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Tech Integration Competency Technology is growing increasingly important in todays classroom. It is part of the job for current educators and those of the future to be able to adapt to these technologies, and use them in the classroom. Not only does technology make learning easier for students, but it also develops many social skills need in todays economy. Technology can be used in many different ways in a Social Studies class; with the use of 2.0 web tools, any technological lesson can be made fun and easy. In todays economy, it is vital for students to develop technological skills to enhance their futures. By integrating technology into the classroom, students are able to develop these skills while learning the content that is required of them. The International Society for Technology (ISTE) has set a list of standards expected of students while using technology in the classroom. These standards are set as a guide for what students should be learning about technology, while using it. The first standard that should be used in every classroom is Creativity and Innovation. According to this standard, students should be able to use technology and develop creative thinking and innovative processes. The second standard, Communication and Collaboration, states that students should use digital media and environments to communicate, work collaboratively, and impact the learning of themselves and those around them. The third standard, Research and Information Fluency, states that each student should develop how to effectively gather, evaluate and use information found on digital tools. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, the fourth standard, expresses that these skills should be used to conduct research, manage problems and make informed decisions using digital tools. The fifth, but not the final ISTE standard, Digital Citizenship, simply states

that students should understand societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. All five standards should be used and developed in todays classrooms because they are critical skills to society. Problem solving, creative thinking, digital citizenship and many more are all important aspects to acting like a modern day professional. If students can be taught at an early age how to professionally act and use technology, wouldnt they be set up for all stages of their lives? For one, digital citizenship would teach students how to act responsibly while using technology; ultimately respecting the devices, improving their responsibility and acting respectfully to others using digital tools. Not only does technology improve the quality of students professional skills (as stated in the ISTE Standards), but it also improves the quality of any lesson. For one, adding technology to any lesson will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, high technology based society. Not just that, but projects equipped with technology intellectually challenges students. Technology provides each classroom with more interesting, diverse and current learning materials. Lastly, students are more likely to stay engaged while using technology tools; typically due to the fact that technology reaches out to different types of learners and is able to assess student understanding through multiple means. There are many ways to integrate technology into a typical high school Social Studies class. First off, standard presentations (Prezi or Glogster) can act as a students formative assessment or even as the notes for a flipped classroom. Interactive timelines can be used for students to create, present or even study historical events off of. Another technological activity Social Studies students could participate in is online journaling (or blogging). Blogs could be

used as a discussion board, student writing assignments, or a teachers weekly agenda. The interesting part about blogging is that each student in the class would have access to it, allowing online peer review to happen among the class. Even videos are a handy tool to use in the classroom because it is too often that teachers stand in front of the class and lecture. Videos are a good alternative for students to pay attention to and visualize the information at hand. Finally, SMART Boards and IPads can prove to be very helpful in a high school Social Studies class. They provide multiple opportunities for students to collaborate, interact during activities, and act as a good note taking tool. Throughout my time in Education Technology, I have found multiple 2.0 web tools that I can see myself using in my future classroom. First off, Twitter or other forms of social media should be accepted in the classroom. Students can tweet answers to bell work, using a class hashtag, or even network with other social studies students around the globe. Following that, Prezi and Glogster proved to be two of my favorite presentation tools for student and teacher use. For example, a Glogster can be used as a visually pleasing introduction to a class assignment, a student newsletter, or notes for that day. Along with Prezi, this 2.0 tool can be used as a visually pleasing student presentation or teachers notes. The final 2.0 tool that I have become fond of is Kahoot. This being my favorite 2.0 tool I am sure that it will be used in my future Social Studies class. Kahoot is an online, interactive quiz that also acts as a competitive game for students. Students sign into a teachers quiz using a personal code, submit their name so they know who is who and practice a little friendly competition answering test questions. Though it is very easy to talk about having mass amounts of technology in every classroom, is it really possible? The answer is no, not every classroom is going to have the ideal amount of technology in it. For this reason, it is the educators job to work with what they have.

In a perfect world, each classroom would be equipped with IPads, SMART Boards, projectors, TVS and computers. If my future classroom does not have all these available to me, then adjustments would have to be made. For one, if not every student is able to have an IPad, maybe there would be a set to share. If none at all, almost every student these days has smart phones to use or to share. If there are no computers in each classroom, the school generally has a few computer labs that I could sign out for my class. As a teacher, we need to get accustomed to making adjustments. Not every situation dealt with is going to be ideal, it is our job to work with what we are given. After taking Education Technology, my eyes have opened as to why technology is so important to todays classrooms. Not only does the use of technology encourage a students development of professional technological skills, but it enhances lessons, makes content easier/more fun to learn and it can be used in every class subject. My future Social Studies class will be rich in technology, no matter how much or how little is allotted to me.