21st Century Learning and Teaching

What are the Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make When Integrating Technology into the Classroom?

The word “mistake” is a harsh word. It implies flaws, pointing fingers, errors in judgement, something wrong and possibly even a dead end. I would rather think or connect the word “mistake” to first steps, stepping stones, experimentation and exploration. With that being said, those “first steps” or that exploration cannot become a routine cemented in stone how technology is being used in the classroom. Stepping stones are meant to lead to something else.

For the sake of the prompt given, here are my top 5 “Mistakes” (in no particular order) which I  see, read and hear about as I travel the world to learn and work with schools, teachers and students:

- Technology being used to substitute an analog activity

- Technology use being seen as an add-on to allow students to use devices, the Internet, a program or an app as a reward, for entertainment, as a time filler for students who finish early

- Technology use as a separate subject area

- Technology as a $1000 pencil initiative

- Technology seen as the solution to motivate and engage students

Edtech isn't the final solution for education's problems. It's a powerful addition to classrooms though, so it's time to ask: what is the point of education technology?

===> The point is simple. Teachers need to be able to understand how to embed technology into what they do. But you can’t do this unless you’re already a good teacher. The technological side of it only comes into to play if you already knew how to balance pedagogical knowledge with content (subject) knowledge. Only then can you understand how best to integrate an iPad into a classroom. <===