IntegratingTechnologyintotheClassroom:

KindergartentoGrade2

AaronLawlor,BrittanyEverett,JennaBetts,JennaDensmore,KaylaMacQuarrie,KyleDunnett,
MayganMonteith,RebeccaWhitters,RileyPatlesandShainaPeterPaul


Introduction

Intodayssocietytechnologyisrapidlychanging,inluencingmanyaspectsofour

socialandprofessionallives.Intheclassroom,technologycanbeusedasalearningtoolfor

manydifferentsubjects.Teacherscanenhancetheirlanguagearts,math,science,andsocial

studyclassesbyintegratingtechnologyintotheirlessons.Technologycanalsobeusedto

keeprecords,createlessonplans,andcommunicatewithintheschoolaswellaswith

parents.Studiesshowthattechnologyisaneffectivetoolintheclassroom.Onestudy

concludedthatteacherswhounderstandtheneedtointegratetechnologyhavehigher

achievingstudents.Anotherstudyalsostatedthattechnologyequippedclassrooms

producestudentswhoarecriticalthinkersandleaders.Thispaperoutlinesissuesto

overcomeregardingtechnologyaswellassomeapplicationsthatteacherscanusethatwill

integratetechnologyintheclassroom.Itwillalsodescribethebeneitsofusingtechnology

byreinforcingtheimportanceoftechnologyintheclassroom.

IssuestoOvercome

Althoughtechnologyoffersalotofbeneitsinanelementaryclassroom,thereare

alsoissuesthatteachersneedtoovercometomaketechnologyaneffectivelearningtoolfor

students.Anissuethatarisesisthatteachersdonotfeelliketheyaretrainedproperlyto

usethetechnology.Itisbecauseofthisthatmanyschoolsofeducationaredealingwiththe

issuebyaddingtechnologyrequirementsdirectlytotheircredentialcourses(Green).

Anotherissuethatarisewhiletryingtointegratetechnologyisexperienceand

conidencewithtechnologyascontributorstoITuse.Someteachersmaynotfeelas


conidentwithtechnologyasothersdowhichcanaffectthemintegratingthetechnologyin

theclassroom.

ApplicationstoIntegrateintotheClassroom

Smartboard:Integratingtechnologyintotheclassroomhasmanyadvantages.One

ofwhichincludesSmartBoard,whichisawellknownresourceforkeepingyoungchildren

engagedintheirlearning.Smartboardsareamorerelevantversionofoverheadprojectors.

Thesetoolsgivestudentstheopportunitytophysicallyparticipateinclassbytouchingand

interactingwiththeboardtomoveoreditobjectsduringalesson.Smartboardsarevery

lowmaintenance,theyareveryneatandeasytouse,theydonotrequirealotofupkeep,

theyaretheidealtooltoaddtoanyclassroom.Goinggreenisahugefactortointegrating

Smartboardsintotheclassroomtoeliminatetheuseofpaperandink,printing,andcopying

tohelpcontributetoeliminatingwasteandpollution.

Kahoot:Kahootisafreegamebasedlearningplatform.Itallowsforteachersto

haveinteractivetestsandclasswork.Studentscanlogontoakahootwebpageandworkon

agiventask.Theteacherisabletoseewhoisloggedonandansweringquestions.Italso

allowsforimmediatescoringresults.Thistoolisverybeneicialtotheclassroomforall

learnersasitisinteractiveandengaging.Italsoallowsforanalternatewaysofassessing.

Kahootaccommodatesforalltypesoflearnersincludingvisuallearnersandexceptional

studentswhoareboredwiththeoldfashionedwaysofassessment.

Benefits

Theintegrationoftechnologyintotheclassroomsettingallowsteachersthebeneit

ofconnectingwithstudentsdigitallybyprovidingrichlearningexperienceswith

whichstudentscanrelate(TechnologyinToday'sClassroom,P.189).

Providesinstantaneousgratiicationfortheuser,whichisbeneicialforstudents

withshorterattentionspans(TechnologyinTodaysClassroom,P.190).

AccordingtoresearchconductedbytheSemelInstituteforNeuroscienceand

HumanBehaviorattheUniversityofCaliforniathebrainsofdigitalnativeswere

moreactivelyengagedwhilenavigatingawebpageasopposedtoreadingabook

(TechnologyInTodaysClassroom,P.189).

Newtechnologyhasallowedstudentswithspecialneedstomakegainsthatwould

nototherwisehavebeenpossible(TechnologyInTheClassroom,p.189).

Thenewtechnologyavailableinschoolisatimesaverforteacherstocreate

interactivelessonstoengagetheirstudents(TechnologyInTheClassroom,P.191).

