The Importance of Planning

Ashburn, E. A., & Floden, R. E. (2006). Meaningful learning using
       technology: What educators need to know and do. New York:
       Teachers College Press.

Miners, Z. (2009). Classroom Technology Integration. District
       Administration, 45(4), 35-38. http://search.ebscohost.com.

Planning is the key to a teacher's success, especially when technology is involved. As a classroom teacher I have had many lessons go awry because the laptops won't connect to the wireless network, the filter has been updated and is blocking the websites, errors have occurred that lock my students out certain domains, or my students accidentally save their work in the wrong folder and can't find it again. Planning for these and other mishaps can save a lesson and help teachers feel more comfortable using technology because they don't feel completely helpless when it fails. I witnessed the downfalls of poor planning a few weeks ago when I showed up to school 10 minutes before the students arrived to find that the most of the electricity was down and all of the computers were not working. It amazed me how panicked the teachers were when they learned that their PowerPoints and other programs would not be accessible, and one teacher loudly declared "we may as well go home because my entire day was on my computer and I have nothing to do!" Now, this struck me as interesting because every technology class I have ever attended addresses the fact that while technology is wonderful and can provide us with countless opportunities in the classroom, it still is "technology" and things can and do go wrong. As a classroom teacher, I have found over the years that it never hurts to have a back-up plan, and so I was able to relate to the readings this week that addressed planning.

I loved that the authors compared planning for technology integration to creating a map (Ashburn & Floden, 2006). Planning for technology use is essential, and there are steps that need to be followed. The authors' mentioned the importance of identifying big ideas, focusing on state and county instructional standards, and understanding the processes needed to learn about a certain subject (Ashburn & Floden, 2006). They also mentioned that a map has tools that are needed to complete it, and the same is true for technology integration (Ashburn & Floden, 2006). Teachers need to be able to use technology in order to teach it, and so need to select and plan out what technologies would be most effective for their lessons. For example, when teachers were using Project TIME, they had access to a program called the Inquiry Station. This program allowed the students to access audio and visual images that they could collect and organize (Ashburn & Floden, 2006). They could then use these clips to sequence events or to show a pattern. In order to be able to have students use technology like this program, the teacher needs to have a clear vision of what they want them to accomplish and what the end product should look like. This kind of integration requires planning or "mapping" of ideas to keep the lessons focused and the unit aligned with state and county standards. As one researcher notes "having the technology is one thing- maximizing the investment is another" (Miners, 2009, pg. 35).

In order for students to really learn from technology, the teacher needs to take the time to plan and figure out what the objectives are and how the technology will support those objectives. Specifically the teacher needs to plan specific details related to how they will use the technology, and come up with clear directions so that students are not wandering lost on their computers. And as always, teachers should have a back-up plan in case the technologies that they want to use let them down. Planning guides teachers as they move through their instruction, and without planning they are lost.