Spink Master’s Portfolio 1

Technology: Cross Cutting Theme

The teacher demonstrates the ability to apply technology to support student learning which can
include: The integration of interactive technologies and resources in instructional plans, the use of
technology options for learners to manage data and direct their own learning, the use technology
to scaffold content understanding and skill development, the employment of technology to
support assessment practices both to engage learners more fully and to assess and address learner
needs, the use of technology to engage learners in meeting learning objectives, and the effective
evaluation of technology resources for quality, accuracy and effectiveness.

Technology in the classroom has the power to enhance learning and create a more
interactive environment throughout the different range of subjects in elementary school. There
are numerous uses for technology in the classroom including assessment, instruction, lesson
design, and research projects (Promethean, 2020). The academic website, Edutopia (2007),
discusses the specific effects that classroom technology can have, stating that “when
technology integration in the classroom is seamless and thoughtful, students not only become
more engaged, they begin to take more control over their own learning, too. Effective tech
integration changes classroom dynamics, encouraging student-centered project-based
learning” (para. 1). The three benefits of increased student engagement and autonomy,
transformed classroom dynamics, and student-centered project based learning are present
within my classroom research project and the technologically represented assessments taken
throughout the procedure as well as my passion project with its interactive features and
emphasis on student exploration within its online interface.
The first possible benefit that technology integration can have in the classroom is
through improved student engagement and autonomy. Improved activities with technological
devices such as audio books and recorders, interactive white boards, and more accurate
assessments can all contribute to this increased engagement. Promethean (2020) expands on
this third trait of assessment, stating that “technology can be used for instant assessment;
helping to boost engagement, identify knowledge gaps, and support deeper learning” (para. 1).
These three elements of increased engagement, identifying knowledge gaps, and supporting
deeper learning through the use of technological integration are present through the
assessments used, and the graphic representations of the data, within my classroom research
project. Within this research project, which consisted of a three week intervention focused on
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improving engagement during the reading portion of the day utilizing literature circles, students
filled out exit tickets in response to the literature circles, participated in interviews focused on
reading, and were observed through observation logs throughout the process. These three
forms of data were then graphed, with my high achieving group of four students compared to
the group average in the exit tickets each day, and individually tracked with the observation
logs in a line graph. The graphic organization of the assessments taken throughout the three
week intervention helped me gauge, and improve, student engagement through better
informed instructional practices and identify the gaps in knowledge that individuals were
struggling with in the research study while leading to results driven growth in depth of
understanding.
Student engagement is one of the most important elements to focus on when
integrating technology into the classroom. In terms of enhancing student engagement through
assessment strategies, Promethean (2020) states that “edtech can also be used to aid formative
assessment” (para. 3). In my classroom research project, I triangulated collected data from
three different sources including exit tickets which were completed each day during the three
week period, observation logs, and interviews. In order to represent the data from these
formative assessments, I utilized bar and line graphs to put my spread sheet data into a more
visually accessible format. While this took some time, the accumulated patterns helped point
out some discrepancies in the research project and led to improved instruction as a whole. In
particular, one deviance that I noticed in the graphic representations was that one student’s
observation log scores were much lower than her exit ticket scores in relation to her peers.
When I talked to the student, she pointed out that she didn’t really like talking that much but
that she enjoyed listening to her partners discuss the material in the literature circles. As I
watched her take notes in subsequent literature circles, the discrepancy in the graphs made
sense, I hadn’t taken into account the significance of active listening. After the intervention I
placed much more emphasis on active listening and its importance in student engagement,
leading to richer interactions in the ensuing literature circles. Without the technological
representation of this data, I wouldn’t have noticed the importance of this key characteristic.
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In addition to aiding student engagement through better instructional practices,

technology integration can also help address teacher and student knowledge gaps through
better assessment practices. Often the trick is, finding the correct assessment practice to
illuminate potential knowledge gaps in instruction or student knowledge. As Wiggins &
McTighe (2011) reinforce, “what would be valid assessment tasks, questions, or challenges to
find out if our teaching goals were met” (p. 96). In the case of the research project, graphing
the exit tickets showed trends in the quality of the rubric graded student work throughout the
three weeks. While most of the students were trending up in their scores, one of the smartest
students initially improved the first week and then tailed off the next two weeks, finishing with
worse scores then when he started. When I talked to him the reason was simple, he didn’t
have any friends in his assigned literature group. Again, the trend displayed in the graphs led to
a key understanding of the importance of social dynamics in instruction and activities, filling this
personal teaching knowledge gap.
The third benefit that technology integration in the classroom can have on increased
student engagement is through promoting deeper learning. In terms of this deeper learning,
Echevarria & Graves (2011) make that point that “personality development, including
cooperation and consideration, is a primary value and is the focus of education” (p. 38). While
doing the research project, my principal was skeptical about implementing literature circles into
the accepted day to day curriculum. However, after seeing the data represented in the graphs
and the overall improvement trends in the different groups, he lobbied for other teachers in
the elementary wing to start utilizing this strategy. Transforming the spreadsheets of
assessment data into graphic representations illuminated these trends, displaying the increased
cooperation through the observation log graph in conjunction with the interviews, and led to
deeper learning within the elementary section of our school through this improved reading
practice and overall improved student engagement.
Technological integration not only helps improve student engagement, it can also
change the dynamics of the classroom into a more interactive environment. D’Angelo (2018)
elaborates on this second element in technological integration, stating that “while
implementing technology into the curriculum shifts the learning environment to being more
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student-centered, instructors play an integral role in guiding understanding, offering assistance

