Technology has been around for many years now, but the use of it in classrooms is becoming the norm. Productivity software is no longer used only by businesses to keep record of their every day happenings, but is also being used by school administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Multimedia programs are used both for work and pleasure by people both young and old. The impact of these continuous upgrades in technology continue to surpass previous notions, especially in regards to education (Roblyer & Doering, 2010). Research has also been conducted on the impact of integrating technology into instruction.
Teachers are eager to share their opinions about how technology can or cannot be integrated into their instructional day. Through a survey of over 1,000 teachers and school administrators, the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University found that student learning, engagement, and technology skills were greater in classrooms in which the teachers frequently used technology (Grunwald and Associates, 2010). The study also dispelled five myths about technology integration in education. For example, the myth that newer teachers have more knowledge and skills, in terms of technology, was found to be untrue. In fact, many teachers said that their pre-service program did not prepare them to for educational technology and veteran teachers integrated technology into instruction more than new teachers (Grunwald and Associates, 2010).
In many schools and districts, technology is integrated in both general education and special education classrooms using some of the same programs. Assistive technology has always been a part of special education classrooms but some of the classrooms now have SmartBoards and Universally Designed for Learning (UDL) computer workstations to integrate technology into everyday learning with all students regardless of their disabilities. This equity not only gives special education students access to the same material as their non-disabled counterparts, but also can help the transition from or inclusion in general education much smoother.
Integrating technology into PK-12 classrooms has warranted research. Findings from various studies have shown how educational technology has vast possibilities of integration and yields positive outcomes in instruction. Students are motivated, instruction is enhanced, and best practice is implemented at its finest (Robyler & Doering, 2010). Isn’t our goal as educators to use an integration model that encompasses technology to improve academic performance of our students? Well, using technology in PK-12 classrooms is the answer!
I know how excited you must be to begin or improve technology integration so here is an excellent resource to get those wheels turning on how to do so.
I know how excited you must be to begin or improve technology integration so here is an excellent resource to get those wheels turning on how to do so.
Watch this interesting video
Need more help. Check out this slideshow!!
