Final Project: Technology Integration Matrix

Introduction to The Outsiders

For this project, I used a lesson plan that I created this semester in my Methods class. It is an introduction to the novel, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. I started by thinking about what the overall goal of my lesson was. The lesson uses pre-reading activities to get the students thinking about the themes of the novel and how those themes are relevant to their own lives. As such, the goal I came up with was to increase student understanding of the themes in The Outsiders and activate prior knowledge about those ideas before reading to make connections to the text.

Next, I looked at the content standards for English Language Arts in 8^th grade. First, I picked standards that I felt directly supported my goal: SL.8.1 and RL.8.2. Then, I made a list of all the teaching strategies I wanted to use for the lesson. I filled in the strategies that corresponded to each standard. After I did that, I still had a few strategies remaining so I filled in the standards that supported them: W.8.4 and W.8.6. Now that my first two columns were filled in, I moved on to the technology column. I looked at the teaching strategies in each row and, using the spreadsheet from Interactivity #3, I chose the technologies that I felt best supported each strategy in meeting the standard it corresponded to.

Once I worked out which technologies I wanted to use, I added another column on the left side of my spreadsheet under standards. I looked at the NET-S to fill in the standards my lesson was already indirectly supporting in addition to the content area standards. At the end of this long process, I found that all of my rows really seemed to add up. The spreadsheet is arranged chronologically in order of strategies used during the lesson.

In the first row, I have the students engaging in collaborative discussions – first with a partner, then in a small group, and then with the whole class - about stereotyping. The students are actually engaging in an activity that demonstrates how easy it is for us to stereotype others by making judgments about people in photos. I decided to use a SMART board to support the Partner Work the students do first. They will look at the pictures on the SMART board and list the characteristics they come up with for each picture directly on the board. We would refer to the work done on the smart board throughout the rest of the discussions listed in the first row.

In the second row, the students are learning about the themes and central ideas of the text, which they would already be thinking about from the activities in the first row. The students would discuss what it means to be an outsider, which would lead into a discussion of how people become outsiders and what they do to avoid that label. Each group would get a situation from the novel that exemplifies the theme of forming identity as a member of a group, bullying/violence, being stereotyped because of the groups one belongs to, or submitting to peer pressure situations to avoid being labeled as an outsider. They would have to figure out the theme, explain how it is relevant to them, and provide a real-world example of how it is relevant to them. Then, they would compile these findings as a class in a GoogleDoc spreadsheet, which would be assessed for accuracy and thoroughness.

In the third row, students will be asked to free write for 5 minutes about a time when they felt like an outsider and how it made them feel. They will also write about what can be done to help people who are considered outsiders. This would be assessed informally as the first draft in a writing assignment. They would upload the document to GoogleDocs and peer-edit each others’ writing in pairs. I would assess their peer-editing by the thoroughness, accuracy, and validity of their contributions.

In the last row, I have the students publish the final draft of their writing in a short blog post. The final draft will be assessed using a rubric to evaluate usage, organization, clarity, and requirements met. While I had some technology in lesson before this project, it looks and feels more authentic now. By infusing the lesson with technology, I was able to add a dimension that it was lacking before. 

The Role of Social Media in Schools

This week at my fieldwork site, the students were given some free time on the laptops in the classroom. A few of them were listening to music online. My cooperating teacher commented on the fact that they always find ways around the blocked sites. This reminded me of how students at my own high school used web-based proxies to access sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube. Although most schools try to block social media websites on school servers, there is no denying that the students frequent these sites and use them to connect with each other.

According to this article, Rhode Island recently passed an anti-bullying measure that, among other things, bans all social media websites on school grounds. The bill does not specify what a social media website is, thus leaving it up to schools to decide. This can be risky because it allows for the censorship and, ultimately, abuse by administration when interpreting the law. Not to mention - as the article does - that social media sites are not inherently any more dangerous than other sites, and that students will still have access to these sites on school grounds with their cell phones. Rather than allow the students to access risky sites under the supervision of teachers and administrators; rather than creating teachable moments where students could learn about cyber-bullying and social media sites, the schools prefer to avoid the topic altogether and ban the sites. The best part is that this doesn't change things for students, who can just access those sites at home or on their phones. As teachers, it is our job to show students how to use this technology in safe and healthy ways. Unfortunately, most of us won't be given that chance.

