How to Stay Current in Using Technology in the Classroom

Professional Development Plan for Technology Integration

In any field in order to stay current and to keep up with the trends, one must stay connected to what is happening in that field. It is important to read professional articles, to attend seminars, and to learn how to use the tools of the trade.  As an educator, it is important to me to keep up with the current trends in education.  One trend that seems to be here to stay is that of integrating technology into everyday lessons in the classrooms.  It is no longer a question of whether to use technology in our classrooms, but how we are to do so.  Technology is changing every day and there are many ways to implement the use of technology into actual lessons.   It is my intention to do the following in order to remain current and to be effective as a classroom teacher.

1.     I will join several professional development blogs and follow the current trends.

2.    I will read professional articles addressing technology integration

3.     I will attend technology professional development classes available in my district.

4.    I will implement and use new and relevant technology into my lesson plans. 

The following websites will be very helpful in learning about how to stay current in using technology to make learning more effective:

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te1000.htma

This site provides information on how to create a well-planned, ongoing professional development program that is tied to the school's curriculum goals, and helps teachers to understand how to use technology appropriately to promote learning for all students in the classroom.

http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/catalog/courses/SCIE504/

This site makes available professional development classes for teachers on how to integrate technology into their lessons. 

http://www.4teachers.org/

4Teachers.org works to help you integrate technology into your classroom by offering online tools and resources. This site helps teachers locate and create ready-to-use Web lessons, quizzes, rubrics and classroom calendars

http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/month.htm

This site has a newsletter, website information, online literacy webquests, research articles, and much more. 

If we are to compete in the global world and produce students that will be able to stand up next to those from other countries, it is our job as teachers to provide our students with the most up to date education and to prepare them to operate and function in the very competitive economic market.  We need to be able to teach our students how to use the most current technology and how to use it well enough to create gain the edge against the competition.

Technology and Project-Based Learning

Project based learning addresses the age-old question, “How am I going to use this in the real world”?  Project based learning is born out the inquisitiveness of the students participating. 

Project based learning shifts from teacher directed learning to student centered learning.  It is especially effective when working with students of varied levels (even within the grade level you teach) and can meet the differentiated needs of those students.  It is especially effective in reaching the gifted students who most generally already know the basics of the curriculum and need to be further challenged and engaged. 

In the video the students were “traveling” by cruise ship to Africa or an airplane to Brazil.  The rest was born out of the information necessary to actually get there to explore each of the countries.    

The students are energized because they are actually learning by doing and exploring websites and interacting with the problem and solution.  They are not just reading out of a book and writing down answers on worksheets.  They are continually learning new content and problem-solving skills as they progress through the project.  It is an awesome way to integrate all subjects into one and to give purpose to each activity.  Kids love role-playing and dressing up and a learning environment like this, gives them continuous opportunities to do so.  I love the passports, and the computers made from boxes, and the airplane control panel; all made by the students.  They also had to learn about airports, and travel, and customs and how to interact with people of other countries and cultures.  Not only did they have to use math to figure things out, they also had to actually construct the props that went with the simulation. 

Technology can take them on a virtual field trip and the ability to “travel” to an endless number of places that they would not be able to go to otherwise.  The internet also gives them the opportunity to gather relevant and current information, unlike that of an encyclopedia.  The SMARTboard is an excellent tool not only to project information, but to interact with the lessons and the internet as part of the lesson.  When children are introduced to the endless possibilities that technology can provide them, I think that they come to expect to be continuously connected.  A lifelong learner is someone who constantly is intrigued and interesting in finding out new things.  Today, it is much easier to pursue one’s interests, having access to the internet and the myriad of technological advances.  They can produce video, written, and blog/glog projects and share their learning with the world.  I wish that we could create these kinds of environments in all of our schools and give our students real purpose in learning especially in this technological rich world in which we live.  Education should provide students with the current resources available so as to produce “world changers.”  We cannot keep up with the rest of the world, if our students have to wait to graduate and get a job to participate in the real world.