Vignettes about Using Technology in the Classroom

• What motivates teachers to learn how to use high-tech tools?
  
  
• What kind of help did teachers receive as part of the STAR Tech Professional Development Program?
  
  
• What does technology integration look like in practice when teachers translate new skills into practice?

We answer these questions by presenting vignettes of general and special education teachers learning how to integrate technology into their curriculum. The teachers, ranging in grades from Pre-K to grade 8, all focused on tools to improve some aspect of literacy development. Some of the teachers were motivated by ideas that arose during STAR Cycle team meetings. Others found the support they needed within the 1:1 Assistance component of STAR Tech.

As you read these vignettes of varying lengths, you might want to ask yourself the following questions: In what way are the teachers' curriculum goals like mine? Do I use similar strategies? How could the technology tool(s) benefit my students?

Menu of Vignettes

General Education

• Pre-K (Barbara) Integrating Intellipics into the Curriculum
  
  
• Grade 1 (Rose) Using Low-Tech Tools to Help with Spelling
  
  
• Grade 3 (Graciela) Using Kidspiration to Improve Writing
  
  
• Grade 4 (Richard) Integrating a Mid-Tech Tool into Interactive Writing
  
  
• Grade 8 (Lyn) Integrating Technology Tools into an English Language Arts Unit on The Giver
  

Special Education

• Primary Transition Class (Vicki) Using PixWriter to Support Early Writing Development for Struggling Students
  
  
• Early Grades—Language and Cognitive Difficulties (Chris) Integrating Boardmaker and Kid Pix into an Emergent Literacy Program
  
  
• Upper Elementary Grades—Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities (Janey) Producing iMovie Autobiographies

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