Technology and Early Childhood Education: A Technology

Integration Professional Development Model for Practicing

Teachers
Jared Keengwe Grace Onchwari
Published online: 3 September 2009
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
Abstract Despite the promise of technology in educa-
tion, many practicing teachers are faced with multiple
challenges of effectively integrating technology into their
classroom instruction. Additionally, teachers who are suc-
cessful incorporating educational technology into their
instruction recognize that although technology tools have
the potential to help children, they are not ends in them-
selves. This article describes a Summer Institute project
that the authors facilitated in a medium sized midwest
public university. The summer workshop afforded partici-
pating early childhood education teachers exciting oppor-
tunities to interact with various instructional tools and
technology applications. Further, the practicing teachers
explored various strategies to integrate specic technology
tools into their lessons in a manner consistent with con-
structivist pedagogy. This article is intended to stimulate
reections on the need to adopt a suitable technology
integration professional development model in early
childhood education classrooms to support young learners.
Keywords Early childhood education Teachers
Technology integration Professional development
Introduction
The integration of educational technology into classroom
instruction to enhance student learning is of increasing
interest to stakeholders such as policymakers, administra-
tors, educators, students, and parents (Keengwe 2007).
Over the past decade, educators have been under pressure
to reform school through technology. Public and political
support for technology use has generated billions of dollars
toward increasing its availability to schools and colleges
(Cuban 2001; Oppenheimer 2003). About 90% of all
children today have used a computer (Debell and Chapman
2003). However, the National Center for Education Sta-
tistics (NCES) reported that only half of the public school
teachers who had computers or the Internet available in the
schools used them for classroom instruction (Judson 2006).
Many parents recognize that technology is important
and its use can improve the quality of work children
complete in and outside school (Kook 1997). Even so,
there are concerns about technologys potential benets or
harm to young children. By creating appropriate technol-
ogy-based learning environments and developmentally
appropriate activities for children, teachers can provide a
variety of positive learning experiences for young learners.
However, as Wang and Hoot (2006) note:
Early childhood educators are now moving away
from asking the simple question of whether technol-
ogy is developmentally appropriate for young chil-
dren. Rather, they are more concerned with how
[information and communication technology] can be
effectively used to facilitate childrens learning and
development (p. 317).
There is evidence that technology is changing the
business of teaching. For instance, in a study about the
effectiveness of technology in schools, Sivin-Kachala and
Bialo (2000) reported positive and consistent patterns when
students were engaged in technology-rich environments.
Sivin-Kachala and Bialo concluded that technology can
J. Keengwe (&) G. Onchwari
Department of Teaching and Learning, University of North
Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
e-mail: jared.keengwe@und.edu
G. Onchwari
e-mail: grace.onchwari@und.edu
1 3
Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218
DOI 10.1007/s10643-009-0341-0
improve teaching and learning, but just having technology
in the classroom does not necessarily result to positive
educational experiences that can enhance student learning.
In a previous study, Sivin-Kachala and Bialo (1994)
reported that computers can enhance childrens self-con-
cept and improve their attitudes about learning.
Technology is benecial to children learning if used
appropriately. In two different studies, children demon-
strated increased levels of spoken communication and
cooperation during computer use (Clements 1994; Hau-
gland and Wright 1997). Further, children shared leader-
ship roles on the computer, and initiated interactions more
frequently. Even so, the question remains how best to tap
these tools to help children learn effectively (Kleiman
2000). Many teachers are aware that technology is an
effective means for widening educational opportunities yet
most teachers neither use technology as instructional
delivery system nor integrate technology into their curric-
ulum (Bauer and Kenton 2005). Regrettably, technology
integration is lacking throughout the curriculum (Interna-
tional Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2000).
There is research to suggest positive effects of tech-
nology use on cognitive and social learning and develop-
ment of children (Clements 1994). In a research study
comparing children in a similar classroom without com-
puter experience, 3- and 4-year-olds who used computers
with supporting activities had signicantly greater gains in
verbal and nonverbal skills, problem solving, abstraction,
and conceptual skills (Haugland 1992). Technology tools
such computers also provide children especially in lower
grades with opportunities for practice; while learning to
acquire an acceptable level of mastery of mathematical
content and literacy, the computer can serve as a supportive
tool for those children who have more than average dif-
culty succeeding (Bredekamp and Rosegrant 1994, p. 59).
