Comments on: I don’t want to integrate it, I want to embed it!

By: Angela

Angela — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:02:07 +0000

Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful post. I’ve featured it on my blog as one of The Cornerstone accolades for January 2009.

http://thecornerstoneforteachers.blogspot.com/2009/01/cornerstone-accolades-january-2009.html

By: Embedding Technology in Education « The Elementary Educator

Embedding Technology in Education « The Elementary Educator — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:49:13 +0000

[...] It’s time for us to embed technology into virtually everything we do. As Jeff Utecht writes over at The Thinking Stick, “I am tired of trying to integrate [technology] into a process, a classroom, or a curriculum that was never made to integrate technology to begin with. No, what I want is to start at the very bottom and embed technology tools, skills, and standards into lessons, our classrooms, and our outcomes.” (More here.) [...]

By: U Tech Tips » Blog Archive » What’s your focus teaching or learning?

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:49:00 +0000

[...] let’s focus on creating an atmosphere in which technology is more than a tool, but is an embedded part of our classrooms, our own thinking as we plan lessons, and a gateway to inventive teaching. [...]

By: The Thinking Stick | What’s your focus teaching or learning?

The Thinking Stick | What’s your focus teaching or learning? — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:48:14 +0000

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:08:00 +0000

I like your idea of embedding rather than integrating. That term is getting old. I believe it’s time to move to the next level of integrating…embedding is a good term for this. As I look at the readiness of my school district, I perceive it as being ready for a shift as well. I am starting to hear our leaders speak of 21st century learning. Schools are receiving more tech money, and schools are building technology plans to make good use of the money. Embedding is slowly taking hold in my district’s curriculum. Because of the fast growth educational technology, curricululm specialists are finding it easier to “embed” technology. The fact that many of the internet’s resources are “free” also sweetens the pot for district on a budget. I predict we will continue to see school districts moving toward embedding technologies to a point where the lines between technology and curriculum have faded.

By: The Thinking Stick » Blog Archive » Risk takers and podcasts

The Thinking Stick » Blog Archive » Risk takers and podcasts — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:43:00 +0000

[...] in the show we start talking about teachers and what we (as technology people who are helping to embed technology into the regular classroom) want to see. We talk about teachers who are willing to learn and banter [...]

By: The Thinking Stick » Blog Archive » When we only see 1/3

The Thinking Stick » Blog Archive » When we only see 1/3 — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:26:09 +0000

[...] we want shift within our schools we need to embed these collaborative, connected environments for learning within the school culture. It has to [...]

By: Who you gonna call? « Educational Discourse

Who you gonna call? « Educational Discourse — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:28:42 +0000

[...] so close yet so far, and I know it seems like if we could just get the technology authentically embedded (and we don’t need the teachers on board for that, do we?) into the curriculum in one fell swoop, [...]

By: Carolyn Foote

Carolyn Foote — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:10:10 +0000

I love your image of the tree–great graphic to match the concept.

I also really like Sheryl’s idea of technology being as “invisible” as air conditioning–we only notice when it’s not working, and the rest of the time, we expect it.

I also agree that technology should just be the way we do business. In the business world, for example, you don’t debate whether or not to use web tools–you just use what works, what works for your customers and what makes you more efficient.

I recently ran across a training video on YouTube for funeral home directors, which was about how to use web 2.0 tools. After I watched the seminar, I thought–okay, if funeral directors are using web 2.0, why aren’t educators?? Funeral directors see it as imperative–because people are creating online tributes, or wanting online tributes, slide shows, etc., and if they don’t learn about these tools themselves, they’ll lose out on the “business.” Now that may be a tad morbid, but on the other hand, teachers don’t see that the power of connections is our business, or that there’s an imperative need not to “lose” our customers.

So first, maybe, teachers have to have the “need” for their students to collaborate, or connect globally–that’s when the technology will be seamless, because it is just the best possible way to do something.

By: Arthus Erea

Arthus Erea — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:24:03 +0000

I agree with your idea, but I think you are using the wrong words.

I think we should be integrating technology rather than embedding it. Maybe this is just the web developer in me, but I think of embedding as putting something into an existing service while integrating something is using it throughout and building around it. (ex: integration would be having an entire class based upon blogging and using that as the primary form of assignments, but embedding would be posting students work as an after-thought)

Rather, I say we should aim for complete integration of technology in the classroom, but on the way embed as much as we can.