Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms

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Technology is an ever growing industry that impacts and is implemented in all lives. We are constantly surrounded by technology, whether it be on using a smartphone, or simply using the internet to check the weather. Since technology is such a big deal in our everyday lives, it is safe for us to assume that technology will continue to impact the world of education. Many teachers already incorporate many uses of technology into their teaching through mediums like smart boards and computers. However, with the

rapid growth and reliance on technology in the past few years, many educators can be overwhelmed with the thousands of different technology resources that are available. Also, many teachers may not have the technological fluency to be able to incorporate different technologies in their class. There are many people and models that stress the importance of utilizing technology in the classroom, however, that can be difficult when teachers are tasked to work with young children who do not have the skills to work and learn through technology. Therefore, elementary teachers can be at a stalemate when it comes to incorporating technology in their classrooms with 5-9 year old children. It is important for elementary teachers to know that successful technology integration does not have to be incredibly complex and profound. Successful technology integration is simply giving students access to tools that match the task at hand and also allows for greater understanding of the information they are working with.


I believe that technology integration in classrooms should be used as a supporting tool to traditional educational means, not a replacement for personal interaction with teachers and peers. Successful technology should come alongside learning to further understanding and increase engagement in learning new things. In my own educational experience, my favorite classes have been those that use technology in unique and novel ways that give us greater enjoyment in learning and more opportunity to work/grow with peers. During my senior year of high school, I took an Instructional Practices in Education class where we were tasked with creating a technology-based lesson and/or review strategy to engage students in the grade we chose. The project itself was to be graded independently, but we could work with peers to throw out ideas and give suggestions to further build upon foundational ideas. I focused on making a digital escape room for lower level elementary students to use math to save The Avengers from their enemy, Hydra. It was a fun, engaging way to review with students, and it was also fun to make because I could be creative in creating a storyline. The digital escape room was not there to replace learning, but to support and further elaborate on what had been taught and discussed. That is what I believe makes successful technology integration and there are so many interesting and unique resources that are available to assist teachers in incorporating technology into their classrooms.