Technology Integration

The use of technology in education holds the promise of opening up previously inaccessible new worlds to millions of young learners. One of the items I investigated this week referred to technology as an "equity tool" in that it has the potential to even the playing field for all students if it is carefully, appropriately and successfully integrated into the curriculum. Doing that requires educators with the courage and ability to adopt a fundamentally different way of teaching. One example is the lesson plan “Smile” You’re on Central Camera which I found in a collection of resources devoted to integrating new technologies into the methods of education compiled on the InTime website.

Sample collage project

The concept is relatively simple - have students take pictures of school events and display them for the rest of the school community to see and enjoy. Previously, this project could have been accomplished by taking pictures with a film or Polaroid camera and pinning them up on a bulletin board in the hallway. By integrating technology, every student in the class can learn to use a digital camera, edit their pictures on a computer, use a software application to organize the pictures into a collage, be creative in the design of the presentation and post it on the school's website. This project also moves learning outside the confines of the classroom and involves the entire school community.

I could certainly adapt this lesson for use with my virtual school students. We regularly get together for school events, but because my students are located throughout the state of Wisconsin, the events rarely include all students. A project like this would allow all my students to see what their classmates are doing throughout the school year. And while most of my students are pretty technologically savvy since they take all of their classes online, this project incorporates some specific technologies that they don't ordinarily use and some skills that can be really useful both in their other classes and at home.

I admire teachers who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and acknowledge the fact that while conventional teaching methods still have a place in the classroom, they are not enough. You simply can't ignore the fact that the world has changed because of the impact of technology and we must integrate technology in education if our students are going to be prepared to be our future leaders.