Reading+One+-+E

 **Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration? By Peggy Ertmer.**

Questions:

GROUP E: Ekaterina Malioukova. Samantha Relihan, Christina Messiha, Justine Putnam, Gregory Tyszkiewicz, Theresa Bowen, Melissa Simeone, Magdalene Mattson

Technology integration involves maximising the use of technology across the curriculum. This requires the application and practice of a variety of skills such as applying knowledge, the use of meta-language, publishing, researching, critical analysis, and evaluation. For teachers, technology integration is a lengthy process which requires knowledge of technology itself and the ability to adapt technology at a suitable levels of learning and needs of children. When utilised effectively, ICT is a key component in facilitating higher order learning activities. Technology integration should allow students to grow intelectually, rather than focus on the development of isolated ICT skills (Becker in Ertmer, 2005).
 * What is technology integration?**



====Technology integration is the use of technology resources,computers, digital cameras, CD-ROMs, the Internet, etc in daily classroom practices. Through reading Ertmers article I believe that technology integration is achieved when technology tools support the curricular goals and help the students to effectively reach their goals. Students are more actively engaged in projects when technology integration plays a part in the learning process. When effectively integrated into the curriculum, technology tools sucs as Smartboards can extend learning in various ways. These tools, including the Internet and multimedia applications, can provide students and teachers with: ==== Michael Polson
 * Access to up-to-date, primary source material
 * Methods of collecting and recording data;
 * Ways to collaborate with students, teachers, and experts around the world
 * Opportunities for expressing understanding via images, sound, and text
 * Learning that is relevant and assessment that is authentic
 * Training for publishing and presenting their new knowledge.

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It is obvious that technology does contribute towards making learning fun, and it also can make certain things so much easier. The Smart board is helpful for even the most basic of things, such as saving information and being able to refer back to what was written on the board before. The following is a video I found where future teachers (like ourselves) are discussing the benefits of integrating technology and how they will integrate it themselves. The first guy in particular has many interesting and helping things to say as well as pointing out the benefits of engaging students of different learning levels. ====== media type="youtube" key="8RrdeVh9Ox8" height="344" width="425"Magdalene Mattson To ensure this can be maintained and further developed, in-service meetings and participation in professional development programs are ways in which teachers can improve their skills and knowledge. This will allow teachers to transfer this information to their students to develop their own set of learning skills. By extending ourselves, we can then extend our students!
 * Discuss how technology integration can be improved in the classroom?**

This requires that consideration be given to the pedagogical beliefs of teachers, and how these translate into practice. The under-utilisation of technology integration by teachers results from false assumptions and beliefs which are not flexible in response to the changing needs of students, and the potential of technology to meet these needs. It is a factor that must be addressed if any measures towards improving teacher ICT practice is to take place. As Ertmer (2005) demonstrates, changes in teachers' fundamental pedagogical beliefs are the most crucial and difficult to change. In order to assist teachers in the pedagogical changes that must take place, the facilitators guiding them need to be skilled in implementing the necessary changes in ICT integration; able to challenge fears that reluctant teachers hold in relation to a pedagogical shift towards ICT integration; and enthusiastic about the benefits of ICT integration that are relevant to teachers ans students.

