Integrating Technology in the Classroom

by Boni Hamilton

from https://www.iste.org/resources/produc...
Teachers possess unique skills, knowledge and experience. So why should their approaches to classroom technology look the same? In Integrating Technology in the Classroom, author Boni Hamilton helps you discover technology tools and projects that resonate with your teaching style, classroom context and technology skill level — all while helping students achieve academic growth. In this book, every teacher can find new and immediately applicable ways to integrate technology in the classroom.
Discover hundreds of tools and activities that support collaborative, student-centered learning, presented in order of complexity and difficulty to help you to build confidence and skills in each area. Explore how technology tools can support your instructional goals and help you meet the individual needs of visual, auditory, kinesthetic and multilingual learners.
Filled with the stories of teachers who have successfully employed technology in the classroom, this book will help you revise your lessons to meet the ISTE Standards for Students in a way that works for you.

286 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

Reviews

[Erika Valencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Tools to Meet the Needs of Every Student, is also the author of IT’s Elementary!: Integrating Technology in the Primary Grades, and has also expanded her teaching career across various grade levels from regular Pre-K to undergraduate courses. Boni Hamilton has also tutored English Learners, Gifted, and Special Education students from rural to urban areas. In the year of 2011, she earned an EdD in Educational Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. Although Hamilton has an extensive and productive career of more than 25 years, she is currently working on her second doctorate in Education and Human Development in the University of Colorado Denver. As stated in her book Hamilton collaborates on a major government-funded grant project to build online professional development modules ( Hamilton, 2015). Her intention is to focus on multilingual learners in urban surroundings and to ease the integration of technology for teacher while promoting student academic growth. Though she is expressing ideas for technology tools, she emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting tools that fit particular students’ needs and individual teaching styles.

In the book, the author and educator Boni Hamilton elicit ideas, tools, and projects to help teachers with the integration of technology in their classrooms, no matter the subject or the need. For examples, Google Earth, Tux Paint, and Paint Net are great tools that allow for creativity and higher-order thinking skills. Storytelling Online, Speakaboos, and NASA’s Space Place are great websites that foster audio books and science. Also, the author covers resources that help the visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and multilingual learners. Hamilton firmly believes that children need technology in the classroom to increase their levels of engagement and learning abilities when she compares technology tools as vehicles that are used to engage students in learning environments (Hamilton, 2015). As a matter of fact, she shares successful stories from real teachers that have used her ideas. Additionally, the tools and resources presented in this text are described by levels of difficulty and for the most part, targeting students from Kinder to 6th grade; however, any class can modify and use the resources mentioned to the best of their ability. Despite the fact of all the indispensable resources mentioned, the author stresses that it would be a tremendous load to consider adopting more than three tools at a time. For that reason, she expresses that, “the rule of thumb is to think first of the content students need to master and then decide which tools will best help them absorb and demonstrate what they know (Hamilton, 2015, Chapter 1). This is a clear reminder that the tools implemented should ultimately be utilized to benefit students' needs and not be used as a distraction. It is important also to note that the author connects the lessons to the Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy and the ISTE Standards for students. As a matter of fact, the ISTE and Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy will be the guide to follow to make sure that students are acquiring the necessary skills to become mature, responsible-digital-age citizens (Hamilton, 2015). Furthermore, In chapter 3 Hamilton introduces the paths to technology integration by dividing the resources into seven categories and level of difficulty. According to Hamilton, “The paths to implement the use of technology with students can be categorized into a few types: instructional uses, software and websites, non-computer tools, technology centers, teacher-directed projects, Web 2.0 tools, collaborations with colleagues, and project-based learning” (Hamilton, 2015, Chapter 3). These seven paths are explained deeply by the author's point of view, in chapters 4-13. In Chapter 14 Hamilton shares great resources that further support teachers with the integration of technology. Sites such as, teachersfirst.com, is a great resource that features professional development, lesson plans, units, and web resources for busy teachers and parents. Finally, Chapter 15 concludes with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). As stated by the author, “...COPPA requires that all websites, online tools, and downloadable apps targeted to children under age 13 protect privacy by not collecting or saving any personal information about children” (Hamilton, 2015, Chapter 15). It is our responsibility to teach digital etiquette to avoid complications of any sort.

The book is very user-friendly and it is especially convenient to purchase the digital copy since one can visit and explore all the resources, projects, and tools by clicking on the hyperlinks. I like that the author included tables summarizing the tools and resources, and by including the advantages and disadvantages of such. It is also great that all the resources mentioned are entirely free. Personally, one of the most valuable tools mentioned in this book is OpenOffice- software that functions just like Microsoft Office without the price. I particularly admire that the author encourages readers to focus on the skills and then consider the right tools to achieve those skills. When considering the integration of technology, no matter the level of knowledge, this book is an excellent choice.

[Heather Stringham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamilton does a good job at giving information to teachers considering adding technology to the classroom. The reviews are complete and detailed. There is so much to cover, and she did well for the job at hand.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many resources for teachers. They are all broken down into different categories, and at the end of each chapter, she puts them all in a list with grade levels. The wiki for the book gives you live links to all of the resources in the book broken down by chapter. Resources for all subjects, on and offline resources, teacher websites. Excellent resource for teachers wanting use more technology in the classroom.