TIM - Technology Integration Matrix

The Technology Integration Matrix, or TIM as it is also known, is used to show how teachers can use technology in the classroom to increase learning for their students. There are a total of five characteristics of learning environments, those are: active, constructive, goal directed, authentic, and collaborative. Along with those learning environments are five levels of technology integration in the classroom, those are: entry, adoption, adaption, infusion, and transformation. These together make 25 different combinations of learning environments.

Looking at these different stages, I think the combination of both the characteristics and environments that describes my position as a person interested in technology and educational outcomes would be right in the middle of both outcomes. With the levels of technology integration into the curriculum, I think I fall in the area of adaption which states, “the teacher facilitates students in exploring and independently using technology tools” (Florida, n.d.). While looking at the characteristics of the learning environment, I think constructive describes me best, this states that “students use technology tools to connect new information to their prior knowledge rather than to passively receive information” (Florida, n.d.). The combination of these two sections means that students in the classroom can use different technology tools on their own to aid in learning. As the students begin to learn more about technology and its tools, they can explore the many different ways these tools can be used in building knowledge. A teacher that falls within this particular area of TIM would be able to create a lesson that involves the use of technology tools which will help the students understand a certain concept. The teacher would give the students access to these technology tools to use on their own but would also be there to direct them as needed.

I identify myself with this particular combination of characteristic and environment because it is what I am most comfortable with. I am not the most tech savvy person you’ll meet by any means, but at the same time I know more about technical issues than some people, I would say I fall somewhere in the middle, which is why I chose the middle positions on the matrix. Also, I am an aid in a classroom with younger children, first through third grade students, this is also the grade range I plan to teach, I would not feel comfortable giving these young children too much freedom using technology tools in fear they would get confused. I would feel most comfortable taking small technological steps with them, introducing something simple in the beginning and then introducing more complex tools after a while.


Reference
Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (n.d.). Technology Integration Matrix. Retrieved from: http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php
 

Educational Technology

The history of technology in education is something every educator should know and understand. From starting back in 30,000 B.C.E. with cave drawings, to the creation of paper in 105, to the year 1600 when public education was introduced, to the information age in 1960 when TV's and VCR's were introduced, to the computer age in 1990, and finally to the 21st century when the interactive age was introduced. There have been many changes since the beginning, some slight, some huge, but each change has made a huge impact on how children are educated in school. Now children are able to not only communicate with other people on the opposite side of the world, but they can also learn and complete assignments on the same device, whether that device is a PC, laptop, iPad, or other technological advancement. It is up to the educator to shape the classroom of tomorrow with technology.
According to Technology Professor, Seymour Papert,  "With computers, there is a substantially bigger chance that you can lead the child with less effort into something he really likes doing. . . . The intersection with the set of fun things with the set of educational things is sufficiently big so that you should be able to keep every student internally motivated (Boss, 2013)." Mr. Papert was on to something when he explained this comment back in 1970. When a teacher can combine what a student needs to learn with technology, there is a good chance that the student will learn the information faster and easier, and it will probably stay with them longer too. Technology is fun and interesting for students, it's something different, not your normal pencil and paper assignment. When a student is able to do an assignment using technology versus the "old fashion" way, chances are they will choose technology because it is something that interests them, they can use their imagination and create something that is theirs.
In my own personal experience, the students in my classroom love and thrive off of technology. We have 22 1st-3rd grade students in our class, and unfortunately only 4 computers, and those computers are always full, whether it is to take a math test, do a book report, play an educational game, practice a foreign language using Rosetta Stone, or finish up a story they have written. Our student love to use the computers for everyday assignments, but we see them thrive when they can create using the computers. We have a program they can use to create their own online book report. They can add pictures, create a unique look, change colors and fonts, and just make it their own. When our students give speeches or reports to the class, they have the opportunity to use our school's only interactive whiteboard. This makes them feel very important because they can use the "clicker" to change from screen to screen or to different programs. I can really see their minds opening up when they have technology added into their day-to-day routines, it is so beneficial for them.
There are so many benefits to using technology in the classroom. There has been a lot of research done in regards to the benefits for learners when technology is integrated into their education effectively. "Research scientist Harold Wenglinsky, looking at math achievement scores in a 1998 Educational Testing Service study, found positive benefits for educational technology, as long it was used for challenging activities such as simulations" (Boss, 2013). It was in this study that researchers determined that when technology was used for more ambitious learning compared to basic skills, it was able to help students develop better thinking and research skills as well as creativity. There are so many more demands and expectations placed upon students now than there ever has before, the use of technology can only help in these demands. Technology can aid in organizing and analyzing information used for assignments, communication and collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, not to mention decision making.

 

 

 

 

Boss, S. (2013). Technology Integration: A Short History. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-history