Interactivity #5: Copy Right and Fair Use

Audience, Purpose, and Language Use in Electronic Messages

For this interactivity, I completely revamped my spreadsheet. Using the example in Dr. Domine’s article, “4 Steps to Standards Integration,” I was able to see what this matrix was actually supposed to look like and accomplish. I abbreviated some of the information on my spreadsheet. I had previously listed the standards I was referring to in their entirety, so I changed that to list just the standards and not their full descriptions. Then, I re-arranged my spreadsheet according to the cycle of media literacy as described in the “4 Steps” article. This was enlightening for me because it helped me to see where the lesson plan still had some gaps. The lesson plan had the analysis, evaluation, and production stages covered, but it lacked in the areas of access and communication. I actually filled in the “access” gap in my original analysis of the lesson plan in Interactivity #4, so I just had to fill in the communication part.

The “4 steps” article also had a helpful list of teaching strategies, which made it easier for me to articulate what the lesson already had planned, as well as what I envisioned adding to it. Some of the strategies (group discussion, for example) did not really need the support of technology in order to work well for the students. As such, the lesson is a bit on the simpler side as far as technology is concerned. By breaking it down into the different stages of the cycle of media literacy, I was able to assess more easily what was missing in order to decide what could be added to the lesson. In all, I am much more satisfied with this spreadsheet and the way it is organized.

Still, because I used fairly simple technological resources for the lesson, there wasn’t much to be done in the way of accommodating for copyright and fair use. Much of the technology I used (Google Docs, E-Mail, Word Processor, Projector) was used as a vehicle for producing and presenting student work. In fact, the only technology I used that might need conflict with copyright and fair use guidelines is the research in the access stage. I planned for students to brainstorm a list of Internet Abbreviations they have either seen or used, and to use an Internet Search Engine to define them or look for more. At no point in the lesson do the students actually download any materials off of the internet. They would, as a class, compile a master list of Internet Abbreviations in Google Docs for homework. In order to be sure that they are complying with fair use and copyright laws, I would ask them to cite any outside sources of information and link back to the websites where they found them The rest of my technologies, as noted in the spread sheet, do not require the use of copyrighted materials. As such, there aren’t any other accommodations that would need to be made. 

Great Ideas for Technology Use!

Throughout the semester, I've been speaking to LOTS teachers and students - from my fieldwork placement and TFL 1 class especially - and trying to pick their brains and soak up all the information they can give me about how to be an effective teacher: what works for them, what they like most, what they dislike most, tips and tricks, etc. Not surprisingly, teachers and students across the board seem to agree that using technology is a great, fun way to engage students in their own learning. Still, I have found that many teachers don't use technology as much as they could. Worst of all, when they do use technology in the classroom, they are doing the same old boring things. If there is anything that I can take away from this class, it is that [as I've said, time and time again] the possibilities are limitless. I feel like I find new resources and websites to use every day and they are sparking some creative ideas for activities and lessons that I cannot wait to implement in my own classroom someday.

While perusing the internet today, I came across a resource that was really exciting for me as a future teacher: edtech VISION's "Got Books? Promoting YA Literature Using Technology." This (article? blog post? website?) offers some innovative ideas for using technology in the English classroom. What I liked most about these suggestions is that I would actually want to do most of them myself! Thinking about how excited I am about them, and how excited my students would be to try something new, makes me want to get in the classroom and try them out right now! I am inspired! In case you were wondering, my favorites are the Book Trailers, Book Awards Ceremony, Wall Wishers, and Poetry Break! I really wanted to share this with you all so you could benefit from it too. Hopefully it will help you generate some ideas of your own.

Interactivity #4: The Pedagogical Uses of Technology

 Audience, Purpose, and Language Use in Electronic Messages         

I have often heard people complain about how texting and abbreviated language have ruined students’ writing. The overview of this lesson plan explains: “Students like to communicate by instant messaging and e-mail-and since they've embraced it, why not use this writing opportunity as a teachable moment? … Addressing the times when students do use Internet abbreviations in an inappropriate writing situation is simply a task of discussing how audience and purpose affect language use.” Bringing a discussion and analysis of this language into the classroom is a great way to engage students, while addressing an important issue that students need to consider while writing.

