Using Computers to Enrich Content

by Mary Crabtree, Buckeye Local Schools, Medina, Ohio

I am a technology resource coordinator―I work with teachers and kids in order to effectively integrate technology in the classroom. This isn't to say I am an expert in all ways technological. As a matter of fact, I find my thinking challenged in many ways as I go about my day-to-day activities, encouraging teachers to find new ways to use the technology that's available and to integrate that technology into their curriculum to improve learning outcomes.

As I do this work, I often run into a barrier that I refer to as the "fear factor." The fear seems proportionate to the amount of computer experience that a person has. The higher the fear factor, the lower the amount of computer experience. I have found that as teachers learn about technology and use it for routine tasks such as logging attendance, entering grades, reading and answering email, and creating newsletters to parents, their desire to use computers as a tool for improving learning outcomes for students increases. Again and again I see teachers who are trying new ideas with computers as a result of having found something "neat" when they were using the technology themselves.

Integration of technology, from my perspective, occurs most effectively when it is well planned and when the technology is used to enrich the content. If technology is used simply to "teach technology," then the integration is much less effective and the skills gained are less likely to be transferred to other areas of learning.

Technology integration is difficult to define, and I find that, rather than trying to tell others what integration means, it is much more effective to model it. Since I don't have my own classroom, I work with staff members who are interested in technology integration and who will invite me into their classrooms to work alongside them as we build lessons that integrate technology.
 

From Standards to "Post-Lesson"

Our technology integration model follows a plan that begins with the Ohio standards. The teacher and I choose a standard or set of standards that will be taught. We focus first on a particular content area. Once the standards are chosen, we brainstorm ideas about how to teach them. Often I bring my laptop to these sessions so we can research the topic on the web, hoping to find others who are doing something similar, and thereby allowing us to pick up new ideas as we build the lesson plan.

I encourage the teachers to create unit plans that cover several class periods or even several weeks; that gives us time to build interest, dissect the material, and encourage more in-depth work on the particular content as we work to enrich the students' learning. I also encourage the teacher to use writing as a part of every lesson plan. Besides the fact that students get practice writing, writing lends itself to research, and doing research using the Internet is a great way to integrate technology into the curriculum.

Once the lesson plan is built, then the actual teaching methods are addressed. We discuss how the lesson will be taught, when the students will be using technology, and what purpose the technology is serving. We determine a schedule of technology use, and I plan to be available during that time in order to assist the teacher with any technical problems or questions that might arise. (I find that I am used less as a technical resource and more as a "second teacher" during this time, but my being there lowers the anxiety level for those teachers who are feeling uncertain, especially for those who are just beginning the technology integration odyssey.)

At the end of each day, the teacher and I meet to review the lesson, add any ideas that we think might improve it, remove things that didn't work, and reward ourselves by acknowledging the things that worked well. We keep a record of our comments on a copy of the lesson plan so we can integrate those improvements the next time this lesson is used―as well as incorporate them in the ongoing instruction.

We find this model works well whether or not I am involved. Over time, teachers with whom I've worked have become leaders for other teachers in their building or content area. They meet with one another, build lesson plans, reflect on their work, and make changes to improve learning. This process is essentially the same as the method that quality teachers use when developing lessons that do not integrate technology.

The Essentials for Integrating Technology

There are a few key things I've learned from this process, which I believe are at the core of successful technology integration. With or without a technology resource coordinator, if you consider these principles when developing lesson plans, you can successfully integrate technology.

1. Focus on knowledge creation: The idea is for students to gather accurate, relevant information and use that information to create new knowledge. In order to do this, the lesson plan and technology must aim to move students from just finding information to using that information in a manner that makes it relevant in the current situation.
   
   As an example, suppose a teacher who is teaching about Nazi concentration camps asks students to make email contact with past prisoners. Before the students email the survivors, the teacher would initiate a class discussion that centers on the students' attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of the camps and their prisoners. After the students had time to converse with the concentration camp survivors and hear their stories, a further class discussion would focus on changes in the students' attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about the prisoners and the camps.
   
   As an extension, students could do research into global policies that are in place today to prevent genocide. They could also explore the web to determine if there are any instances of genocide occurring today, where this is happening, and what is being done by the international community to stop it.
   
