Why Should We Integrate Technology Into Lessons?/What is the Purpose of Integrating Technology Into Learning?

I think that the answers to the questions above are interrelated and intertwined. One answer to why we should integrate technology into lessons is that technology is embraced and used extensively by many, if not most, of our students today. Students are comfortable with it and do not see the relevance of using "old fashioned" ways of doing things - whether it is writing their spelling word three times each, math worksheets for rote memorization, or looking words up in a regular dictionary. If students think that the work they are asked to do has little to no relevance for them, their motivation will not be as high as it should be. One purpose therefore of integrating technology into learning is to make the learning more relevant and easier to access for students who prefer that method of learning.

Another reason to integrate technology into lessons is that the world is becoming more and more dependent on technology - if students are not taught to use technology in constructive and creative ways in their schools, they will be left mostly on their own to figure it out for themselves. While they are very able to figure out "how" to use technology, many students may struggle with how to evaluate the value of what they find in using technology. A corresponding purpose of integrating technology into learning is to help students evaluate sources and methods of research, along with giving them critical thinking skills about evaluating their own creations.

I also believe that for students who do not have access to technology at home, integrating it into their school experience is a matter of equity. Even basic jobs require the use of some levels of technology, and this trend will only grow. Students need to be comfortable with learning new technologies if they are to be competitive in the work place, and if they do not have access at home, they will be at a disadvantage if they are not able to use it in school.

Integrating technology into lessons also can make them more individualized, self-paced, engaging, and creative, because a teacher can pull from many different technological resources (if he/she has the skills) to individualize students' learning.

Integrating technology into lessons and learning also opens up much more available information to students than relying on print media. Many textbooks are obsolete before or shortly after they are published. The same applies to reference materials. Technology, judiciously used, allows teachers and students to access the most current information as well as archive and historical material that would be nearly impossible to recreate in the classroom/library with strictly print material.

I think that it is obvious that technology will be with us and growing in scope well into the future. If teachers are not integrating technology into their students lessons and learning, a growing part of everyday life will be largely ignored in the classroom - resulting in more students feeling disengaged from learning and school.