Purposeful and Goal Oriented
As you work to infuse technology into the classroom environment, consider how each piece of technology can enhance the learning environment. Technology use should be purposeful and fulfill a specific goal. It’s important to avoid becoming enamored with the latest technology and using it for that purpose alone. Always take time to give thoughtful consideration as to how students engage with technology to learn.
Consider the role technology will play in your classroom. Will it be automational or transformational? (See The Role of Technology for more information about the categories of technology application.)
Levels of Technology Infusion
1. You can substitute traditional methods for learning, practice, and application with the use of technology. For instance, students may read an online book rather than a printed text from the library. Students could use online flashcards, plot data on a graph, or use an online dictionary.
2. You may choose to improve upon traditional methods by using technology as an enhancement. For example, rather than presenting a whole-group lesson, you may choose to create a screencast of the same material. Students are able to access the material at a time that is purposeful for their learning paths. They can pause the video to take notes and review the video if they need to hear the information again.
3. You can significantly change how students learn through transformational technology by redesigning learning in your classroom. Building on the screencast example above, you may decide to present the screencast within an interactive slideshow in which students move along various learning paths using hyperlinks and feedback from embedded formative assessments.