The lesson plan seemed to be pretty solid in connecting the curricular goals and teaching strategies to technologies used. If I were to implement this plan, I would probably try to use more technology just to make the lesson more interactive. I would use Google Docs for the peer editing step since it allows for tracking who is making revisions and when, making comments, and chatting about documents. It would be interesting to see the juxtaposition of the language used in formal emails and the language used to talk about it in using the chat or comment features. I’d also get the students more involved by making them research and come up with the list of Internet Abbreviations. The technology is essential to the curriculum goals because it contextualizes the assignment while they are completing it! 

Online Courses: The Future of Education?

We all have experience taking online courses, even if this is your first one, but most of us did not get to take online courses before we got to college. I stumbled upon this article in the Wall Street Journal, which talks about how online courses are steadily being more and more integrated into the public school curriculum. More than that, we are seeing that more students than ever are enrolled in all-online schools and that movement seems to be gaining popularity. The issue of online curricula in public schools certainly is interesting, and something that we, as teachers, need to keep an eye out for.  

According to the article, "It's all part of a burst of experimentation in public education, fueled in part by mounting budgetary pressures, by parental dissatisfaction with their kids' schools and by the failure of even top-performing students to keep up with their peers in other industrialized countries." While putting students in online schools may be easier on state and local budgets (by up to thousands of dollars per student every year), we need to think about what is really best for our students' education. As someone who believes that all students learn differently, I think it's important for students to have options such as these. The article points out how students with health problems, strict sports training regiments, and aspiring actors/actresses benefit from online courses, which is great. This is also a desirable alternative for students who are bullied in school or for parents who are trying to keep their kids away from peer pressure. 

Still, we must make sure the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. According to the article, students enrolled in online schools are generally not outperforming their traditionally-schooled peers on state-wide standardized tests - although this could be attributed to factors that arose before the student was enrolled. Many students are losing that face-to-face interaction with other students and teachers, although some schools are going for more of a hybrid approach. The article makes a statement about structure and interaction:  "Kids who work closely with parents or teachers do well... 'But basically letting a child educate himself, that's not going to be a good educational experience.' The computer... can't do it alone."

As future teachers, this is an option we need to be informed about. It seems as though advocates for this type of online schooling are really looking to eliminate or minimize the role of schools and teachers - and at what cost? Not all students are really going to benefit from this type of free-flowing instruction. Based on some of the students described in the article, we can see that it can really go either way. Frankly, it is scary to think about the ways this type of education is being framed - as revolutionary and radical - when all it is doing is changing the ways in which students receive the same exact curriculum.  The content itself is not being altered in any way to be more engaging or to allow for more critical pedagogy. Still, I do believe it can be a "second-best" alternative for students who, for whatever reason, can't or won't attend a traditional public school. What do you all think?

Assistive Technology in the Classroom

We  all stand witness to the incredible rate at which technology progresses these days and to the ways in which that progression affects education. One of the most amazing opportunities the classroom is presented with thanks to technology, in my opinion, is assistive technology. Assistive technology is technology, such as speech generation devices, designed to help people with disabilities. This type of technology not only promotes independence in students with physical disabilities, but also gives them the opportunity to participate in the school community in ways that would be impossible otherwise. 


A 2005 Edutopia article - "Disabled Bodies, Able Minds" - highlights the possibilities for using assistive technology in the classroom. It is truly amazing to see what technology can do for our students with special needs, and I'm sure assitive technology has only gotten more intricate since the article was first published. I found a fascinating article that focuses on a futuristic new assistive technology for the blind. With developments like these, who knows how much of an impact assistive technology will have on classrooms in the future; I can't wait to find out!


  Of course, this technology is not inexpensive, but "Sheryl Burgstahler, director of DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology), an advocacy program for disabled students at the University of Washington... points to the benefits, and she wonders how schools can justify not investing in tools for disabled students." I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment - if we are truly committed to providing educational opportunities for all students, this is an investment schools cannot afford not to make!


