What Is Successful Technology Integration?

Technology integration is the use of technology resources -- computers, digital cameras, mobile devices like smartphones, iPads and other tablets, software applications, the Internet, etc. -- in daily classroom practices, and in the management of a school. Technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is:

• Routine and transparent
• A child or a teacher doesn't stop to think that he or she is using a technology tool
• Is accessible and readily available for the task at hand
• Technology tools support the curricular goals, and help the students to effectively reach their goals
• And students are more actively engaged in projects when technology integration is a seamless part of the learning process.

The acceptance of change is a major requirement for technology integration. Technology is continuously, and rapidly, evolving. It is an ongoing process and demands continual learning.

When effectively integrated into the curriculum, technology tools can extend learning in powerful ways. These tools can provide students and teachers with:

• Access to up-to-date, primary source material
• Methods of collecting and recording data
• Ways to collaborate with students, teachers, and experts around the world
• Opportunities for expressing understanding via images, sound, and text
• Learning that is relevant and assessment that is authentic
• Training for publishing and presenting their new knowledge.

Here are just a few ideas about the many ways technology can become an integral part of the learning process:

• Online Learning and Blended Classrooms

  While K-12 online learning gains traction around the world (visit our Schools That Work package about online learning), many teachers are also exploring blended learning -- a combination of both online and face-to-face education. Read a blog by Heather Wolpert-Gawron about blended learning. Blogger Bob Lenz also gives us a snapshot of what blended learning looks like in the classroom.

• Project-Based Activities Incorporating Technology

  Many of the most rigorous projects are infused with technology from start to finish. Visit our Schools That Work package about project-based learning in Maine to read about a middle school and high school that are getting great results from mixing PBL with a one-to-one laptop program. Or read a recent blog by Brian Greenberg about combining PBL with blended learning.

• Game-Based Learning and Assessment

  There has been a lot of buzz about the benefits of incorporating simulations and game-based learning activities into classroom instruction. Visit our Video Games for Learning Resource Roundup page to learn more. Guest blogger Terrell Heick recently wrote about the gamification of education, or go straight for the practical resource and read Andrew Miller's "Game-Based Learning Units for the Everyday Teacher".

• Learning with Mobile and Handheld Devices

  Once widely dimissed as distractions, devices like cell phones, mp3 players, and tablet computers are now being used as learning tools in forward-thinking schools. Read a blog by Ben Johnson on using iPads in the classroom or an article about using cell phones for educational purposes. Check out the case study by former Edutopia executive director Milton Chen on using iPods to teach English language learners, or there's a blog by Audrey Watter about texting in the classroom. We also have a great series that maps k-5 iPad apps to Bloom's taxonomy by Diane Darrow.

• Instructional Tools like Interactive Whiteboards and Student Response Systems

  In many schools, the days of green chalkboards are over. Read an article about how to put an interactive whiteboard to best use, or one with tips from a teacher about her favorite ways to use her whiteboard. Read an article about using classroom response systems for interactive assessment and watch a video where a student-reponse system is used in a classroom.

• Web-Based Projects, Explorations, and Research

  One of the first, and most basic, ways that teachers encouraged kids to use technology was with online research, virtual field trips, and webquests. Watch videos about online collaborative projects Journey North and the JASON project. Read an article by Suzie Boss about using web-based resources to help your classroom go global, and here's an article with links to great virtual field trips. Or check out these useful how-to articles about using online photo archives for primary sources, teaching with virtual libraries, and helping students do research on the web.

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  Students at an editing station match music to images in a tribute to the firemen of 9/11.

• Student-Created Media like Podcasts, Videos, or Slideshows

  One of the central ideas of digital or media literacy is that students should be come creators and critics, not just consumers, of media. Read an article about student-produced podcasts, or find out more about quality digital storytelling in a blog by Suzie Boss. You can also watch a video about students learning how to become creators in Chicago at Digital Youth Network. Or learn about student filmmakers in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Antonio, Texas, or Effingham, Illinois.

• Collaborative Online Tools like Wikis or Google Docs

  Connecting with others online can be a powerful experience, both for teachers and for students. Teacher Vicki Davis is an evangelist for such connections; watch a video about technology in her classroom or read an article she wrote for Edutopia on creating personal learning networks for students. Read an article about the basics of how wikis work, and blogger Audrey Watters makes the case for why wikis still matter. You can also read more about Google's free offerings for educators.

• Using Social Media to Engage Students

  Though social media tools are still blocked in many schools, students around the world spend vast amounts of time on social networks outside of school. Read a blog that makes the case for social media in education, and article that goes over how to use social-networking technology for learning, or another blog about how to co-opt students’ favorite social media tools for classroom use.

And if, like many teachers, you have obstacles in terms of available equipment or support, Suzie Boss has written a great article, "Overcoming Technology Barriers: How to Innovate Without Extra Money or Support", for educators with limited resources.

Continue to the next section of the guide, Resources for Technology Integration, where you will find many more videos, blogs, and articles with examples of successful technology integration.