Technology Integration Research

Objective of Lesson:

Literature Review

The integration of Internet resources into the language arts curriculum has many facets that must be addressed.  Firstly, it is important to state that integrating technology into K-6 standards based language arts lessons is a necessary addition to daily classroom instruction.  “The recent movement to connect schools around the world to the Internet is due to the perception that networked information resources will be central to children’s futures” (Karchmer 2001).  Furthermore, the United States Department of Education states, “The use of technology in education must remain a national priority” (2001).   By implementing Internet resources into Language Arts and literacy lessons, students and teachers will be required to supplement traditional learning strategies with technologically sound learning strategies. 

The lives our children will lead in the future argue for the integration of technology into their lessons.   In 10-15 years, educational pedagogies as we know them today will be transformed by technology integration.  It is the role of educators to begin preparing K-6 students for their adult lives.  Barbara Bowman states, “Predictions of the educational needs of citizens in the 21st century stress the importance of flexible intelligence, rapid shifts in thinking as contexts differ, life-long ability to learn new ways of solving problems” (1998).  The daily tasks of the future, including occupations and communication techniques, will demand that people have common technology knowledge.  Barbara Means continues her argument by describing her “vision” of the future:

The vision endorses teaching children to be active users of technology rather than simply reactors to it—a vision wherein technology is not simply putting the same old thing inside of a box rather than on a piece of paper or a slate, but a tool for their own thinking. Young children share their community’s perceptions of the place of technological objects in the social world and the individual’s relationship to them.

This vision touches upon the importance of quality interactions where students have freethinking opportunities to explore new ideas.  This learning opportunity sums up the need and necessity for technology integration.

Additionally, computers provide a viable way to meet national and state language arts standards.  Carol Kimble states, “When computers are used to perform tasks applying higher order concepts and when teachers are proficient in directing students toward productive uses, computers are associated with significant learning gains” (1999).  The basic goal of education as a whole is for students to gain knowledge.  Computers and technology will give students appropriate and goal oriented learning experiences in all curricular areas, including language arts.  Students need quality literacy building opportunities.  While current classroom instruction provides such opportunities, the integration of Internet resources will provide even more. 

While research points to the benefits of Internet resources, there are still many educators shying away from technology integration.  There are several resounding opinions and theories as to why teachers are hesitant to implement technology into the classroom.  These theories must be investigated in order to build a successful professional development course that will actually meet the needs of educators.  While some researchers believe that teachers’ pedagogical beliefs weigh heavily, other researchers believe that teacher’s feel threatened by the change that technology brings forth.

Yong Zhao and Gary Cziko believe that teacher’s lack of adoption of technology revolves around three main points:

  1. The teacher must believe that technology can more effectively meet a higher-level goal than what has been used.
  2. The teacher must believe that using technology will not cause disturbances to other higher-level goals that he/she thinks are more important than the one being maintained.
  3. The teacher must believe that he/she has or will have sufficient ability and resources to use technology. (2001)   

 

These points are based upon the Perceptual Control Theory (PCT), which is a behavior model.  “PCT maintains that human beings, and all other living organisms, control perceptual input or reference condition, not motor output.  In other words, they have internal goals which they strive to meet” (Zhao & Cziko 2001).  Teachers are focused on teaching set curricula and meeting grade level standards.  Any other concept or idea tends to be disregarded because it is assumed that it will interfere with current goals.  Zhao and Cziko continue their argument by stating that the “lack of suitable training, technical and administrative support, systemic incentives, traditional pedagogical beliefs, and resistance” are the most widely held reasons for teachers not implementing technology into daily instruction.   

The fear of change is a powerful force that must also be addressed.  Teachers must be willing to alter traditional pedagogical beliefs in order to make room for technology implementation.  Noel Bitner and Joe Bitner have written the article, “Integrating Technology into the Classroom:  Eight Key Steps”.  In this article, the authors state, “Teachers must learn to use technology and must allow it to change their present teaching paradigm” (2002). These authors have developed an eight-step technology integration process, which includes features such as a non-threatening environment where teachers can “experiment without fear of failure,” as well as ongoing site support.  “Fear, anxiety, and concern that teacher have about change [of implementing technology] must be addressed” (Bitner & Bitner 2002).  It is through such an environment that K-6 teachers can begin to feel comfortable implementing technology into language arts lessons. 

