Integrating Technology into the Instructional Process: Good Practice Guides the Way. (Marianne Handler)

While this article is fairly out of date, it does offer some practical guidelines and suggestions for teachers looking to integrate technology into their classrooms. Instructional goals determine to a large extent which kinds of technology teachers can utilize to help their students. Handler, the author, does state that this should not happen in reverse; available technology should not influence what content is to be learned. After first identifying the goals of an activity and pointing out what students are to gain from a lesson, software and other potentially helpful technology should be evaluated for its usefulness in facilitating learning. Many types of software can help students both to learn content and also to develop valuable higher-order critical thinking and problem skills. Graphic organizers, like Inspiration, can be helpful for thought mapping and brainstorming. Spreadsheet programs, like Excel, are useful for the organization and evaluation of information (through graphs and charts, for example). Another tool mentioned is instant messaging.

Nowadays, voice and video “chatting” is commonplace and could be integrated into many projects; for example, for developing strategies and solutions to problems with distant groups of people online. Skype is a great example of such a program. As a future foreign language teacher, I could definitely see myself using this to help my students learn Spanish or Japanese. Distance is a non-issue with such a program and many people use it make friends, conduct business, and form online communities. As I have some experience with Inspiration and Excel, I would like to utilize them with my students, yet I wonder if these programs will be available (or sufficient numbers of computers) in the schools in which I will teach.

Handler, M. (2005). Integrating Technology into the Instructional Process: Good Practice Guides the Way. Learning Point.