Access to information & communication

5. School-Home connections

6. Differentiation

7. Academic achievement

8. Efficiency

9. Cooperative Grouping and Collaboration

10. Archiving

11. Preparation for College & Career

12. Reflection of current practice

14. Content Area Achievement To a great extent academic success has and will always be directly linked to performance in test scores and specific subject area content achievement. In examining research associated with the impact of effective technology integration and implementation into curriculum standards that are being assessed, we find that students in technology-rich environments experience positive effects on achievement in all major subject areas (Westford Public Schools, 2004).

15. Higher order thinking & Problem solving development Technology has the ability to facilitate students’ problem-solving skills in powerful ways. Through the use of software and appropriate hardware to research, present, publish, and share results of projects, technology has been shown to enable this development of critical thinking skills. Identifying real-world problems, using technology to locate, develop, analyze and iterate solutions, then inviting evaluation and feedback is the essence of this problem-solving process (Cradler et al, 2002).

16. Workforce Preparation For most people, an education is ultimately about one thing — employability. Today’s employers have become increasingly demanding and selective. They want the best and brightest. And in the current economy, they can choose to be picky. The pressure is on for our schools to effectively equip the future workforce and provide programs and opportunities that help them stand out in a crowd of résumés. Technology helps prepare students for the workforce by teaching them skills to communicate ideas and information orally, as well as in writing; work in groups; solve problems when answers aren't always self-evident; understand how systems work; and collect, analyze and organize data(Olson, 1998)

17. Addressing Needs of all learners ELL:Research helps determine that technology helps English Language Learners (ELL) open up and not be embarrassed for not knowing answers (Svedkauskaite, 2004), improves writing skills through word processing software (Sivin-Kachala & Bialo, 1994) and helps process language in both visual and auditory modalities (Slowinski, 2000). Special Needs Students: It helps determine more efficient learning strategies (Weir, 1987), encourages learning and development by improving and increasing participation (Schlosser et al, 2000) and increases pro-social behaviors and development of higher order thinking skills (Judge, 2001). At Risk students: Research findings indicate that integration of technology into the curriculum is associated with improved attendance, more time on task, and fewer disciplinary referrals (McCabe & Skinner, 2003; Apple Computer, 2002).

18. Assessment & Evaluation Technology offers students the ability to demonstrate what they’ve learned in more meaningful ways than a paper-and-pencil task. With such technology-based assessments, research shows that teachers can extract key features of learner responses, analyze patterns of thinking, and provide rapid and informative feedback to students. It is possible to assess a much wider array of cognitive competencies when multimedia, interactivity, or individualized forms of assessment are allowed via technology (McNabb et al, 2002).

19. Looking Beyond Academics Research evidence shows that integration of technology into students’ daily school lives has a significant, positive impact on their attitudes and motivation in school. “Increased motivation of students for learning with computers is related to ease of error correction, semi-private environment, increased self-esteem, active control of their immediate environment, and ability to work at their own pace” (Underwood & Brown, 1997).

20. How can we achieve this? With the help of an effective Technology Use Plan that incorporates the following Specific educational goals and a vision of learning through technology Ongoing professional development Structural changes in the school day A robust technical infrastructure and technical support Ongoing evaluation Sufficient Community & Financial support

21. “If we teach today as we taught yesterday we rob our children of tomorrow” John Dewey

22. References Information http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Rationale_for_Technology_in_Education http://caret.iste.org/ http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html APA References Westford Public Schools, Westford, MA. (2004). Technology and Student Achievement. Cradler, J. et al (2002). How Does Technology Influence Student Learning? Learning and Leading With Technology, 29 (8), 46-56. Olson, L. (1998). The new basics in school-to-work. Educational Leadership, 55, (6), 50-54. Sivin-Kachala, J. & Bialo, E. (1994). Report on the Effectiveness of Technology in Schools, 1990- 1994, Washington, D.C.: Software Publishers Association. Slowinski, Joe. (2000). Breaking the Language Barrier: How Technology Can Enhance Multilingual Communication. The Electronic School, National School Boards Association. Available: http://www.electronic-school.com/2000/01/0100f3.html Schlosser, R. et al. (2000). Training a School Team to Integrate Technology Meaningfully into the Curriculum: Effects on Student Participation. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15 (1). Available from: http://jset.unlv.edu/15.1/schlosser/first.html McCabe, M. and Skinner, R. (2003). Technology Counts 2003: Analyzing the Tech Effect. Education Week on the Web. Underwood, J., & Brown, J. (Eds.). (1997). Integrated learning systems: Potential into practice. Oxford, UK: Heinemann/NCET.

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