Obstacles and Solutions for Integrating Technology into Language Arts

With technology’s advancements and the current generation of students’ adoption of new technologies, the desire to integrate technology into the classroom has increased. And with the growing popularity of online education, it has become more and more important to connect with students in the classroom through authentic learning and community. One of the ways of making that connection is to use technology to help students connect their world while developing educational skills.

But what happens when the technology just doesn’t work? As in: it doesn’t foster discussion, hit higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, or doesn’t become more than just being a commodity, easing access to content. More specifically, what happens when the technology is just…there? This is especially concerning in the Language Arts classroom. Most content through Language Arts isn’t necessarily easier to access with technology. Ebooks do have their advantages, but overall when it comes to engaging with a text, the physical book still rules. Instead, it’s more important to create learning scenarios in which students are using technology to develop skills like collaboration, communication, and inquiry (I talk about this more in “Changing the ‘How’”).

In 2018, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) released a statement in 2018 discussing integrating technology into the English LA classrooms. In it, they present four belief statements that discuss this issue of technology hindering growth and authentic learning. One of the belief statements challenges educators to “Consider literacies before technologies” (“Beliefs for Integrating Technology into the English Language Arts Classroom” 2018). NCTE challenges educators not to use a new technology just because it’s new or cool. Instead, consider the intentionality of the technology as a means to further the content and to help create credible instruction and authentic learning. NCTE (2018) admonishes educators to make technological decisions only when guided by established best practices.

Technology is important and can create incredible, equal opportunities for students. But it can also be a danger, especially in the English LA, when it is used simply as a commodity. It’s important to keep the content in mind first, then use the technology as a supplement to create an avenue for authentic instruction and learning.

Citations

“Beliefs for Integrating Technology into the English Language Arts Classroom.” NCTE, https://www2.ncte.org/statement/beliefs-technology-preparation-english-teachers/.