Constructivist Pedagogy
Constructivism is founded on the creation of knowledge in
environments; it is supported by active learning, reective
learning, creation of authentic tasks, contextual learning,
and collaborative learning (Novak 1998). Constructivist
learning environments are intended to provide multiple
paths for students to explore with teachers performing the
role of a guide, mentor or facilitator. Effective construc-
tivist pedagogies incorporate various technology tools with
active learning while allowing for teachers to act as guiding
partners (Gallant 2000).
Constructivist teachers facilitate learning through
activities and exercises which challenge learners previous
thoughts and feelings about a particular subject or event.
Additionally, their pedagogical practices focus on the
learners as opposed to teacher-centered lecture approaches
to learning (Jonassen 2000). As guides, teachers incorpo-
rate mediation, modeling, and coaching while providing
rich environments and experiences for collaborative
learning (Sharp 2006). Additionally, as guides and medi-
ators of classroom discussions, constructivist teachers use
scaffolding which involves asking questions and providing
clues linking previous knowledge to the new experience
(Sadker et al. 2008).
Integrating technology tools into instruction refers to the
process in which technology is used as a tool to actively
support the tasks of teaching and learning. Further, it refers
to the different ways that technology tools can be used to
support learners as they construct their own knowledge
through completion of creative activities that enhance
meaningful learning (Novak 1998). Technology integration
centers on best practices to incorporate technology into the
curriculum as teaching tools (Keengwe and Onchwari
2008). The most effective way to benet from technology
is to integrate it into the curriculum as opposed to inte-
grating curriculum into the technology (Gooden 1996).
A critical issue related to technology use is that tech-
nology should not drive instruction (Jonassen 2000; Becker
2000). Technologies are just tools that support learning.
Tools are extensions of our human capability (Forcier and
Descy 2002). A tool alone does not function until it is used
properly. Therefore, although technologies allow students
to work more productively than in the past, the teachers
role in modern technology-rich classrooms is more
demanding than ever. According to the International
Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) (2000):
Todays classroom teachers must be prepared to
provide technology-supported learning opportunities
for their studentsbeing prepared to use technology
and knowing how that technology can support student
learning must be integral skills in every teachers
professional repertoire. (p. 2)
In actual classrooms, teachers must strive to identify
appropriate ways to use technology tools without under-
mining sound pedagogical practices (Anderson and Becker
2001). Further, teachers should strive to engage learners in
activities that enhance their learninglearning should be
the most important outcome. Used appropriately, computers
can be a positive element of childrens play and learning as
they explore and experiment. Zisow (2000) states:
I am convinced that the greatest factor affecting
whether a teacher does or does not use technology in
the classroom, is teaching style. Technology is
merely a tool. Whether it is used or not depends on a
teachers motivation and desire to use new tools.
(p. 36)
210 Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218
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Smeets (2005) reported that there is a call for technol-
ogy-supported learning environments in early childhood
and primary education that align with the tenets of National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAE-
YC). For technology to be best used to support student
learning, the environments must: (1) embed authenticity,
(2) emphasize knowledge construction, (3) use open-ended
learning, (4) include student cooperation and collaboration,
and (5) integrate mixed ability levels and differentiated
instruction where appropriate and possible (Smeets 2005).
Additionally, ODwyer et al. (2004) reported that the more
constructivist the teachers beliefs, the more technology
use was reported. ODwyer et al. (2004) report concluded
that, the strongest positive predictor of whether a teacher
will use technology to deliver instruction, have their stu-
dents use technology during class and have their students
create products is a teachers belief about the positive
impacts of technology integration (p. 15).
The Summer Institute
Driven by the critical need to help area teachers use and
integrate technology into their classroom instruction, a
medium sized midwest public university offered an 8-week
Summer Institute to help participants develop a thinking-
with-technology perspective. The primary goals of the
Summer Institute were: To integrate technology into the
teacher education curriculum; to create opportunities for
faculty and student professional development, and to create
classrooms where practicing teachers could integrate
technology in their teaching. A total of 12 early childhood
education teachers participated in this workshop.
