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Email Article To From Note Privacy & Terms How to Help Teachers Use Technology in the Classroom The 5J Approach By Mary Burns / September 2010 Print Email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on more var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true}; Comments (2) Instapaper (function() { var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0], rdb = document.createElement('script'); rdb.type = 'text/javascript'; rdb.async = true; rdb.src = document.location.protocol + '//www.readability.com/embed.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(rdb, s); })(); Recent reports (from The Chronicle of Higher Education and Walden University [PDF], for example) point to teachers' continuing difficulties integrating technology into classroom learning. Despite access to technology and despite the fact that novice teachers are entering the classroom with far more advanced technology skills than their counterparts of an earlier age, only 39 percent of teachers report "moderate" or "frequent" use of technology as an instructional tool (Grunwald Associates, 2010).

Another effect of technology cited by a great majority of teachers is an increased inclination on the part of students to work cooperatively and to provide peer tutoring. While many of the classrooms we observed assigned technology-based projects to small groups of students, as discussed above, there was al

so considerable tutoring going on around the use of technology itself.

Increased Use of Outside Resources Teachers from 10 out of 17 classrooms observed at length cited increased use of outside resources as a benefit of using technology. This effect was most obvious in classrooms that had incorporated telecommunications activities (see examples), but other classes used technologies such as satellite broadcasts, telefacsimiles, and the telephone to help bring in outside resources.

Increased Motivation and Self Esteem

Improved Design Skills/Attention to Audience

. It is possible for students to get so caught up in issues such as type font or audio clips that they pay less attention to the substantive content of their product.

SMART Boards are motivating students and teachers alike. The impact on student behaviour is also noticeable to teachers and can aid in reducing the stress in the work environment.

Also, teachers are sharing their class plans over the Internet. This lessens their need to recreate and reinvent and instead see what is working in other classrooms around the world.

Even though many games are played individually, playing games together can be a great way to build classroom culture. When paired with other culture-building activities, games can provide low-stakes, competitive ways to build collaboration skills. In fact, games that involve teams can help support the principles of "helping each other out" and sharing. Some games, like Pandemic, require that all players work together toward the same goal instead of working competitively. Collaboration is key in that game, so consider games like it for building classroom culture, and pair them with reflections and discussion to assess the learning. Remember, depending on the access to technology, teachers can pick both high-tech and low-tech games, or offer both. Educators can try all or some of these steps to use games in the classroom. It's important that we start small with implementation, and that we continually reflect on the learning and push ourselves to try new things for the sake of our students, their engagement, and their achievement.

Not every student in your class needs to be playing the same game at the same time. In fact, games can be used as just another tool to differentiate. As teachers formatively assess their students, they may find that some students didn't quite get either the content knowledge or 21st century skill they were focusing on. Also, educators might find that some students are ready for a greater challenge. Educators can use games as a tool to support either revisiting the material or pushing students farther on new material. Not only do games help differentiate for students, but they also free up the teacher to meet the needs of more students.

As we progress in this technologically charged world, we face a very important question. What is to become of the role of teachers? Will they become obsolete?

The hard truth is that the tech-savvy students of today do not want to be lectured to about facts they can instantly find with the click of a button on their smart phones. Siri can often give a more comprehensive answer than many of us on any given topic. Therefore, the honest truth is that HOW we teach must change. Making students memorize rote facts and regurgitate them is no longer sensible, and educators now have the opportunity to have students think much more critically, solve problems, and use their creativity in ways they never have been pushed to do in the past.

Improve lectures Enhance the curriculum Provide visualization in a variety of formats Increase flexibility of presentations Share resources Enable demonstrations of complex concepts

Students watch less television  Improve problem-solving and critical thinking skills  Improve their writing and math skills  Improve their computer skills

more challenged more engaged more independent

As an instructional tool, technology helps all students--including poor students and students with disabilities--master basic and advanced skills required for the world of work.  As an assessment tool, technology yields meaningful information, on demand, about students' progress and accomplishments and provides a medium for its storage.  As a motivational tool, technology positively impacts student attitudes toward learning, self-confidence, and self-esteem.