Tamara Griffith
Integrating Technology
"Technology [...] is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world ."
~David Warlick
Integrating technology is another instructional strategy that I utilize in my classroom. Currently, I have eight Chromebooks in my classroom at all times, and I have access to two computer labs and five mobile Chromebook carts. As a result I have significant access to technology for my students at almost all times. Integrating technology into my classroom is important because of the increased use of and reliance upon technology in our increasingly global society. In order for my scholars to be effective and productive participants in our global society, they will need to be technologically literate. Because not all of my students have access to technology at home, a part of my shared responsibility with other educators is to provide students with plenty of opportunities to develop and refine students' technology literacy.
Integrating technology into the classroom has additional benefits. Many of the online programs that students utilize are adaptive, meaning that the questions and support provided to students is modified immediately as a result of students' demonstrated strengths and needs. Thus, integrating technology allows me to differentiate, and even personalize, the learning experience for my students based upon their current levels and abilities; consequently, all of my students are given material that is appropriately rigorous, thereby ensuring that all students are working towards rigorous academic goals.
In addition, technology, for many students, has been a part of their lives from a young age. Thus, integrating technology into lessons allows students to practice their skills in a familiar format, which, in turn, helps them build connections to the content and skills needed to demonstrate academic growth. Through the use of technology, students are able to research, develop, and design content through project-based learning. This allows them to become critical consumers of facts and information rather than mere passive recipients of knowledge. Additionally, this provides another context in which students can learn how to communicate with others, as some of our technology usage requires students interact with others in an online format.
In addition, my district has made technology integration a more efficient process for students through the implementation of ClassLink. ClassLink allows students to access their files and apps from any device with internet access through the use of their single-sign on user ID and password. As a result, integrating technology into instruction is a much more efficient process since instructional time is maximized since students do not have to remember multiple usernames, passwords, or URLs. Thus, students can spend more time showcasing their content knowledge and skills through their use of technology.
This is an example of the apps screen through ClassLink.
NOTE: Students do not have access to every app listed here as this is my ClassLink home screen.
Google Classroom
One way that I integrate technology into my classroom is through the use of Google Classroom. Google Classroom allows me to post assignments, links, quizzes, helpful resources, and more to benefit my students' learning experiences in my classroom. In addition, students and I can discourse more effectively regarding assignments, as both students and I can comment upon student work. Students are also able to resubmit their work, which emphasizes the importance of editing and revision, a key step in making academic progress and learning from initial mistakes or misunderstandings.
Explore the slideshow below to see how Google Classroom plays a role in my classroom and to see samples of students' work created using Google Slides, a feature of Google Classroom.
After students log into Google classroom, they are able to choose which one of their classes they want to work on.
Once they choose their class, they are able to see the classroom stream, which can contain a variety of assignments, announcements, or links. This is a sample link I posted in my classroom stream for students who did not have our novel, Freak the Mighty, at home.
In addition, Google Classroom facilitates communication about progress with students. Instead of merely me giving feedback to students and the learning process being over, Google Classroom allows students and I to converse regarding assignments through private comments such as this one.
After students log into Google classroom, they are able to choose which one of their classes they want to work on.
Grammar Programs
Another way that I integrate technology into my classroom is through the interactive grammar programs, No Red Ink and Quill. While these two programs do have their differences, both allow students to work with our grammar and language and editing standards in an engaging format that assesses students similarly to how they will be tested on their standardized assessment. I use these programs in a variety of ways: to administer diagnostic assessments, to provide extra practice for a skill, to remediate skills, or to assess students' learning. When students are completing extra practice, I allow them to choose which program they would like to use.
