Technology integration - five interdependent characterisitcs of meaningful learning environments

What is the Technology Integration Matrix?

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K-12 students. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, constructive, goal directed (i.e., reflective), authentic, and collaborative (Jonassen, Howland, Moore, & Marra, 2003). The TIM associates five levels of technology integration (i.e., entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) with each of the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments. Together, the five levels of technology integration and the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments create a matrix of 25 cells as illustrated below.

What is the history behind the tool?

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) was developed to help guide the complex task of evaluating technology integration in the classroom. Basic technology skills and integration of technology into the curriculum go hand-in-hand to form teacher technology literacy. Encouraging the seamless use of technology in all curriculum areas and promoting technology literacy are both key NCLB:Title II-D/EETT program purposes. The Inventory for Teacher Technology Skills (ITTS) companion tool is designed to help districts evaluate teachers’ current levels of proficiency with technology and is also used as a professional development planning and needs assessment resource. The TIM is envisioned as an EETT program resource which can help support the full integration of technology in Florida schools.

I have had a good look at this matrix. I think that the levels of technology integration that support the characteristics of meaningful learning, will provide a useful scaffolded structure for the guiding the teaching and support of reflective practice. MOre comment on how I have used this matrix to follow.

Technology Integration Matrix

Classroom strategies and e-tools that support the strategy

I was reading about these strategies and thinking about how they related to reflective learning. I think that the e-tools that support each learning strategy will also support some kind of reflective practice. I think that the e-tools will provide the support and scaffolding to show the process of learnin and thinking. I also think that the children will be able to use these scaffolds as a guide when they talk about their learning.
8 teaching strategies outlined in Marzano's Classroom Instruction that Works. For each strategy, we will be brainstorming technology tools that could enhance that strategy (see where you come in?)

The 8 Teaching Strategies: a listing and brief explanation for each teaching strategy. The page # is also referenced for you convenience.

Other Resources that might be of use:
Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools Wiki
I Want To: Tools for different purposes
TrailFire: Favorite Web 2.o Sites for Education

Part of my next step

This is going to be very valuable information and my project for this investigation and upskilling myself this weekend. Voicethread is one of the tools that I am looking at to use for audio reflections of students thinking and learning. I am going to start next week, working with each student and ask them a few questions about their learning ( I will add these to the blog ). I will record their responses using Voicethread.
I took this information from Marie Linder. She has a blog about internet and communication technology in education.

VoiceThread is a web-based, digital, storytelling application. It is a tool which enables you to create picture or video presentations, to which you can add audible, audiovisual or written comments. It is also possible to add handwritten scribblings (here called doodels) to highlight things in the pictures if applicable. These fades as the presentation goes on, but the fading function can also be turned off.

Once a presentation is published; written, audio or video comments can be left by visitors. This provides an excellent way for teachers to give feedback to students; and of course also for student-to-student feedback. The comment function can also be used to let students present views or knowledge regarding the contents of a specific picture. Example (The Carbon Cycle)

Have a look at this presentation about the planet Saturn by young Jack Brock. Notice how he at the end of the presentation is given written and audial feedback by both his parents and his teachers.

With VoiceThread stories can be created by groups of people and it can also be used as an on-line tool for discussion. It would make an excellent tool for collaboration between school and parent and a very good way of enabling parents to get an insight into their children’s school work.

I can imagine using VoiceThread in language classes for students to create digital presentations; fact or fiction. Though the tool can of course be useful on any occasion where presentations are to be made. What makes it especially interesting for language training is that it, thanks to it’s comment making tool, encourages both communication and collaboration – which is of course what using language is all about.

I feel very excited about using VoiceThread this autumn. I can definitely see myself using it when I do Geography work with year 6, in our work with the continents of the world. I can also imagine myself using it to present assignments to students. This would seem like a very good way of using it, as I can add voice instructions and thereby make instructions audiovisual for students with special needs.

Below are some examples of presentations made with VoiceThread (I have noticed that it sometimes is hard to get back to the blog from the VoiceThread site – two quick double clicks should do it though):
- Voices from around the world
- Story telling (Three Little Pigs). Notice how the comment function is used to narrate characters in the story.
- Book reviews
- History assignment; Vikings travel across the Atlantic
- Handicrafts; Felting
- Biology; Ecosystems
- Maths; Fractions
- Teachers history presentation; Russian Revolution
- Science; Sink or float
- Student presentation; Real life maths

Many more examples to be found here.

The beginning of my daily reflective journal Term 3 2009

The ethics documents have been passed by the principal of the school and I have handed these out to 15 children. I have asked for the returns by the 24th July.
I am not sure if I should share my present state of thinking because at the moment I feel a little undirected. My project which is based on developing my knowledge of and implementation of developing metacognitive practice, e- tools and e-portfolios which will support reflective, self - directed learning has opened many other avenues of thinking and identified issues related to and which may impact on this kind of learning practice, which I had not realised eg. the amount of writing time that students are involved in, in class and the relation between this, engagement and reflection and self directed learning. I have just been making a note of how much time children in my class actually spend in this mode of learning each day. They are 8/9 year olds and I have been shocked at what I have recorded in just one week.
Other issues that have impacted on my initial project has been looking at boys and their learning. I am wanting to teaching them to be more reflective and yet much of the literature identifies boys at this age being far more speculative rather than reflective. I have also been looking at teaching instruction and how much is teacher - student engagement, student - student or student - teacher engagement. In order for reflective practice to become part of a students thinking process they have to be given more ownership of their learning. So the dilemma is that if learning is done to students ( teacher - student ) for the majority of the day, then it is very difficult for them to take ownership and responsibility for their learning.
I am in thinking overdrive at the moment. I have decided to keep a daily record of types of instruction for the entire length of this study as well as the type of instruction.

NECC09 Monday 29th Breakout

I have been attending this conference online. There have been many interesting keynotes and breakout sessions. I attended this session on Podcasting for Beginners. I want to try and use podcasts to support reflective practice. As a beginner, this session was very interesting and quite informative.