TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Technology Integration

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of “Technology Integration” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on “Technology Integration” and its relation with “classroom strategies”. The research also analyzes many aspects of “Technology Integration” and tries to gauge its effect on “classroom strategies”. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for “Technology Integration” and tries to describe the overall effect of “Technology Integration” on “classroom strategies”.

Technology Integration

Introduction

Educational reform has been the driving force behind ongoing change in schools and post-secondary learning environments since the 1957 Soviet Union launching of Sputnik, when teachers in the United States were charged to improve their preparation of students for future jobs with emphasis in the content areas of math, science, and technology. Aside from having never reached a consensus of agreement on its definition, technology integration remains somewhat of an abstraction in institutions of higher learning charged with preparing teachers to meet the technology integration mandate (Liu, 2009) Should the focus be on instructing teachers in the use of specific hardware and software tools or primarily involving them in creatively exploring options on what to do with such tools within the classroom (Guzman, 2009). Perhaps a fresh focus is needed in teacher education and in-service teacher professional development in light of technology integration barriers that include high stakes testing needs lack of resources, and negative teacher beliefs (Özgün, 2011). Best practices endorse a most palatable direction: establish opportunities for pre- and in-service teachers to interact with and model the behavior of technology-using teachers (Chen, 2009).

Teacher education faculty bears the primary responsibility to educate and train teachers and provide ongoing professional development opportunities to in-service teachers through outreach. Because of their consistent interactions with pre- and in-service teachers, teacher education faculty must endeavor to be within the top ranks of technology-using teachers. They must model the use of various technologies for the and higher education classrooms, explain and demonstrate how these technologies are linked to and affect learning outcomes, and assist in the decision-making process of identifying those technologies that contribute toward meaningful learning.

Technology Integration

A definition of technology integration is necessary if teachers are to understand what the modeled behaviors of technology-using teachers look like. Gray (2010) offers an intriguing 21st century definition for consideration “the sustainable and persistent change in the social system of schools caused by the adoption of technology to help students construct knowledge.” Research continues to suggest that technologies, when appropriately used in the classroom, help to facilitate meaningful, student-centered learning. Teacher education faculty has been considering and/or piloting the inclusion of texting, blogging, and wikis as technology integration options with mixed results (Williams, 2011). Even so, the possibility remains that inclusion of these and other tools into the classroom hold the potential of offering meaningful learning opportunities to students (Pellegrino, 2011). The appropriate use of technologies mandates that users stay abreast of new and rapidly emerging technologies. Therefore, technology integration promotes constant change - change in the way teachers ...