Self-Study

Technology Integration
Anna Ryerson

Here is a picture of my students working in their

offices during our writing time. Their task here
was to post, edit/revise, and comment on other
students blog posts using our writing every-days
and purposeful conversations.

1. Focus area
My focus area for self-study was using more technology in the
classroom. This was a hard task for me because I get a little scared around
technology. In my mind there are so many things that can go wrong, so it
would be easier for me not to do anything with technology. The however, is
not fair to the students. My job as a teacher is to make it a successful
environment for all my students. With that in mind, there is so much
differentiation that can go on when you are using technology to help define
that differentiation.

2. Make a plan to collect data

I started off my time in the classroom trying to figure out how to get
my kids involved with technology in the classroom. We have one computer
lab in the building and all classrooms have a designated time slot that we
have to work around when we want to use the computers. After talking with
my teacher, we decided that blogging was a really good way to integrate the
students into technology more often. We were able to be bring the Netbooks
down to our rooms for some mornings and they are given a topic and they
have a chance to post, review/edit and comment.
In addition to having the students create and write a blog. We also

have a number of devices in the classroom that are easy to use. One of the
things that I had a talk with the tech crew was a way for me to project things
from my IPad. They had to update some things on my ipad but we got it to
work and then I was able to use it for direct instruction. We also have a
smart board and an Elmo.
I plan on tracking my use of technology using a spreadsheet with
designated columns and rows. This will show me when I used it, how often I
used it and what device I used for it. I only started this when I took over the
classroom fulltime and I carried it all the way till the end of my time there.

3. Gather & Read

Some of the information that I have found about using technology in
classroom suggests that in order for technology to be used to its full
advantage, we need to use it in a way that is self-directed.
Self-directed learning gives us a clear understanding of the relationship
between learning and technologies.
Saxena,Saomya."HowTechnologySupportsSelfDirected
Learning."EdTechReview(ETR).N.p.,2015.Web.02Apr.2015.
This website taught me that we show not run from technology just because it
new and foreign to us. It tells us to embrace it and thrive off of it.

 Pinterest
Pinterest if full of ideas on just about anything, but with a little digging I
found some really good stuff on integrating technology into the classroom.
One of things that are becoming more and more powerful in the classroom is
a classroom blog. I think that this is a tool that has much potential for the
student because I have used it to teach the students about their digital
footprint, being smart and safe online,
as well as being a wonderful
opportunity to teach writing.
Kristin Kemppainen
Kristin is my cooperating teaching for
this semester and I have had the
pleasure of learning so much from her.
She has been a teacher for twenty-six
years and she truly is a mentor teacher.
One of the things, among many, that I
have learned from her is that you can
have all the technology in the district,
but if you dont know what you are going to do with it then it has no power
in your classroom. I have found a picture of what I want to create to hang in

my future classroom that tells exactly what I want to encompass when

teaching with technology. One of the things that it says is about blogs. I want
to create blogs not for the sake of creating them but for the purposeful
conversations that will steam from the ideas that students post and the
comments/feedback that they receive
to each other.

and give
Below: A student is
working on editing
a previous post
that he made on a
writing prompt.

4. Implement plan
I have made a spreadsheet with rows for
the different technological devices as well as the
columns for the dates in which I used the
technology on. When I used the technology I
would put an x in the box of the column and row
that matched the device and the date.

5. Collect data
Here is an example of how the spreadsheet was created and used. I
created this at the beginning on my time taking over the classroom at the
being of the semester. This has have proven to be very powerful in telling
how I was at using technology and how that has changed over the couple

weeks that I was teaching.

Date:
2/23

Elmo

Computer

Smart Board

Netbooks

IPad

Smart Board

Netbooks

IPad

6. Record process
Date:
2/23
2/24
2/25
2/26
2/27
3/2
3/3
3/4
3/5
3/6
3/9
3/10
3/11
3/12
3/13
3/16
3/17
3/18
3/19
3/20
3/23
3/24
3/25
3/26
3/27
3/30
3/31

Elmo
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Computer
X

X
X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X

4/1

7. Analyze data to find change

After charting my evidence
of technology in the classroom, I
have come to the conclusion that
some of the technological devices
were not used to the ability in
which they could have been. I had
my students use my Ipad on
several occasions when I wanted them to find out
more information on a topic that they were working to
develop during writing time. This happened when our
netbooks were not available.

Above: One of my
students is Blogging
about what she is going
to do over spring break.
She is also using a
dictionary (non-human
resource) to help
scaffold her learning.

A common occurrence of using technology in the classroom is that

sometimes things do not go the way that they are intended and changes need
to be made. Thankfully this didnt happen very often and I was able to use
my Ipad when our computer was not cooperating with us. We have had our

fair share of struggles with the devices but getting the students familiar with
them is something that we need to get used to. In about a month, the students
will be taking a test that is entirely online and so in order to get that prepared
for it we have been trying to get them into the technical world more often.
Towards the end of my teaching, we were using technology in almost every
lesson. This has proven to be one of the most beneficial things for me. That
is because I am getting better acquainted with all the opportunities that
technology holds.
8. Make a continuing improvement plan
Technology provides boundless access for learners to connect with
others, explore topics of interests and be a part of opportunities and events
across the globe. Latest technologies also
allow for newer ways to modernize
classrooms, providing higher flexibility to
students to organize their own resources,
adopt their own learning styles, and study
individually or collaboratively. Clearly,
technology has significant implications for
the development and support of selfdirected learning. Technology is not going

away, if anything it is becoming more prominent in the classroom. Students

need to be free to explore the world of devices in a safe and controlled
environment where, when needed, teachers can be there to guide purposeful
conversations about what it is like to be a responsible digital citizen.
Due to the self-study, as well as a push from my cooperating teacher, I
have decided to become Google certified. I think this will be a wonderful
opportunity for me to invest in my future as an educator long term and this
way I will be able to bring something with me when I enter the workforce.