2. Don't go it alone: Teachers don't have to be isolated in their technology integration efforts since there are so many others willing to share ideas and answer questions online. There are a multitude of resources a teacher can use to obtain training, build collaboration, and draw on the expertise of others, and these resources are available with the click of a mouse. For a few good resources to get you started, see the lists at the end of this article.
   
   In addition, students should use the resources that are available on the web to collaborate with experts and learn from them (Dyck, 2004). There are many video-on-demand web resources that allow access to experts. Don't be afraid to refer students to those resources―but be sure you've previewed them for appropriate content and relevance. In addition, it's a great idea to encourage the students to share their findings and learning through some type of web hosting; whether the host site is a teacher website or special student blog, research has shown that students who share what they learn retain and integrate material more readily (Quinn & Valentine, 2001).
   
3. Approach teaching from a constructivist point of view: Implicit in the constructivist approach is the idea that teachers will open their classroom to student collaboration, ease up on the traditional aspects of handing out information to students and having them take notes, and view themselves as facilitators of learning rather than imparters of knowledge. This shift takes both practice and a great deal of organization, because it is the job of the teacher-facilitator to assure that all students in a less formally structured classroom are meeting the learning outcomes.
   
   I have found this to be the most difficult aspect of seamless technology integration. Teachers have typically had to adjust the way they think about student learning in order to fully implement this model. There may be times when the model simply will not work, due to special student needs. But I have found that teachers who approach learning from a constructivist viewpoint―who encourage students to build on their learning through exploration and innovation―have a renewed energy about teaching and find creative avenues they had forgotten about.
   
4. Partner up―students: Think of students as collaborative teams. Students learn better when using technology if they work in groups, According to a study by Archer (1998), "a constructivist approach toward learning in which students work in rich environments of information and experience, often in groups, and build their own understandings about them―taps into the computer's greatest strength" (p. 18).
   
5. Partner up―teachers: Teachers who discuss their ideas with others and work collaboratively to build lessons are highly focused. They garner the best ideas from all involved and utilize those ideas. And as noted above, there is no need to work "on an island"; just open your door and ask your fellow teachers what they are doing―be willing to share ideas and take calculated risks as you implement technology within your curriculum.
   
6. Fear not: You are bound to make mistakes while learning better ways to integrate technology. As well, there surely will be times when your students will tell you that you are "doing it all wrong," and you may be frustrated with your lack of "techno-knowledge" in comparison to them. When this happens, approach the situation as a learning moment. Allow the students to teach you. You may find there are students who do not excel in academics but who are very computer proficient. If that's the case, encourage them to use their skills to help others and become the class expert.
   
7. Always have a plan B: This is my final principle, but it may be the most important when it comes to technology integration. Working with computers every day, I find them to be wonderful tools when all is going well, but terribly frustrating when there are glitches, in particular when I'm trying to accomplish a task with a deadline. Perhaps the network is down so I can't locate resources, or the mail server is slow and I can't send mail. There are times when I've been in a room full of kids waiting to use a wireless computer lab, only to learn that the last user didn't plug it in to recharge and all the batteries are dead! So it's important to always have a plan B. Be prepared with surge protectors to plug computers in if they're not charged, look to other resources if the network isn't cooperating, or simply have written materials available if the Internet is not accessible. This approach helps students learn about "disaster management" and is a true stress preventer for teachers.

With the increase in technology use by students at home and with the desire of students to have ready access to technology at school, it is important for teachers to recognize the role that technology can play in teaching and learning. Teachers who are willing to learn about technology and embrace it as an enriching learning tool will find a wealth of resources and creative lessons at their fingertips. What matters most, when integrating technology, is not the technological tools themselves, but what teachers encourage students to do with them.

References

Archer, J. (1998). The link to higher test scores. Education Week, 18(5), 10-21.

Dyck, B. A. (2004). Four principles for true technology integration. Retrieved February 2, 2006, from http://www.microsoft.com/education/fourprinciples.mspx.

Quinn, D. M., & Valentine, J. W. (2001). Research summary: What impact does the use of technology have on middle level education, specifically student achievement? Retrieved February 2, 2006, from http://www.nmsa.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/Summary19/tabid/275/Default.aspx.

Mary Crabtree has been the technology resource coordinator at Buckeye Local Schools in Medina, Ohio, for four years. Mary is a certified teacher and holds a B.S. from Fort Hays State University and an M.S.Ed. and a Certificate of E-Learning from the University of Akron.

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