technology as a classroom staple

Technology is one of those things that you love to hate. While there is an endless amount of ways to enrich learning within the classroom when technology is involved, it doesn't always go as planned.

However, this is the direction in which our students are headed. We live in a day where toddlers can swipe an iPad screen, select an app and be entertained for hours.

I've certainly seen this engagement transfer into the classroom as my students are more "entertained" when the Smart Board or iPad is a central part of the lesson. In fact, I could write something on chart paper and lose them within minutes...put a piece of paper under the ELMO (projector) and show it on the Smart Board and they're locked in.

I've always been one to try and integrate technology into my lessons and, more recently through my master's program, have been more intentional about using it to enhance the learning and not simply act as a substitution for paper and pencil. While I've been trying many new apps and websites I've learned that what's best for my students and me is to find and implement one new idea and give it due diligence for a week or two. This allows for me to fully understand how to best use it in our classroom and gives my students the opportunity to become "fluent" and independent with it as well. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in all the possibilities that technology can bring us but, to better increase engagement and deepen understanding, it's worth it to me to "weed out" the substitutions and focus on finding things that truly enhance their learning.