My Thoughts....By Tess Barns. //What is technology Integration?// Technology integration is a tool to promote and extend student learning on a daily basis. Educational authorities are becoming more supportive of the integration of ICT in schools. The reason for this is to maximum learning and teaching engagements across the curriculum. Technology integration is very beneficial to children’s learning as it allows for active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-life experiences. In addition to this children are exposed to a deeper learning experience with the integration of technology as it shows how different types of information can be transmitted, received, manipulated, and used to present information in different forms through different software programs. The integration of ICT however can be very daunting to teachers whose background knowledge of ICT is limited. This can result in implications arising to technology integration as they can’t support the children’s learning properly. Teachers in this case need to learn, adapt and assess what technology they are using and if they can utilise it effectively to enhance and deepen their students learning. Technology integration is a tool which supports student’s cognitive, psychomotor as well as their social skills and should now be solely taught or integrated as a means to tick the boxes. Technology will be ineffective unless utilised properly. //Discuss how technology can be improved in classrooms? // Technology integration can be improved through teachers developing their skills in the different forms of technology which they may choose to integrate into the classroom/learning environment. Everyone has their own levels of experience and exposure to the different technologies now available however not everyone has the same depth of knowledge with them. To improve this or overcome this hurdle is for teachers to undertake in-services meetings and professional development opportunities/programs to enhance their own knowledge and skills. As technology integration is a new concept to teachers who have been in the education system for a long time, the notion of technology is quite daunting as some will be starting from scratch. In this case technology needs to be something they incorporate into their everyday lives especially at home. The integration of technology will definitely challenge some teacher’s pedagogical beliefs and as result they may be required to re-think. This is supported by Ertmer (2005) who states that changes in teachers’ fundamental pedagogical beliefs are the most crucial and difficult to change. Recommended approaches to professional development that comprise of; questioning one’s own practice and the practices of others, making assumptions explicit and using classrooms as sites for inquiry. //Ways in which changed belief systems through using ICT have reinforced learning: // · Ongoing communication with the community · Teacher and community joint initiation · Observations of classroom practice with support of technology · Technology tool introduced gradually · Ongoing support from outside sources In conclusion teachers need to make the necessary changes to their skills, knowledge and understandings in regards to technology, how to use it and how to implement it into their pedagogical practiced. This will directly support the teaching and learning environments as well as the curriculum  I believe that constant inservices in schools to update our ICT skills are vital as we need to keep up with the kids! We all know that technology is only going to get bigger and better, children of the 21st century will have access to these wide range of products and are only going to wiser and confident! I agree with Tess in that teachers need to make changes to their skills, knowledge and understanding in regards to technology. Our curriclum will continue to change and technology involvement will only increase. It is important that we do have ongoing support from outside sources and ongoing communication with the outside and school community. Michael Polson

<span style="display: block; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(255,0,106); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(255,0,106); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="color: rgb(128,0,128);">Vanessa Maynard The article by Peggy A. Ertmer compares the use of technology within the classroom with teacher’s views on education; teaching and learning. As contrustivism is my prefered teaching style, the integration of technology into the classroom is a method which I wish to use in my own classroom. I believe that technology allows children to become individual, self motivated learners. One continual criticism of technology use within the classroom is its reliability. I believe that teachers are reluctant to incorporate technology in their classrooms due to its rate of failure and a decreased confidence of the teacher. Thus technology is not used to its full potential in the classroom as teachers find it easier, efficient and more reliable to use traditional teching methods. Teacher’s hold particular beliefs concerning individual learning, individual character traits of students in their class and more personal thoughts on which methods of teaching are the most effective. These beliefs are personal, differ between teacher and hold a very particular importance on the way in which their classroom is run. Specific teacher beliefs determine the choices a teacher makes. When teachers are exposed to new and unfamiliar concepts or ideas, such as the innovation of technology, they make informed decisions about it’s reliability based on their prious experience and beliefs. Thus technology can be seen either as a hinderance, an innovative technique or just another form of giving students information. <span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"> <span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">It is important for teachers to integrate technology into the school curriculum as we are part of a digital age that requires us to use technology in many ways these days. Ertmer's article looks at the importance of the relationship between teacher's pedagogical beliefs and their technology practices. This is examined in order to find out why teacher's are not using technology in the classroom. Technology increases student learning. It is a different method of teaching that allows students to be well equipped for the future. The teacher's beliefs affects the way he/she teaches in the classroom. Vanessa brings up an important point that "teacher's are reluctant to incorporate technology in their classrooms due to its rate of failure and decreased confidence of the teacher." Support is the vital key to educating our teachers educating our children. Michael's point is very valid that we need ongoing inservices to update our ICT skills. Christine Bakhos