Instructional Technology
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a computer class. Effective technology integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support they key components of active engagement, group and individual participation, collaboration, and connections to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and supports our curricular goals.
There is an ever-growing body of evidence that technology integration positively affects student achievement and academic performance. The Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET) found that, when used in collaborative learning methods and leadership that is aimed at improving the school through technology planning, technology impacts achievement in content area learning, promotes higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills, and prepares students for the workforce.
In the Cherokee County School District, we work to effectively integrate technology into the K-12 curriculum. Learners today are highly relational and demand quick access to new knowledge. They are capable of engaging in learning at a whole new level. With the world literally at their fingertips, today's students need a a technology-rich environment so that they can master the curriculum, the skills necessary to succeed in secondary and postsecondary institutions, and the workplace. To meet the needs of today's learners, CCSD has acquired and incorporated a wide variety of technologies to help teachers and students develop technology-infused activities that encourage critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.