Integration_of_Instructional_Technologies_in_the_Classroom

Integration of Instructional Technologies in the Classroom Case Study Twenty years ago, technology in the classroom was still a “new” idea. While computers were becoming more and more commonplace, and more and more Americans were learning the benefits of a personal computer and the vast potential of the information super-highway (the internet), schools across the country relied on the same-old “technology.” Most of which consisted of a chalkboard, an overhead projector, and occasionally an Apple II monochrome computer. As the years moved on, PC’s moved into the classroom with interactive CD-ROM programs, word processing and spreadsheet software, and new presentational capabilities with PowerPoint. Across the world, technology has revolutionized medicine, business and government, yet still, schools across the country lag behind in instructional technology. It is hard to picture a world reliant on technology and innovation where the basis for all human potential, the classroom, still largely consists of a twenty-year-old overhead projector and a sole PC. The use of technology is crucial to better prepare students for a world that is increasingly more reliant on the use of technology. Currently, Arkansas receives a grade of B- for the use of technology in the states’ public schools. According to the 2007, State Technology Report, 40.5% of Arkansas students have a computer in the classroom with approximately 3.8 students per instructional computer (Editorial Projects in Education Research Center [EPERC], 2007). While these numbers are a good sign of improvement, many classrooms still lack the necessary technology for effective learning. The integration of technology is proven to be a successful way to teach, and leads to increased academic performance; its use can be expanded by securing additional funding from outside sources, as well as by exposing and instructing teachers and administrators to use technology effectively. Technology is more important today than ever, and having up-to-date instructional technology is crucial for the success of our students. Since Apple first launched its “Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow” campaign in 1986, great success has been achieved by integrating technology components with effective instructional strategies. Studies and research has shown the positive link between technology and student performance. Initial results of the Apple program showed success, increased retention rates, lower dropout rates, and a higher number of high school seniors seeking higher education (Apple, 1992). Likewise, the Apple campaign has been found to have increased student performance in many other ways as well. Thanks to the introduction of technology in the classroom, students: • Explored and represented information dynamically and in many forms. • Became socially aware and more confident. • Communicated effectively about complex processes. • Used technology routinely and appropriately. • Became independent learners and self-starters. • Knew their areas of expertise and shared that expertise spontaneously. • Worked well collaboratively. • Developed a positive orientation to the future. (Apple, 1992) Other research highlights students’ preference for technology enhanced classes. Research by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research found that 41.2% of students prefer a class with moderate IT (instructional technology) and 30.8% prefer a class with extensive IT, compared to 22.7% and 2.9% who prefer less IT classrooms (EDUCAUSE, 2004). Similarly, another study found that: ▪ Educational technology has a significant positive impact on achievement in all subject areas, across all levels of school, and in regular classrooms as well as those for special-needs students. ▪ Educational technology has positive effects on student attitudes. ▪ The degree of effectiveness is influenced by the student population, the instructional design, the teacher’s role, how students are grouped, and the levels of student access to technology. ▪ Technology makes instruction more student-centered, encourages cooperative learning, and stimulated increased teacher/student interaction. (SPA, 1994) The issue now is what is stopping further integration of technology into the classroom' Funding is the major issue. While funding for technology has increased year-after-year, there still isn’t enough to satisfy the growing demand, or in many cases, to even establish a minimal level of technological adequacy in some schools. While schools struggle to maintain funding for buildings, textbooks, salaries, school lunches, etc; many times, there just isn’t enough left over for purchasing additional technology resources. School computer labs are available, but they are a shared resource with several classes competing for use, which leads to decreased use and limits the potential benefits that technology can produce. Many school districts have instituted an IT integration plan to address technology issues, however, other schools aren’t so lucky and barely have enough funding for minimal technology. These schools can make use of a number of different sources of outside funding to secure adequate technology components. Many of these sources can come from state and local government grants, subject area professional organizations, local businesses and non-profit organizations. The following are a few other ways in which schools and districts can gain additional funding for instructional