The Summer Institute was a hands-on workshop that
provided the teachers with unique opportunities to learn
various ways to integrate technology tools into their les-
sons. Specically, the focus was on technology integration
projects directly tied to the content covered in early
childhood education. To increase interest and participation
in the workshop for area teachers, the facilitators univer-
sity offered an opportunity for the teachers who success-
fully completed the workshops to earn 3 credits toward
their graduate education.
In the following section, the authors briey examine
some of the main activities completed during the Summer
Institute.
Technology Standards
The teachers were provided with examples of performance
indicators for various technology standards to help them
understand what young learners need to know and be able
to do as new technology is incorporated into classroom
instruction. At the beginning of this module, the teachers
were provided with sample lessons and activities to help
them create their own lessons and activities grounded on
the National Educational Technology Standards. Effective
teachers are expected to model and apply the National
Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS.S)
as they design, implement, and assess learning experiences
to engage students and improve learning and provide
positive models for their learners. Hence the International
Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) National
Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS.T)
requires teachers to:
1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
2. Design and develop digital-age learning experiences
and assessments
3. Model digital-age work and learning
4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsi-
bility, and
5. Engage in professional growth and leadership (Inter-
national Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
2008).
Online Technology Resources
The teachers were introduced to online technology
resources such as free rubric makers, free online sample
lesson plans, and graphic organizers. Additionally, they
were provided with easy to modify templates that they
could use with the online resources to complete technol-
ogy-based projects relevant to their teaching. They were
provided with techniques on downloading online resources
as well as sharing their projects and instructional ideas with
their colleagues, how to nd web-based activities, how to
create web-based projects and use digital publishing tools
to get their projects online. They were also introduced to
netiquettethe sets of practices to make the Internet
experiences safe and pleasant for both teachers and young
learners.
Instructional Tools and Productivity Applications
The teachers were introduced to various instructional tools
and productivity applications that could be incorporated
into their teaching. The digital photo imaging session, for
instance, was more than just helping teachers to learn how
to take photos and downloading the photos on the computer
but examined effective ways to integrate the digital cam-
eras into the classroom using Microsoft Photo Story. The
Microsoft Photo Story enables users to create slideshows
using their digital photos. Further, the users can touch-up,
crop, or rotate pictures as well as add special effects,
soundtracks, and their own voice narration to the photo
Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218 211
1 3
stories. The teachers also learned how to use digital photos
within other software applications such as Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint, and web pages.
The teachers were introduced to productivity applica-
tions such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint,
Microsoft Excel and Google Applications for Education.
Introduction to PowerPoint session, for example, went
beyond demonstrating how to create slides presentations or
just becoming familiar with the slide layout or applying
transitions and animations to include the process of inte-
grating PowerPoint into the content areas. The teachers
signed up for new email accounts that enabled them to
experiment attaching les to their emails, maintaining
email address book, downloading electronic les and using
Google document applicationsa free web-based word
processor and spreadsheet which allowed them to share
electronic documents and collaborate online.
The workshop also explored multimedia tools that
included digital storytelling and podcasting. The teachers
were introduced to elements of effective and content-rich
digital storytelling such as recording, editing, and mixing
audio; working with photos, images, and videos to create a
multimedia narrative, learning how to publish digital pro-
jects using the web or DVD format, and collaborating and
sharing content-rich multimedia projects for young learn-
ers. The podcasting session provided hands on instruction
on how to download, listen, and create podcasts using both
GarageBand and iMovie software and how to publish the
podcasts on the Internet. The focus was on incorporating
podcasting into instruction to benet teaching and learning.
Copyright issues were also discussed as needed throughout
the sessions.
Technology-Based Projects
Specic educational software and technology learning
resources were provided to the teachers to enhance their
knowledge, skills, and understanding of effective technol-
ogy integration practices. Guiding questions, project
guidelines, and practical guidance were provided by the
facilitators. However, the teachers were encouraged to use
their own creativity to complete projects that were relevant
to their classroom instruction. At the end of each week,
teachers submitted to their facilitators individually com-
pleted authentic technology-based projects that were rele-
vant to the technology modules explored during that week.
After the facilitators had completed reviewing each project,
the teachers were allowed to compare and critique their
colleagues projects. This was followed by whole class
discussions on specic ways to improve the projects and
effectively integrate technology into their instruction to
enhance children learning
Introduction to Kidspiration, for instance, covered the
Kidspiration interface and the tools the teachers need to
focus on the essential content addressed, identify important
concepts related to the content, and make explicit the
connections among the important concepts in their lessons.
