ACOT Levels of Technology Integration

Entry: Learn the basics of using a new technology

At this level, teachers are just beginning their use of technology, and are
learning how it works. The use of technology has yet to appear in the
classroom (unless such use is completely student driven), and, in any
case, has not had an impact on classroom instructional practice.

Adoption: Use new technology to support traditional instruction. Focus in often on

personal use or teaching basic Technology to students.

Teachers at this stage have learned how to use productivity tools such as word
processing, email, and electronic grades or lesson plan software. The results of
this knowledge help them save time and enjoy some flexibility with worksheets,
tests, communication, and grades. In the classroom, students are given limited
access to simple technology tools for the purpose of helping traditional lesson
objectives, but there is still not a lot of direct evidence of technology use in the
classroom.

Adaptation: Integrate new technology into traditional classroom practice. Here

teachers often focus on increased student productivity and engagement
by using word processors, spreadsheets, and graphic tools.

The main difference between Stage 3 and the previous stage is the level and
frequency with which technology is used. For example, a PowerPoint
presentation may be used with links to websites, or Excel might be used to
display and quickly modify charts and graphs. Students will use word processing
from rough draft to final version, rather than just typing it up when it's finished.
In each case, the technology is used to do something that could be done by
paper and pencil or other so-called traditional instructional methods or tools, but
with the increased efficiency and flexibility possible with technology tools. The
decisions about what and how to teach have not changed because of the
presence of these tools, and instruction is still teacher-directed.

Appropriation: Focus on cooperative, project-based, and interdisciplinary work-

incorporating the technology as needed and as one of many tools

In Stage 4, technology tools are being selected for their unique capabilities rather
than just supporting tasks that could be done by hand. But the main difference
between Stage 3 and Stage 4 is classroom practice - the emphasis is shifting from
the front of the room to the students, with the technology tools facilitating that
change. As an example, an assignment involving a small group presentation
 might use PowerPoint with scanned drawings or electronically-constructed
illustrations, or require research from books and periodicals as well as the
Internet. That is, it would allow for a variety of roles and tasks for the students,
only some of which imply a technology tool. The technology is being selected by
the teacher to provide capabilities which, in many cases, are simply unavailable
through non-technology-based tools.

Invention: Discover new uses for technology tools, for example, developing
spreadsheet macros for teaching algebra or designing projects that
combine multiple technologies.

The shift from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered

instruction is now complete. The availability of technology tools is
enhanced by the teacher's work of discovering and developing new tools
(as reflected in Standard 10.12), and the selection and use of these tools is
placed in the hands of students.

Activities which might match this stage:

• Working in small groups or individually, students select a specific topic

relevant to the class, and select a medium (video, PowerPoint,
brochure, or even a non-technology-using media such as a work of art)
to display the research on that topic.
• Students select or construct images for a video on a subject of their
choosing, using an assigned writing style.
• Students collaborate on a newspaper, electronically submitting articles
on a variety of subjects for final assembly by a designated group.
• Students use e-communications (email, online forum) to discuss and
exchange ideas on a subject, and write up what they've learned there
in a format they choose.