Running Head: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM 1

Integrating Technology in the Classroom and

Its Effect on Student Engagement

Melanie Remp

University of Kansas
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Integrating Technology in the Classroom and Its Effect on Student Engagement

If you walk into any classroom you will see students, teachers, probably some books, and

most likely some sort of technology. As the United States progresses through an era where

technological development is growing at a alarmingly fast rate, schools and teachers may find

themselves in a position where they are expected to teach students that know more about the

technology in the classroom than any adult does. For the teachers and schools it is their duty to

learn about the technological resources available to them and how to integrate them into their

classroom in a way that engages students.

The effective integration of technology and having authentic student engagement is the

goal. Not only should teachers and schools be using the technology, but also it needs to be used

in a way that fosters growth in students through growing their twenty-first century learning skills

and preparing them to be an active member of a technological society. Teachers can encourage

students growth with a variety of teaching strategies and programs that are possible to use with

all subjects and grade levels.

Engagement can look different in every classroom or with every student. It can include

students working collaboratively to solve a common goal, providing and responding to feedback,

or even participating in class discussion or activities. The options teachers have of what

engagement goes on and on. The key factor is that students are active in their learning and not

just slumped over in their desk, half asleep. According to Jensens (2013) book on engaging

students in a low-socioeconomic status (SES) setting, school engagement was a key factor in

whether students stayed in school (p. 2). Knowing this, as a teacher in a low SES school,

knowing how to effectively integrate technology to encourage engagement in my classroom is

key to ensuring student success in school.

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Currently I am working at a middle school in an urban setting. A majority of students in

the district qualify for free and reduced lunches. Many students live in single parent households

or foster homes. Behavior issues are common, but there are strict procedures students are

expected to follow that mitigate major behavioral disruptions. There is strong support for

teachers in terms of discipline from administration. Although students come to school with

challenges, the entire school staff works together to get the best out of students.

Overall there is a positive school culture not only in terms of behavior, but towards

learning as well. Reading is encouraged through reading rallies and rewards for completing

books. There are monthly math and writing competitions that engage students to use skills

learned in class. Students actively participate in these events and show a true passion for their

learning.

While there is no school competition or reward directly tied to social studies, some

students still show interest in the subject. That being said, social studies can also be many

students least favorite class due to the difficult readings and notion that we are always talking

about dead people. Getting and keeping students engagement in class is one of the biggest

challenges I face on a daily basis.

Towards the beginning of this school year every middle school in my district received

one to one Chromebooks. At my school students check out a computer every morning and return

it in the afternoon. Teachers are expected to use a variety of learning activities with the

Chromebooks to enhance students learning. The computers are also intended to be a way to

reduce expenses, including copy machine toner and paper. Many teachers have enjoyed the

computers and being able to have students do more research and explore different online

programs. In my classroom students have been able to do more research-based assignments,

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work with images, and basic computer skills. It is safe to say that having the new technology has

made positive advances in my classroom.

At the beginning of next school year every teacher in my school will receive a flat screen

television, an Apple TV device, a Chromecast device, and an iPad for teacher use with these

devices. While many teachers are excited for these new devices (theyre referred to as toys in our

meetings), there are also concerns about receiving adequate training to properly use them on

more than the surface level.

Integrating technology into a classroom requires knowledge of resources and programs

available, as well as instructional strategies that work well with technology. When it comes to

learning how to use new instructional strategies or resources, many presenters in professional

development have said it will just take time and practice to be confortable with the newly learned

concept. While that sounds promising, in reality teachers often do not have time to work on the

new concepts or some teachers will simply say they will not try. One possible way to combat the

concerns with teachers understanding technology is restructuring teacher education programs to

include an emphasis on how to use technology to assist in student learning.

In his 1997 article, R Thomas Wright traced the lack of teacher education in technology

to teacher preparatory programs. Wright argued when Industrial Technology programs became

more popular, future teachers were in technology classes heavy in jargon, but light on models of

good teaching. He points out concerns with the curriculum of teacher education. The strong

emphasis at many universities in researching and publishingdirects the faculty members

perspective away from everyday problems associated with implementing technology education

(Wright, 1997, p. 33). Based on Wrights argument, and my experience as an education student,

there is little emphasis placed on technology education. During my undergrad career I took a
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single technology course where we practiced using different computer programs. While I learned

skills I use today from that course, I did not learn any teaching strategies around technology.

Teachers that have been in the field longer have even less experience with technology in their

preservice teacher education. In order to encourage more teachers to effectively integrate

technology teacher education programs need to evaluate about their role in preparing teachers to

help students grow their twenty-first century learner skills.

