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Do I have the choice of whether or not to integrate technology i

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Technology in the Classroom: Embrace the Bumpy Ride! Kathy Cassidy is the author of Connected From the Start: Global Learning in the Primary Grades, published by Powerful Learning Press. by Kathy Cassidy I frequently get emails from primary teachers asking for help as they begin to add technology in their classroom. These teachers have a lot of questions. They want to use technology, but there always seem to be problems or glitches of some kind along the way. Their emails go something like this: “How do you use technology so easily in your classroom? It seems to run so well for you. What is your secret? These are all great questions. Don’t just “integrate” technology The first bump in the technology road involves a new way of thinking. Using technology does not mean keeping your students entertained with digital worksheets, or practicing skills with animation, or using computer time instead of a red checkmark as a reward.

Technology supports new ways of learning Use technology to make learning new and different in your classroom. It Is Not About the Gadgets – Why Every Teacher Should Have to Integrate Tech Into Their Classroom. Image from icanread When I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last summer I mistakenly assumed that all posts would seamlessly transfer.

I have since found the error in my thinking and have decided to re-post some of my more discussed posts. This post first appeared in February of 2012 but still rings true to me. I once sat on an interview committee in which the candidate proudly proclaimed that to integrate technology her students would use word processors and publish their work in a monthly book. My toes instantly curled. Students have often more seamlessly integrated technology into their lives than their teachers and didn’t even need to take a class on it. Some teachers assume that clicking on a SmartBoard or having students type their papers mean that they are “integrating” tech.

There seems to be no urgency when it comes to actual technology integration into the classroom, but more of an urgency on how to buy the flashiest gadgets and then offer limited training or support. Why Do Teachers Not Practice What They Believe Regarding Technology Integration? - The Journal of Educational Research - Volume 102, Issue 1. Examining Teachers’ Beliefs About the Role of Technology in the Elementary Classroom - Journal of Research on Computing in Education - Volume 32, Issue 1.

Baywood - Article.