Using Technology to Enhance Your Instruction

This article discusses the use of instructional technologies to improve early childhood experiences and enhance instruction. It explores the benefits of mobile technology, such as tablets, in education and the integration of augmented reality. The article also addresses the challenges involved in technology implementation and proposes a timeline for implementation. Overall, it emphasizes the importance of integrating technology in education and provides strategies for effective implementation.

Running Head: INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES 1
Using Technology to Enhance Your Instruction
NAME
AFFILIATION/UNIVERSITY
COURSE

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES 2
Introduction
Technology has grown tremendously over the recent years. It is used in the following
areas; medicine, business and agriculture. The application of technology in these areas has been
successful. However, its application in education has resulted in a lot of controversies. It has
been an area of interest for many researchers (Baturay, Gökçearslan & Ke, 2017). The school
principal and staff members encounter some challenges while incorporating technology into their
learning institution. This is because technology is not static rather dynamic, hence likely to
change from time to time. There are different types of technologies that are designed to perform
similar roles. Therefore, there is a challenge of choosing the best technology among the available
alternatives. Furthermore, educational institutions have not implemented instructional
technologies effectively in their curriculum. Thus, these technologies are relatively underutilized
(Marsh, Kontovourki, Tafa & Salomaa, 2017). The main aim of this paper is to explain how
instructional technologies can be used to improve early childhood experiences.
Research on How Technology Enhances Instruction
First and foremost, mobile technology plays an important role in educational institutions.
The United States (U.S.) government is trying to enhance student-centered learning. Theorists
have proved that mobile technology enhances engagement (Blackwell, 2013). They have
provided numerous evidence to support their claim. Initially, teachers ensured that students have
only passed their examinations. On the contrary, the current system requires children to solve
real-life problems by applying what they have learnt in school. Mobile technology has integrated
collaborative tools, hence enabling students to share ideas and information easily (Blackwell,
2013). Also, it help students to provide solution to a given research problem or research question.
Mobile technology can be one of the learning motivational factors, thus impacting positively on

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teaching. However, some schools are still reluctant to adopt new technologies related to
education (Uluyol & Şahin, 2016). Also, these technologies are underutilized in classroom
especially in early childhood education. The integration of technology in schools is supported by
policymakers and economists in the U.S. Apart from policymakers and economists, it has also
been supported by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Mobile technologies such as tablet computers have a positive influence on learning.
These tablet computers are characterized by mobility (Wood et al., 2012). Therefore, they can
enable children to access learning materials from anywhere and anytime, thus enhancing student-
learning. Also, mobile-based technologies enable children from poor families to access
information, thus reducing the digital divide. There are several benefits associated with tablets
over desktops (Couse & Chen, 2010). For example, tablets are easy to use since touch screen
enables students to access educational resources directly rather than using a mouse. Also, they
are less costly. Moreover, there are many mobile-based applications that are related to young
children. Therefore, children can choose the best applications that they need to install in their
tablets (Yilmaz, 2016). One of the applications that can be installed on tablet include Augmented
Reality (AR). The AR technology enable children to be familiar with their environment.
Therefore, it enhances location-based learning. In school, it enable them to remember what they
are taught by teachers. Thus, improving their performance. Moreover, this technology supports
development of games related to different subjects such as Mathematics and English. For
example, letter spelling game enables students to use correct spellings. Therefore, students can
be able to solve problems easily by participating in such games (Yilmaz, 2016). Other than
solving problems, students can also learn faster. Therefore, mobile technologies are vital in early
childhood education (Blackwell, 2014). Like other educational technologies, AR has not been

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utilized efficiently. Financial constraint is one of the key issues that has affected its
implementation. Other than financial constraint, school principals also lack knowledge on the
importance of AR in education (Yilmaz, 2016).
In addition, practitioners in the U.S. argues that adopting instructional technologies is
inevitable. They claim that these technologies impact positively on rural students. These
technologies facilitate distance learning, hence enhancing educational equity (Saba, 2011). Some
teachers have said that technology-mediated instruction enable students to learn independently
and expand their knowledge. Therefore, they develop a deeper understanding of other parts of
the world. Although elementary schools in rural areas have installed necessary equipment, the
research has shown that instructional technology has not yet been realized fully. The following
are some of the factors limiting efficient utilization of these technologies; technical issues and
financial constraint (Saba, 2011). Also, some of the teachers claim that these technologies are
labor-intensive. There are few researches on how these technologies are used in elementary
schools that are located in remote areas.
Moreover, communication methods have changed greatly as a result of technology
advancements. This has changed the way children share information. Currently, they access and
use different online platforms for communication (DeJarnette, 2012). Therefore, children need to
be educated on how they can use digital environment effectively. Recently, there has been a lot
of discussions on whether technologies should be integrated in early childhood education
curriculum. However, researchers and policy makers have agreed unanimously that these
technologies should be integrated. This enable children to have a better understanding of
different hardware and software (DeJarnette, 2012). Other than better understanding, they are
also able to access latest information from the internet. The research has revealed that future jobs

