Team+9+-+Why+Integrate+Technology+into+the+Classroom

= =

= = //** Why Integrate Technology Into The Classroom? - 21st Century Learners are unique and need technological support for higher learning. **// = = = = = =

Today, globalization drives the economy and what one knows about the world we live is now as important as what one can create or produce. We must help children realize their full potential-beyond being an industrial worker to be productive citizens in their world. Teachers must provide a wider range of learning options for their students. This would include the following thoughts: The 21st Century classroom is best described in a blog by [|Anthony Chivetta]. // Rather than have 6 classes per day, rather than divide learning into 45 minute blocks, we opened the schedule and challenged teachers to engage students in their passion. // // Mini-terms were taught by teams of two or three teachers. These teachers were encouraged to teach their passion and were free to design their courses around topics of their choosing, with an emphasis on cross-departmental work. The only guidelines for teachers were broad such as a required reading and writing component. The classes ranged from 18 to 25 students each from all four grade levels and met all day, every day for a four-day week. Students selected their top 6 choices, and were sorted into classes accordingly. Teachers were encouraged to take field trips, and engage in hands on projects. // We have our own ideas and “strong” beliefs on this subject for reaching today’s learner. However, all of you have additional ideas and thoughts that would only persuade our readers more to the belief that students and educators deserve to know the importance for integrating technology into our schools.
 * move from compartmentalizing courses or disciplines to integrated units of study that have more meaning and purpose in terms of educating the whole child.
 * value the experiential base teachers bring with them to the classroom.
 * provide professional development for teachers and staff that is proactive and positive.
 * build classrooms that support students being self-directed learners reinforcing their aspirations and that recognizes all learner expertise in the classroom and school as being of value and a legitimate part of the core curriculum.
 * recognizing and celebrating all learner expertise in the classroom and school as being of value and a legitimate part of the core curriculum.
 * commitment to the idea of self-directed, organic learning by both the learner and those creating the environments that support the learning.
 * establish passion in the learning environment that seamlessly integrates technology so that students are confident, connected, learners whose sense of wonderment serves as the catalyst to mastery of wisdom and success in both work and home.

When the World Wide Web first emerged it was a phenomenon that revolutionized our society, which included our educational institutions. Many users, including educators, sometimes view the internet primarily as a general and sometimes irrelevant source of information, even though there is ample evidence that it has evolved into something more. Today, as we surf the Internet, we see endless examples of the Web’s ability not just to serve up content, but to empower us to share our imaginations, insights and opinions. If we're to remain consistent with our changing student population we can add to the world's understanding and advocate for positive change.

In preparing teacher candidates to effectively integrate technology into their future classrooms they need to work in classroom environments that support a variety of technologies, and include best practice lesson planning and classroom experiences. Research explains that teacher education programs provide students with the technological skills and instructional modeling appropriate for student comprehension. Many educators, less familiar and less comfortable with technology than their students, struggle to seamlessly integrate a growing list of technology tools into their regular curriculum. However, using technology in the classroom is becoming easier for teachers use. The Internet has many sites that easily lend themselves to classroom integration. These websites contain valuable information supported by professional resources. It improves students' research and typing skills, and provides many teachers with extra activities for their students

Teacher Ideas and Resources: [|Changing The Way We Teach: You Can't Stop Learning!] By Robert Kennedy Successfully implementing educational technology into your teaching requires you to learn many new skills! It's an exciting and never-ending process! [|Integrating Technology In The Classroom] by Wesley A. Fryer This website is maintained for K-16 educators interested in the effective use of technology in the classroom. [|Mini-Term: Dropping The Schedule by Anthony Chivetta] This is a blog of where one school experimented with schedule changes to implement a 21st Century learning environment.

==