When I have conversations with coworkers about the goals they have for their students,

many will say they want their students to be better twenty-first century learners. They want their

students to be able to use technology and develop skills that will help them in the workforce or

college. At the end of the nineteenth century John Dewey published the concept of participatory

learning. Deweys goal was to have students learning directly relate to skills and knowledge that

would be beneficial to students in the workforce (Cunningham, 2009, p. 46). The idea of

preparing students to be twenty-first century learners, like Deweys participatory learning,

encourages students to be successful when they enter adulthood with necessary skills to achieve

their goals.

Twenty-first century skills are widely discussed amongst educators, but are not always

implemented in schools. Cunningham (2009) discusses many challenges with implementing said

skills, one of which is the increased emphasis on meeting content standards. Students take

numerous standardized tests that require a large amount of content knowledge in order to score

well. In this format teachers are expected to teach the content knowledge, and working on

twenty-first century learner skills is given less emphasis in the classroom. For technology to be

effectively integrated, teachers must develop ways to work on providing students with chances to
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develop the twenty-first century learner skills, while also getting past just covering basic content

knowledge.

As previously mentioned, I teach in a school district where a large percentage of students

qualify for free and reduced lunches. Since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was passed in 2001,

school districts like mine began to have more money granted to them to make sure all students

are proficient according to standardized assessments (Kitchen & Berk, 2016, p. 4). The emphasis

on proficiency and increased funding to high needs districts led to more technology in schools

that primarily serve the most underserved students. While on the surface the new technology

may seem like an invaluable resource that will help students become more proficient, that is not

always the case. Kitchen and Berk (2016) argue that schools with primarily low-SES students

tend to use technology as a tool to catch students up on basic skills instead of more rigorous and

academically stimulating discussions, at least in mathematics. For schools and teachers that serve

low SES students it becomes increasingly important to think critically about how technology can

be used as a resource to develop twenty-first century learner skills, and not just to catch up on

academic areas where students might have a lack of knowledge.

While there are challenges with integrating technology in the classroom, the benefits

outweigh them. One benefit of using technology is in meeting the needs of diverse learners in a

classroom. In any given class of mine you will find a mix of English Language Learners (ELLs)

with a wide range of English understood, Special Education (SPED) students with different

needs, high achieving students, as well as students that have disruptive behaviors. To help all

these students learn there is a need to have flexibility and choice built into lessons. As Blagojevic

(2003) explained, by offering a variety of activity choices and adaptable learning tools like the

computer, teachers are better able to design curriculum to meet the diverse needs of learners (p.
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29). Choice and flexibility can be designed through how students present knowledge, videos for

students that need them, and review games to help students with basic reading or match

concepts. By having choice and flexibility students that need more help or to work by

themselves, are able to still receive instruction, but just in a form that better fits their needs.

In addition to assisting with individualizing instruction, technology can also assist with

group work and presentations. When all students have a device (computer, iPad, phone) they are

all able to participate in research and problem solving in class. Therefore collaborations are not

just one student doing the research, one creating a presentation, and one presenting the

information (Zakrzewski, 2016, p. 482). With a program like Google Docs, students can all work

on the same project at once. All students can type, edit, and design the presentation. The use of a

program like Google Docs, or Google Slides, also allows the teacher to check in on groups and

provide feedback in an efficient manner.

If the technology is available for students to present from their devices it can also be a

time saver. Zakrzewski (2016) discussed the benefits of students presenting through Apple TV,

or any streaming software. These benefits included saving transition time due to groups not

having to go from their desks, to the front of the room, setting up their presentation, and back to

their desks. She also mentioned how students are more comfortable speaking in front of the

whole class if they dont feel alone, and are instead surrounded by their group who can also help

answer questions about the presentation.

Although there are many benefits to students when it comes to technology in the

classroom, teachers can also benefit from its use. As mentioned earlier, teachers often are in

classrooms filled with students that have diverse needs. Technology can be used to set up lessons

and activities that give students flexibility and choice in their learning. Teachers also can obtain
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access to tools that help with classroom management and tracking students success with

learning targets. These programs teachers could use can continuously monitor and record

students progress on a consistent basis, allowing ongoing performance assessment and data-

based decision making (Musti-Rao et al, 2015, p. 197). Having data online serves many positive

side effects for teacher. One is that teachers can print off records of student behavior or learning

progress for conferences or meetings about services for any student. Teachers also have easier

access when everything is consolidated in a program that can be accessed from anywhere or any

device, instead of filed away in a cabinet or heavy notebook. Both of these side effects are

timesavers for teachers who seem to never have enough time in the school day.

