Technology Integrated Lessons: Who Are You Planning For?

Planning…when teachers think of planning, the first thing we usually think of is lesson planning—what we are going to teach, and in what time frame we are going to teach it.  The next step of planning, after deciding what we are going to teach, is how we’re going to teach it—the presentation.  There is much more to planning a lesson than finding a book on a topic and making some copies. 

To begin planning a lesson, especially one using/integrating technology, teachers should consider the students they are planning to teach.  Are they primary, elementary, middle, or high school students?  Are there students with IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) in the class?  Are there more girls than boys in the room or vice versa?  All of these factors must be taken into consideration in order to plan a lesson focused on student engagement and learning.

To what grade level is the lesson going to be taught? 

The world we live in today is rich in technology.  Our students and children have been deemed “Digital Natives”.  They are growing up in a digital-based society.   Technology is almost an inborn characteristic—children are exposed to it almost immediately.  We've all seen babies playing with their mother’s phones or tablets while in a waiting room.  I myself am guilty of giving my children technology to keep them quiet!  There are some experts who do not believe that technology is appropriate for younger students/children.  Setzer and Monke in an issue of Education and Technology: Critical and Reflective Practices stated their opinion that computers should only be introduced to students when they are in high school—specifically after puberty—because it is at this point in their intellectual maturity that the “forced thinking” caused by the technology is not damaging to the student’s development (Setzer & Monke, 2001).  Picciano points out that while older students are more likely to make use of technology based on the curriculum, such as computer literacy courses and career readiness skills, that Papert (who studied with Piaget) believes students as young as ages 7-11 can benefit from using technology because their logical thinking begins around that age range.  He also argues that student readiness is a moot point because parents have most likely already allowed the students to have and/or use technology (Picciano, 2011).   Teachers should use professional judgment regarding student readiness when planning lessons implementing technology.

Will the lesson be presented to students with special needs?

Technology can be very beneficial for students with special needs.  “Technology is now being used by children who have difficulty learning through conventional means” (Picciano, 2011 pg. 40).  Assistive technology is available for students with vision, hearing, or mobility impairments as well as learning disabilities.  Although access to these devices may be limited, and they are often expensive, there are grants and programs available to help schools acquire some of these devices (Picciano, 2011).  When planning lessons for students with special needs, teachers need to be familiar with the resources available for these students.  See the list of links for assistive technology for sources of devices, funding, and support. To see assistive technology in action, take a look at the video below.

  

Is the lesson being planned for boys or girls?

For many years, there has been a vast difference between the number of boys and girls in science, math, and technology career fields.  Although research shows that the gap is closing, there remains a distinct difference between males’ interest and females’ interest in technology (Bae & Smith, 1997).  “Whereas technology performance research comparing gender differences has been inconsistent, research comparing gender attitudes is more consistent" (Picciano, 2011).  In other words, as with most aspects of life, boys and girls like different things.  In the case of technology usage, it appears that boys play more computer games than girls, and more girls use social networking than boys.  When planning lessons involving technology, teachers need to be aware of the issue regarding gender differences, and avoid using resources involving stereotypical depictions (Picciano, 2011).

Teachers have many factors to take into account when planning a lesson.  We must be purposeful in our planning, not just plan technology integrated lessons for the sake of using technology.   Teachers should always take the needs of their students into consideration when planning lessons.      

References

Bae, Y., & Smith, T. (1997). Women in mathematics and science. National Center for Education Statistics, no. 11 (NCES 97-982).  Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/97982.pdf

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology (5^th ed., text).  Boston: Pearson.

Setzer, V. W. & Monke, L. (2001). An alternative view on why, when, and how computers should be used in education.  Education and Technology: Critical and Reflective Practices.  Retrieved from www.ime.usp.br/~vwsetzer/comp-in-educ.html