True Technology Integration: A Clear Description

Most of us (even though we are digital novices in many respects) spend our lives completely immersed in technology and would not know what to do if we didn't have our "tools".  We check email multiple times per day, we send text messages, make phone calls via wireless technology, surf the web, conduct research, look up phone numbers, get directions, communicate and stay connected, make presentations, compose letters, keep lists, create memories through digital photos, read newspapers, and the list goes on... No one has to remind us to integrate technology into our lives.  We just do it...we have to.  We don't do all of the things from this list as a way of "looking" like we are members of this century.  The irony is that so many teachers have to be prodded and urged to ensure that their students are required and have the access to the very same "life tools" that we use without thinking.  Suddenly, when it comes to using technology in the classroom, the tools are reduced to slightly more than gimmicks or attention grabbers in order to appeal to the optics of technology integration.  It's funny, really. 

So, what does real technology integration in the classroom look like?  I recently read this description in a blog post and, to me, it's the ideal.  Teacher, Andrew Marcinek, writes, "At the beginning of most units, I present a concept or idea through a video, image or article that leads to a discussion, provokes their thinking and drives further inquiry into the subject at hand. They present understanding through a video, a presentation, and by creating a website or posting to their blog. They're employing critical analysis and critical thinking by seeking out the answers to the questions they generate. They are discerning between credible and bogus information and understanding how to properly cite, organize and share their findings. They are creating surveys to elicit quantitative data and creating support for their assertions. They are building relationships and making connections. In every scenario, their questions and curiosity motivate their learning, while the technology tools available give them the opportunity to connect, share and promote their work a wider audience."  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/PBL-digital-citizens-andrew-marcinek

What Mr. Marcinek has figured out is that he starts with the end in mind.  What does he want his students to learn, create, understand, etc?  Then he allows them the access to the tools that they would need in order to meet those goals.  They just happen to be technological in nature.  However, the technology does not drive the curriculum, the curriculum drives (and is dependent upon) the technology.