Kidspiration is a software that helps young learners to
improve skills including: categorizing and grouping;
developing emerging literacy skills; building comprehen-
sion skills; and expressing and organizing thoughts. Using
Kidspiration, the teachers created concept maps that would
help young learners understand certain characteristics of
concept maps such as their hierarchical structure and the
possibility of linking different concepts in different ways.
Concept maps, for example, help children to literally see
relationships among concepts and remember information
more easily. Concept maps helped kindergarten children
share their knowledge about good nutrition using both
objects and pictures (Gallenstein 2005). In the classroom
situation, direct instruction is important to ensure that the
young learners understand what their teachers are saying
coupled with having children observe their teacher creating
concept maps. Young learners should begin with simple,
familiar topics such as food, animals or plants. Sparks and
Warwick (2003) recommend that early childhood teachers,
simplify concept mapping, making it a method of show-
ing links between concepts but ignoring the hierarchical
structure of those concepts (p. 125).
The facilitators provided samples of concepts maps to
the teachers to help them reect on the process of creating
appropriate concept maps that would be integrated into
their classroom instruction. Samples of the concept maps
provided by the facilitators are presented in Figs. 1 and 2.
During the rst week, majority of the projects that the
teachers completed were either incomplete or partially
procient. However, as their fears of technology subsided
and their technology comfort levels increased, the quality
of the projects improved dramatically. Even so, at the end
of the workshop, none of the projects was considered
exemplary; the majority of the projects were either partially
procient or procient. This was expectedit was hoped
that as their comfort level improved, teachers would be
more willing to integrate these tools and applications for
learning in their classrooms.
The activities completed during the Summer Institute
were aimed at helping teachers feel more comfortable with
the technology that was available especially since they
were hands-on. Teachers were also introduced to various
strategies that would assist them in modifying and devel-
oping curriculum in order to integrate technology into their
instruction. The teachers successfully completed technol-
ogy-based projects and compared and critiqued their col-
leagues projects to enhance their knowledge and skills on
technology integration. These activities demonstrate the
212 Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218
1 3
Healthy Food
Groups
Grains
Vegetables
2.5 cups a
Day
Fruits
2 Cups a
Day
Milk and
Dairy
3 cups a
Day
Meats
5.5 oz a
Day
6 oz a Day
Fig. 1 Health and nutrition guidelines
Animals
Mammals
dog
kitty
squirrel
Fish
Reptiles
Birds
alligator
lizard
froggy
duck
owl
dodo
gold fish
shark
dolphin
Tree
Tree
Tree
Tree
Tree
Fig. 2 Categories of animals
Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218 213
1 3
teachers growth process in striving to effectively integrate
technology into their instruction to enhance childrens
learning.
A rubric was provided as a road map of sorts to assess
and critique each others projects with fairness and ease.
Additionally, the purpose of the rubric was to help teachers
recognize the importance of various categories of the
technology-based projects and what constitutes exemplary
in the process of integrating technology into their instruc-
tion. Table 1 delineates categories suggested to the teach-
ers as a beginning point in exploring the role of technology
in education and in enhancing high quality technology-
based projects.
The Summer Institute conversations centered on the
impact of digital divide in the classroom, promising tech-
nology integration strategies, technology integration suc-
cess stories, the challenges facing teachers in the
integration of technology into their instruction, and various
strategies to translate traditional pedagogical practices into
active constructivist methodologies. In the following sec-
tion, the authors briey examine key issues pertaining to
technology integration identied during the workshop.
Challenges Related to Technology Integration
In reference to the existing literature, the majority of teachers
are unable to make appropriate use of technology in their
own classrooms, while others are unwilling to try because of
anxiety, lack of interest, or lack of motivation (Duhaney
2001; Keengwe 2007). Many teachers also cite ineffective
technological leadership strategies in their schools as a big
barrier to technology integration efforts (Duhaney 2001;
Krueger et al. 2000). Teachers attitudes and skills (Bitner
and Bitner 2002) and lack of time, funds and the connection
betweentechnology training and the curriculum(Dvorak and
Buchanan 2002) have also been cited as barriers to tech-
nology integration into classroom instruction.
