Volume I, Issue 19 (January 5, 2007)

Technology Integration: Unit Planning
How do we even begin thinking about teaching with technology? Here is an excellent site from the Kent School District in Washington state - Technology Integration: Unit Planning.

The site outlines an effective process to follow for developing a unit that uses technology wisely. I particularly like the first section which really lays the groundwork for good uses of technology in the teaching and learning process. Some of the questions that are asked:

  • What does research say about using Technology effectively?
  • How do I engage students?
  • How do I know if a lesson is good example of integrating technology?

The site provides a number of excellent links to help answer these questions. Additionally, there are also important suggestions prompting us to think differently about teaching, learning and technology use: "To actually have students engaged, you need to frame projects differently. We no longer need students to just locate facts and regurgitate them. In this digital age it's too easy to copy and paste the answers. The way to frame projects differently is to create an Essential Question for students to answer that involves the desired skills of higher-level thinking. Answers to essential questions cannot be copied and pasted from the Internet."

Anyone interested in working up an exciting project? Contact me!

Randy Ziegenfuss <rziegenfuss@stsd.org>
Chris Smith <csmith@stsd.org>