Why integrate technology in the classroom

Students are engaged in their learning using these powerful tools, and can become creators and critics instead of just consumers. Another reason for technology integration is the necessity of today's students to have 21st century skills.

A great starting point for more information about 21st century skills is the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts.

Technology lends itself as the multidimensional tool that assists that process. For example, almost all apps allow for individualized instruction. Students can learn according to their abilities and needs. This form of teaching is also great for the teacher because it gives them the time to work individually with students who may be struggling. When they are not in school, just about everything that they do is connected in some way to technology.

By integrating technology into the classroom, teachers are changing the way they used to teach lectures for six hours a day and providing students with the tools that will take them into the 21 st century. Technology changes by the minute, and as educators, we need to keep up with the times in order to best prepare our students for this ever-changing world that we live in. Take time to learn about each element of educational technology that you will incorporate into your classroom.

When you do, you will find that technology can have a profound impact on students learning. Search for:. Utilizing different types of technology in the classroom, including a virtual classroom , creates learners who are actively engaged with learning objectives. The implementation of technology also creates pathways for differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of students as individual learners within a broader classroom climate.

Integration of technology in education simply refers to the use of technology to enhance the student learning experience. There is a common misconception that the integration of technology in the classroom can be a financial burden for school districts, but students do not necessarily need their own tablets or laptops to succeed with technology.

The use of technology during whole-class instruction can foster student engagement for auditory and visual learners. Integrating simple technologies Power Points, games, internet homework assignments, or online grading systems can be difference makers in students' growth in the classroom.

Powerpoint presentations can be used to introduce a classroom concept while providing the opportunity for engagement. Along with the use of graphics and bulleted information, links to videos that accompany the ideas presented in the Powerpoint can be embedded within the slides.

Educational apps in the classroom like Kahoot can be used to review information after a lesson or unit. Teachers can create and share Kahoots with one another while students can create anonymous user names to participate in the game. This allows for whole-class participation from students who may usually be reluctant to participate in class. Kahoot is accessible to play on phones or computers and teachers can determine if they want students to work independently or be assigned to teams.

Posting homework assignments online via learning platforms like Blackboard, Brightspace, and Moodle is one way many teachers can begin to integrate technology in the classroom. Assignments are easily accessible, which can increase student engagement and help students become more organized. The students in your classroom constantly use technology to communicate with each other and learn about the world around them.

Integrating technology into the classroom creates learning opportunities that are more engaging, and sometimes more effective, than traditional teaching methods and principles.

Developments in educational technology have facilitated the shift toward student-centered classrooms and dynamic project-based learning. Technology helps turn students into explorers and investigators who are better able to engage with the topics you are presenting in the classroom. Consider the types of technology you and your students currently have access to. How can you leverage those assets to build project-based learning into your lesson plans?

If you are not sure where to begin, here are three easy ways you can integrate technology in the classroom:.