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OverviewA survey of teachers who instruct American middle and secondary school students finds that digital technologies have become central to their teaching and professionalization. At the same time, the internet, mobile phones, and social media have brought new challenges to teachers, and they report striking differences in access to the latest digital technologies between lower and higher income students and school districts. Asked about the impact of the internet and digital tools in their role as middle and high school educators, these teachers say the following about the overall impact on their teaching and their classroom work: 92% of these teachers say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for their teaching 69% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to share ideas with other teachers 67% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to interact with parents and 57% say it has had such an impact on enabling their interaction with students The survey finds that digital tools are widely used in classrooms and assignments, and a majority of these teachers are satisfied with the support and resources they receive from their school in this area. However, it also indicates that teachers of the lowest income students face more challenges in bringing these tools to their classrooms: Mobile technology has become central to the learning process, with 73% of AP and NWP teachers saying that they and/or their students use their cell phones in the classroom or to complete assignments More than four in ten teachers report the use of e-readers (45%) and tablet computers (43%) in their classrooms or to complete assignments 62% say their school does a “good job” supporting teachers’ efforts to bring digital tools into the learning process, and 68% say their school provides formal training in this area Teachers of low income students, however, are much less likely than teachers of the highest income students to use tablet computers (37% v. 56%) or e-readers (41% v. 55%) in their classrooms and assignments Similarly, just over half (52%) of teachers of upper and upper-middle income students say their students use cell phones to look up information in class, compared with 35% of teachers of the lowest income students Just 15% of AP and NWP teachers whose students are from upper income households say their school is “behind the curve” in effectively using digital tools in the learning process; 39% who teach students from low income households describe their school as “behind the curve” 70% of teachers of the highest income students say their school does a “good job” providing the resources needed to bring digital tools into the classroom; the same is true of 50% of teachers working in low income areas Teachers of the lowest income students are more than twice as likely as teachers of the highest income students (56% v. 21%) to say that students’ lack of access to digital technologies is a “major challenge” to incorporating more digital tools into their teaching

Blackboard SMU uses the course management system Blackboard.  For help creating Blackboard courses and learning the basics, consult Academic Technology's Blackboard help page, as well as this Blackboard online tutorial. Access your Blackboard courses here. Presentation Software Sometimes it's helpful to provide visual aids to complement teaching, stimulate discussion, or allow out-of-class teaching. Tools designed for this purpose, such as PowerPoint, can be used well or used badly. Click here for resources that provide advice for thoughtful use of PowerPoint, as well as a few additional presentation tools. Classroom Response Systems ("clickers") One way to encourage student engagement is by using electronic devices that allow students to record their answers to multiple choice questions and allow you to instantly display the results. The anonymity encourages participation, and their answers help the teacher know when further discussion is needed.  Use of clickers can also serve as a catalyst for discussion.  Click here to learn more about using response systems effectively.

Converting a Face-to-Face Course to an Online Course Teaching online, whether in a hybrid course or a wholly-online course, requires different techniques and different tools.  Without the F2F contact, professors will need to be even clearer about setting and articulating expectations for digital work and participation.  Encouraging interaction between professor and student and among students is an additional challenge, as is monitoring student learning as the course progresses.  The online environment requires the use of basic technologies to digitize course materials as well as mastery of the university's learning management system.  And various tools like Skype allow synchronous communications, while blogs and Twitter can encourage asynchronous interaction.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

A number of trends are combining to create new opportunities for students and the field of technology. As more and more content is available online, sometimes exclusively, it is important to ensure that the information is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities; assistive and learning technology offers great promise in helping these students. Special education delivery now happens more often in the general education classroom, not in segregated special needs classrooms. Also, the stunning innovation of technology; has made it easier to use and customize. It has become more powerful and available at lower costs, therefore making it attractive as part of a school wide solution. Tremendous advances in technology in the past decade have led to the development of speech synthesis and recognition technology, interactive software, and miniaturization and portability that help these students achieve and thrive (National Center on Technology Innovation.(2006). Moving Towards Solutions: Assistive Learning Technology for all Students. Washington, DC: Author)

Question 1: How can social media tools such as Facebook, wikis, and blogs be used in high schools as learning tools? Question 2: Can you provide concrete examples in how schools and districts are using learning and assistive technologies to help students with disabilities succeed on the high school level? Question 3: What funding is now available for high schools in regards to technology with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 2009?

technology doesn't work in every scenario

1. Visualize Texts

Wordle is a fun tool for playing with language and making meaning from texts. (And it’s quite safe for classroom use.) This self-described “toy” allows students to analyze word frequency in any text, from a poem to a science book chapter, by simply copying and pasting “a bunch of text” into the box on the top of this page. Click on “go” and you’ll get a snapshot of the most common words in that text as shown by size. (The most frequently appearing words appear larger.)

2. Make Content Comic

The absolute wrong way to deal with educational technology is to look at a tool and try to build a lesson around it.

The right way to deal with educational technology is to not worry about it until after the lesson is planned.

echnology does not belong in every lesson just because there is a tool sitting there. I still have my students

Technology inspires creativity like little else and it’s time to take a close look at what technology really means for your classroom.

Students are aware of its facility and its creative potential. Technology is nothing new to them; almost every aspect of their life requires its use and given any gadget they become most imaginative.

Teachers can still hold onto the teaching values you hold dear while embracing technology and promoting creativity in the classroom.

"Kevin can be far more involved in group activities. He can converse with his peers, participate in class discussions, and do his homework, no matter where he is. This has increased his ability to be an independent member of the school and the community."

traditional assistive technologies have converged with consumer technologies

today's smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices come equipped with universal access functionality, making it possible for users to deploy built-in or easily downloaded assistive technologies.

free add-in for Microsoft Word,

Word Talk 

accessed by customizable keyboard shortcuts

When planning a lesson – even when you’re planning on incorporating technology – what is the first question you should ask yourself? What does Sheryl argue is the power of technology? How will that aid in students' retention of material and their engagement? What is the impact of technology on this lesson?

While lectures and lessons can be informative and even “edutaining” when delivered with passion and good materials by knowledgeable experts, sadly many traditional lectures and lessons are boring, and even worse often ineffective.

Even if you don’t have computers or tablets available in your classroom, the fact that an increasing number of High School and college students have smartphones is making it easier than ever to leverage technology to create engaging, active lessons students enjoy working on. For younger grades, if you don’t have access to devices with Web access, perhaps you can access a computer lab by request, or use devices in your library.

1. Incorporate Student Input & Gather Feedback

Technology provides numerous tools that teachers can use in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning.

Flipping" doesn't have to use technology, but tools such as videos, podcasts, online quizzes and the like can help in and out of class activity work together. These resources explain the theory underlying this teaching method and provide practical suggestions for making it work.