Years ago, when one thought about a school and the various components that made up a learning facility, the most key items would be textbooks, hands-on material, rubrics, and a quality teacher. As time has continued to move forward and there have been changes in various facets of the world’s industry, education is not that far behind, especially with the inclusion and integration of technology. According to the text, “Educational Leadership and Technology,” “in order to accomplish the transformation of American education, school leaders must recognize and use the “power of technology” to improve student productivity, while making “more efficient use of time, money, and staff.” (Garland & Tadeja, 2013) Technology has become such an essential part of the school infrastructure, especially within the last year and during the pandemic. School leaders and teachers were on the frontlines of unloading just how important a role technology would begin to play. The question then becomes not when technology should be used but how technology integration improves student achievement through greater learning engagement.
According to the article eductupia.org article, “What Is Successful Technology Integration?” technology integration is the assimilating usage of various electronic resources within a school’s infrastructure, both in the daily practices and the overall school management. The article states that effective technology integration is shown in three ways: when it is “routine and transparent, accessible and readily available for the task at hand, supporting the curricular goals, and helping the students effectively reach their goals.” (What Is Successful Technology Integration? 2007) These three ways to implement a successful technology plan require a change in how administrators understand the potential of electronic programming that will help differentiate learning while supporting the teachers’ various delivery to provide each child with a quality learning experience that suits them. For example, having students within a classroom that are different types of learners may cause there to be a shift to the different programs that the children can use to complete the same objective. The integration of technology provides an opportunity to meet the students where they are and close the educational gap.
Technology integration needs to be second nature. Many teachers learned during this pandemic that the need to be flexible and adaptable to any changes that could come up, from lack of textbook resources to lack of classroom materials. This pandemic then opened the door for the totality of technology. There is a strong educational shift when a school/district incorporates a strong technology plan, provides the necessary electronic resources and Internet access. The teachers can now reach their students and engage with their students creatively and technically instead of continuing the “stand and deliver” teaching method. Through social media platforms, from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tik Tok, students and staff can dive into learning in a completely new way, which causes students to be more interested in that new lesson and participate with their peers to share new ideas.
According to the text, “Educational Leadership and Technology,” “although technology alone does not provide good pedagogy, digital age tools can jumpstart the creativity of each child.” (Garland & Tadeja, 2013) As administrators, teachers, and staff, we must continue to look at the school community’s needs and how they can continue to support quality learning, they must integrate technology within their day-to-day practices in the classroom. The integration of technology will directly impact promoting the use and understanding of technology, meet the individual needs of the students, and allow students to gain a global mindset when it comes to innovation, creativity, and collaboration.