Integrating Technology Into Teaching Models
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL, NOT A MEANS TO AN END
For technology to be used to its fullest potential, technology cannot just be a tool to complete a task. It must be fully integrated into learning theories and enhance learning in ways that it could not be conceived with the technology. Below you will find models and theories that will transform digital tools from being just a means to get things done to tools that increase students' knowledge and encourage them to grow to their fullest potential.
HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO TEACH OR LEARN IN WAYS NOT POSSIBLE 20 YEARS AGO
Twenty years ago when I was in high school, the traditional way of learning was taking notes, while the teacher lectured and presented information on a projector. An article published by Purdue Online suggests that it is still the same today (Purdue Online, 2020), and I can also attest to this based on the way I teach my class and the way I see other teachers teach in their classroom. The main difference is today we use Google slides or Microsoft PowerPoint vs. the old school overhead projector. Even though, lectures and slideshows is still the main way of teaching, education is slowly evolving, and technology is being used in the classroom in ways we could not imagine twenty years ago. For example, online, hybrid, and flipped classrooms are becoming popular in education. These classroom models allow students to learn from anywhere, rather than just in the classroom. Many colleges and universities have offered hybrid and online classes for several years and flipped classrooms has gained popularity in K-12 education over the past few years. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw that schools had to quickly transition to online learning. If this pandemic happened twenty years ago, this would not have been possible and it is very likely that many students would have failed behind and suffered from learning gaps due to school closings. ​
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Another change that technology in the classroom has brought about is global communication. In today's classrooms, students are able to communicate with people all over the world. For example, blogging is becoming popular communication and reflection tool in the classroom. Through blogs such as Seesaw, students can communicate with students in other countries, which helps students develop communication and writing skills, and tolerance for other cultures.​
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION MODELS TO INCORPORATE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY INTO TEACHING PRACTICES
The two technology integration models below can provide teachers with a framework for implementing technology into their lessons:
SAMR
SAMR is a technology integration model that consists of 4 levels: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.​ When teachers consider new technology to introduce in the classroom, it should fall into one of these levels. One level on the model is not better than the other. However, it is similar to Bloom's Taxonomy , the popular pedagogical model used in the classroom today, where each level represents a higher usage of technology. The two lowest levels on the SAMR model are Substitution and Augmentation; when a new technology falls into these two categories it used to enhance a lesson. The two higher levels are Modification and Redefinition; these two levels complete transforms a lesson with technology (Schoology, 2017).
Examples of Substitution:
E-books used in a classroom in place of physical copies of books.
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Examples of Augmentation:
Using an audiobook or text-to-speech function in place of reading a physical book.
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Examples of Modification:
Students used Canva to create an infographic describing the contents of the book.
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Examples of Redefinition:
Students create an online blog where they discuss a book with a class in another country.
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TPACK
TPACK emphasizes the importance of assessing content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge when choosing new technology to integrate in the classroom. Sometimes when choosing technology, teachers tend to focus on the technology itself, and the importance of the content knowledge and pedagogy knowledge falls by the wayside. However, each of these types of knowledge is important when integrating technology. TPACK models exemplifies the relationship between these three types of knowledge and that they all must be blended together to produce an effective lesson (Rodgers, 2018).
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Three Primary Types of Knowledge:
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Content Knowledge: Knowledge of the information or subject being presented
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Pedagogical Knowledge: Knowledge of teaching theories and methods, and best practices (Rodgers, 2018)
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Technological Knowledge: Knowledge of digital tools and how to use them in the classroom
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When you look at the TPACK diagram above, you will see secondary types knowledge where the primary knowledge types intersect.
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Secondary Knowledge:
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Pedagogical Content Knowledge: This is where pedagogical and content knowledge intersects and the teacher knows which teaching theories and best practices to use to teach their subject matter (Rodgers, 2018).
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Technological Content Knowledge: This is where technological and content knowledge intersects and the teacher uses the best digital tool to enhance their content (Rodgers, 2018).
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Technological Pedagogical Knowledge: This is where pedagogical and technological knowledge intersects and the teacher knows the best digital tool to use to achieve their learning objectives (Rodgers, 2018).
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The ultimate goal is for teachers to be at the center of the diagram where all three types of primary knowledge intersect. This type of knowledge is called Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge or TPACK.
Constructivist theory is based on the idea that students learn better in an environment that allows them to complete activities that encourage them to construct their ideas. est by doing and completing assignments and students are able to construct their own ideas. In this environment, the teacher presents a topic or question and the students complete research to gain knowledge on the given topic (Juniu, 2006). The teacher no longer controls the learning process, but the students has direct control over their learning.
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Multimedia is a great tool to use in the constructivist classroom because it provides students with a means to work independently to solve a problem or answer questions. They can complete researching and complete projects using multimedia resources. Long gone are the days, when students would go to library and gather tons of books to complete research. Now, students able to complete research with a click of a button using the internet. Students can build higher-order thinking skills in the constructivist classroom as they use multimedia tools to create products to demonstrate their knowledge.