Technology Integration

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Title by Meredith Barker 

    Schools across the United States are incorporating technology in innovative ways. From using technology to deepen student understanding of academic content to using technology to 'travel' around the world while inside the classroom to allowing students to present their learnings using technology, the implementation of technology within the classroom has endless opportunities and a significant impact on student engagement.

    Researcher Bhat (2023) determined through his research on technology integration in the classroom, "it becomes evident that technology has the capacity to revolutionize the way students learn, engage, and excel in their educational journeys" (para. Conclusion 1). So, what are ways educators can incorporate technology in ways that are beneficial to all students? Let's talk about a few!



Technology Integration

    

    Bhat (2023) states, "while technology integration presents boundless opportunities, it is our approach to its integration that will ultimately define its success" (para. Conclustion 5). Integrating technology into the classroom can feel overwhelming at times because of the numerous ways you can do it. Go Guardian, an educational website, created a list of ways to successfully integrate technology to engage your students. 


Here are a few:


  1. Gamified Learning:

Digital games are an amazing way to engage students when it comes to test reviews or practicing learned material! Blooket, Kahoot!, and Quizizz are great resources for gamifying learning. On all of these sites, you can explore a library of created games or make your own! When I taught 4th grade, we used these sites to practice multiplication facts, and the students loved them! They would frequently ask me to play these games!


    2. Digital Field Trips:

Using technology to 'travel' around the world is incredible! When using devices to take digital field trips, all students can experience a new city, museum, or place. Simply Google "digital field trips" combined with what you are studying to find options for your class. For example, when studying the Holocaust, I found a digital field trip to Anne Frank's house! My classroom got to 'travel' to Amsterdam.


    3. Gather Student Feedback:

Feedback is incredibly important to drive instruction. Understanding what information students have grasped and what needs to be reinforced is vital. Using online tools such as Google Forms is an efficient way to gather feedback from students. Google will create graphs and data for a quick view of student understanding so educators can spend less time dissecting data and instead have a quick snapshot of the data to plan their steps forward.


Want more tips for technology integration? Watch this!




Technology Grants


    With the benefits of technology integration, school districts across the United States are now providing devices for all students. The advantages of 1:1 devices have been noted but come with a cost. Frazier and Hearrington (2024) state, "grants have become a regular part of the funding equation for educational technology leaders" (p. 135). Although these grants are incredibly helpful in funding technology efforts in schools, they"often require considerable time and intense effort and commitment from the technology coordinator" (p. 135). To bridge funding gaps, the E-Rate program, "offer[s] schools discounts of 20% to 90% for telecommunications services they purchase or improvements they make to their network infrastructure" (Frazier & Hearrington, 2024, p. 139). With effort, funding can be secured for students' devices.



Are you looking for technology grants? Check out this resource for grant opportunities in Alabama. 







References:

Bhat, R. A. (2023). THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION ON STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: a COMPARATIVE STUDY. In International Journal of Social Science, Educational, Economics, Agriculture Research, and Technology (IJSET) (pp. 592–593).

Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2024b). Technology Coordinator’s Handbook: A Guide for Edtech Facilitators and Leaders. International Society for Technology in Education.

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Comments

  1. Mr. BeardFebruary 8, 2025 at 2:34 PM

    Hey Meredith! You did a fantastic job on your blog post. You've touched on some key issues technology leaders deal with across the state. Finding funding for technology tool updates and upgrades can be difficult. According to Frazier and Hearrington (2024, pg. 136), "Grant applications often require considerable time and intense effort and commitment from the technology coordinator, but they can also provide welcome additional resources." Between the two main types of grants, entitlement and competitive, competitive is truly available to all. However, competitive grants are just what they say: competitive, so they are difficult to get. These grant programs can be funded by state or federal agencies or by private businesses that want to put money toward specific projects within schools. As long as your project fits, you can apply, but you are not guaranteed to receive any funds. Finding sufficient funding for technology projects and improvements will continue to be a major issue for all school systems and technology directors, but hopefully, state and federal funding will improve so that school systems don't have to compete against one another for funds.

    Reference:
    Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2024). The technology coordinator’s handbook (4th ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.

    ReplyDelete

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