Keeping Traditions While Integrating Emerging Technologies

Has anyone ever felt like this when they were in school?

No worries, we are gradually pulling away from this terrible "drill and kill" method, and incorporating new and invigorating technologies to engage even the most unmotivated student. We've incorporated these emerging technologies while still using some of the traditional and reliable ones. 

Before we can even begin to pick and choose the technologies we would want to use in our classroom, let's think for a moment. What is the difference between traditional and emerging technologies? Traditional technologies are our reliable, everyday technologies we've used for the past decade. Some examples are:

• Overhead projector
• VCR (videocassette recorder)
• Desktop computer and/or laptop with Internet access
• Multimedia cart with projector
• Scanner
• CD-ROM/DVD-ROM player
• PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants)
• MP3 players
• Smartboard and/or Interactive Whiteboard Technology

Emerging technologies, on the other hand, are latest technologies that are continuously upgrading and being integrated gradually in the school systems, such as Web 2.0, iPads, etc.

A few ways we can use both types in the classroom are, for example, computer-based technologies with some of the emerging tools. In my classroom, we are a huge fan of the Promethean board (aka Interactive Whiteboard). Whenever we read a passage on the board, I let my students come up to the board and underline key words, phrases, or sentences related to the questions I ask. Also, an emerging technology, such as the ActivEngage, will link with the Promethean board to let students answer questions in a poll. This facilitates understanding where the majority of the students' comprehension are during discussions. To learn more about these technologies, go to Promethean World and get all the information needed to use these cool gadgets in your classroom!

Here is an example of a school that has taken all this to a whole new level of awesome!

So now you're thinking "okay, this all super awesome, but how do I evaluate these technologies to see if they are reliable and actually make an improvement in student progress?" There are two types of evaluations. Formative evaluations are done before and during the use of your technologies. Summative technologies are done to evaluate the outcome. Whether you use one or the other, it's imperative to know what it is that you are looking for in these technologies to ask your questions. For instance, things to think about are do you wish to asses the:

• Need for training and/or technical assistance
• Effectiveness of training programs
• Impact of training on how teachers are using technology
• Frequency of technology usage by teachers and students
• Technology skills of teachers and students
• Impact of technology on instructional delivery
• Impact of technology on academic performance and/or standardized test scores
• Impact of technology on students' computer literacy

 To learn more about technology evaluations, check out this EduTech Blog on two new rigorous evaluations that can be made for your technologies.