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According to the selected readings this week, it seems that teachers are gradually coming to realize that technology integration creates enthusiasm among students; however, many educators are unsure how to incorporate technology in such a way that it is effectively challenging students while at the same time, assisting in the mastery of important concepts and skills. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, research indicates that the incorporation of technology increases learning, understanding, achievement, motivation, collaboration, and helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These same authors assert that technology gives students independence and more control over their own learning. Due to this fact, classrooms are becoming more student-centered, rather than “teacher dominated.” These student-centered practices and classrooms are aligned with the constructivist theory of learning. According to this theory, learning is a personal experience and it is more effective when the learning is student-centered. In order for this to occur, students must bring their prior knowledge to the learning experience and use technology tools to approach, discuss, reflect, and eventually, solve their problems collaboratively. In this situation, the role of the teacher should be monitoring and facilitating group discussions, as well as modeling reasoning and thinking strategies, encouraging dialogue on all levels, and providing constructive feedback. The teachers' challenge is to create lessons that require students to implement higher order thinking skills while making sure the students are connecting their own personal experiences and meanings to the content being taught. Therefore, it is key to build lessons around students' interests and present them with a problem that must be solved collaboratively with social interaction though conversations, explanations, and listening opportunities. Every detail, such as the arrangement of furniture, time allotment for discussion and reflection, the creation of assignments containing various roles for students to assume in the collaborative process, and skillful questioning techniques are important practices in the constructivist classroom.

There are many benefits of technology integration in the classroom. For example, students are more self-directed and independent through the use of the Internet and scaffolding technologies. Additionally, lessons and information can be presented in varying formats, such as text, pictures, sound, and motion. Technology also has the ability to provide students with resources and communication channels to share ideas and use for collaborative purposes. Furthermore, computer usage and technology implementation is very conducive to reflection and cooperative learning, which are important elements in the growth and development stages that characterize learning. Not only does technology allow students to collaborate with peers and experts in academic fields, but it also allows teachers the ability to collaborate and share effective teaching practices among their professional community. Technology can also provide alternative forms of communication for at-risk students and individuals with learning disabilities. Factors such as immediate feedback, teachers’ ability to more easily differentiate and personalize lessons to meet specific students’ needs, and multi-sensory learning environments created through the use of technology have all contributed to the effectiveness of technology integration with at risk students, as well as regular students.

According to McREL, there are 9 specific instructional strategies that have a significant impact on student achievement: identifying similarities and differences; summarizing and note taking; reinforcing effort and providing recognition; homework and practice; nonlinguistic representation; cooperative learning; setting objectives and providing feedback; generating and testing hypotheses; cues, questions, and advance organizers. Technology tools can be divided into five basic groups: word processing applications, organizing and brainstorming software, multimedia, data collection tools, and Web resources. Each one of these particular groups of technology is most effective for teaching a different set of skills. For example, word processing is best for providing students with opportunities for peer review and group editing, while multimedia tools allow students to practice organizational skills, drawing conclusions, and other critical thinking skills. Lessons incorporating the use of the Internet require students to make important decisions about large amounts of data, as well as how to process and display this data. Therefore, if teachers are going to effectively incorporate technology as part of their instructional processes, they should be aware of what types of technology are most appropriate for their instructional goals.