Throughoutmanyyearsofworkingwithteachersandtechnology,andthrougha

synthesisofresearch,NoelBitnerandJoeBitnertheauthorsofthishavedeveloped

eightareasofconsiderationsthathavebeenshowntobeveryimportanttoallow

teacherstointegratetechnologyintothecurriculum:FEARofchange,TRAININGin

basics,PERSONALuse,TEACHINGmodels,LEARNINGbased,CLIMATE,

MOTIVATIONandSUPPORT.

Fear:Askingteacherstousetechnologyinthecurriculumshouldbeawarethatfears

andconcernsdoexist.


Training:Thismustbeprovideteacherswiththeknowledgeoftheverybasicof

computeruse.Teachersneedtohaveaunderstandingofhowtooperateacomputer.

Personal:Personalproductivityskillscanbeusedasameanstofosterteachers

interestwithusingtechnology.

Teaching:Teachersneedtoconceptualizehowtheuseofvariousprogramwhich

facilitateteachingandlearning.

Learning:Thisshouldbetheimpetusthatdrivestheuseoftechnologyinthe

schools.Itallowsteachersandstudentstobecomepartnersinthelearningprocess.

Climate:Teachersmustbeabletocreateandexperimentwithouthavingthefearof

failure.Thiskindoffailureshouldbeviewedasapositiveeventsincesomeofthe

bestlessonlearnedcomefromepisodesoftrialanderror.

Motivation:Enduringthefrustrationandturmoilofthechangeprocessmustbe

present.Changeisnoteasyforsometeachersandtheymustneedalittlebitof

motivation.

Support:Thisisanongoingandonsitemustbeprovided.Teachersalsoneed

expeditioussupporttobeeffectiveinusingtechnologyintheirclassrooms.

McDermottandGormleystatesthatincludingtechnologyintolessonplansenhances

studentsclassroomengagement,increasingtheiracademicachievement,advances

readingluency,andenrichestheirwriting(TeachersUseofTechnologyin

ElementaryReadingLessonsP.McDermott&K.A.Gormley,P.122).

Findings

Technologyhasthepotentialtoenrichtheclassroom,howeverthisisonlyachieved

ifthetechnologyisusedeffectivelyandconnectsthecurriculuminameaningfulway

thatsupportscreativityandcriticalthinking.(IntegratingTechnology:Upper

ElementaryClassrooms,p.4)

Teachersneedtobeawareofappropriatetechnologyfortheirstudents.(Integrating

Technology:UpperElementaryClassrooms,p.4)

Technologyshouldbetaughtinmeaningfulwaysandbeinteractivesostudents

learnhowtousetechnologyinasafemanner.Theyalsoneedtolearnhowtouseit

sothattheyhavetheconidencetousetechnologyinotherareas(Integrating

Technology:UpperElementaryClassrooms,p.5).

Technologyisimportantintheclassroombecausestudentswhoarefromlow

incomefamiliestypicallyarebehindinmath,science,technologyandengineering.

Integratingtechnologyintheclassroompresentsthesestudentswithan

opportunitytolearnusingtoolsthattheydonothaveaccesstointheirhomes.

(HengamehandJale,1505).

Conclusion

Technologyisallaroundusanditisbecomingmoreprominentintheclassrooms.As

teacherswehavetoprepareourselvesforincorporatingtechnologyintotheclassroomsto

betterourstudents.Teachersareindingissueswiththetechnology,thinkingthattheyare

inadequatetoutilizethetechnologyandlacktheconidence.Althoughteachersmayfeel

thisway,thetechnologythatcanbeincorporateddoesnotneedtobecomplex.Usingtools


likeSmartBoardandKahootthatareuserfriendly,allowteacherstosuccessfully

incorporatetechnologyintotheclassroomTechnologycanbeseeninallsubjectsinthe

elementaryschool:Math,LanguageArts,Music,Science,SocialStudiesandsomanymore.

Usingtechnologyallowsstudentstoengagewiththecontent,allowsstudentsthatare

behindtocatchupandconnectsstudentstothedigitalworld.Byembracingtechnology,

educatorscanprovideanenrichedclassroom,whichcaninspirecreativityandcritical

thinkingskills.Utilizingtechnologyasalearningtoolformanydifferentsubjectscanenrich

notonlythestudentsbuttheteachersaswell.

References

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Green,Tim(2001)IntegratingTechnologyintheClassroom:IssuesandIdeasforteachers.

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Hicks,S.D.(January01,2011).TechnologyinToday'sClassroom:AreYouaTechSavvy

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McDermott,P.,&Gormley,K.A.(January01,2016).Teachers'UseofTechnologyin

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classroom.weebly.com/kahootreview.html

http://www.governorsolutions.com/theadvantagesofsmartboardsintheclassroom/