A question or concern that is often discussed when it comes to effectively integrating

technology into the classroom is how to make sure students are engaged with what is happening

in class, and not sidetracked on other websites. Students might appear to be working, but there

can be questions about how much they are actively paying attention. One way to address the

problem regarding learners unobservable engagement characteristics is to use electronic

feedback devices, which utilize questions intended to extrapolate learners levels of cognitive

engagement (Sun et al, 2014, 236). Teachers can use website surveys or anonymous polls to

pose questions as new topics are being introduced or at the end of class to see how students are

understanding the topic. This allows teachers to adjust class on the spot (depending on when the

questions are asked), or for the next day.

By having students provide feedback, and teachers using feedback to design their lessons,

student engagement is likely increased for two reasons. First, students have a means in which to

engage in class. It is not just the teacher lecturing and students taking notes for the duration of

class. Students get a chance to have their voice heard and can let the teacher know if they do not
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understand. Secondly, if students see that a teacher is responding to the feedback and covering

what students do not understand or skipping what students do understand they are more likely to

be engaged. This shows students that their voices are being heard. If students trust the teacher to

listen to them they are more likely to buy into what is happening in class.

One of the previously stated benefits of technology was being able to meet the needs of a

diverse classroom population. When it comes to measuring engagement of diverse students, Wu

and Huang found in their 2007 article on technology engagement that low-achieving students

typically do better with teacher-centered instruction, whereas high-achieving students do better

in student-centered classrooms. Knowing this, teachers can be more strategic about how different

students use technology. If it is possible students that struggle more in class can have small

group instruction with a teacher and then have review activities or games on their available

devices. While the teacher is working with the low-achieving students, high-achieving students

can be doing problem-solving tasks by themselves or in small groups. This set up would ensure

that all students are able to learn in an environment where they are most likely to be successful

and pushed to be their best.

Regardless of if a classroom is student or teacher centered, technology can also increase

student engagement outside of the classroom. On a daily basis students are out of class for field

trips, suspensions, illnesses, sports, etc. For teachers, the task of dealing with student absences

and getting students caught up on missed work can be tedious. This task can include making

copies of notes, conducting study halls, and recreating lessons so students can catch up. While

any teacher will do these things, technology can simplify the process and keep students engaged

in class. [Students] felt the technology made it easier to continue their learning at home, either

after school or if they were absent that day (Downes & Bishop, 2012, p. 10). Having
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assignments uploaded to Google Classroom, where students can see and complete work, allows

students to do work they missed at home, without necessarily having to stay after school. If links

to materials read, or videos that extend learning are provided to students they can also study

those to help expand their knowledge. That being said, if students do not have a device or access

to the Internet at home, they may not be able to stay caught up (engaged) away from school. In

this case students would need to work at school but they would be able to do so before or after

school with any adult, or in another class when there is available free time.

A blended learning style course, similar to what was mentioned above, allows students to

have a mix of class at school and from home to meet their academic needs. An advantage of the

blended learning environment is that, while students had the freedom to study at their own pace,

they also had the opportunity to discuss the online materialwith their peers and the instructor

to perform the hands-on activities (Delialiolu, 2012, p. 320). In this environment students can

do the introductory work at home through readings or videos. Students can then either participate

in a discussion board on a class website, like Google Classroom, or come to class with answers

to questions that can be discussed at the start of class. This saves precious class time that would

normally be spent on base level knowledge that can now be used for hands-on activities or

problem-based learning. Delialiolu also mentions that regardless of students individual

factors, all students engage with academically meaningful activities equally well in the problem-

based environment. Even if students are unable to do work at home from computers and it must

be done on paper, technology can be used in the classroom with groups to solve problems and all

students can be more engaged with their learning.

When thinking about integrating technology into the classroom, it is important for

teachers to think about how the technology they are planning on students using will benefit their
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learning. While there are many programs that can supplement student learning or just fun to use,

in the end the goal is students grasping a concept and truly learning a skill. Using technology as a

part of a specific teaching model can ensure that students are learning the desired content and

skills. The Group Investigation teaching model, as discussed in Joyce, Weil, and Calhouns

Models of Teaching, Ninth Edition, can pair well with technology. The Group Investigation

model has students start with a problem and work through possible solutions individually and as

a group, then come together to review their progress. This model requires students to work as a

group with specific roles in order to solve an issue. Technology can be integrated with the Group

Investigation model for research, idea sharing, and presenting their discoveries. Students could

also work from home, or at different times, and still collaborate with their group members.

In addition to having students learn how to solve an issue, Group Investigation also

teaches students important communication and teamwork skills that can be beneficial later in

life. The (Group Investigation) model of teaching replicates the negotiation pattern needed by

society. Through negotiation the students study academic knowledge and engage in social

problem solving (Joyce et al, 2015, p. 250). As society becomes more technologically advanced

and social, it is important that students know how to communicate effectively with others. Using

technology with this model allows students to not only practice having roles in society and

communication, but they are also learning how to communicate with specific technologies.

