Integration of Technology
in Instruction
- Explore, evaluate, and
use computer/technology resources including applications, tools, educational
software, and associated documentation (ISTE, 1994).
Exploration, evaluation, and usage of computer/technology resources
for middle school social studies teachers continue to be explored.
In this study, the majority of the computers in the middle schools
were in computer labs, which limited the availability of technology
resources to the classroom teacher. The comments on the interviews
indicate that it is important for middle school teachers to have computer/technology
resources in their classrooms. Classroom teachers must have access
to computer/technology resources in order to integrate technology.
Yet, a plethora of computer/technology resources in the classroom
does not necessarily mean acceptable use of technology. In some cases,
we wonder if the lack of computer/technology resources is a reason
for not using technology or an excuse for not learning technology.
Middle school social
studies teachers are learning about computer/technology resources
for the classroom. The computer/technology resource used by most
of the teachers in the study was the Internet. The Internet is a
resource readily available to teachers in their schools or homes
and many are beginning to explore the wide range of diverse resources
the Internet has to offer to social studies education. Teachers
also need access to other computer/technology resources, such as
simulation software or spreadsheet applications for social studies.
However, even if teachers have access to the computer/technology
resources, do they know how to evaluate them?
-
Describe current instructional
principles, research, and appropriate assessment practices as related
to the use of computers and technology resources in the curriculum
(ISTE, 1994).
Teachers continue to learn
the methodologies, instructional principles, and learning processes
of the classroom that connect technology and the social studies curriculum.
Research continues to look at the pedagogical shifts for teachers
when technology resources are used in the curriculum.
Research should be
an integral component in discovering what technology to use in the
curriculum. As time passes and more teachers use technology in the
curriculum, there will be more research published upon which instructional
models are best suited for the integrating of computer-based instructional
use in the middle school social studies classroom. Classroom teachers
can conduct action research on the use of technology in middle school
social studies classroom and disseminate it to teaching colleagues.
- Design, deliver, and assess
student-learning activities that integrate computers/technology for
a variety of student group strategies and for diverse student populations
(ISTE, 1994).
According to the middle
school social studies teachers in this study, technology is not a
factor in planning the social studies curriculum and may even be a
hindrance. Several steps can be taken that support the use of technology
in planning and delivering middle school social studies. First, the
teaching and learning models can be modified or changed to integrate
technology. Secondly, the technological instructional strategies that
are appropriate for the students and have a positive effect on the
overall learning process can be implemented. Third, the availability
of hardware and software in the learning environment can change the
learning activities. To implement these steps, the planning and delivery
of the learning activities should balance the use of technology with
appropriate teaching and learning strategies.
The middle school social
studies teachers felt that the learning environment was positively affected
by the use of computer-based instructional strategies and student enthusiasm
increased when computer-based instructional strategies were deployed
in the curriculum. Teachers are beginning to develop ways to use technology
that will benefit students in middle school social studies classrooms.
Teachers are experimenting with diverse models for grouping students
that work when instructional technology is infused into the learning
process. The unique technological needs possessed by individuals or
groups of students, in the social studies classroom, will affect the
dynamics of the learning environment.
When technology is used in
the curriculum, the types of assessment of students' work will need
to be reviewed. Teachers need to balance the assessment of the students'
learning of the social studies content and skills, with assessment on
the use of technology. When technology is used, the instructional practice
should directly link to assessment practice.
This study addresses the
first three of the five ISTE guidelines for the use of technology in
instruction. The researchers did not discover during the data collection
for this study or the review of literature, documentation of how teachers
address statements four and five regarding the equitable, ethical, and
legal use of technology.
The ISTE Standards for the
use of technology in middle school social studies has been addressed.
The data from this study provide a glimpse into the current state of
technology in instruction for middle social studies teachers. The technology
profile of the teachers in the study is in the infancy stage because
teachers are learning how to use the technology and what instructional
strategies can be used when technology is infused into the curriculum.
This study only represents the use of instructional technology in teaching
middle school studies in the state of Missouri so other states need
to be presented in the research and discussion of technology in middle
school social studies. Individually and collectively, middle social
studies teachers have a daunting task to actively address the five statements
about the integration of technology in instruction.
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