The most effective way school administrators can promote technology use is to be knowledgeable and effective users of technology. Modeling technology usage is key if administrators want teachers to play an active role in technology integration. Administrators can encourage teachers' curiosity about what can be done using technology, provide incentives for teachers to attend workshops and conferences, persuade teachers who use technology in the classroom to model that use for others, set up a mentoring system so teachers have someone to go to for help and ideas, and provide time for teachers to experiment with technology. Teachers who have support, support the needs of their students better. When students take ownership of their learning, they have the ability to work toward problem solving in everyday situations (November, 2012).
According to the text by authors Frazier and Hearrington (2017) whom explain and provide detailed expectations and qualifications necessary to become an effective technology coordinator. I would take this one-step further and incorporate the need for administrators to collaborate with all faculty and staff in promoting the implementation of best practices when it comes to infusing technology into the classroom and beyond. Leaders whether in instructional or technological areas have the ability to create change in an environment conducive to learning for all students and faculty. The text emphasizes teaching, learning, networking as well as a combination of interpersonal skills (Frazier and Hearrington, 2017).
Technology is interactive, and students learn by doing, researching, and receiving feedback (Dexter, 2009). This helps students become passionate about what they are learning. It is imperative to give students opportunities to learn from a differentiated perspective (Marcinek, 2013).
For example, they may study geography using interactive software such as Google Maps or Google Earth, instead of looking at a picture. In my mathematics classroom, I encourage the use of real-world problems in the classroom. By using the Internet, students can research real issues happening at that moment that are related to the classroom curriculum. This helps students understand that the lesson being taught refers to real problems and real people. Teachers play more of a coaching role these days. My classroom where I infuse technology, allows me to deliver lessons in new and innovative ways.
Another example that can infuse technology and excitement into the math classroom is to have a day during the month where students can bring their own device in your classroom and allow students to use their smartphones, laptops, and tablets as a learning tool or resource for 20-25 minutes on a specific lesson. I have found the game Kahoot! to be a great learning tool which unleashes the fun in my classroom.
Here are some interactive ways for educators who need some fun websites to reinforce basic math skills.A lot of math teachers don't know how to teach math interactive and make it more engaging for their students. Take a look at the video and watch how these math apps can change the way you teach math. It will give you some new interactive math lesson ideas and show you some math lesson examples. https://youtu.be/bvRuGxMHlVs
Math websites, math apps and math tools discussed in this video:
- BuzzMath: https://www.buzzmath.com/
- Geoboard: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geobo
- BookWidgets: https://www.bookwidgets.com/
As an educator of mathematics for over 21 years, I have had students and adults who were petrified of learning mathematcs. I had to infuse every thing I could think of in order to maintain my sanity and the ability to assist my struggling students. One infusion technique I incorporated was "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" template that I purchased (this link is free) to assist my students in the alternative setting.
https://www.rusnakcreative.com/gameshow/are_you_smarter_than_a_5th_grader
Celebrate Black History Month by playing these kahoots highlighting contributions and achievements of Black and African American individuals and communities in the U.S. history, as well as raising important values such as equity, equality and inclusion.
https://kahoot.com/what-is-kahoot/
Dexter, S. (2009). Leadership for IT in Schools. J. Voogt and G. Knezek (Eds.)
International handbook of information technology in primary and secondary
education (pp. 543-554). New York, NY: Springer.
Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator's handbook.
Marcinek, A. (2013). Why BYOD makes sense: Thinking beyond a standardized
1:1. Edutopia.
King, Martin Luther. (1947). The purpose of education. Atlanta, Ga.
November, A. (2012). Who owns the learning? Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Hi Latasha,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your analysis on how technology infusion can enhance all content areas. I was able to identify very well with your explanation of how important it is to differentiate instruction for students. Even as early as elementary school I felt like I learned completely different from my peers, so I find it rewarding to now understand how I process information, and how teachers have the power to instruct in a way that is beneficial to all students no matter the learning style or ability level. According to the article On the Effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction in the Enhancement of Jordanian Students’ Overall Achievement, differentiated instruction is a solution to mixed-ability classrooms. It offers the right level of challenge based on students' abilities, interests, and preferences. I can see how this ensures that student remain engaged and perform better overall. I also like the idea of bringing real-world scenarios into the classroom. So many students don't understand how what they learn in school will benefit them in life or in the workforce, so presenting them with real issues that can be solved through math is a great strategy.
Magableh, I. S., & Abdullah, A. (2020). On the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in the enhancement of jordanian students’ overall achievement. International Journal of Instruction, 13(2), 533-548. doi:10.29333/iji.2020.13237a
Jasmine Densmore
Latasha,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy incorporating technology into my classroom. The hard part for most administrators will be how to select a technologies for use. Frazier & Hearringtonto (2017) discuss that it is best to "first create a committee of end users and others who are knowledgeable about the related hardware, network, and software with which it will interface" (p. 44). I like that you provided examples of the websites you use. To be sure, "there is evidence that technology-enhanced embodied learning can have a positive impact on at least one of the three domains of learning: (a) Cognitive domain, (b) Affective domain, and (c) Psychomotor domain" (Ioannou & Ioannou, 2020, p.82). Thank you for the websites you shared, and I will share the math websites you listed with our math department.
References
Frazier, M. & Hearrington, D. (2017). The Technology Coordinator’s (Third Edition) Handbook. Portland, Oregon: International Society for Technology in Education.
Ioannou Marianna, & Ioannou Andri. (2020). Technology-enhanced Embodied Learning : Designing and Evaluating a New Classroom Experience. Educational Technology & Society, 23(3), 81–94.