Therefore, this model can be fun and engaging for students, while also meeting the teachers goal

of students acquiring a skill and content knowledge.

One thing I pride about myself as a new teacher is my ability to adapt and try new things.

Although I have tried many different resources as far as technology goes there are many things I

look forward to implementing in my classroom. As a social studies teacher I do not spend much
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time on having students memorize names and dates. Instead most of class time is spent doing

investigations and working on critical thinking skills. There are several areas in which

technology can be integrated with these investigations.

Currently, when students are doing investigations, they work in pairs, or by themselves if

that is what they are comfortable with. In the future I would like to encourage students to work in

collaborative groups where they can work on twenty-first century learner skills and

communicating with others on technology that is used in college or the workforce. Secondly,

during investigations I want to encourage students to do more research with problem solving,

instead of just using teacher provided documents. Having students use an online research

database or teacher created website list allows students to again work on their twenty-first

century learner skills. Lastly, when it comes to investigations, I want to have students use Google

Docs or Google Slides to share information. These tools will allow students to share knowledge

with each other, while also requiring all students to be engaged. One student will no longer be

responsible for taking notes, or doing research, or gathering materials. With investigations doing

these changes all students can be involved in all aspects of group work.

When it comes to student work presentations, regardless of the assignment being group or

individual, I look forward to having students present from their seats with their computers. Once

the television and Chromecast device is installed in my classroom sharing work will not take as

long. In the past students only a few students could present to the time it took to transition

between presenters. With Chromecast and the Chromebooks students can present quicker and

more often. It is my hope that doing more frequent presentations will create a positive classroom

climate where all students are more comfortable and willing to take risks.
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The third change I would like to implement in my classroom is having students provide

more real time feedback. Currently, my class periods start with bell work to introduce a topic and

end with an exit slip that asks students to summarize key topics or their learning for the day.

While exit slips are a nice activity, I often dont realize if students are completely lost until the

end of class. Having students do check in questions throughout class can help give me a better

understanding of where students are with their learning and make necessary modifications to the

plan for class. Since I already dedicate some time to student reflection, the biggest change for me

will be changing the structure of the feedback.

There are several ways this feedback can be done with the technology available at my

school. Google Forms allows teachers to create polls or quizzes for all question types. Benefits

of Google Forms include that it will make a chart of student answers and they can be anonymous

so students are hopefully more likely to be honest in their answers. However, the polls do tend to

take more time for students to complete. If student privacy is not a concern a website like Padlet

allows students to post an answer response to a question posed by the teacher on a board.

Students can also see other answers posted by their peers. Several teachers in my school have

had positive experiences using Padlet. They reported that students liked the interactive nature of

the website, and they liked being able to see all answers in one place. Padlet also allows teachers

to manipulate the placement of students answers to group similar responses. This can allow

teachers to place students into groups based on their level or understanding or interest in a topic;

therefore, learning can be more engaging to students as their individual needs and interests are

taken into consideration

In his book, Jensen (2013) warned about the importance of keeping students engaged,

especially in a school where many students have low SES, stressing the importance of teachers
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thinking critically about how to engage students. Providing teachers with training for different

technological applications and ensuring all students have the ability to work with technology are

imperative if all students are going to develop into twenty-first century learners. Additionally, if

technology is used to encourage student engagement, teachers can easily design their class to

meet the needs of all students while also monitoring the learning and behavior of all students in a

convenient manner.

When it comes time to prepare my classroom for the next school year, I look forward to

designing my curriculum in a way that allows for group collaboration to solve problems. The

new technology that will be available for my students and I should help with keeping all students

involved in assignments, as well as saving class time on presentations so students can have as

much time as needed to complete their investigations.

There is no magic switch or activity to fix an engagement issue in the classroom.

Technology is merely one way to think about improving student engagement. As Jensen (2013)

said, Students do not magically become more interested and engaged every year they attend

school unless you get better each year, too (p. 3). In the end, teachers must work to keep

students engaged and active in class.

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Cunningham, C. A. (2009). Transforming Schooling through Technology: Twenty-First-Century

Approaches to Participatory Learning. Education and Culture, 25(2), 46-61.

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Delialiolu, O. (2012). Student Engagement in Blended Learning Environments with Lecture-

Based and Problem-Based Instructional Approaches. Journal of Educational Technology

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Downes, J. M., & Bishop, P. (2012). Educators Engage Digital Natives and Learn from Their

Experiences with Technology. Middle School Journal, 43(5), 6-15.

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Jensen, E. (2013). Engaging students with poverty in mind: practical strategies for raising

achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2015). Models of Teaching (Ninth ed.). Upper Saddle River,

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