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will be technology-based. This is because technology is used in critical and non-critical sectors
ranging from agriculture to medicine. Therefore, integration of technology enable children to
understand job requirements. However, the use of these technologies has not yet been realized
fully (Edwards, 2013).
Furthermore, robotics is also important in early childhood education. It enables children
to manipulate materials thereby developing a playful experience (Martin et al., 2011). Playing is
one of the most important things that contribute greatly to children development. Currently,
computers are used in most preschools. However, school principals should learn and understand
how to integrate computer-based applications into their curriculum. Lego mindstorms is one of
the software that is used to develop robots (Martin et al., 2011). These software are referred to as
construction kits. The process of developing robots requires critical thinking. Therefore, this
enable children to come up with new ideas (Blackwell, Lauricella & Wartella, 2014). They can
also design useful projects. Teachers are required to provide children with different materials
based on their preferences and interests. This enable children to develop their designing skills.
However, robotics has not been integrated effectively in elementary skills. This is because the
ministry of education has not integrated technology in teachers training programs. Hence, they
don’t understand how robotics can be implemented. Also, they don’t understand its benefits in
education (Blackwell et al., 2014).
Technology Implementation Strategies
To integrate instructional technologies in elementary schools, I’ll use SAMR model. This
model was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura. It involves the following four steps:
Substitution:

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Substitution is the initial step of SAMR model. In this step, the traditional methods used in
learning are replaced with new technologies. For example, students can be required to present
their work using computer software such as PowerPoint. However, the new system is required to
be evaluated prior to implementation. This is to ensure that it will benefit the children (Hamilton,
Rosenberg & Akcaoglu, 2016).
Augmentation
This step is related to substitution whereby an old method is replaced with new technologies.
However, the new technology should improve student experience. For example, the student can
use videos to answer questions with regard to specific assignment that he/she has been given by
the teacher (Romrell, Kidder & Wood, 2014).
Modification
In this step, you ask yourself whether the technology will change lesson plans (Hilton, 2016).
Redefinition
This is the final step of SAMR model. It is concerned with the effect of technology on children’s
experience. For example, students should share information with others not necessarily from the
same institution rather than other countries (Hilton, 2016).
I’ll use the following implementation strategies:
i. The school principals and staff members must consider technology as the most
important element for enhancing instruction.
ii. The activities involved in professional development should align with teachers’
lesson plans.

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iii. School leaders must purchase and install necessary equipment for instructional
applications.
iv. Technical support personnel should advise teachers with regard to new technologies
when the need arises.
Challenges Involved in Technology Implementation
There are a lot of challenges involved in technology implementation. Some of them include;
poor management, infrastructural and instructional issues. Managerial and financial issues are
some of the challenges associated with poor leadership (Vatanartiran & Karadeniz, 2015).
Regarding managerial challenges, conflicts between the school principal and teachers hinders
effective implementation of instructional technologies. They are some school principals who are
reluctant to integrate new technologies. This is because they don’t understand benefits of these
technologies in education. Therefore, they allocate less funds to support new technologies.
Teachers can complain about less budget, hence resulting in internal wrangles (Vatanartiran &
Karadeniz, 2015). Apart from purchasing necessary equipment, training of teachers is also
costly. Hence, lack of enough funds hinders effective implementation of technology.
Other than financial constraints, lack of necessary infrastructure such as smart board is
also a challenge. Other infrastructure include; desktops and sound systems. The school can also
purchase substandard equipment, hence developing technical problems from time to time
(Vatanartiran & Karadeniz, 2015). These low quality equipment may also be incompatible with
latest software and applications. This affects performance of new technologies, hence interfering
with learning process. For example, a lot of time can be taken to repair the hardware. Moreover,
children and teachers are restricted from accessing certain sites. Thus, they may not be able to
access some educational sites (Vatanartiran & Karadeniz, 2015). Therefore, substandard

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infrastructure also affect effective implementation of technologies. In addition, instructional
issues are caused by central structure of education system. This requires all schools to use the
same materials such as text books. The ministry of education has not integrated technology in the
national curriculum effectively. Hence, it becomes difficult to incorporate it into learning
institutions (Vatanartiran & Karadeniz, 2015).
A Proposed Timeline for Technology Implementation
The implementation of instructional technologies can take 1 year and 6 months as shown
in table 1 below.
Project Time (Months)
Research on the need of instructional
technologies in elementary schools.
3
Create a list of technologies that can be
integrated.
2
Select the best technologies among different
alternatives.
1
Educating the teachers and students on the
need of integrating instructional technologies.
3
Purchase and install necessary hardware and
software components.
1
Training the teachers on the functionality of
the new technologies.
6
Technical support. 2
Table 1: A proposal timeline for implementation.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, technology is used widely in different areas such as agriculture, medicine
and education. In education, instructional technologies impact positively on rural students. They
facilitate distance learning, hence enhancing educational equity. Mobile technology plays an
important role in educational institutions. It enhances student-centered learning. For instance,
tablet computers can enable children to access learning materials from anywhere and anytime.
There are many mobile-based applications that are related to young children such as Augmented
Reality (AR). The AR technology enhances location-based learning since it enable students to be
more familiar with their environment. Other than mobile technologies, robotics is also important
in early childhood education. It enable children to manipulate materials thereby developing a
playful experience. Therefore, elementary schools should integrate these technologies to enhance
instruction. However, SAMR implementation model should be followed while implementing
new technologies. The following are some of the factors limiting efficient utilization of
instructional technologies; technical issues and financial constraints. Also, some of the teachers
claim that these technologies are labor-intensive.
References

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