DeBacker Boosters: Technology-infused Classroom

Video: Classroom of the Future

Technology-infused Classroom

Churches’ (2008) research indicates that a technology-infused classroom can facilitate 21st century learning by encompassing the factors of resources, skills, and curriculum (p. 8). In addition the physical classroom space must change to accommodate a learning environment that allows for both teacher centered and student centered modes of instruction (p. 14). The researcher identifies changes of the traditional means of instruction and learning:

Welcome to the 21st Century. The rapid advances in technology, linked with reducing cost and increased connectivity are changing our students. They are, for better or for worse, learning in different modes. For teaching to be relevant, for it to be meaningful, teachers must change and adapt. Our curriculum, our teaching practice, our learning spaces and our approaches to technology all must change in the current age (p. 15).

Mountain Gap Middle School (MGMS) in Huntsville, Alabama is emerging into a technology-infused school. MGMS is now equipped with projectors and document cameras in the majority of classrooms. Most academic teachers now have a Promethean whiteboards and accompanying software. Professional development is available in varying areas of technology at the school level and district level. Mrs. DeBacker, Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Lane are emerging leaders in technology integration at both the school and district level; they provide in-service opportunities for teachers throughout the district. Teachers across the district are at least dabbling with technology integration. With limited funding and knowledgeable technology support personnel many teachers are at a standstill and are stuck on the lower end of the continuum of transition from the traditional to the 21^st classroom of embedded technology instruction. Lowther, Russell, and Smaldino (2008) describe the transition from the traditional classroom to the digital classroom as being most important for the education of today’s digital native students. Furthermore, a continuum by Prensky, as cited by the researchers, for moving from traditional curriculum instruction to technology embedded curriculum instruction starts with dabbling and ends with technology-infused classroom (p. 334). Figure 1 gives a visual of what the future classroom may look like.