What does technology integration mean to you?

Technology integration is a huge part of education right now. For me, technology integration means using technology to enhance the learning of our students by using technology. It does not mean using technology for the sake of technology. I think that many teachers try to use as much technology as possible without actually enhancing the learning of their students. When using technology, we need to make sure that the technology we are using is not just a substitute for something they could learn without using technology, in other words, technology for technology’s sake.

For example, I wrote a lesson where I would take my students on a virtual tour of an art museum. Because of my budget, my students would not have been able to go on a museum tour otherwise. By taking my students on the virtual tour my students were able to look at artwork from a different time period in a museum setting. I also had them use the Museum website to make a video to share their knowledge of a few pieces of artwork they found to be their favorites from their virtual tour. They also had the option of making a presentation using PowerPoint or Prezi. Neither of these things would have been possible without the use of technology. The technology that they were able to use enhanced their learning of art history and changed their normal classroom experience into something more exciting and unfamiliar. I believe that both of these aspects of technology used in my classroom were able to enhance the learning of my students. This caused them to think more about the artwork they choose and use that knowledge to create an interesting and pleasing presentation to share their knowledge with their classmates.

In short, integrated technology in the classrooms means using technology in a way that encourages learning in a new way and enhances the knowledge the student gains without taking away from state requirements and benchmarks.