The early childhood teachers participating in the work-
shop reported various challenges encountered in the pro-
cess of technology use and integration including: lack of
personal familiarity with technology, lack of administrative
support, curriculum integration difculties, and lack of
technical support. Harris (2000) argues that the tremen-
dous technology potential will only be realized if we can
create a new vision of how technology will change the way
we dene teaching and how we believe learning can take
place (p. 1).
In the following section, the authors briey examine two
concerns relating to constructivist teaching and learning
with technology tools.
Instruction Versus Integration
The teachers viewed instruction and integration as two
separate entities that were difcult to infuse, and
demanding of their instructional time and responsibilities.
Most teachers expressed concern about competing
instructional responsibilities and their technology integra-
tion efforts. The teachers also reported that although they
were required to integrate technology into their courses,
there were no follow-up sessions to validate these
requirements. Besides, they expressed skepticism in their
schools technologys evaluation and assessment standards
to support effective instruction using technology tools.
Table 1 Suggested categories for teachers completing projects
Exemplary Procient Partially procient Incomplete
The project is complete, appropriate, deep, adaptable,
and well thought-out
The project is complete and
appropriate
The project lacks depth
and is inappropriate
The project is poorly
conceived
Goals are clear, age appropriate, measurable, and
accommodate various learning styles and abilities
Goals are clear, age appropriate
and measurable
Primary goals are present
but are not appropriate
or measurable
There are no clearly
stated learning goals
Technology is used appropriately, selectively, and
effectively to help students reach specic goals, and
support different learning styles and abilities
Technology is used effectively to
help students reach identied
learning goals
Technology is not used
appropriately,
selectively, or
effectively
Technology use is
poorly conceived
Multiple and alternative assessment strategies are used
and directly correlate to the learning objectives
Formative and summative
assessment strategies are used
The assessment is
planned but inadequate
No clear plans for
formative or
summative
assessment
The project effectively supports multiple ethical uses of
technology that directly correlate to the learning
objectives
The project effectively supports
ethical uses of technology
The project supports
some ethical uses of
technology
The project does not
support ethical use
of technology
Age-appropriate written guidelines reect the overall
curricular goals, provide clear directions, include
assessment information and offer resources
The written guidelines reect most
of the curricular goals and
provide clear direction
The written guidelines
are inadequate
No written guidelines
214 Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218
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Technology is not a substitute for good instruction;
effective teachers strive to integrate technology into their
lessons to engage multiple learning styles of diverse
learners and abilities in the classroom. When a teacher
creates intellectually engaging technology activity using
any piece of software or object, it will promote childrens
learning and development. However, meaningful assess-
ment of these activities, as with any planned activity, must
be ongoing, strategic, and purposeful (Bredekamp and
Copple 1997). Assessment results help to determine
adaptations that are needed to help in planning further
curriculum integration.
Technology Use Versus Technology Integration
Although the teachers reported that their courses and les-
sons objectives would address the need to integrate tech-
nology into their curricular, their classroom experiences
and instructional narratives revealed the opposite of this
expectation. The teachers indicated that they were com-
fortable in using primary technology applications in the
classroom such as Microsoft Word, but lacked effective
skills and strategies to integrate other instructional tools
and productivity applications into their lessons. The
teachers expressed concern about their own lack of effec-
tive skills to manage teaching the current generation of
young digital learners. To effectively integrate technology
into instruction requires teachers who possess a strong
comfort level with technology tools (which the teachers
reported lacking), and consistently implement these tools
as part of their own repertoire of tools in courses they are
assigned to teach.
Teachers need to gain some technology skills but it is
not necessary for them to be experts in order to be suc-
cessful in using technology as a teaching tool (Jonassen
et al. 1999; Keengwe 2007; Keengwe et al. 2008). In the
constructivist approach, the learners actively construct
meaning and understanding for their own learning (Jonas-
sen et al. 1999). Hence teachers should feel comfortable
allowing students to move into domains of knowledge
where they themselves lack expertise, and they must be
able to model their own learning process when they
encounter phenomena they do not understand or questions
they cannot answer (Jonassen et al. 1999, 22).
Recommendations
The major challenge facing teachers today is how to
effectively integrate technology to help students learn and
become actively involved in the teaching and learning
process (Bauer and Kenton 2005). The Summer Institute
provided teachers opportunities to experiment with
technology tools. The sessions opened dialogue and dis-
cussions about effective ways to support early childhood
education teachers to integrate technology into their
instruction. The practicing teachers reported to have
accomplished various objectives including:
1. Learning how to use different technology applications
and tools.
