Integration of Technology with
Curricula and Instruction

Overview

Districts are now realizing the power of curriculum initiatives that seamlessly integrate technology tools into daily instruction. By identifying technology solutions and instructional strategies at the curriculum-development stage, district leaders can act to maximize the impact of technology on system-wide teaching and learning and support the expansion of "pockets of technology integration excellence" that currently exist in most schools. Kevin McGillivray, educational technologist for a set of American military schools, notes that what might make sense in the short term -- purchasing software in response to immediate needs -- may, in the long run, cripple a district's integration of technology with curricula and instruction.

"With multiple or disparate software programs around a school, supporting the teachers who are using software in any effective way becomes virtually impossible from a technical or educational perspective." (p. 1)

In order to avoid the situation McGillivray describes, it is critical for school leaders to invest substantial time and resources in system-wide planning for technology integration. Done in advance, and at the curriculum-development level, such planning will enable districts to optimize their use of available funds and technology resources.

Strategies for Addressing Local Technology Applications and Plans

Maximizing Resources

When schools across a district have different equipment and tools, and varied levels of technical expertise, it can be difficult to support technology integration efforts and ensure that technology is supporting curricula and instruction. The creation of a cohesive and well-designed plan for resource management is one way that districts can maximize their investment in technology.

Software. A district that has a wide range of disparate software packages is often handicapped when attempting to implement a cohesive technology integration plan. Providing both support for a wide range of skills and guidance in the integration of a wide variety of software stretches support staff beyond their limits and results in unfocused professional development. Establishing a district-wide tool kit of standardized software for use across the district is one approach that might be considered. Identifying a set of software tools that is limited in number and is versatile and valuable across subject areas and grade levels can maximize the impact of the district's investment. For example, districts may elect to choose a consistent "suite" of tools (i.e., Microsoft Office, Appleworks) or decide on common needs (i.e., word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software) and purchase different packages for use at different grade levels. In conjunction with a tool kit, a careful selection of additional software that supports specific curriculum initiatives will encourage efforts to integrate technology by linking technology with broader initiatives of the district. If done selectively, the value of the "tool kit" approach is preserved.

Alternatively, or in conjunction with a tool kit approach, districts may organize resources based on curriculum needs. For example, software (and hardware) could be purchased to align with specific curriculum units and support teaching approaches. With this method, resources in a first grade classroom would differ from those in a third or fifth grade classroom. Districts may wish to create a "software review" committee, comprised of both curriculum and technology specialists, to plan for the purchase, integration, and support of such resources.

Hardware. Districts whose goal in acquiring hardware is support for the integration of technology with curricula and instruction may want to think beyond the computer lab concept. In this case, planning for hardware purchases should focus on optimizing access. Creating a variety of designs for hardware deployment will increase access to technology, thereby better supporting the integration of technology with curricula and instruction.

As districts consider this issue, one approach is to equip all classrooms with at least one computer with an Internet connection. This method of technology integration helps to make technology a fixture in the daily life of teachers and students and aids faculty in forming the habit of using basic electronic communication (email and Internet). As their comfort with the technology increases, teachers will be more likely to take the next step to integrate it into classroom lessons (ACOT, 1995). A next step might be to acquire presentation equipment. As schools work with limited budgets, digital projectors can be an extremely cost-effective way for teachers to integrate technology into a variety of lessons. Whether to show satellite photos of weather patterns or to conduct a class brainstorming exercise, this application of technology will reach and engage a variety of learners.

Many districts have also implemented a combination of computer labs, classroom computer pods (two to six computers), and mobile carts of wireless laptops as effective ways to access technology. It is clear that group work can be enhanced in powerful ways by providing a computer as one of the many tools for a group to use during investigations. Both wireless technologies and laptop computers have both become less expensive, making mobile carts of wireless laptops more affordable; these technologies have the potential to place technology wherever learning is taking place rather than having to bring the learning to the computer.

Personnel. A district's single most important resource is its personnel. Successful initiatives carefully plan how personnel will play a part in achieving goals. "The success or failure of technology is more dependent on human and contextual factors than on hardware or software" (Valdez et al., 2000, p. iv). Educational staff and technical support staff are required to help faculty achieve technology integration. Both roles are essential, and the absence of either can derail efforts. Many districts in recent years have recognized the need to separate these roles and assign different staff to each. This division of responsibility puts technicians in charge of setting up, maintaining, and fixing equipment, and puts education technology specialists in charge of working with teachers and leading professional development. In this model, the educational technology specialist often has classroom expertise and is able to work with the teachers within the context of their school day.

Balancing Resources: Timelines as Planning Tools

Some districts have spent their available funds on hardware and connectivity only to find that teachers don't know what to do with the technology now taking up valuable space in their classrooms. Some districts have spent their available funds on professional development only to find that teachers return to their classrooms unable to utilize their new skills because they have no access to technology. Good planning should balance the expenditure of resources for hardware/connectivity and for professional development.

A timeline is an example of a useful planning and communication tool. It can help a planning group sequence the interrelated aspects of district initiatives such as technology acquisition, professional development, and technical and curriculum support for teachers. Administrators can then use the timeline to communicate effectively with stakeholder groups and to build essential political support for the plan.

"As long as the computers are down the hall and up the stairs to the lab, they are irrelevant to education."
(Soloway as quoted in Batista, 2002)

© 2002 Education Development Center, Inc. All rights reserved.

Permission to copy is granted for educational use.
 
 

NEIRTEC Partners:

Extended Resources

Hanau Model Schools Partnership
http://modelschools.terc.edu/modelschools/HMSPHome.cfm
This Web site contains articles that recount in detail one district's experience in integrating technology with curricula and instruction.

LINC Boston: The Technology Plan for Boston Public Schools
http://boston.k12.ma.us/teach/tech.asp
Boston's five-year comprehensive plan for technology integration. A helpful model for all districts and particularly useful for large communities.

The Basics of Using Technology in the Classroom
http://lps.lexingtonma.org/Tech/Kansas/manual
This handbook provides a clear example of one district's plan to introduce all teachers to a limited set of technology skills. Though dated (written in 1997), this handbook is still useful.

References

Changing the conversation about teaching, learning and technology. A report on ten years of ACOT research (1995). Cupertino, CA: Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow.

Batista, E. (2001). Debating the merits of palms in class. Retrieved May 28, 2002. Available online at http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,45863,00.html.

McGillivray, K. (1999). The tool kit: An innovative approach to technology integration in networked schools. Learning & Leading with Technology 26 n.5: 18 - onwards.

Valdez, G., M. McNabb, et al. (2000). Computer-based technology and learning: Evolving uses and expectations. Retrieved May 28, 2002. Available online at http://www.ncrel.org/tplan/cbtl/toc.htm.