Philosophy on Integrating Technology in the Classroom

I believe that technology should support student learning and inquiry, not taught as a separate entity. Students should be using information and computer technology to in the same ways that a typical classroom uses pens, papers, and textbooks. Technology should be prevalent in every classroom and available to all students. In this way, students become the navigators of their learning, the teachers become the sails, and the technology the sea from which all possibilities emerge. Students will then become active, rather than static learners, and in the process more engaged in their education. Finally, when students use rich technology in meaningful ways, they are developing skills necessary for the 21st century professional, and they will be better suited to adapt successfully in the future if they feel confident in applying these skills.

The 3 things I have learned from this course so far are:

1. In order for schools to successfully integrate technology in to their classrooms, the school as a whole needs to approach this endeavour as a team. The principal and/or lead technology teacher will have to take on the leadership roll, but it is the individual teachers and classroom support staff that will make the integration successful.
2. Teachers who have adequate training as well as some tips and hints for troubleshooting are more likely to integrate technology in their classrooms. They are even more likely to continue to integrate it if they feel confident in adapting or readjusting lessons when things do not go as planned.
3. The best examples of technology impact the most students as possible. A SMARTBoard is a really cool piece of equipment and it has a whole host of classroon applications. However, few students can interact simultaneously on it, leaving many of the other students disengaged or lost.  For relatively the same cost, a classroom could have a class set of iPads or tablets with which to explore and develop skills.

As the lead technology teacher in my school, the 3 things that I will do to support my colleagues are:

1. Create and maintain a technology blog with lists of types of information and computer technology, examples of possible ways to integrate them, links to excellent lesson and unit plans, exemplars of others or myself using the technology, answer comments or questions about the technology, as well as tips and hints for my colleagues regarding the integration of the technology.
2. Ask my principal for some time during a staff meeting(s) or PLC(s) to demonstrate a Web 2.0 tool(s) which could be useful for many of my colleagues.
3. Ask for some time at a school assembly for my students to chow off their creations using technology, so other teachers or students may be inspired or want to inquire about how they can use it, too.