Even though we may not all be going into special education, we are bound to find ourselves teaching students who use assistive technology at some point in our careers, especially since there is such a push to mainstream students into inclusive classrooms. On the less extreme end of the spectrum, things like text-to-speech software and hearing aids will almost certainly cross our paths and I, for one, am thankful that this technology exists and allows children with disabilities to feel like they belong in the classroom. 

Interactivity #3: Generating a State of the Art Inventory

There really is so much technology available out there for teaching reading and writing. It was hard to narrow it down to my top ten, but there are a few that I feel have either had an enormous impact on English education or have enormous potential to do the same. There are tons of possibilities for creating interesting instruction while incorporating technology into the classroom. That was probably the greatest insight I gained from this activity, and I feel that there is no excuse for English teachers not to be using technology in the classroom! Even if you don’t have every resource available to you or are reluctant about incorporating technology into the classroom, there is so much out there for us that’s truly innovative, inspiring, and exciting – I don’t understand why any educator wouldn’t want to at least try some of it!

It’s always interesting doing group work – you never know who you’re going to have to share the work with. Luckily, almost everyone in my group was able to meet in person to figure things out first. Google Docs is also an amazing tool and we were especially excited about the chat feature which, had we known about it sooner, would have allowed for us to get the work done without having to meet in person! I’m glad that I have this great inventory to add to my list of teaching resources now – my group members found some awesome stuff and I already have begun thinking about how to incorporate some of it in the future.

Can Technology Wait?

Despite everything we are learning about the possibilities for technology in the classroom, we know that not everyone is on board for digitizing schools. This NY Times article talks about the Waldorf School, a private school in Silicon Valley. They believe that computers and technology get in the way of education and do not allow it in the school at all - not a single television, computer, iPad, or cell phone. This may seem shocking, especially given the recent push for technology in the classroom, but the Waldorf School feels as though there is no place for technology in schools and even discourages parents from exposing students to it at home - at least until they get a little older.

The article is clear about the fact that there is no proof that students learn better without technology, although there isn't really any that students learn better with it either. It also points out that this is a very expensive, elite private school, which tells us a lot about the kind of students that go there and what kinds of backgrounds they come from. We also know that they don't take standardized tests, and they admit that they'd probably do poorly on them anyway since they don't teach many skills drilled on those tests. The bottom line of the article seems to be that this is simply an alternative for parents (who can afford it) who believe that their children need to be engaged in their education without depending on technological devices.

I think we would all agree that this is not the right approach to take in today's world, when everyone is so dependent on technology; still, the idea has it's merits, especially when it comes to the value of face-to-face interaction and hands-on learning. I also really appreciate the idea of slowly integrating technology into a child's life as they get older, althought I'm not sure how realistic that really is or if it's even beneficial. I believe the best approach is to find some kind of middle ground, but I am interested to hear your reactions to the article.

"If we were really serious about educational technology..."

I found this thought-provoking article while surfing the web. Scott McLeod, an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky, talks about what educators would be doing if they "were really serious about educational technology." We know that technology has come so far recently and is capable of so much, but we still haven't fully integrated all of it into the classroom. This is a great read for all prospective educators; hopefully we all keep it in mind as we begin planning for our future classrooms.

The first point Professor McLeod makes is that we should, "show students how to edit their privacy settings and use groups in Facebook instead of banning online social networks because they’re ‘dangerous’ and/or ‘frivolous’." I could not agree more! I think it's quite ridiculous that most school districts ban social networking sites. While it is important to make sure our students remain on task and safe when using the internet at school, there are more efficient ways of doing so! When I worked at the Boys and Girls Club this summer, the Technology room was equipped with software that allowed the main (teacher's) computer to see and interact with every desktop. Not only were we able to monitor students during free time online, but we were able to use it to launch a PowerPoint presentation on every computer in the room during a lesson. If schools invested in this kind of software, we would be able to do so much more with websites like Facebook.

