Technology Integration Professional Development Guide

Edutopia.org's Technology Integration professional development guide is meant for use either after completion of the Project-Based Learning Guide or with participants who are familiar with project-based learning. The guide is designed for a two- to three-hour class or session. It can be used in conjunction with trainings on technology used in classroom settings.

Part one is a guided process, designed to give participants a brief introduction to technology integration. It answers the questions "Why is technology integration important?", "What is technology integration?", and "How do you integrate technology tools into the classroom?"

Part two guides participants in envisioning technology integration through group collaboration and hands-on use of technology. It asks participants to visit various educational websites, and then to brainstorm ideas for technology integration garnered from visiting and discussing these sites. These activities are outlined in the Workshop Activities section. You will also find links to examples, from the Edutopia.org video library, of technology integration at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

The Resources for Tech Integration page includes a PowerPoint presentation (including presenter notes), which can be shown directly from the website or downloaded for use as a stand-alone slide show, and sample session schedules. You will also find recommended websites, books, and additional videos to learn more about technology integration in this section.

This guide was designed to address many of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), established by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

To find the specific standards for your state, visit this page at Education World that lists standards by academic subject and by state.

Continue to the next section of the guide, Why Do We Need to Integrate Technology?

Acknowledgments: This module was written by technology-integration specialist Marian Shaffner. The Foundation extends its thanks to the following people who reviewed this module for content and usability: Peggy Benton, PhD, professor, former PT3 grant director and adviser, Department of Instructional Technologies, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California; Patsy Lanclos, Apple Distinguished Educator, Smithsonian Laureate, Palm Education training coordinator/provider, Houston, Texas; Mimi Bisson, PT3 grant technology trainer, Department of Instructional Technologies, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California; Elaine Wrenn, technology coordinator, Echo Horizon School, Culver City, California.