Integrating Technology into the Instructional Process: Good Practice Guides the Way

Summary:
This article points out that many teachers have many concerns and discomforts about integrating technology into their teaching and thus do not do so. Though technology is known to expand and enhance the learning happening in the classroom, change is not easy. The authors point out that school administrators must, “provide the time and support necessary for teachers to explore and experiment with the range of ways the technologies can be woven into the school environment and curriculum” (25). Teachers must learn to use technology to support the learning that is already taking place rather than thinking about computers as a subject in itself. Some possible uses of technology include teaching the student, as a tool with which the student can learn, as a tool to assist the learning process and to develop open-ended exploratory experiences for the students. The curriculum must drive the decision making process about technology, not the other way around. Technology can help to develop the five lifelong learning outcomes we hope for today’s students (the ability to be a self-directed learner, a collaborative worker, a complex thinker, a quality producers and a community contributor). Some useful pieces of technology to use in the classroom include graphic organizers such as Inspiration, creating charts and graphs using Word or Excel, and simulation programs such as Sim City. As the authors state, “each classroom has different needs based on the students in that classroom” and teachers must be aware of those needs and willing to take risks to integrate technology into the classroom to support learning.

Reaction:
I thought that this article was a comforting piece that many teachers would benefit from reading. It often acknowledges the discomfort that many teachers face with technology in general and also integrating it into the classroom. It offers many useful suggestions about when to integrate technology and a few programs that are simple and good for beginners to start with such as Excel and Inspiration. The authors make it clear that technology should be used to enhance learning already taking place and to use that framework to evaluate the types of technology used in your classroom. I plan to do this myself and be sure that I’m using technology as a tool and resource rather than teaching it as a stand-alone subject.

Handler, M. (2005). Integrating technology into the instructional process: Good practice guides the way. In J. Hirschbuhl & J. Kelley (Eds.), Computers in education (25-29). Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill.