Technology Integration and Editor Apps




Technology Integration in the Classroom

           In the article, “Transformative Technology in the PK-12 Classroom” by Sarah Westerlin and Spencer Vogt, the authors discuss the necessity of technology integration in the classroom, problems with tech integration, and use of different technologies within the classroom. The article explains that “integration is using a variety of contexts, districts, grade levels, and classrooms, depending on factors like budget, program or district goals, and teacher familiarity” (Westerlin and Vogt, pg. 68, 2022). This means that the effectiveness of technology integration relies largely on teachers, whether or not the school is provided an adequate budget to purchase technologies, train teachers in these technologies, or if the school district holds technology integration at a high importance. Teacher familiarity plays one of the largest rolls in technology integration, because research has shown that the relationship between teachers pedagogical beliefs and technology integration shows that teacher opinions on technology and teaching styles influence how frequently they use technology (Westerlin and Vogt, pg. 69, 2022). If an educator is hesitant to learn about new technologies, then obviously, they will be hesitant to use them in class. Understanding the technologies used in classrooms and how they can be used in transformative ways is crucial in being able to efficiently integrate technology in the classroom.  

           Westerlin and Vogt also point out that technology can be used to create a transformative learning environment in several ways. They use the SAMR framework, or Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, or Redefinition (Westerlin and Vogt, pg. 68, 2022). One example of this is using a YouTube video to teach elements of a topic. This would be considered the substitution portion of the framework because the video is used instead of “physical basal curriculum” (Westerlin and Vogt, pg. 70, 2022). Ensuring that technology is being utilized in different ways is important to build confidence in the abilities that students have in using technology, as well as keep class interesting and engaging for them. In creating a classroom environment that uses technology effectively, students are also prepared for life after school, where they will likely need to have technological literacy.

    Source: Westerlin, S., & Vogt, S. (2022). Transformative Technology in the PK-12 Classroom. Educational Research: Theory and Practice, 33(1), 68–72. 


In-class Technology of the Week:

              One technology that I am interested in using/teaching in my classroom is writing editors. As a future English teacher, students will be writing papers and other assignments for class, and will use the grammar rules they have learned in their writing. Depending on the grade level I am working with, students may already know some of these grammar rules, or they might be entirely new information. Either way, there are a lot of grammatical requirements to remember, and using apps like Grammarly or websites like The Hemingway Editor can help. Both programs function similarly. Students enter their papers or other written works, and the software provides feedback and corrections to be made. They also function like the spell and grammar checks in Microsoft Word, but are often more in depth. Hemingway Editor reads the work, and highlights words that may have simpler or more concise alternatives, in addition to spelling and grammar checks, and provide an analysis that evaluates the readability of the work. Grammarly f corrects many of the same mistakes, and allows the student to enter their target audience and purpose of their paper. While there is a “premium” version of Grammarly that grants the user more features and corrections, its base version is good for students to use for the corrections of minor mistakes. Ultimately, these programs cannot replace the teaching of grammar, but can allow students to edit their own work before submitting, and assist them in remembering the application of certain grammatical functions. In other words, these apps allow students to “work smarter, not harder” and prevent them from having to make several rounds of corrections before reaching a final product. I’ve included the links to both websites below. Happy teaching!


https://www.grammarly.com/

https://hemingwayapp.com/


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