It is easy to forget: A) the educational possibilities of these sites for our students - especially blogging sites such as this one; and B) the pervasiveness of such sites in the lives of our students; but, we cannot deny the value of teaching our students how to use them properly. We lose so many learning opportunities because these sites are off-limits at schools! I think it would be an amazing idea to teach students about editing privacy settings, especially with the recent changes to the social networking site, and to help them understand the permanent and public nature of posting things on sites like it. Not only would we be teaching them valuable skills, but we'd be helping them plan for the future.

McLeod continues saying that we should, "teach students to understand and contribute to the online information commons rather than ‘just saying no’ to Wikipedia." This is another inspired idea! I've always known that Wikipedia was "unreliable" and unacceptable to cite for academic papers, but I never realized how it could be a great learning opportunity for our students! While I agree that we shouldn't do all of our research on Wikipedia, I have used it to look for sources or find ideas that led to further research. It can be a valuable resource if used correctly; unfortunately, that is something we never bother to teach in school.  I know many teachers have their own class wikis but to have students actually contribute to the biggest one sounds like such an exciting project - one that students could really get engaged in and be proud of.

McLeod also says that we should, "tap into and utilize the technological interest and knowledge of students instead of pretending that they have nothing to contribute." I wholeheartedly agree with this. We all know that students come into the classroom with TONS of knowledge - knowledge that they have gained through their life experiences. We should never forget how valuable this knowledge can be! We know that students love to use technology, and that they know how  to do that better than most of us can. Even those with limited access, like Olivia from Interactivity #1, always seem to find a way to get connected.The younger generations will always be more "in touch" with technology than the older generations, but we forget that we have this wonderful resource of knowledge that walks into our classrooms everyday.  By showing students that they have something valuable to bring into the classroom, we validate their experiences - and we can learn a lot!

I've picked my three favorite points in the article, but he makes a total of 10 - all of which are great. I invite you all to read the article and consider which of these ideas resonate most with you.

"Kindergartners getting Ipads"

I found a video on CNN's website that caught my attention and I thought it would be interesting to share here. In Kindergartners getting Ipads, they tell the story of a school district in Maine that voted to provide Ipads for every Kindergartner in the district. While teachers and administrators overwhelmingly applaud the move, some community members are skeptical about giving the young students the responsibility of caring for the expensive tablet computers.

While it may seem a bit absurd to be giving Kindergartners Ipads, I think it's a brilliant idea. The teacher in the video raves about how the Ipad has motivated students to be excited and engaged in their own learning; what more could we ask for as teachers? I suppose the true success of this move will be measured by test scores at the end of the year, but if the district is willing to foot the bill for the Ipads, I don't see why anyone should oppose it.

It's so important to remember who we are teaching and why we are teaching them. I've heard it said that the point of school is to prepare students for the "real world," but in case you haven't noticed, they are already living in it! What better way to integrate them into today's technologically-driven world than to integrate technology into the classroom in truly meaningful ways? Regardless of whether the Ipads actually help these students learn more, they are gaining the invaluable computer skills necessary to thrive in today's world.

My only criticism of this move is that it should be available to every child in the district, not just kindergartners. There are so many great learning opportunities available to students through the use of personal computers and it's absolutely necessary to provide all of our students with that. Of course, this can be expensive and I wonder if anything like this would happen in a less affluent state/school district. Either way, I think it is a great idea and I'd love to see this happen in more districts across the country.

Interactivity #2: The History of Technology in Schools

Instructional films changed the way classrooms functioned and indoctrinated a whole generation of students into accepting societal norms, values, and beliefs.

Missouri Facebook Law and Implications for Educators Everywhere

We all know that communications technologies can be great educational tools, both inside and outside of the classroom - if and when they are used correctly and appropriately. While browsing the Huffington Post site today, I read about what is now being referred to as the Missouri Facebook Law. In part, the law is intended to keep staff members - including teachers - from contacting students privately online. While the idea certainly has its merits (after all, we all want students everywhere to be safe from the harm of any potential online predators), the law, which was passed last spring, definitely infringes upon the basic constitutional rights of teachers everywhere. (Of course, whether or not it is appropriate or ethical to be Facebook friends with their students is another issue altogether.) The part of the law that addresses this online communication issue has now been repealed but it brings up an interesting point - how much should we be sharing with our students online and when does it stop being professional and start being inappropriate?

