What comes first? Integration or Implementation?

Integrating technology in the classroom often has its challenges. Road-blocks are often encountered on the first time through. The best approach is to follow a sequence of steps to ensure that all goes well.

Step 1: Learning outcomes

What do you want the students to learn? This is the first step. What is the best method either with technology or without technology or combination of both that will achieve the learning outcome?  Learning activities rely on manipulation of information (text, images, audio, images, video etc.) for one or more of these purposes and using one or more of these approaches:

Consider a simple example: a learning outcome states that students will develop an understanding of the impact of World War II on individuals today. This leads us to the next step of considering various approaches and  if and why technology needs to be used in these approaches.

Step 1: If – Why question

The question is ‘If’ technology should be used and if so, why? The how comes later. The teacher may decide that the approach should be that students will first research what they can find from secondary sources and then compare this information with information collected from primary sources. As part of the primary research the teacher may decide that the students need to conduct interviews with relevant persons for this topic.

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