2. Exploring different approaches to managing technol-
ogy in the classroom.
3. Recognizing the critical role of technology in teaching
and learning.
4. Understanding how quickly and easily low level
assignments can be plagiarized.
5. Recognizing the Acceptable Internet User Policies
(IUPs). The IUPs are guidelines for appropriate
technology use, such as, the use of technologies for
grade-level and content appropriateness, ethics, and
safety.
6. Identifying specic barriers to technology integration
and different approaches to overcoming the barriers in
their own classrooms.
In addition to helping teachers begin to think carefully
about the process of technology integration in their own
classrooms, the Summer Institute helped teachers become
familiar with primary technology tools and applications
and how those tools can enhance children learning. As
teachers get more knowledgeable and more comfortable in
the use of technology, it is hoped that their instructional
practices will improve and integration of technology will
become an integral part of all their curricula. However, as
one of the teachers noted, more needs to be done to
sustain the process.
In the following section, the authors list various strate-
gies to enhance technology integration in early childhood
classrooms.
Strategies for Technology Integration
1. School leaders must make technology requirement as
an integral part of the instruction through all the grades.
2. As the teachers are concerned about the time it takes to
prepare a lesson, technology professional development
activities should be directly aligned to their lessons.
3. School leaders should install new technology tools that
support new educational software.
4. Technology integration specialists, coordinators or
technical support personnel must follow-up with
teachers who attend professional development oppor-
tunities to offer further assistance and support, if and
when needed.
5. Technical personnel should help teachers with their
questions including coming into the classrooms to
Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218 215
1 3
assist with projects, help to develop integrated lessons,
or demonstrate the use of a program or equipment to
the teachers.
In the following section, the authors brief examine addi-
tional suggestions to enhance technology integration in the
classroom.
Technology Leadership
Meaningful educational reform using technology should go
beyond simply buying more technology tools to developing
teaching strategies that complement technology use within
the curriculum. Unfortunately, teachers lack a model that
they can use to guide them through the necessary changes
they will need to make to be successful in integrating new
technology into their classroom (Johnson and Liu 2000).
Consequently, it is important for education leaders to pro-
vide leadership with a model of technology integration that
can produce feasible results. School leaders must support
teachers who are innovative in the use of technology so that
they could help others to do so. Although infrastructure is
important, leadership is critical in establishing technology
as part of the school culture (Becker 2000).
Teachers who are enthusiastic and demonstrate ability
and willingness to use technology in their classrooms could
be designated as technology coaches. Technology coaches
should be teachers who are willing to share their knowl-
edge of how to use technology in the classroom and their
lesson plans for technology use with their peers. Technol-
ogy coaches are the rst line of trouble shooting for the
grade level. Designating a technology coach for each grade
level will help to provide follow-up on in-service work-
shops in the classrooms by providing additional help and
modeling the use of the applications in the classroom.
However, they should be compensated in some way for
their time, commitment, and effort; they should receive a
stipend for taking additional teaching responsibilities.
Technology leaders or peer coaches can serve as models
sharing their knowledge of how to manage students and
technology in the actual classroom. There role should be to
support fellow teachers to model projects that offer
opportunities that link learning theories to real-life situa-
tions. Providing teachers with easy to work templates could
help them to better model what is expected of their stu-
dents. This could help to increase teachers understanding
and use of available technology tools that they can learn to
use and model to their students.
Technology Partnership
With the emergence of online communities, schools should
aim at better partnerships with other schools to share
effective technology practices. However, partnerships
could begin at the school level, where teachers and students
collaborate on technology projects for improved teaching
and learning. To benet teachers, schools should strive to
have networked learning environments with other schools
or businesses that provide educational resources for them,
and develop a community-wide planning and visioning
process, participate in extensive summer professional
development workshops, and, if possible, establish network
to work on-site with curriculum and technology integration
specialists.
