Effective Technology Integration
Thrown out there on February 1, 2010
Given various cognitive, behaviorist, and constructivist viewpoints concerning how to go about developing and producing effective instruction within the classroom context, there exists a balance. I have long suspected that technology does not enhance student achievement alone—in fact, Laird R. Ottman Jr. speaks to the fact that motivated students will learn regardless of traditional or student-directed instructional interactions. However, if the proper pedagogy is employed, technology can, of course, be an excellent means of deliverance and direct, student-led interaction. Because adopted technologies are a part of the modern, digital world, students (especially, perhaps, those less motivated toward a particular area of academic study) are interested in grasping these technologies—even if it means they have to learn something of [unrealized] value in order to do so (Ottman).
Focusing on the balance once again, there is no one way to teach every subject. In some cases, a cognitivist approach works well as students logically organize information, connecting new and existing schema. Memorization of multiplication facts is, for example, a subject which is just not easily or efficiently addressed using constructivist approaches. Conversely, the concept of multiplication, that is the arrays and abbreviated repeated addition concepts, may brilliantly be addressed through constructivist engagement (Smaldino).
Pictures, charts, blackboard-and-chalk, dry-erase boards, etc. can well accompany the instructional goals and standards—perhaps just as well as digital replicas which do not offer much more than that which the tools of old offer. If it aids the teacher, however, which I believe technologies can certainly do, then the digital format may be the appropriate choice. If change and manipulation to pictures is needed, perhaps the digital version will allow greater versatility and adaptability as educators reflect, monitor, and fix up lessons for future engagement.
Students today are used to a wide variety of technological applications from video games to television programming to access to personal computers and the accompanying hardware and software technologies. Therefore, students should interact with these similar technologies when learning anything simply because that is the world of which they are a part. To limit this would be to limit children of old from access to graphite pencils. These are necessary tools which must be grasped and utilized within today’s classrooms (not the graphite necessarily—rather the current technologies!) (Prensky).
Works Cited
Prensky, M., Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1 in pdf. Prensky – Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants – Part1.pdf
Accessed on 2/19/2008 from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/.
Ottman, Laird R. Jr., The Effect of Student-directed Versus Traditional Teacher-centered Presentations of Content on Student Learning in a High School Statistics Class stucentervteachercentered.pdf.
Smaldino, Lowther, Russell, Instructional Technology and Media for Learning, Chapter 1 Technology and Media: Facilitating Learning, Chapter 2 Instructional Strategies: Integrating Technology and Media