Knowing the reasons behind the lack of technology integration is key in planning successful professional development opportunities.  Professional development opportunities must allow teachers the time to practice their computer skills, discover adequate classroom resources, and formulate technology incorporated lesson plans.  Douglas Green and Thomas O’Brien, professors from Binghamton University in New York, state, “Staff development should show teachers how to increase situations where students engage in higher order thinking.   Simply showing teachers how to use computer applications and search the Internet is not likely to do so” (2002).  The well-rounded professional development should “provide resources, incentives, and ongoing support to create professional development activities that do not jeopardize teacher time with students or rely primarily on teachers’ personal time” (Kimble 1999).  Furthermore, teachers should be empowered to “learn by doing, through the use of technologies such as distance learning, online networking and Web- and computer based classes to learn, communicated, and exchange ideas locally and globally” (Kimble 1999).        

Further research describes how “staff development is an effective strategy for implementing change in education” (Bradshaw 2002).  Any type of change requires educators to accept changes in their current teaching pedagogies.  While this objective appears simple, it is actually a complex endeavor due to the various abilities, knowledge, skills, and concerns held by teachers.  The fear and anxiety held by many teachers should be dealt with through open communication offerings to allow for concerns to be vocalized and heard.  It is important to reflect on the following statement, “Implementing technology in a particular classroom is ultimately a very personal process” (Bradshaw 2002).  The personal aspect of technology integration must be addressed to ensure a positive learning experience and to assist the pedagogical changes that will take place.

            Part of the professional development plan should include school and/or district technology objectives, a long-term view, system wide applications, and major involvement of teachers.  In addition, to have successful technology integration, classroom teachers must fully involve themselves in implementing actual plans at the curriculum, class, and unit level (Lockard 2001, 346-355).   

While teachers must embark on an educational journey, so must students.  Today’s K-6 students are part of the technology era simply because of their age.  This group of students must embrace technology, computer usage, and Internet resources to better educate themselves.  “The World Wide Web (WWW)[World Wide Web] is widely acknowledged as a resource which can bring many gigabytes of useful information to students in schools” (Perrone, Repenning, Spencer, Ambach 1996).  This should be relatively easy for most K-6 students because technology already surrounds this group of children and in turn they are more receptive to technology (Karchmer 2001).  Many students have access to computers at home, which are also connected to the Internet.  This group of children has “an advantage over students who do not” (Green & O’Brien 2002).  Furthermore, the Internet allows students to delve into educational areas “not known to their teachers and increases opportunities to learn from students” (Green & O’Brien 2002). 

The practical use of technology as a tool will aid students in preparation for their future adult lives.  Barbara Means states, “Technology has tremendous power to help students obtain, organize, manipulate, and display information. Using technology for meaningful activities also helps integrate a variety of disciplines, more closely resembling activities that people undertake in the world beyond the classroom” (1997).  As students delve into the world of technology they will “learn not only to use computer-based tools to build and house their Web pages, but in the process, they begin to think of the computer as a medium for expression, communication, and learning” (Morrison 2002).  “Such efforts begin to take advantages of the WWW [World Wide Web] as a medium, rather than the computer as a tool.  Students learn not only to use computer-based tools to build and house their Web pages, but in the process, they begin to think of the computer as a medium for expression, communication and learning” (Perrone, Repenning, Spencer, Ambach, 1996).  It is the role of students to immerse themselves in technological opportunities and be receptive to the opportunities teachers and parents provide. 

Literacy and reading skills are in the forefront of educational goals in the K-6 classrooms.  All other subjects and curriculum revolve around a student’s reading and comprehension ability.   Electronic resources and print are necessary additions to a literacy rich classroom environment.  Student publishing of written work on the World Wide Web provides useful skills that relate to overall literacy development (Fisher, Lapp, Flood 1999).  Furthermore, the benefits of student publication “can potentially enhance literacy and shift control from a central authoritarian figure or institution to the individual” (Christie 1998).  In addition to publishing endeavors, students can utilize the WWW to research literary topics and interact with the inquiry based Web Quest (Oehring 1990, Dodge 1995).  Language arts lessons can be enhanced and supplemented adequately with Internet resources that will encourage and foster student literacy skills. 

Bibliography

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Page last updated 04/30/2003