Running head: TECHNOLOGY PAPER 1

Integration of Technology and Media Resources

Katherine McKerley

Regent University

In partial participation of UED 496 Field Experience E-Portfolio, Spring 2019

TECHNOLOGY PAPER 2

Integration of Technology and Media Resources

Technology has an ever-growing presence in classrooms today. Virginia Beach Public

Schools has recently modernized their classroom by having every student have a chrome book.

This automatically streamlines the process of integrating technology into lessons where many

teachers can now create completely online tasks and assignments. Nicky Hockly in Digital

Generation discusses how even though our students might be labels as tech-savvy “they are by

no means automatically effective users of technology” (2011). Our responsibly, then, as teachers

are to educate students on properly instruct students in six broad skills: “creativity and

innovation; communication and collaboration; research and information fluency; critical

thinking, problem-solving and decision making; digital citizenship; and technology operation

and concept” (Hockly, 2011). For this competency, I have chosen two artifacts that display my

comprehension of integrating technology to enrich the learning environment for students:

instruction on using a digital organizer for their ocean organism expository paper and a

document where students could edit a poem and work in groups to create and present their own

poetry.

Rationale For Selection of Artifacts

For my first artifact, I wanted to focus on improving students’ “research and information

fluency” along with “digital citizenship” (Hockly, 2011). Usually, when the students start writing

a paper for their writing block they cite and write down notes from resources by hand. I made the

decision to move to the whole writing process to being digital. An important technical skill I

taught the students in order for them to succeed in researching was how to split screen so that

two documents can be on the screen at once. This made the process of going through resources,

copying URLs, and accurately relaying information a much smoother process. This also gave me
TECHNOLOGY PAPER 3

the advantage of being able to view each students’ organizer on Schoology and being able to give

them feedback without having to take their paper which also could be misplaced. This was an

important transition for my students because it marked to the first time they would write a paper

completely on the computer; a skill that they will continue to use for the rest of their educational

career.

One of the issues I foresaw by letting students take digital notes for the first time was

plagiarism. I tied in the idea of plagiarism, a word that not every student was familiar with, in

many of my writing lessons. I discussed with the class that just because they were taking notes

on the computer did not mean they should copy and paste from their resources. I explained that

in their notes and paper they need to express what they learned in their own words and that if

they could not find a new way of explaining what they had learned that they would need to put

quotations around the sentence that they were using from a website. This was a massive step

forward in their understanding the responsibility that came with quick access to resources and

making sure that they were not taking from them words for word. I wanted to make sure even

though the students had a strong background in technology that I was filling the gaps for their

technical skills and their digital wisdom knowledge.

My second artifact demonstrated integrating technology focusing on “communication and

collaboration” (Hockly, 2011). In a two-day lesson, I introduced two-voice poetry; a poem that is

meant to be performed by two people at the same time. To tie in technology, I put a twist on this

lesson by having the students interact with an example poem and re-write one of the voices.

Because of the nature of this poetry (having three sections) it would have been a struggle to do it

any other way than digitally. On the second day, the students took the format of the poem and

with a partner created their own based on a new theme and tone. This allowed students to
TECHNOLOGY PAPER 4

practice skills such as typing simultaneously in a document, sharing the document, and

presenting the poems on the Promethean board.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

In my time at Regent, I have studied the impact of technology on education. In order to

understand and navigate technology in the classroom, I have relied on independent study and

observing at classrooms during practicum and student teaching. I have felt that as a digital native

myself, that I would be able to keep up with the acceleration of technology in our education

system, but many things have come about in last four years that I am still unaware of or do not

know how to effectively use for the betterment of my students. John D. Couch in his book

Rewiring Education: How Technology Can Unlock Every Student’s Potential states us that

“digital natives have a desire to engage, socialize, share and create things relevant to their lives”

and technology is vital in letting students experience, collaborate, and learn this way (2018).

Couch goes on to remind us that we must be willing to adapt along with them: how they view

success, receive motivation, and use their passions and gift. We must be able to evaluate if what

we are doing with technology is helping students reach their potential or is it being used as a

crutch to make our job easier.

Technology is more than a tool, it is a part of life and a part of the school environment

(Crouch). Students must be engaged with technology and in order for this outcome teachers must

invest and investigate in technology that can be successfully incorporated into the classroom.

That means having questions ready such as what do I want my students to get out of this piece of

technology? If it is Nearpod, do you want them to have instant feedback from a built-in quiz to

the slide show? If it is Kahoot is it that you want an interactive and gamified review game?

Understanding the outcome and motive for using technology is immensely important to seeing it
TECHNOLOGY PAPER 5

successfully integrated into the classroom. David Nagel in his article Teaching with Technology

in 2018, that “teachers are growing fonder of technology every year” but the discrepancy

between teacher having a positive view of it in the classroom and having the resources and

knowledge to effective use it (87% in favor of technology while 61% adequate knowledge)

(Nagel, 2018). Modeling technology to our current knowledge might not always work. To be

able to naturally and effectively integrate technology in the classroom will take effort, research

and time. This commitment will then pay off as students will be met with an environment that

feels stimulating and relevant.

TECHNOLOGY PAPER 6

References

Couch, J. D., & Towne, J. (2018). Rewiring education: How Technology Can unlock Every

Students Potential. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books.

Hockly, N. (2011, June). ELTJ: The digital generation. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from

https://www.academia.edu/4524931/ELTJ_The_digital_generation.

Nagel, D. (2018, July 11). Teaching with Technology in 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from

https://thejournal.com/Articles/2018/07/11/Teaching-with-Technology-in-

2018.aspx?Page=2