Technology Integration

1. I definitely agree with Marian Shaffner's dynamic view of technology integration. She asserts that technology integration should not be perceived by educators as an "add on." Her definitions and examples are realistic in that she recognizes teachers' day-to-day challenges while honoring students as 21st century learners. As curriculum director, it is critical that teachers embrace technology as a "tool" that can help students master the learning embedded in the academic standards, benchmarks and power grade level indicators. Marian Shaffner shares that once the teachers know what students should know and be able to do, they are prepared to ask the question, "What tools will help students accomplish the learning goals?" Most importantly, I really liked that her definition also included what it looks like if you walked into a classroom. She shared it would "look like the children were engaged and knew what tools they needed to use to show the knowledge they had gained while teachers were facilitators in the learning process."

2. Yes, technology integration in a K-12 school setting can be effective, however, best practice technology integration requires "systematic planning" in the context of rigorous academic content and 21st century learning skills. For example, our district's 5-year strategic plan includes 21st century skills and technology integration system initiatives. Although there are many areas we need to address, we believe our systems approach will help our district transform education through the development of technology integration, curriculum alignment, formative and summative assessment development, best practice pedagogy, professional learning communities and professional development systems. These systems will help to create learning environments that "allow students to meet achievement goals through the context of learning, problem solving and technology application" (McCarthy 2008).

3. It is the innovative restructuring of our district's technology department that has helped teachers, administrators, and students acknowledge and begin to embrace the true meaning of technology integration and its connection to 21st century learning skills. The technology integration specialists' visionary work is helping to shape the above-mentioned systems -- organizational systems that we hope to institutionalize so they become a way of life in our district. Technology integration will enable our students to become:

• Capable information technology users
• Information seekers, analyzers, and evaluators
• Problem solvers and decision makers
• Creative and effective users of productivity tools
• Communicators, collaborators, publishers, and producers
• Informed, responsible, and contributing citizens (National Educational Technology Standards for Students, 2000).

4. Technology integration and best practice pedagogy will allow administrators, teachers and students to improve teaching and learning in all content areas and use technology in ways that were defined by the work of authors I reviewed for this assignment.