Not just small steps but leaps and bounds!

I observed a Grade One Math lesson this morning where the teacher was experimenting with new ways to integrate technology. The class sang "The Bubblegum Song," a catchy tune about spending money on bubblegum, before gathering on the carpet to explore money concepts using the smartboard. The students were fully engaged as they interacted with the smartboard, learning about the stories behind Canadian coins, listening to the sound of a loon, viewing images of the Canadian mint in Manitoba, and matching coins with their respective values. They even simulated purchasing items from an online store. After the smartboard session, the students received their own set of coins to further explore and create number stories complete with pictures. It was an excellent lesson that prompted me to ponder:

"Has the use and integration of educational technology improved teaching and learning?"

I believe that when integrated effectively, educational technology can indeed enhance teaching and benefit all learners. Integrating technology into lessons provides students with opportunities to achieve learning outcomes in various ways.

According to Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, students learn differently, and there are eight potential pathways to learning (Brualdi, 1998). By adopting a multiple intelligences approach to teaching and employing diverse strategies to reach all learners, integrating technology can seamlessly enhance any lesson plan. In the article "Why do teachers not practice what they believe regarding technology," Chen argues that for teachers to embrace technology in the classroom, they need to believe that its use will not hinder higher-level goals but rather help achieve them more effectively. Teachers must also feel confident in their ability to use technology and have sufficient resources (Chen, 2008). Utilizing tools like the smartboard effectively can provide students with visual, auditory, and hands-on learning experiences, unlike traditional lectures with PowerPoint presentations.

However, merely incorporating multiple intelligences into a lesson is not enough to ensure effectiveness; the learning must also be meaningful. In the article "Meaningful Technology Integration in Early Learning Environments," Weng et al. argue that integrating technology requires a constructivist framework and curriculum that emphasizes learner-centered exploration and active meaning-making (Weng et al., 2008). The choice of technology should align with classroom learning, teaching needs, and student requirements (Weng et al., 2008). Teacher perceptions of pedagogical beliefs significantly influence technology integration. In "A Study of Teacher Perceptions of Instructional Technology Integration," Gorder noted that classrooms where technology was integrated followed four pedagogical principles: active learning, mediation, collaboration, and interactivity (Jaffee in Gorder, 2008). While there are simple ways to integrate technology into daily lessons, such as accessing online resources like the weather channel or incorporating URLs into calendars, more meaningful integration involves utilizing web 2.0 tools like blogs, digital storytelling, podcasts, YouTube, simulations, virtual field trips, and discussion platforms like Skype, which can truly bring learning to life in the classroom.

For me, having a smartboard and easy access to computers in the classroom offers opportunities to incorporate engaging strategies and tools into my lessons. All learners benefit from using technology in their learning, and while we may be taking small steps toward effective implementation, the learning experience for students progresses from incremental to substantial leaps and bounds!