Technology integration is one of the biggest buzzwords in education
right now and has driven multi-million dollar levies, seismic shifts in how
students are taught, and countless other changes, ranging in scale from the
individual teacher to classrooms across the world, from simplistic, even
mundane, efforts, to truly dramatic changes.
In the midst of this, it can be all to easy to forget technology
integration is not simply one more trend, but a powerful tool which educators
have a moral obligation to use and use well.
Technology integration at all levels of education, from
preschool to adult education, serves several key purposes. First, the purpose of education is generally
viewed as to prepare students to be engaged citizens and to be successful in
their next stage, be it a career, service in the military, or further
education. Regardless of the students’
path, digital literacy will be crucial.
In job growth projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer
and information technology is included in the top five and many of the other
fields require some basic skill with technology. ("Occupational
employment projections," 2012)
Students who enter the military will find technology is a key part of
their daily routine and those who continue to institutions of higher education
will be expected to arrive with some familiarity with common applications and
digital tasks. In order to prepare
students for these paths, schools need to give students the opportunity to
develop and practice critical technology skills.
This does not mean
technology should be used for its own sake; as an article from Edutopia puts
it, technology integration is successful when ““…supporting the curricular
goals, and helping the students to effectively reach their goals.” In science, the scientific method is
typically taught by having students use it to explore topics within the course,
rather than teaching the scientific method for its own sake. By the same token, technology is truly
integrated when students are using digital skills to master content in a
variety of courses, rather than treating those skills as an end in themselves.
When used to
support curricular goals, technology becomes a powerful, exciting tool for
educators. As described in the NationalEducation Technology Plan, technology can revolutionize assessment, providing
stakeholders with a wealth of data to find out what is working in the classroom
and students with more opportunities for authentic assessments which rely on
real-world, real-time data and an emphasis on skills, rather than rote
knowledge. Technology also makes it
possible for teachers to base their instruction on “…what people need to know, how they learn,
where and when they will learn, and who needs to learn.” (pg. 8)
The flexibility of technology makes it possible to individualize
education in a way that is simply not feasible in a traditional classroom. These kinds of changes will serve to engage
students and empower them to take control of their own learning.
Education stakeholders have an ethical obligation to pursue effective
technology integration. Students need to
develop digital literacy and a range of technology skills in order to be
successful in school and beyond. When
used properly, technology is also a tool to create powerful, positive changes
in how teachers teach and how students learn.
References
Edutopia.
(n.d.). What is technology integration? Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology.
(2010). National education technology plan 2010. Retrieved from
http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010-execsumm.pdf
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(2012). Occupational employment projections to 2020. Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_104.htm