Technology is everywhere and entwined in our daily lives so when technology in the classroom is used correctly it opens up possibilities for more student learning.

I strive to make my classroom a fun, engaging place to learn every day. By integrating technology into the classroom in a meaningful and purposeful way, I am able to hold and sustain a student’s love for learning. Using technology in the classroom has transformed me into an educator that is a conceptual thinker, generator of ideas, and a self-starter.

By Heather Elliott

I currently work as a third grade ELA/SS teacher at the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics. We were the first STEM certified school in the state of Georgia and we are also a SMART showcase school. In 2014, the school began piloting SMART amp. I could not believe the transformation this program made in my classroom instruction. Students were engaged and eager, they were collaborating with one another in multiple ways, and they had a plethora of research materials at their fingertips.

I shared this program and how I was using it within my district. I wanted everyone to see the affects it had on me as an educator, and my students learning. I was approached by my district’s Instructional Technologist about presenting this wonderful resource at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference. Of course my answer was a resilient “YES!” If I got through to just one educator in the room that day about how important technology is in our ever changing world and how amazing the resource of SMART amp was a something that needed to be experienced by everyone, then my job was complete.

Technology education has not only become a network of gathering and sharing ideas, but also a platform for students and teachers to research, collaborate, and differentiate. A source of technology that has resources readily available for content subject classes and STEM class is a valuable resource in today’s technology literate world. Collaborating and communicating with peers is a meaningful and purposeful way to share ideas with one another.

In the classroom, differentiating instruction is one of the main struggles for an educator. Technology integration offers educators ways to pace student lessons based on the student’s level and multiple intelligence. SMART programs have transformed my classroom into a digital learning environment. I am immersed in the fact that SMART is so engaging and enlightening for students.

Effective technology integration must have at the interdisciplinary level in a way that deepens and enhances student’s learning process. The benefits of implementing technology integration into the classroom is active engagement taking place, collaboration among peers, and connections to the real-world. Technology education makes teaching and learning more meaningful and fun!