I had an interesting meeting with
three administrators the other day. We were discussing instruction and
engagement and how technology fits in.
We agreed that technology integration has to become a part of the
culture of the school, not just something that a few “techies” can do. I came back to my desk and did a Google
search on “culture technology integration” and found an amazing research
article called Preparing Teachers for
Technology Integration: Creating a Culture of Inquiry in the Context of Use. It was written by three Canadian college
professors about how they changed their preservice teacher curriculum to truly
integrate technology.
Now, I’m not like a friend of mine
who reads quantum physics books just for fun, so it was a stretch for me to
read a 26 page research article. But I
did. So many things resonated with me, like:
- The quote used for title of this article: it’s not about technology – it’s about teaching and thinking with technology.
- Learning and teaching with technology is hard, it can be overwhelming, and the field is always changing.
- …everyone has exactly the same starting place—where they are, at the moment.
- We concentrated on just-in-time, not just-in-case, instruction with technology applications.
- …teachers need to think and plan carefully about how to infuse technology in teaching and learning.
- Jamie McKenzie (2000) uses the felicitous phrase “Power Pointlessness” to describe the careless adoption of an otherwise effective presentation tool as if it were the be-all and end-all of technology use in the classroom.
- …no mere mortal can keep up with the innovations.
- Another unspoken, but harsh reality of teaching is the deep and pervasive assumption that somehow, as a teacher, I always have to know more than my students.
- It is entirely possible to do foolish things with powerful tools just because they are there.
What does all this mean? Well,
to me, it means that teaching and learning come first – technology is simply
another tool in a good teacher’s arsenal.
It takes time and effort to keep instruction about the learning, not the
technology.
Why is technology integration important?
Well, to borrow a friend’s mantra – we have to get buy in from our kids. And our kids like technology. What better way to engage them than to use
things they like to teach them?
How can we begin to develop a
technology infused culture at our schools? Start by stopping - stop thinking
about technology as a separate entity. Begin
to think about it as an integral part of your teaching day. Bring it into every conversation at every
meeting. Share what you have learned and ask others to share as well. Change takes time and effort. And remember, I’m happy to assist in any way
I can.
