Integration of technology and media resources 1

Integration of technology and media resources

Isabella Szczur
Regent University
Integration of technology and media resources 2

Introduction
When considering the content taught it secondary classrooms one does not always

recognize how different subjects can apply to a lesson. People do not tend to notice the ways in

which these subjects are intertwined with one another as a part of the learning goals in a

classroom. This tends to be a problem commonly seen in secondary classrooms as opposed to

elementary ones. When

Looking around in a modern day classroom, it is easy to see how technology has become

a staple in everyday learning. Due to its widespread influence and impact, it plays an important

role in the classroom setting. Teachers will use it for a variety of different activities and lesson

styles, often finding additional online resources beneficial to the classroom. Many school

systems will issue out IPads or Chrome Books for their students to either take home or use in

class. As the years have passed technology has improved and become more integrated into

society as well as everyday life. As a result teachers and schools often come together to create a

learning environment consistent with the use of technology outside the classroom. Technology is

an extremely useful tool to have in a classroom. It can help to provide numerous different

opportunities to learn and foster new understandings on different topics. Ultimately it helps both

teachers and the students by providing another pathway to resources which benefit all those

involved in learning.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first selected artifact is an online article from CNN entitled “Butterfly

Conservationists Ask Court to Stop Border Wall Construction.” This article deals with the

ongoing current event of Donald Trump’s presidency as well as how the federal court system is

being asked to intervene. This article will be used in an upcoming lesson with my students as a
Integration of technology and media resources 3

warm up. The reason for the selection of this artifact is that it provides an excellent example of

how the system of checks and balances work in our government. It also reinforces the material

students have previously learned about and discussed. During my student teaching I have found

that often most students are not actively engaged in knowing about current political events. As

such their knowledge about what is going on in the presidency can be limited. By providing the

students this article and other similar articles to read as a warm up, the teacher can provide an

opportunity for them to read up on what is going on. In addition to the reading the students will

also be performing an activity called “notice and note” based on it. They will use this as a way to

reinforce and apply what they are reading, as well as critically think about it. This warm up is all

done digitally and will be submitted online through Schoology. The article activity implements

technology by allowing to use their Chrome Books and create a digital online summarization of

what they learned from the article. As a result they are using technology as a tool to help them

better understand the material and reinforce what they have already learned about their rights, the

court system as well as checks and balances.

The second artifact submitted is an instruction sheet created in collaboration with my

teacher. The sheet describes the expectations and requirements for the group project the students

will be working on. They are going to be split into groups and will research their assigned

Supreme Court case. Each group has at least one video link for their case that they are supposed

to watch and reference. As they work together to create the online Google Slideshow, their only

communication can be through the comment feature. This allows them to silently work together

and independently as they are all spread out across the room. It allows for the students to get

hands on experience as they learn more about their specific Supreme Court case. They are able to

begin applying their previous knowledge and research their questions with outside sources.
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Ultimately, I believe that this artifact is useful as it is allows for a technology based learning

opportunity through the use of resources such as Google and YouTube. These will benefit the

students as it gives them another way to become more familiar with not just their assignment, but

the impact the court cases had.

The artifacts mentioned are useful as they provide examples of technology in the

classroom. The first allows an opportunity to keep students updated on current events while

applying previous knowledge about what they are reading. The second allows for the students to

learn more about the Supreme Court cases which have left an impact on our lives today. Through

the use of Google Slides, students are able to convey what they have learned. They are able to

work with one another independently outside of the classroom setting. Overall both of these

artifacts fit well with the chosen competency. They provide learning opportunities and

knowledge through the use of technology.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

Since coming to Regent University I believe it is safe to say that my personal use of

technology has drastically increased. As I reflect on my schooling experience, the use and

importance of technology was something that I did not often recognize before I began my

teaching journey. Looking back at it now I can recognize and appreciate the effort my teachers

went to in order to better help the students understand the material. Simple resources such as

YouTube videos can go a long way in providing a different way of understanding or reinforcing

material. Technology is of course not just limited to things such as the internet or Google. Items

such as a projector, a Smartboard or PowerPoint are all considered aspects of technology in a

classroom. These are commonly used by teachers to help convey the information needed and

help the students to learn.

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As much as I enjoy discussing the benefits of technology in the classroom, I do not

believe that we often consider how dependent we are on technology until it does not cooperate

with us. In my practicum placement the teacher rarely used the internet as it was highly

unreliable and often did not work for days at a time. In order to accommodate for the lack of

internet, he provided different alternative activities for the students to use which would not

require online research in the school building. I remember from my time in high school how

easily a lesson could go wrong if the projector bulb burned out or if the Smartboard was not

calibrated properly. Although technology can be a wonderful influence and is a necessary aspect

of the classroom, the teacher should be prepared in case something were to happen.

In my own future classroom I want to apply what I have learned about this competency.

As I researched and reflected upon what I wanted to convey, I found a fascinating article

discussing technology in the classroom. The article explained that despite technology playing

such an important role in the classroom, it is “significantly under-used by pre-service teachers

and beginning teachers” (Tondeur, van Braak, Sang, Voogt, Fisser, & Ottenbreit-Leftwich,

2012). Many programs have struggled with the issue of how to teach “in order to enhance human

potential and improve teaching with available technologies” (Goktas, Yildirim & Yildirim, 2008,

p.168) and how to prepare teachers for this. With as much technology available to teachers now,

it is simply a matter of how does one best apply what they have? Part of that comes from

teaching future teachers what they need to know about the technology and how to use it. By

integrating it throughout the teacher education curriculum one can guarantee a future teacher will

be far more comfortable with using it. There also needs to be an understanding between the

teachers and the school about the use of technology. If a school wishes to “enable teacher

educators to create an appropriate environment for future students” (Barton & Haydn, 2006)
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through the use of technology, then the school administration needs to be prepared for the costs

that come with this. This may include developing a plan for technology which reflects the

direction and vision the school wishes to go toward. This could also include providing resources

such as training and funds for the teachers to use the technology properly. Overall I believe that

having the opportunity to practice the technology and implement it successfully in the classroom

will only benefit will better help teachers to reach their students in more than one way.

References
Barton, R., & Haydn, T. (2006). Trainee teachers views on what helps them to use information

and communication technology effectively in their subject teaching. Journal of Computer

Assisted Learning, 22(4)

Goktas, Y., Yildirim, Z., & Yildirim, S. (2008). A review of ICT related courses in pre-service

teacher education programs. Asia Pacific Education Review,9(2), 168.

Tondeur, J., Braak, J. V., Sang, G., Voogt, J., Fisser, P., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2012).

Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate technology in education: A synthesis of

qualitative evidence. Computers & Education, 59(1),