5 Questions to Ask Before Implementing Technology in Your Classroom

Implementing changes, even on a small scale, can be overwhelming, especially when those changes have the potential to affect a group of impressionable young students. As with any major decision, it is important to consider how you will introduce the change, how it will affect the current situation, and what the potential benefits are. As an educator, keeping up with current technology trends can prove to be a challenge. It can be difficult to deicide how to best utilize different forms of technology that will not only hold the students’ interests, but also improve the learning process for them while not impeding the way you want to manage your classroom. The following 5 questions have been developed to assist you in deciding how to best incorporate technology into your classroom. Following each question are brief explanations of the strategies I used to enhance the students’ use of technology in my classroom.

1. Why do you want to implement technology in your classroom?

Early in my career I was guilty of just wanting to implement new technology because, well, I just wanted to play with the latest and greatest toys. However, I also had an action plan that supported my curiosity. I attribute my planning to my years spent in the film and TV industry. You would never show up for a production without an idea, script/storyboard, shot list, production schedule, etc. Understanding why you want to do something will provide you at least a concrete idea of what you would like to accomplish.

2. How will technology enhance your teaching skills?

Once you have formulated the idea (i.e., I want to use iPods so students can individually learn from Podcasts), you will have to understand how it will improve the classroom environment or assist in teaching your students. When I first purchased iPods for the use of implementing video Podcasts, I thought it was as simple as downloading the Podcasts from iTunes, syncing them, and providing the devices for the students. What I didn't realize was that it was extremely difficult to find Podcasts that were interesting for the students and effective for the lesson I was teaching. For that reason, I began producing my own Podcasts, which arguably made me a more effective teacher. The more Podcasts that I produced, the more effective I felt my lessons were getting. I became less concerned with an extended lecture and more interested in getting right to the point. If I wouldn't want my students to sit through a long, drawn out, boring lesson, then why would I have them watch a boring video?

3. How will technology engage your students in the learning process?

More important than becoming an effective teacher, is making sure your students are engaged in the learning process. As I continue to implement technology into the classroom, the more I believe my job is to assist the students in facilitating their own learning. I do this by allowing my students to curate their own knowledge and guide them by providing assistance when needed. I allow them the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills by completing hands-on assignments. I later provide them the necessary feedback to continue to master their skills. In regards to the implementation of the iPods, my students were provided teacher-directed learning guides that allowed the students to work independently and at their own pace. My job was to continue to produce the resources (lesson plans, Podcasts, etc.) and assess the students as needed.

4. In what ways will the use of technology encourage more student-centered learning?

Part of the appeal of using technology in the classroom is that it is engaging and can motivate students to want to learn. In addition, technology can also create a more personalized learning environment for the students. Technology can be leveraged in a variety of ways that can be customized to meet the individual learning needs of each student. For instance, visual learners can watch Podcasts, demonstrations, etc. on an iPad or other iOS device. Kinesthetic learners can research a topic on an iPad, then create a product or experiment with a technique based on the concept they learned about. Auditory learners can watch tutorials repeatedly or listen to auditory books in order to grasp a subject. The possibilities are endless. Now with the introduction of iBooks 2, learning will undoubtedly become synonymous with technology.

Students who use technology in the classroom become more independent learners, as they find the best ways for them to assimilate information. This translates into a student-centered environment, where the teacher is a facilitator of knowledge and the students become the primary instructors.

5. How will technology assist your students in achieving their learning goals?

As illustrated above, technology has transformed the ways in which I disseminate information in my classroom. By providing the students the independence to learn in a student-centered, personalized learning environment, they are well exceeding the expectations of the curricula.

When I developed my curriculum over 10 years ago, students were expected to learn graphic design, photography and web design within the first year of the program. In the following years, students would learn video, audio and television production, DVD authoring and motion graphics. In this teacher-centered environment (a 2 hour and 45-minute class), I would often provide the students 45-minutes of information-based lectures at the beginning of each class, and a 45-minute review at the conclusion of each class. Assignments were often distributed to the entire class and my role was to provide the students with as much instruction as possible. However, I now review the students’ goals within the first 10-minutes of each class, and at times engage the students in discussions about related topics. The students spend the remainder of the day working on their projects. At the conclusion of the period, they are asked to reflect by writing personalized journal entries that are submitted weekly. In the last 10-minutes of class, the students and I reflect on their accomplishments and preview the assignments for the following day.

My role in this engaged and motivated classroom is to assist students in mastering the skills required to complete their projects by providing them personalized feedback and instruction on their assignments. As a result, each of my current classes (2011-2012 school year) are well beyond the benchmarks set by previous classes.