Technology Integration on a Low Budget

For my first module, I researched technology integration. In today’s society, its nearly impossible to find an area of life in which technology is not present. Unfortunately, schools seem to be one place that is behind as far as utilizing technology to its full potential. But with the seemingly unlimited possibilities, technology needs to be integrated into our schools. Some schools are fortunate enough to have a BYOD or one-to-one policy. 

But St. Augustine, where I am the first grade teacher, does not have the budget nor the resources for this presently. We are not able to manage the expense of a device for each student at this time and the socioeconomic status of most of our students prohibits them from having an appropriate device. Therefore, I wanted to research what tools can be utilized/ technology can be integrated for schools with limited resources. For schools like mine, it can be challenging to find ways to integrate technology, but with time and planning, it is possible to implement changes in this area on a limited budget. It took me quite a bit of time to find good resources but two solutions I discovered are building interactive whiteboards and educational apps. 

In Digital Leadership, Eric Sheninger argues that “even in schools that might not have many technology resources, time and energy should be spent figuring out how to maximize what is available instead of making endless excuses for not moving forward” (2014, p. 45) This really resonated with me! I find myself making excuses as to why I can't use technology in my classroom, rather than finding a way around those issues. 

Although my school does not have a device for each student, we do have some technology at our disposal. I wanted to research ways that I could use what I do have to start with solutions that would cost very little. Each classroom in the school has 5 student iPads and a teacher iPad, a projector, and a desktop computer. I found a few interesting solutions that may seem obvious, but that I had never considered before.

When I was student teaching, the first grade classroom had a SMART board, an interactive whiteboard that allowed students the opportunity to engage further in class materials. I used the board for almost every subject, as it was a very effective way of getting and keeping student attention. I definitely took it for granted though. Unfortunately, I do not have a SMART board anymore :(. I discovered, though, an article by Keith Vallis and Peter Williamson in which they describe how a teacher can ‘build’ their own whiteboard. They explain, “Any computer can connect to a projector, and any software can be projected onto a wall. Hook up a Bluetooth-enabled pen tablet and a wireless keyboard, and you have an interactive brightboard—a setup with all the functionality of a whiteboard, at a fraction of the cost” (2009, p. 18). With the vast number of free applications available on Apple devices, this is a very cost-effective way to simulate the SMART board experience in a school like mine. For the price of one $3,000 whiteboard, a school can purchase 10 wireless pen tablets. The authors suggest that schools use this method rather than purchasing one whiteboard to share because “if a teacher is going to use it regularly, it needs to be at his or her fingertips” (2009, p. 20).

I also spent some time researching quality educational applications for use in the classroom. There are many useful applications that are free. Although I don't have enough iPads for all students to use, I have a good amount for iPads to be a center station. I have found that my students really enjoy practicing math facts and vocabulary in ‘Math Bingo’ and ‘Word Bingo’ during center time. 'Ollie's Handwriting' is an app that gives students an opportunity to practice their handwriting and it keeps them more engaged than just paper and pencil work. Although not free, another really useful application is Raz-Kids. It is an online-leveled reading program, so the program is differentiated for each student. This program would be for extra practice as a supplement to regular reading instruction. Obviously, there are countless other games that offer a fun learning experience or skill practice.

I spent a lot of time concentrating on the devices used, rather than the objective that these tools help my students meet. I've realized that I need to shift my thinking from leading with the device to leading with the learning. Which brings me right to the second module I am studying. I will be looking at resource selection and researching how to lead with instruction rather than the tool. Hopefully this will help me to shift my thinking. 

Sources:

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand

            Oaks, California: Corwin.

Vallis, K., & Williamson, P. (2009). Build your own board: brightboards offer a cost-effective

            alternative to interactive whiteboards. Learning & Leading With Technology, 37(1),

            18-20.