Technology Integration (Student Choice)

Technology Integration

Technology Integration can provide many new opportunities in a classroom for teachers and students.     Whether it's iPads, slates, interactive boards, clickers, or just a basic computer, all of these tools can enhance the learning that takes place and make a teacher more effective and efficient in the classroom  However, these tools put into a classroom can also be a big waste of money if one simple thing is overlooked...ongoing professional development.  Sure, there are teachers who take the technology, do the research and learn how to integrate effectively on their own.  However, there is also a large number of teachers who do not use their technology to its fullest potential due to lack of knowledge that could come from ongoing professional development.  I commend schools and systems for putting technology in the classrooms, especially to the extent in which I have seen in many schools in our area.  However, I wish more teachers had opportunities for ongoing professional development in the technology they have in their classrooms.  An ideal situation would be for every school to have a technology coach to help teachers with technology integration, but this is not financially possible in most situations. Over the summer I researched a model for ongoing professional development, but this model was based on the use of a technology coach. I would love to find out how other schools and systems effectively integrate technology without a coach on site....maybe this can be my research topic.