I am sure individual school districts have their own policies on these kinds of things, which makes me wonder if a state law on the issue is really even necessary. I would certainly never Facebook friend a student, but I know of people who make a second "professional" Facebook profile so they can add their bosses, coworkers, etc. - would it be inappropriate to do the same for our students? And if Facebook is a no-no, what else is off limits? One article from the Huffington Post briefly mentioned that online courses or online components of courses, such as blogging or discussion boards, might have even been affected by the law. How do we know how much online communication is too much?

This issue definitely brought up more questions for me than answers, and even though it really has no effect on us here, it is definitely an issue that we need to keep in mind when designing and implementing lesson plans that require the use of communications technologies. I can't imagine a similar law being passed in NJ, but if our local school districts have strict rules about these kinds of things, we'll have to change the way we think about using technology in the classroom to make sure we are not crossing any lines.

I am curious to hear what you all think of the law: do you think it should have been repealed? do you think teachers should be Facebook friends with their students? how can we ensure we are using technology appropriately in the classroom? and what kind of effect would a ban like this have on your own future classrooms?

Interactivity #1: Technology as Autobiography

There’s no denying how much of an impact communications technology has on our everyday lives. Whether you’re a tech-savvy computer wiz or just getting by with an outdated flip phone, many of us (myself included) would be lost – or, at the very least, really bored – without the many communications technologies we use regularly. After some consideration, I have to say my cell phone, my laptop, and my iPod are the most important to me. Each of them has shaped my life in some way and they allow for me to be constantly connected to the outside world.

I ranked my cell phone first; more portable than a laptop but capable of just about all the same things, my cell phone is what keeps me consistently connected to what’s going on. I can get the news, Facebook and Twitter updates, texts, picture messages, phone calls, emails, check my bank account, play games and music, watch videos and movies, view, edit and create Microsoft Office documents, and more, from just about anywhere. My laptop is second because it can do all that and more, but I’m not on it as much. My iPod, though a few generations outdated, is still one of my favorite technologies because it was the first type of communications technology I learned how to use.

Because of these technologies I have become very resourceful. If I have a question, I can Google the answer in less than a minute. The internet is full of countless resources for people who are looking to learn; in fact, this summer I learned how to crochet by watching Youtube videos with step-by-step instructions. More than that, you can connect to like-minded people, either through blogs, websites, forums, or even Facebook Group pages, where you can exchange ideas and learn more about the world around you – that’s how I decided to become a vegetarian when I was in high school! The internet can really be a great educational tool.

Of course, I’ve also experienced the downside of these technologies – feeling “too” connected and overly accessible. People expect you to be instantly available to them, but when you get busy or when your phone is going off every 5 minutes, it can all feel a little overwhelming and annoying. Every once in a while, I’ll shut off my phone for a few hours (but this doesn’t happen often due to the feelings of anxiety I get about being disconnected from what’s going on).

While watching the video about Olivia, the first thing I noticed is that technology is not necessarily as easily accessible to her as it is to me. This will probably be the case for some of my students, and it’s definitely something I’ll need to keep in mind as a teacher when assigning work that require the use of technology.

 It is our jobs as teachers to use this technology to incite interest and enthusiasm from our students about what we’re teaching, but we’ll probably also have to teach some of them how to use the technology first or show them what possibilities exist for using that technology to learn. It can be useful to tap into what they do know how to use – Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. – and show them the educational merits to those sites. I also think it would be interesting to explore the ways to incorporate cell phones into the classroom, since that is a technological device that most students do have regular access to. At the end of the day, it’s about being able to keep their attention for long enough to teach them something, and technology is a great way to do that.

The students in the second video reminded me a little more of the kind of technological dependence I see and experience in my everyday life, as they described their devices as third appendages or absolute necessities. Although one can argue the downsides to this dependence, teachers need to use it to their advantage as a way to engage students. If we can find a way to show students the educational side to technology, we can even inspire them to seek knowledge on the internet on their own, like the students in the second video. The possibilities for every content area are literally endless.