Curriculum Design and Technology Integration

Curriculum Design and Technology Integration, by Robin Beaver and Jean Moore

I think this article brings up a good point that some teachers focus too much on the technology and they lose sight of the lesson and of the students needs. The article did a great job laying out steps in order to encourage higher-level thinking while still giving great ideas about how to integrate technology into the curriculum. They reminded us to outline activities for each level of Bloom's taxonomy and each learning style in Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. They used a lesson on the solar system as an example.

Q1 Is there a monumental flaw to this article that is caused by the standards based testing?
With standardized testing being used to judge student performance in very specific subject areas and with those test grades becoming what makes or breaks the job of the teachers, I see a disconnect between what is best for the students and what is going to prepare them to pass the standardized test. The use of technology in the article is no doubt a great service to the student, but using video equipment to create a commercial for a trip to another planet (the example in the article) is unlikely to help them pass a rigorus test on the structure and composition of that planet. Hence, they will learn a variety of important skills, but still fail the standardized test.
Q2 Is there a way around the disconnect I stated in question one? I think with an extremely thoughtful and skillful teacher, the students may be guided to be creative using technologies such as those listed, while still directing their efforts of the required topics in the standards. Perhaps they could make a sales video to travel to a certain planet because it has an atmosphere made of methane, and everyone wants to visit that on their planetary vacation. That way, they are using the proper terms and comparing and contrasting the solar system in enough detail to help them pass the standardized test. Perhaps the teacher could say, when writing your newsletters or making your video commercials for the planetary trips, you must properly use these terms: matter, methane, gas, rock, inner planets, asteroid etc... That would be the guidance needed to ensure the activity is preparing them for the standardized test as well as being a valuable technology learning experience.

Beaver, R. & Moore, J. (2004). Curriculum design and technology integration. Learning and Leading with Technology Journal 32 (1), 42-48.

This blog by RYAN KELLY