Being More Analytical With Technology

In the past, I have utilized technology in the classroom simply because I love it and because the students are engaged while using it. I need to make more of an effort to be systematic in my thinking and really plan how to implement technology and what are my goals.

In the book, Teaching For Understanding Technology With Martha Stone Wiske offers a method that I am planning to adopt for integrating technology into my curriculum this year. She states:

Educators might being by asking, "What do our students always struggle with that is really essential for their success?" That my reveal some targets of difficulty that could be alleviated by incorporating new technologies into lessons. Another strategy is to ask, "What are students fascinated by that might suggest a way into some of the material they need to learn?" Teachers might also formulate generative topics by reflecting on their own interests and expertise, knowing that their capacity and motivation to design inventive lessons will be enhanced by their own passionate engagement. The teachers' own hobbies or areas of deep knowledge may indicate a generative approach to an important curriculum topic.

These are the three questions I will be asking before implementing technology this year:

1. What is the most important curriculum for each unit of study?
   
2. What do my students struggle to learn?
3. Which technology engages the students in the curriculum to the best extent?

These will be the questions that drive my integration of technology this year.