5.2: Technology and Curriculum Integration
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Define technology integration and its relationship to curriculum design.
- Explore the benefits and challenges of integrating technology into the curriculum.
In the last section, we discussed some basics about education standards. Let's move to talking about the importance of aligning the standards to the technology you choose to integrate into your teaching and learning.
What is technology integration (curriculum integration)?
Technology integration means incorporating the use of technology tools and applications as part of classroom teaching and learning activities. For example, students may use laptops or tablets to access online learning games, interactive simulations, digital research sources, and multimedia creation software. Or teachers may have students work collaboratively using cloud-based productivity tools like shared online documents and presentation slide decks. The goal is to use technology as an integrated part of achieving curriculum goals and enhancing understanding of academic concepts and skills. Successful technology integration aligns the use of technology tools with curriculum goals and standards. (Ottenbreit-Leftwich et. al., n.d)
Even though the following 5 minute video from Edutopia is a few years old, the concepts are current and relevant!
An Introduction to Technology (2012) Edutopia [Video: 4:51 minutes. Closed Captioned]
How does it relate to curriculum design?
Curriculum design is the process of planning lessons, instructional strategies, content, learning activities, and assessments to meet educational standards and goals. Technology integration involves purposefully incorporating technology into this instructional planning process. Teachers design the curriculum first based on learning objectives, then determine where and how classroom technology use can support and strengthen teaching and learning.
For instance, if the curriculum goal is for students to understand photosynthesis, the teacher may plan to have students watch an animation showing how the photosynthesis process works, and then allow them to experiment with an interactive photosynthesis simulation. The technology is thoughtfully built into the curriculum unit design, rather than added on separately.
Understanding curriculum standards and learning benchmarks is important when integrating technology into the curriculum for a few key reasons (Johnson, et. al.)
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Alignment with Standards
- Technology integration should directly connect to and support the key knowledge and skills outlined in curriculum standards and benchmarks. Teachers need to strategically align technology use with standards rather than using it arbitrarily. For example, if a 6th-grade social studies standard covers analyzing the geography and culture of ancient civilizations, technology activities could have students use interactive maps and digital museum tours related to the unit's ancient societies. Another example might be in an accounting course, business simulation software can support learning objectives related to financial statement preparation and analysis. Using this technology aligns directly with defined course and major goals. The technology directly reinforces the content and abilities within the standard. Without alignment, technology may seem disconnected or like extra work that detracts from core learning goals.
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Guiding Effective Use
- Standards provide a guide for teachers on how technology can be used in meaningful ways to enhance specific skills. For instance, a 9th-grade physics standard may involve calculating forces. The teacher can use simulation software and digital measurement tools to give students opportunities to practice gathering, visualizing, and analyzing force data. The standard indicates how technology can improve understanding of concepts and abilities. Or perhaps a computer science course that aims to teach students Python programming. Standards would guide the instructor to have students use Python IDEs and applications to actively practice coding skills. This engages them in the target knowledge rather than passively listening to lectures. Standards can help to prevent technology use that is not purposeful.
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Enabling New Ways of Teaching and Learning
- Technology can allow new, more engaging ways of developing the knowledge and abilities outlined in standards and benchmarks. For example, interactive simulations in science and math, online reading comprehension exercises, or virtual field trips in social studies. Another example might be in an engineering course, students could use 3D design software to prototype solutions for a project aligned to program outcomes. Or education majors could record practice teaching sessions to review and self-assess their instructional skills based on teaching standards. Technology integration should take advantage of these opportunities.
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Supporting All Learners
- As an educator, you are teaching to diverse learners. All students do not learn in the same way! Technology can help differentiate instruction to ensure all students, including those with special needs, can access and engage with grade-level standards. For example, providing transcripts or captions for videos, text-to-speech for reading materials, and screen reader compatibility allows equal participation for students with disabilities. Understanding the benchmarks helps teachers identify where technology can help to support ALL students at different levels.
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Informing Development of Digital Content
- Perhaps you are not an educator, but in a career or position that is working with or related to education. You should still have a solid understanding of the standards. For example, software developers, curriculum writers, and instructional designers should ground educational technology products, learning assets, and content in standards and benchmarks. This ensures that the digital tools will help students learn this critical knowledge and meet education goals. Content in digital tools and platforms should be designed to build the critical knowledge and skills students need. Understanding typical benchmarks can help developers incorporate the right scaffolding, interactivity, and assessment into digital learning. Technology that complements standards and how students learn best provides the most benefit.
What are some of the challenges?
While technology integration offers many advantages, potential challenges include:
- Training time: Requires extra time for educators to learn new technology tools and redesign lesson plans and activities to incorporate technology appropriately. Effective integration may require additional educator training and support in best practices for curriculum-aligned technology integration that enhances the achievement of learning goals. For example, a teacher may need training on how to use a new 3D design app before integrating it into their engineering curriculum unit.
- Possible Mismanagement: Can become distracting or overwhelming for students if too many apps or tools are introduced without a clear educational purpose. For example, students playing around with fun new presentation software animations may lose focus on the content goals of their assignment.
- Equity: Depends on having reliable access to sufficient educational technology resources such as laptop carts, computer labs, high-speed internet, and digital curricular content. For example, a school may not have enough iPads for each student to use the new science simulation app installed on them. Homework assigned that requires and app and the internet will be challenging for those students who may not have access to it at home. Equity of access is vital.
- Effective Selection: Must be developmentally appropriate and fit curriculum standards and objectives. Entertainment-focused technology may not always provide an educational value. For example, letting young students play arcade-style math games may seem engaging but may not teach aligned concepts and skills.
However, with proven frameworks and strategies to overcome these challenges, technology integration can positively impact student achievement. Later in this chapter, we will discuss effective frameworks and strategies in the selection of technology in teaching and learning.
Edutopia. (2012). An Introduction to Technology Integration. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/d59eG1_Tt-Q?si=tMuUEl6YE-gmK-al.
Johnson, A. M., Jacovina, M. E., Russell, D. E., & Soto, C. M. (2016). Challenges and solutions when using technologies in the classroom. In S. A. Crossley & D. S. McNamara (Eds.) Adaptive educational technologies for literacy instruction (pp. 13-29). New York: Taylor & Francis
Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Kimmons, Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., & Kimmons, R. (n.d.). Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. The K-12 Educational Technology Handbook.