The Summer Institute provided area teachers with
opportunities to reect upon effective strategies for use and
integration of technology into their instruction. Effective
use of technology occurs when the application directly (1)
supports the curriculum objectives being assessed; (2)
provides opportunities for student collaboration and pro-
ject/inquiry based learning; (3) adjusts for student ability
and prior experience, and provides feedback to the student
and teacher about student performance; (4) is integrated
throughout the lesson; (5) provides opportunities for stu-
dents to design and implement projects that extend the
curriculum content being assessed; and (6) exists in envi-
ronments where the organization leaderships supports
technological innovation (Kidd 2009; Kulik 2003). It is
essential, however, to keep in mind that these strategies
must be used in a collaborative environment and that
everyone must work together and involve each other in
order to make technology integration successful.
Effective integration of technology into classroom
instruction requires commitment by school districts, for
instance, to create in-service days for technological work-
shops. Teachers should have time to attend these work-
shops. Further, there should be some form of support in
each school building so that teachers have assistance with
their computers, hardware, software, or other technological
tools. Support personnel include but are not limited to: a
full-time or part-time computer technician, a head tech-
nology expert within the building that may be a teacher or
an administrator, computer-savvy students, or community
volunteers who are knowledgeable about technology
(OBannon and Puckett 2007).
Professional Development
Providing opportunities for a seamless integration of
technology into instruction requires teachers, school
administration, technology coordinator, and parents to play
an active role in determining the importance of technology
integration in classroom. Ertmer (2005) suggests that
in order to affect teacher beliefs, research needs to be
conducted where teachers have rst-hand experiences
with technology, where teachers observe successful
216 Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:209218
1 3
implementation, and where change occurs through pro-
fessional learning communities.
Teachers need time to plan lessons, time to teach and
time to assess and provide feedback to students. Time is a
scarce resource and teachers may be wary of any activity
that takes away time from their actual instruction. The
teachers participating in the summer workshop reported
wasting time on attending professional development
workshops that did not directly benet them in classroom
teaching. These concerns suggest the need for schools to
assess the technological needs of their teachers in order to
provide relevant workshops that can help them successfully
integrate technology into their classroom instruction.
Technology workshops should feature hands-on opportu-
nities and actual integrated lessons used by classroom
teachers.
According to Rodriquez and Knuth (2000), components
of professional development for effective technological
integration includes: (1) connection to student learning; (2)
hands-on technology use; (3) variety of learning experi-
ences; (4) curriculum specic applications; (5) new role for
teachers; (6) collegial learning; (7) active participation of
teachers; (8) on-going process, (9) sufcient time; (10)
technical assistance and support; (11) administrative sup-
port; (12) adequate resources, (13) continuous funding, and
(14) built-in evaluations.
Conclusion
The Summer Institute, while providing area teachers with
opportunities to reect upon effective strategies for tech-
nology integration into instruction, unveiled concerns that
are central to understanding the process of technology
integration into instruction. Teachers integration of tools
into instruction is based on factors such as lack of time and
resources, and knowledge and motivation (Hanks 2002).
The teachers reports indicate the need for schools to
determine the goals of technology in teaching and learning,
and the types of technology tools that will support efforts to
meet those goals. School leaders, for instance, should
assure teachers that the goal of technology tools is to
improve teaching and learning, and not to replace them.
Technology integration is a complex phenomenon that
involves understanding teachers motivations, perceptions,
and beliefs about learning and technology (Woodbridge
2004). There is need to develop a pedagogical model that
potentially creates a stronger link between theory and
practice (Kelly 2003) and helps teachers overcome the
challenges faced in technology use and integration
(Keengwe et al. 2008). There is also need to motivate,
train, and equip educators with the skills necessary to
enhance appropriate use and integration of technology
tools in instruction (Keengwe 2007). Additionally, it
seems reasonable that teachers will be more likely to help
their students learn with technology if the teachers can
draw on their own experiences in learning with technol-
ogy (Grabe and Grabe 2008, p. 4).
The overarching goal for schools should be to have
teachers comfortably access and work with appropriate
technology tools and to pass on that knowledge and skills
to the children they teach. Technology needs to be a per-
vasive part of how teachers teach. The ubiquitous presence
of technologies in many classrooms implies the need for
competent teachers who can teach well with the technology
tools. Hubbell (2007) argued that:
Technology is and will continue to be an integral part
of classrooms, workplaces, and our everyday life.
Using technology helps early learners to communi-
cate, practice life skills, and better understand con-
cepts. If used pragmatically in the early childhood
classrooms, students will be better equipped to begin
using 21
st
century tools independently as they enter
elementary schools (p. 35).
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