Technology Integration into Classroom Instruction

 

 

The integration of modern technology into multimodal lesson planning is something that we as educators strive to do in order to make lessons more engaging and relevant to our students. Though it is challenging, between funding issues, general troubleshooting when things don’t go as planned, and adhering to curriculum, there are many options and ideas that we can use to creatively engage students in material. I will describe three studies that incorporate technology into lesson plans and the positive effects that were noted.

In one study (Doyle-Jones, 2019), ten participating teachers were interviewed about how they plan writing curriculum through the new literacies theory, and how they integrated technology into their lessons. One teacher used Moodle in literacy and math programs, and found that it “encouraged his students to write more, both collaboratively and individually, as the students saw their work as authentic and purposeful” (p 55). The teachers were asked to describe how they used technology in a successful lesson or activity. One teacher used Bitstrips, a digital comic-creator tool where students created their own comic strips after reading Mo Willems books and discussing how to incorporate humorous dialogue into a text (p 61). Students can use digital technology not only for research purposes, but to create their own content to take learning a step further.

The benefits of using modern technology to foster creative agency can also be illustrated in Hagge’s (2017) study of the use of Scratch, an online programming community used by a group of gifted and talented students. Scratch “provides an easy-to-use programming language to create unlimited digital products within an online community of programmers” (p 155). A group of sixth-grade gifted and talented students created a digital story on Scratch, and learned basics of programming and coding. The study found that “providing students with experiences to cultivate interpersonal and technical communication skills will help to develop fluency with technologies that support effective communication” (p157). Students could work both individually and collaboratively, which made them more engaged in the process of creating. Another aspect of Scratch that the authors noted was helpful to student participation was the “low floor” and “high ceiling” of the program that allowed students to use the coding functions at an entry level, but also provide an opportunity to create more sophisticated products (p 157). In essence, the researchers found that “Scratch is an ideal tool for creating situated digital literacy experiences in addition to providing a space with unlimited potential for creativity and talent to emerge” (p 160). This aspect of technology allows students to use the program without it being too complex, which may result in frustration and giving up, but also to not be constrained by what the program allows them to do. Thus, the study came to the conclusion that “the ability of students to engage in self-directed learning experiences helps to develop a sense of agency and increases motivation to learn” (p 160).

Of course, one significant issue in planning multimodal and technology-supported lessons is the availability of computers and other tools, both in class and for students at home. As one teacher interviewed in the Doyle-Jones study, “technology is an equity issue. Some kids can go home and bring back pages of research, while some kids have to use the school or local library, or limited classroom computers” (p 66). Though it is often difficult to search for resources that offer the happy medium between accessibility and academic challenge, we as educators can still scaffold myriad digital tools for flexibility in lesson planning. The graphic below offers seven steps to integrate technology into classroom instruction:

In the third study (Harvey, 2019), middle school students used virtual reality headsets, QR codes that led to informational websites, and the text of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to learn about Shakespeare. They were situated at rotating stations and worked collaboratively in groups. The use of VR headsets to explore the Globe Theater, where Shakespeare plays were often performed, fostered “engagement that was immersive, collaborative, and modernized” (p 563). The students “responded to the multimodal operations with lively movements and eager gestures that suggested they were engaged at a high level” (p 563). Students are generally excited to participate in technology that they usually do not have much access to, and the study found that these particular students were much more interested in the classical, often difficult to decode text of Shakespeare. The researchers noted that, “Although students were engaged in all stations, they favored activities using VR, QR codes, and video” (p 564). They also noted that when the students wrote about their experiences of the different stations, “Written reflections were more detailed and rich when students returned to pencil and paper following the use of digital devices” (p 566).

Students of all ages benefit from the integration of technology that they do not typically get to use in school. They can be engaged by the novelty of applications, but also by the things they are able to explore independently and collaboratively.

 

 

References

Doyle-Jones, C. (2019). “Technology brings learning to life”: Planning writing opportunities through multimodal and digital resources. Language and Literacy, 21(2), 52-68. https://doi.org/10.20360/langandlit29468              

Hagge, J. (2017). Scratching Beyond the Surface of Literacy: Programming for Early Adolescent Gifted Students. Gifted Child Today, 40(3), 154-162.

Harvey, M., Deuel, A., & Marlatt, R. (2019). “To be, or not to be”: Modernizing Shakespeare with multimodal learning stations. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 63(5), 559-568. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1023