and taking the necessary steps to ensure that students are present and reaching their learning
goals” (para. 1). Within my passion project I designed an interactive digital timeline of the War
of 1812 on google maps for a class mini-unit. This student-centered unit required initial
previews of the tools in the technological interface and the unit itself, assistance in students’
desired research goals, and helping students reach the units learning goal in order to
successfully transform the classroom dynamics through technology for the series of lessons.
Before starting work on a new technological feature or unit, a teacher guided look at the
interface and material involved is a necessity to fully attain the benefits of the integration.
Koechlin and Zwaan (2014) emphasize this point, stating that “this tour will give students a
working knowledge of important issues so they will be able to select an aspect in which they
are personally interested in exploring for independent study” (p. 100). The passion research
used an interface, google maps, that students had never interacted with before in the
classroom. Before jumping into the material in the unit, I made sure to give an overview of how
the timeline on the map worked, with links in the timeline opening up into more detailed
explanations of the specific event, and how students could navigate the connection between
the map and the timeline. After this initial instruction, I touched on the major issues in the War
of 1812 that we would be touching on and let students explore on their own before moving
into more focused studies on specific battles and actions. This initial guidance and exploration
helped develop more informed student choices in the subsequent independent studies, leading
into the next step, assisted student research projects.
The next step in the project, and the successful integration of technology, was
independent research projects within the 1812 unit led by students with teacher assistance
when needed. Harvey & Goudvis (2007) support this use of technology, stating that “no matter
where we begin, students’ own research projects are an important wrap-up to any topic study,
so it makes sense to devote plenty of time to investigations” (p. 225). In the unit on the War of
1812, students used the interactive map to do an in-depth research project on a chosen conflict
within the historical event. In the interactive map itself, I assisted these research projects
through links to helpful sources and informational videos when appropriate. The student
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artifacts in the passion project reflect the depth of information available to students through
the use of this technology, with students recording the important events, figures, and location
of their chosen conflict.
Through guiding understanding and teacher assistance, technology can transform the
classroom dynamics and help students reach their learning goals in their own research projects.
The key to this dynamic research approach is that “students are interrogating a variety of
historical sources through the use of critical literacy skills; formulating, defending, and refining
a historical argument; and thinking deeply about how history is created” (Lesh, 2011, p. 114).
In the passion project, the essential question that I posed for the unit was, how do different
people view the same event based on their background? Students chose different factions in
the war to represent and researched how their specific faction was affected by the different
events. Through the use of the interactive timeline and resources available in google maps
students were able to build an understanding of the different viewpoints within the war and, as
a class, discuss how the conflicting sides viewed the significance of these events and the
ensuing results. Developing this deeper understanding of the War of 1812 through these
technology driven resources was the key to students reaching their learning goals within the
unit and answering the essential questions throughout the process.
While technology can increase student engagement and transform classroom dynamics,
it can also lead to more flexible planning and learning as a result of the student-centered
project based learning. As Moeller & Reitzes (2011) state, “because technology is both highly
customizable and intrinsically motivating to students, it is particularly well-suited to expand the
learning experience” (p. 5). The customizable nature of the interactive map and timeline that I
made for the War of 1812 mini unit helped students explore the subject independently with
multiple sources to utilize. Wiggins & McTighe (2011) elaborate on this final point, noting that
“textbooks are not necessarily tailored to the variety of learning styles, interests, and ability
levels in your classroom” (p. 40). Integrating technology into units can give students a variety
of media representations to work with, from visual aids to online museums and artifacts,
making subjects more accessible and intrinsically interesting to different students.
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In today’s world, technology is ever prevalent in students lives. The challenge is to focus
this integration of technology in a way that adds to a more dynamic and student led learning
environment. The three goals of this technological integration are increased student
engagement and autonomy, a transformed classroom dynamic, and flexible units through
student-centered project based learning. Enhancing assessments through technology,
developing interactive resources online, and creating multiple media sources are just some of
the ways to integrate technology into a dynamic curriculum. Although the amount of
technology available to enhance lessons is incredibly diverse, continually expanding one’s
understanding and utilization of these different integration avenues is the key to evolving and
developing as an educator.

References
D’Angelo, C. (2018). The impact of technology: Student engagement and success. Pressbooks.
https://techandcurriculum.pressbooks.com/chapter/engagement-and-success/
Edutopia. (2007). Technology integration: How to integrate technology. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-implementation
Echevarria, J., & Graves, A. (2011). Sheltered content instruction: Teaching English learners with
diverse abilities. (4th ed.). Pearson.
Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension for
understanding and engagement. (2nd ed.). Stenhouse & Pembroke Publishers.
Koechlin, C., & Zwaan, S. (2014). Q tasks: How to empower students to ask questions and care
about the answers. (2nd ed.). Pembroke Publishers Limited.
Lesh, B. A. (2011). “Why won’t you just tell us the answer?”: Teaching historical thinking in
grades 7-12. Stenhouse Publishers.
Moeller, B, & Reitzes, T. (2011). Integrating technology with student-centered learning. Nellie
Mae Education Foundation.
https://www.edc.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Integrating-Technology-with-Student-
Centered-Learning.pdf
Promethean. (2020). How can technology be used for instant assessment? Promethean Limited.
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https://resourced.prometheanworld.com/technology-learning-and-assessment/
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2011) The understanding by design guide to creating high-quality
units. (J. Houtz, Ed.). ASCD.