An Integrated Approach to Technology in K-12 Classrooms

Amina Charania (Ph D)Sir Dorabji Tata Trust

Presented at NEHU conference September 2011

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Two approaches to student use of technology in classroom

• Integrated approach to technology in classroom

• Computer based or computer assisted approach of using technology in classroom

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Suman is taking pictures of different plants and flowers in the school garden. She then returns to the classroom, downloads the pictures on the computer in a folder. Opens her notes on plants and creates a power point presentation where she adds the pictures and her notes in the ppt. Her other colleagues join her in compiling the project on “plants in my school backyard”.

Lalit is learning 4 digit division on the computer that walks him to a step by step exercise on basic concepts and practice in division. Towards the end, he takes a small test on the computer and is very excited about his scores. The teacher walks by and pats him.

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What is Integrated technology in K-12 context?

Technology when fits comfortably with the curriculum or instructional plans of teaching is an indicative of integrated technology. Thus, technology rather than an addition layer in the classroom is embedded within the design of the teacher’s lesson plan and the pedagogy.

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Themes of Integrated Approach to Technology

– A tools approach: In the tools approach, the students apply technology to a task rather than being directly instructed by technology.

– Student centred-active role of students: Here students use technology to process information, in terms of searching-digging from several sources, gather data, analyze and interprets data, compile and represent it.

– Teachers’ facilitative role: Teachers shift their role from one of a dispenser of knowledge to that of a facilitator of learning.

– Authentic activities and assessments: Real life application. For example, students recording their height and weight in an excel sheet and charting their own growth

– Source: Grabe and Grabe, 2005

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Computer based instruction approach

– The computer plays the tutor role and exerts high degree of control over the information displayed and how students will interact with the material.

– The students while interacting to such applications acquire direct skills. – This is very popular approach, millions of software is in the market and

many sponsored by non government organizations and corporate CSR are filling up even the poor and rural schools.

– There is a range of software in the education sector:• tutorials• drill and practice• problem based learning• simulation

– The ones based on problem solving and simulation tap higher order thinking. Students while interacting with this type of software can acquire higher order thinking skills.

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– Drill and Practice and Tutorials• The non-technology parallel of the tutorials and drill and

practice software in the traditional teaching environment are the role of textbook, workbook and teacher’s presentations in the traditional pedagogy.

• best suited to help the students catch up with the others in the class, or practice their newly acquired concepts.

• good use in the classroom where the students have been mainstreamed in formal schools and are catching up with the age appropriate learning.

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– Problem based and simulation• The simulation and problem based learning kind of

software are best suited to challenge students’ higher order thinking skills and advanced implications of learned concepts.

Common in both these types of software is that the computer constructs and controls the learning process.

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Major differences between the computer based and technology integrated approaches:

• Rigid v/s customized design: – The computer based approach has the content and design

prepared for the masses and therefore adaptation in specific settings is not possible.

– In the integrated technology approach, the teacher designs the use of technology based on the needs of the students in the classroom.

• Instructive v/s constructive role of technology: Computer assisted– Student either responds or interacts with the applications. – Student a recipient and the teacher an administrator.

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Integrated technology approach– the technology not necessarily computer, is integrated by

design in the curriculum and pedagogy. – student selects and applies a variety of technology that best

suits the task and the learning process. – technology is more at a service to the learning process and

students facilitated by the teacher plays an active role.

• Additive v/s collaborativeThe computer based approach:– is an additive approach-different kinds of software can be

conducted in the computer labs or the students can use it at home.

The integrated technology approach:– requires a collaborative learning environment, carefully

designed and facilitated by the teacher. – It is best implemented within the classroom than in the

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Jan 2011

• Role of the teacher: In the computer based learning approach – the teacher plays a minimum role-selects the software and

administers In the integrated technology approach,– the teacher plays and active and facilitative role- – the teachers design the lesson, integrate technology tools

in it, and sometimes even create an application, and implement the lesson.

Assessment: – The computer software has an inbuilt assessment for each

task and competence.– In the integrated approach, the teacher designs the

assessment that may or may not include technology tools.– Authentic assessments possible

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Combination of the two approaches• Given that the issues of access and teacher attitude and skills are abated,

an ideal class would be one that combines both the approaches. • Higher grades that require complex understanding of science and

mathematics concept needs a well trained teacher who combines both the approaches to use of technology in the classroom.

• For example, a lesson on Newton’s law of motion. – combine CD based tools that presents information on the law,– facilitates hands on experiments in physics with real objects,– and facilitate project based group activities where students

create excel sheets to record their experiments and then create web site or PowerPoint presentation compiling their two weeks learning.

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Which approach is better in settings that work with underprivileged children?

• Fixing up-Computer assisted– catch up with constant mainstreaming– student teacher ratio

• Optimizing learning in a constructivist pedagogy-integrated approach– Hegemony-oppression-chance of making a choice-decision making– A boost to constructivist pedagogy-social constructionist in play– Underprivileged spectrum very wide-integrated makes customization

possible– Community teacher from the context and best suited to customize

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Integrated technology approach, a Dream or Reality?

The National Policy on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) In School Education (2011-draft) is a comprehensive document that envisages such approaches discussed in this paper. But its implementation is more than challenging.– Access: As per NUEPA 2007 study report, 87% of the schools in India do not have a single

computer.– Other serious factors

• failure of understanding and implementing constructivist pedagogy in the education system

• the overpowering attention on economic value of learning technology for these students

• the lack of capacity building of teachers and school administrators in this area.

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References

• Grabe, M. & Grabe, C. (2005). Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning (4th Edition). Hougton Mifflin Company, NY.

• Koehler, M. & Mishra, N. (2009). What Is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education. Vol. 9 (1).

• National Policy on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) In• School Education (Revised Draft February 2011). Department of School

Education and Literacy Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India

• NUEPA Report: India’s 87% Schools Without Computer. Retrieved September 2011 from http://www.digitallearning.in/articles/article-details.asp?articleid=2219&typ=SCHOOL%20TRACK

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