RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in EDLE & CUIN
EDUC 5324: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO EDUCATION
Name: Yeliz Tuna
Date: 9/20/2015
Topic Selected: Teachers need to be trained and go through professional development
in order to successfully implement technology into education.
1. LITERATURE REVIEW:
What does the literature/research say about this issue/topic? By using NAU
Library or Online Search engines, conduct a literature review.

You need to include 5 different sources (book, journal article, web article
etc.) in your review. Try to use current sources as much as possible.

You need to summarize and synthesize your sources by discussing a

common theme or issue.

You don't need to critique your sources

You don't need to evaluate your sources (if the sources are trustworthy,
weather the author has a bias or not)

You need to provide background information such as history and

definitions

Brief Literature Review:

Nowadays we are all talking about how to use the technology in the classroom effectively. School
districts are spending more money every year to purchase different materials and resources to
help students and improve test scores. After implementing No Child Left Behind (NCLB), states
are pushing districts to improve standard test scores for all students. Trying to reach every
individual student is getting more important to reach the rigor of the tests and the help the
students. This goal requires more effective and well-rounded teachers. Most of the teacher
candidates coming to schools for the wonderful ideas and high expectations. However, they do
not have enough knowledge and skills to use technology in their classroom to reach their dreams
and goals. When the testing pressure comes on the table, teachers do not spend time to teach
themselves or training to learn new technologies and how to use them in classroom. Therefore,
training teachers how to use technology is getting on of the crucial topic of todays education
system. When we look at the literature, there are so many researches related to this topic. Each
resource looking the same idea in a different perspective. Some of them just look for the specific
grade level or subject. One of my reference states that curriculum in the universities mentioned
about the technology, how to use them but they do not show how to implement it. Students do not

have opportunity to experience the technology during their internship or students teaching term.
Another one investigates whether or not educational technology training workshops affect
teachers' perceptions of technology integration in their classroom. Most of the teachers are
hesitant to use the technology if they do not have enough knowledge how to use them. Moreover,
they are looking for the sampling for their classrooms. Another resource that I used notes that
adapting the technology in classroom requires understanding the needs and current status of the
students such as age. Implementing technology without prioritizing the needs of students
sometimes effects the students growth negatively. Another resource addresses how to use
proper technology or what the best technology is to teach to our students. Technology is growing
so fast and we do not know what is next. If we tech only how to use current technology is not
enough for the students. We have to tech the skills that help them to understand and use new
technologies. The other resource mentions how the technology shapes the classroom. When we
have different technologies in the classroom, structure and content of the classroom change.
Rules and procedures have to be adopted to improve efficiency of the programs and technology
usage.

2. REFLECTION:

What is your personal opinion on this issue? Do you agree with the
research? If you agree or disagree, please explain why?
Provide examples/experiences regarding this issue from school
perspective or If you are not working in a school, from your profession. Be
specific with your examples. You can mention software/hardware names,
specific methods that you plan to use, etc.
How would you implement this research in your career? (At least 1
paragraph)

Reflection:
I believe that teaching how to use technology in classroom to teachers is one of the most
important issues in the education nowadays. My resources are agreed with my opinion. We have
to spend more time and money to train teachers how to use technology effectively in the
classroom. There are couple important points on this issue. Pedagogical perspective of the
technology is one of the most important factors. Resources for the students have to match the
needs of them. For example, My son was in Kindergarten last year. They were using Mathletics
and Reading Eggs for their classes. These programs were great to teach the concepts of the
Mathematics and Reading. However, he could not have chance to practice his motor skills when
he was practicing these programs. I was questioning how I could help him to teach how to hold
pencil properly or how to make lines and curves better to have good hand writing. His teacher
was helping in the classroom on these issues so at the end he completed the year successfully.
When I look at the programs, when the teacher had better understanding of the resources I got
more help form the teacher and that motivated me and my son to spend more time and energy on
the programs that school provided to us. In addition to that, program has to address other needs
of the students. For example, if we are working with early elementary, programs have to have

more colors, easy directions, games and rewards. When the students get bigger, they do not like
childish version. They want more interaction with their peers and teachers. When I offered these
programs to my friends kids who were in middle school, they did not like it. They did not get the
same excitements like my son.

Another example how to utilize the technology in the classroom. My sons teacher had a
smartboard in her classroom. She was not using it at the beginning. When she started to use, my
son told about it every time. She started to play interactive games and activities with the students
and students got more motivated and engaged. When I looked back why she did not use at the
beginning of the year, then I figures out that she did not get any training about the smartboard.
When the school provided the training, she started to use. I believe if the school have more
opportunities for the teachers to learn about how to utilize the technology in their classroom they
will be more comfortable and effective to use them.

When I look the researches that I picked all have the same conclusion. Training for teachers is
more important than the technology. I will personally more focus how to help the teachers to
overcome the hesitation to try new technologies in classroom. In addition to that, my goal to
identify the skills that requires for students to learn to understand and catch the 21st century
skills. We need to focus on the skills not the specific technology. Any device or program can be
tool to use in classroom. If we just focus how to use these tools, we cannot adapt ourselves new
technologies or programs. Because of that reason, I will work on to help teachers to understand
the main concepts of the programs. Programs can be change but the mentality will be same.
Each application or program uses different main frame or have different structure such as
Windows Office and Google Drive or iOS and Android devices. If you know how to use any of
them, skills requires us to use them can be easily transfer one platform to another one if we have
general knowledge of the programs and device. May be some functions are different but you can
easily adjust yourself. Also when you have the knowledge, you do not hesitate to try and when
you try eventually you will get it.

3. REFERENCES:

Cite at least 5 References in APA.

You may use http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-journal for citing
your sources in APA style.

References:
Ziegel, M. m. (2004). Preparing Teachers for the Challenges of
Technology Integration. Issues In Informing Science &
Information Technology, 1105-113.

Hepp, K. p., Prats Fernndez, M. m., & Holgado Garca, J. j. (2015).

Teacher training: technology helping to develop an innovative
and reflective professional profile. RUSC: Revista De
Universidad Y Sociedad Del Conocimiento, 12(2), 30-43.
doi:10.7238/rusc.v12i2.2458
STOICAN, O. o., TEFNESCU, C. c., & STEFNESCU, V. s. (2015).
TEACHERS' DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING IN PRESCHOOL
EDUCATION. Elearning & Software For Education, (2), 322327. doi:10.12753/2066-026X-15-139
Wing Fat Lau, W. w., & Hoi Kau Yuen, A. (2013). Educational
technology training workshops for mathematics teachers: An
exploration of perception changes. Australasian Journal Of
Educational Technology, 29(4), 595-611.
CENGZHAN, S. s. (2011). Effective Use of Instructional Materials and
Technologies in Teacher Training: Expectations and Opinions of
Teacher Candidates. International Online Journal Of
Educational Sciences, 3(2), 641-662.