Writing and Research on Tech in the Classroom

This edtech implementation guide from Edutopia, the organization founded by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, presents a detailed how-to on successfully integrating technology into your classroom.

"When technology integration is at its best, a child or a teacher doesn't stop to think that he or she is using a technology tool -- it is second nature. And students are often more actively engaged in projects when technology tools are a seamless part of the learning process."

This research study from AdvancedEd points out some troubling truths about how technology is being used in classrooms and points to the fact truly successful technology implementation lies more in classroom management than in the tech itself.

"While the pervasive use of tablets, smartphones, laptops and digital education content is expanding around us, in the classroom, students are not actively using these technologies for learning—even within well-equipped classrooms where access is not the problem."

While this study focuses on the use of PowerPoint specifically and its connection to student outcomes and motivation, the key lies in that the study is a direct comparisson between a group of students who were taught using technology and a group of students who used no technology at all.

"As one of the most important goals of using new ways of teaching language in secondary schools is to promote students' motivation towards learning, we can see in this study that using powerpoint presentations operates as a powerful pedagogical tool in English classes. This study supports the effect of superiority of technology-based lessons as compared to traditional lessons."

This research study focuses on student engagement and motivation after a technology-rich curriculum was implemented for students from grades 7-12 in an urban New England Charter School.

"To create an effective 21st century classroom that meets the needs of the students, a modern teacher must factor a student’s motivation to learn and the effects technology has on inclusionary education... The results showed that students feel motivated through the specific use of technology in the classroom, whether it be for pedagogical purposes or for accommodations as required by an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan."

This study compiled at West Point examines test scores of three distinct student groups (no tech, free use of tech, and tech use while device is flat on the desk) to determine the effect Internet-connected devices have on academic performance.

"Average final exam scores among students assigned to classrooms that allowed computers were 18 percent of a standard deviation lower than exam scores of students in classrooms that prohibited computers... this negative effect occurs in classrooms where laptops and tablets are permitted without restriction and in classrooms where students are only permitted to use tablets that must remain flat on the desk surface."

This article from Education Weekly is a basic primer for those looking to know more about different key factors involved when implementing an edtech-focused curriculum.

"Public schools in the United States now provide at least one computer for every five students. They spend more than $3 billion per year on digital content. Led by the federal government, the country is in the midst of a massive effort to make affordable high-speed Internet and free online teaching resources available to even the most rural and remote schools."

This article focuses on a recently deployed tool to help educators and administrators make decisions on how best to implement technology inglobal school communities.

"In doing this research, you realize how often adoption of educational technology is done without much forethought... Frequently, the decision to use a particular technology is based on who can make the most appealing sales pitch to the buyer, who will not be the user. Then, [the technology] ends up in a classroom where people haven’t prepared for it. There’s always a need to improve the process, even more so in developing countries where these technologies are new."

This research study published by the Public Library of Science examines teacher and student perceptions concerning the impact of using tablet devices for teaching and learning purposes, focusing specificly on implementation in the high school environment.

"The introduction of tablet devices entails a shift in the way students learn, as the devices provide interactive, media-rich, and exciting new environments. The results of this study indicate that policy makers should consider introducing technical and pedagogical support in order to facilitate both teachers’ and students’ understanding of the full potential of this kind of technology in education."

This exhaustive study is all encompassing look at the evolution of technology integration into the modern classroom. The study's more specific focus is looking at technology as a solution in bridiging the divide between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

"Put simply, ensuring that every child attains a baseline level of proficiency in reading and mathematics seems to do more to create equal opportunities in a digital world than can be achieved by expanding or subsidising access to high-tech devices and services... building deep, conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking requires intensive teacher-student interactions, and technology sometimes distracts from this valuable human engagement"

This review looks at technology integration and focuses on strategies to combat different challenges when implementing a tech-centered curriculum. The review puts heavy empahsis on the important teacher support and proffesional development.

"Recent studies indicate that only 23 percent of teachers feel prepared to integrate technology into their instruction, and when they do integrate technology, they tend to use it to present information rather than to provide hands-on learning for students (Moeller and Reitzes, 2011). Teachers are more likely to use technology in ways that promote student engagement, inquiry, and self-directed learning after receiving in-depth and sustained professional development in technology integration"