technology. • All requests for technology funding must be tied to the school or district technology plan. This plan should be put into place before any serious attempt is made for funding. • The requested funding should establish a link between technology and the bigger picture of teaching and learning. Technology is not an end in itself, but a helpful tool for creating and supporting engaged learning environments. Therefore, funding requests should clearly support a higher purpose than simply the acquisition of hardware and equipment. Unfortunately, this fact often is overlooked by those new to or unfamiliar with the technology-enhanced classroom. Making this linkage explicit in the technology plan can aid in understanding why technology funding is important. • The best bet for technology funding is to build community support and to develop funding out of local resources. • Technology is an ongoing investment and therefore should be considered as a regular expense, not a one-time purchase. Schools or districts should seek school budget line items for technology or should include technology in other existing budget lines (such as facilities) rather than relying upon bonds and one-time expenditures. • Bond initiatives are useful for initial technology implementation, but they do not address ongoing expenses. Although bonds can bring in a large amount of funding for implementing large-scale networking projects and purchasing equipment, technology implementation ultimately relies upon factors such as training, repair, and maintenance. These factors are ongoing expenses and cannot be financed all at once. • The value of grants can be increased if they are matched by local contributions. Although schools and districts appreciate grant funds for hardware and other infrastructure needs, the grant value is increased if it is matched by local contributions toward ongoing expenses. Therefore, grant requests should always indicate where local funds or other resources will match the requested funding. Further, the local match should be specific about what it will finance and about how the combined grant and local match will fulfill the school or district's technology goals. (Sun, 1996) Another solution to the issue of technology integration is to get teachers and administrators involved, and experienced, with using new educational and instructional technologies. Teachers who do not use or know much about technology themselves are less likely to incorporate it into their classroom. Administrators who know little about IT are also less apt to propose or support additional funding for more IT resources. Many educators, less familiar and less comfortable with technology than their students, struggle to seamlessly integrate a growing list of technology tools into their curriculum (Starr, 2003). The benefits of technology are not solely passed on to students, teachers can use technology to increase student participation, constructively manage their time, and learn more about their subject areas (2003). One solution involves teaching the teachers. Workshops and professional development opportunities are available that show teachers effective incorporation techniques using IT, or to simply learn the basics of using a PC or new software. Similar to funding for IT mentioned earlier, grants can be provided to send educators to these workshops. In some cases, new IT purchases or upgrades may provide informational and operational demonstrations and workshops as a part of the overall IT package. In sum, while great advances have been achieved by the integration of technology into the classroom, much more is to be done. The benefits to both teachers and students can provide a sufficient reason to increase funding and utilization of newer technologies, such as smart-boards and interactive presentations that can incorporate sounds, video clips, original document scans, and photographs into a lesson. Student improvement is linked to the increase in use of instructional technology by an increase in class participation and motivation. The major hurdle for many schools is the lack of funding, but there are many different outside sources for additional funding such as grants from governments, non-profits and other professional organizations. School Boards, administrators and teachers must also keep abreast of the benefits of technology and begin a long-term plan to be able to successfully adapt to evolution of new technologies and allow students to benefit from the positive results than IT integration has to offer. References Apple Corporation. (2007). ACOT History. Retrieved on April 10, 2007 from http://www.apple.com/education/k12/leadership/acot/history.html . EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. (2004). Information Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0405/rs/ers04054.pdf . Educational Projects in Education. (2007). A Digital Decade: Technology Counts 2007, Arkansas. Software Publisher’s Association. (1994). Effects of Educational Technology. Retrieved on April 10, 2007 from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html#Effects . Starr, Linda. (2003). Technology Integrations Ideas that Work. Retrieve April 10, 2007 from http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech/tech176.shtml Sun, J. (1996). Funding strategies for school districts to promote engaged learning through technology. Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved April 10, 2007 from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te4lk22.htm .