No Red Ink:
This program allows me to assign diagnostics, practice, or quizzes for grammar concepts. When assigning students' work, I can choose which students receive what assignment, thereby allowing me to personalize students' work according to students' needs. I can also adjust the grade level of the assignments students' are working on. Thus, I may assign some students work above grade level to ensure they are working on assignments that are appropriately rigorous. When students initially make their No Red Ink accounts, they select their interests from a menu of items, and the program generates sentences based upon students' selected interests, which students can update as they deem necessary. As a result, students become more invested in practicing or remediating their grammar skills. No Red Ink also keeps track of how many topics students master throughout the course of the school year. As students master topics, they become filled with a green check mark. When students answer a question incorrectly three times in a row, the program provides them with a lesson and examples to help remediate that skill. Thus, students are always aware of how they are progressing with a particular skill. This program allows students to master topics at their leisure if students have completed all of the assignments; many students choose to work on No Red Ink once they have completed all of their classwork.
Quill:
Quill also allows me to assign students diagnostic, practice, and quizzes to my students, but unlike No Red Ink, Quill requires students to type complete sentences and combine sentences and allows students to correct grammar errors in the context of an entire passage. Thus, for some skills, Quill is more aligned to our standardized test. Quill also recommends lessons and practice for individual students, allowing me to personalize students' grammar lessons and practice based upon their demonstrated areas of need.
Both of these programs are useful in my classroom because they allow students to work at their own paces. My higher-performing students can work quickly through topics without getting bored or frustrated by having to continuously work on already mastered skills, whereas my lower-performing students can take their time learning their skills and get the remediation and extra practice needed in order for them to master the content.
Explore the slideshow below to see how both of these adaptive programs are implemented in my classroom.
One of the reasons that No Red Ink is so beneficial is because of the clear data that it provides, which allows me to better differentiate and tailor instruction and small group work to meet students' needs. This diagnostic assessment, for example, allows me to plan for student groupings prior to explicit instruction of these skills.
In addition, No Red Ink tracks each class's mastery of skills. This allows me to adjust instruction based on the needs of individual classes. As a class masters or approaches mastery, I can plan summative assessments or assigning a diagnostic for our next skill.
When we are practicing a skill that is offered on both programs, students are able to choose which program they utilize, thus building student investment and ownership. Here, the student in the front is working on mastering topics in No Red Ink, while the student in the back types her responses into Quill.
One of the reasons that No Red Ink is so beneficial is because of the clear data that it provides, which allows me to better differentiate and tailor instruction and small group work to meet students' needs. This diagnostic assessment, for example, allows me to plan for student groupings prior to explicit instruction of these skills.
Quizizz
Another way I incorporate technology integration in my classroom is through the use of formative assessment tools, such as Quizizz. Quizizz allows students to answer questions at their own pace, receive immediate feedback about their progress, and allows me to determine students' progress. Typically, I use Quizizz in two ways: as an exit ticket or as a test review. Because Quizizz is formatted to look and sound like a game, students become motivated to answer the questions. When students finish the assessment, they are immediately provided with their score. Often, students will ask to retake the Quizizz to obtain a higher score so that they can demonstrate mastery (80% or higher). If a group of students have similar misunderstandings, then I can pull them aside and review the material or address students' misconceptions at the beginning of the lesson the subsequent day.
Navigate the slideshow below to see how Quizizz is utilized in my classroom.
Quizizz offers these features to ensure that this formative assessment is as fun, interactive, and engaging as possible. Based on students' feedback, I will remove the timer option as the limited time frame was a point of stress for some students.
Students join the game by going to this website and entering the game code. If students have downloaded the Quizizz app on their ClassLink, they can access the game from there instead. Once students enter the game, they are able to complete the assessment at their own pace.
Overall, Quizizz was a fun and engaging way to assess students' knowledge of a skill.
Quizizz offers these features to ensure that this formative assessment is as fun, interactive, and engaging as possible. Based on students' feedback, I will remove the timer option as the limited time frame was a point of stress for some students.
Technology is becoming more and more prevalent and important in today's global society. As a result, it is important that I incorporate technology in my classroom in a variety of ways to ensure that students become technologically literate and develop the skills they need to maneuver and manipulate different technology programs. Providing students with the opportunity to complete classwork, projects, and assessments online allows me to foster students' technology literacy and helps students learn how to communicate professionally and eloquently online. Additionally, incorporating technology in the classroom allows students to interact with their content knowledge and skills in an additional context, which helps facilitate transferability and leads to deeper mastery of the material.