Technology Impact on K-12 Education

Technology can be a leveraging tool that allows learning experiences to be reimagined to allow the creation of meaningful connections between acquiring a base of knowledge and making meaningful connections to peers and mentors in our daily lives and global workforce. Therefore, it is important to consider and explore methods for integrating technological tools and resources into school environments so that technology in the classroom can continue to expand from information gathering to include product creation and collaboration for all students. Therefore, this chapter will focus on the following: 1) learning and technology integration frameworks, 2) technology-enabled learning in action, and 3) overcoming obstacles for technology integration.

Media Literacy Instruction Using Technology

This study explored whether sixth grade students can substantially improve their recognition and understanding of the techniques of persuasion used by the mass media after receiving direct instruction in media literacy using technology. The result showed that students substantially improved their knowledge of persuasive techniques after receiving direct instruction in media literacy. No particular characteristics of the participants appeared to put them at a particular advantage or disadvantage related to learning or achievement as a result of direct instruction. However, there was a significant relationship between students who reported discussing advertising with their parents during the intervention period and students' movement from non-proficient to proficient levels on the intervention assessments. This finding was significant at the p = .048 level.

Views of Technology Importance for Developmental Students at the Community College Level

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of nontraditional developmental education students in a community college setting. This study describes adult, nontraditional students' perceptions of their experiences, college supports, and best teaching practices which helped them to succeed. Interview data were obtained from four students, a supplemental instruction leader, and a program manager. Participant responses included themes about the conditions and challenges which the students face, as well as recognition of the intentional engagement practices on the part of the college infrastructure which students perceived to be most helpful and supportive to them. This data can provide valuable information to university administrators, college advisors, and classroom faculty, as well as inform future policy and practice.

Technology-Integrated Curriculum and Students' Academic Performance

Technology is shaping our world persistently and swiftly every day. Does the use of technology improve teaching and learning as well as the overall quality of education at schools? To what extent are technology-integrated curricula in an elementary school correlated with students' academic performance on statewide achievement tests? To what extent are technology-integrated curricula in an elementary school correlated with students' computer literacy skills? The aim of this chapter was to identify whether a relationship exists between technology-integrated curriculum and students' academic performance on statewide achievement tests as well as their computer skills in an elemental school in Alabama. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire and archival data. The participants were 113 fifth grade elementary school students. Results from the study and recommendations for school administrators, teachers, and students are provided.

Today's Demands on Education

The concerns are growing when it comes to today's demands on education. This chapter will explain how demands on teachers are critical to student success. It is imperative that teacher preparation programs are preparing quality teachers who will contribute to effective schools and student learning. The scholarship of teaching and learning needs to accompany teacher education so that teacher educators can understand and communicate the complexity of instruction and learning. Teachers as professionals need to be able to make informed and accountable deliberations about how they will engage in their practice to increase student learning. Reflective practice needs to begin early in teacher preparation programs and continue throughout the preserves teachers' programs.

What Is Technology?

The first division within the definition debate begins with a fundamental question, What is technology? Technology as artifact or device exists as the most common notion of technology. There are many different views on interpreting what the definition of technology is. The importance of this chapter is the policies regarding uses of technology and access to technology, which are key components to the integration of technology in schools.

Adaptive Online Learning Technology

The current trend of technology advancement with digital devices such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops has shifted the way of societal life including teaching and learning. This initiative might also contribute to the typical approach of information and communication technology (ICT) to increasingly enhance the achievement through utilizing it in the education setting in the higher education context. Adopting social media in network data massively within the big data trends, the extraction of the particular means in providing structured data from enterprise resources data and sources of unstructured data from audio and video can begin with providing the value from information space such as message, conversation, transaction, and other sources. This chapter attempts to explore the design of adaptive learning technology in big data approach. Attempts to achieve particular advantage of big data with analytic process could provide the innovative environment of adaptive online technology to enhance pedagogy and technology skill to support the initiative way of teaching and learning process in the higher education (HE) context.

Leveraging Elements of Understanding by Design to Develop Elementary Education Candidates' TPACK in Mathematics

Technology access is at an all-time high in schools in the United States. However, research continues to document barriers to using technology in mathematics in ways that support higher-level thinking and lead to student achievement. This study examined teacher candidates' work samples in a course focused on instructional design and technology integration. The inductive analysis of candidates' work indicated that candidates demonstrated instructional design skills related to planning mathematics units, lessons, and personalized learning playlists. TPACK development was evident at the end of the semester, but barriers related to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge were evident in the early and middle stages of the semester. Implications for continuing to examine the development of candidates' instructional design and TPACK are also shared.

Teacher Education Discussion Module

In two university graduate education courses, experienced K-12 teachers were asked to discuss amongst themselves—without the university instructor present at the time—several issues and readings about technology in K-12 schools. Content analysis of their online chats reveal useful information about teacher perceptions, values, and philosophies of teachers. Themes in their chats reveal underlying opportunities to help influence the next generation of school leaders. Information obtained via qualitative coding of these honest and detailed online discussions was able to help university instructors 1) to understand global and local barriers to technology from teachers' points of view and 2) to target instruction of educational leaders at the graduate level towards reform efforts. This type of engagement and analysis may help universities “take the pulse” of teacher perceptions in their area in order to improve K-12 teaching and monitor teachers', supervisors', and principals' growth toward dispositional goals for certification.

Technology in Education

Education has been the cornerstone of growth and development in our society. Traditionally, parents sent their student off to a brick-and-mortal building where teachers infused knowledge into them. Mathematics, language arts, and science are some of the core curriculum in which teachers taught. However, education is continuously evolving. As we continue to develop as a society, so do our innovations in technology. Many school's chalkboards are replaced with the newest technology called Smart Boards. Pen and paper is replaced with writing software such as Microsoft Word documents. Instead of physically submitting assignments or homework to the teacher, students now submit their assignments and test through educational software programs such as Blackboard. Technology is redefining the way in which our students are educated and knowledge is obtained. This chapter will capture the different periods in history where schools utilized the technology of the day to educate students.