WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation
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Blogs on Technology Integration

Technology Integration

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Discover fresh ideas for using technology in the classroom and at home to improve learning, encourage collaboration, and increase student engagement.

4
Five Steps for Implementing a Successful 1:1 Environment
Andrew MarcinekApril 11, 2011
Tags 1:1 Implementation, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Have you ever wondered what it really means to transform your district, school, or classroom to a 1:1 environment? It is a term we hear a lot about, but not all can see it or experience it. With the takeoff of the iPad and its successor, the iPad 2, the education world is abuzz with the idea of moving towards a 1:1 environment. But is it practical? For some, it is a dream, a wish; for others, it is slowly becoming a reality. So what does a 1:1 environment look like? How will the students and teachers react? Is it the right direction to go?

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25
Siphoning the Fumes of Teen Culture: How to Co-opt Students’ Favorite Social Media Tools
Todd FinleyApril 7, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, , Student Engagement, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

In 1763, a royal decree was issued from Great Britain to the North American colonists: Do not?do not!?expand west of the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists resented the proclamation, inferring that the British were trying to contain them along the Atlantic Seaboard where control and taxation could be more easily imposed. The King believed his proclamation to be motivated by good intentions, protecting colonists from instigating any more costly wars with Native Americans, for one. But nothing could stop the westward expansion fever. Frontiersmen had already plundered the fish-rich rivers and fertile lands of the west, unspoiled by settlements and tobacco-ruined soil. No matter how many punishments the King and his court imposed, the rules would be subverted. Unofficially, the revolution had begun.

In 2011, social media is the new frontier. Adolescents are the early frontierspersons because they discovered and embraced social media first.

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61
Student-Centered Learning Environments: How and Why
Paul BogdanMarch 29, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Learning Environments, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Editor's Note: Paul Bogdan was once an old-fashioned lecturing teacher centered secondary math teacher who left teaching for 14 years to build computer systems. He has come back and is reborn as a student-centered teacher trying to make a difference and trying to figure out what works in today's classroom.

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7
Fundraising and Grant Resources for Tech Integration
Mary Beth HertzMarch 25, 2011
Tags Funding, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

It's great to talk about integrating technology, but what if you're stuck in a classroom with little or no technology or in a school with limited resources?

Seek out free money!

Here are some great resources for getting technology into your students' hands.

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24
Five Reasons for Integrating Technology
Heather Wolpert-GawronMarch 17, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Technology Integration, All Grades

We speak about the achievement gap between the different cultures in our schools. Meanwhile, however, many of the stakeholders in education have created a vast trench that lies between those who accept the inevitability of technology and those who still refute its place in our classrooms.

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28
What Does "Technology Integration" Mean?
Mary Beth HertzMarch 16, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Technology Integration, All Grades

One reason why I love blogging is the chance to get a variety of responses to my ideas and thoughts. A reader of my last post commented:

"This article describes how to help children learn to use an unfamiliar computer program. Is that what 'integrating technology' means?"

This got me thinking: what do we really mean when we talk about "technology integration?" To me, the term means that technology is not taught as a separate class, but integrated into the classroom. It also means that students use technology to learn content and show their understanding of content, not just their expertise with a tool.

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7
A Day in the Life of a Connected Classroom
Andrew MarcinekMarch 8, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Technology Integration, High (9-12), English Language Arts

I read many blogs and follow many tweets that suggest we should all connect, share, and collaborate more often. I agree. However, many times we say it and it sounds good, but we never get to see examples while trying to keep up with the real time tweet deck. It quickly turns into platitude chat. So I decided to welcome you, the reader, into my classroom and showcase what a typical, connected class looks like.

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18
A Two-Step Approach to Integrating Technology
Mary Beth HertzFebruary 25, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Media Literacy, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5)

Just a few posts ago I provided a list of some of my favorite education books. One of them was Applying Standards-Based Constructivism: A Two-Step Guide for Motivating Elementary Students. In this post I want to revisit the book to explain how this two-step approach works well when integrating technology into the classroom.

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12
How Will Technology Change Learning -- and Teaching?
Bob LenzFebruary 21, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Technology Integration, All Grades

Last month I attended the Aspen Institute Education Innovation Forum & Expo in Washington D.C. The event attracted many investors who are planning on investing in the new education technologies. I heard a number of people in attendance propose that the education market is the next "Dot-com" technology growth area.

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12
Importance of Collaborative Assessment in a 21st Century Classroom
Andrew MarcinekFebruary 16, 2011
Tags Classroom Technology, Comprehensive Assessment, Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction, Lesson Plans, Performance Assessment, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades

Collaborative assessment must be part of our learning today. We, as educators are doing our students a disservice if we don't attempt to make this type of assessment available to our students. There are few professions and work environments that only focus on individual competencies. Most modern work environments involve some type of collaboration or connected problem solving to enhance their corporation or product. However, the inevitable barriers surface in the form of social and digital media taboos.

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