The Technology Infused Classroom

“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.” – David Warlick

 

What Does a Technology-Infused Classroom Look Like?

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     When pondering the thought of a technology-infused classroom, my mind goes in a few different directions.  The most obvious is the type of technology this classroom would include. What would the teacher and students have at their fingertips?  I will come back to this momentarily.

     First, I want to address what the classroom should ideally, physically look like.  The furniture in a technology-infused classroom would include tables (not individual desks) where students could work collaboratively.  These 21st Century classrooms would need to have an ample amount of space and an ample amount of electrical outlets to accommodate any cords that accompany the technology (McCrea, 2012).  There should be USP ports to accommodate the technology, as well (McCrea, 2012).  If the room does not have good natural light, then lighting should be easily accessible (McCrea, 2012).  

     A technology-infused classroom should be one that promotes collaboration, critical-thinking and creativity.  The teacher facilitates learning, and the instruction is student-driven.  In a technology-infused classroom, technology is integrated into the existing curriculum, and is utilized on a daily basis.  It is second nature to the students using it, no matter what their age.  It is a place where digital natives become responsible digital citizens.

     Now, back to the obvious.  A technology-infused classroom includes a variety of technology.  Students and teachers would have access to the Internet via laptops or desktop computers.  They would know about and understand how to use productivity and presentation software.  There would be an interactive whiteboard, digital camera, and possible tablets with educational apps for students to work with.  In the perfect classroom, there would be 1-to-1 technology for students to access at any given time.

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How Will I Have a Technology-Infused Classroom?

     In my own classroom, I have a SMART board, 3 desktop computers, and the ability to sign out a mobile computer cart containing 24 Netbooks.  Although this is not the perfect technology-infused classroom, it does give me the ability to make sure that my students are able to work toward becoming 21st Century learners.  With the tools that I have, my students are able to research on the Internet, then present to their classmates using PowerPoint, Prezi or Google Slides, rather than poster board.  They can work collaboratively using Google Docs, or they can individually post to a class blog to share their work or opinions.  My students are constantly exposed to multimedia within my lessons to help them gain a better understanding for the topics they are learning about.  I maintain a class website where parents can keep up with what is going on in our classroom, find nightly homework, or see important dates.  Parents can contact me by text or see how their child is doing at any given time with the push of a button using our Class Dojo app.   In my technology-infused classroom, I am fostering creativity and higher-order think skills in order to prepare my students for years to come.  By having a technology-infused classroom, I am giving my students access to the world around them.  The possibilities for what they are able to do because of technology are endless. 



McCrea, B.  (2012).  Designing the 21st century K-12 classroom.  Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/01/18/designing-the-21st-century-k12-classroom.aspx