True curriculum integration begins when the teacher has the student apply the technology in a manner that is more effective than any other means. To both acclimate and help you develop a better understanding of the basic concepts of integrating technology into one’s curricula, emphasis will be placed on the three levels of integration: Low, Mid, and High.
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Low Level Integration |
Microsoft Excel (spreadsheets) |
Students may use Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program to collect and manipulate data. This is a very effective and expedient way for students to compare data, and graph differences in data to witness visual differences.
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| Microsoft PowerPoint |
Teachers may have students use Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations of their own. This goes beyond the basic level of computer use for students because they are learning more than just the technology. They also are learning effective presentation techniques, and organization of data.
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| Hotlists |
Hotlists are the lowest level of integration. These are Web lists of resources of information that the teacher would like the students to use in order to locate information for their topic. This is similar to having a student research the web, but the legwork has been done by the teacher who has decided the "quality" of the Web sites.
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| Are these effective methods of integrating technology into the curriculum? |
This is the beginning of integration into the curriculum. Hopefully, educators will continue to use the technology, but advance to higher levels of integration.
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Mid Level Integration |
| Online Activities/Lessons |
Traditional examples of activities include labs; worksheets; writing assignments; or group collaborations. Traditional lessons would include guided instruction such as tutorials or lectures. In both cases, these have been converted to use the power and availability of the Internet to make the activities or lessons, more interesting, effective, and interactive for the student. The move to a higher level of integration begins with more teacher planning, while utilizing the Internet.
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| Scavenger Hunt |
A scavenger hunt differs from a hotlist in the fact that a scavenger hunt has a focused goal. Students may be given a list of questions and links, but they will be required to pull all of the information together in order to derive at an overall conclusion
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| Are these effective methods of integrating technology into the curriculum? |
This level of integration requires an instructor who sees technology as a method of learning. These examples are effective methods of integrating technology into the curriculum, however, they are not of the highest level.
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High Level Integration |
The highest level of technology integration has the student utilizing the Web as a resource and tool, rather than a simple storehouse for information. WebQuests are effective measures for applying a high level of integration. Students interact with the WebQuest which requires the student to demonstrate comprehensive and analytical skills, while allowing them to draw conclusions on a generally broad topic.
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| Are these effective methods of integrating technology into the curriculum? |
A WebQuest is the pinnacle of technology integration. This type of resource requires the use of technology as a means of teaching content and skills to the student.
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| Disclaimer: The views/information expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of others. |
