Overcoming the Tensions and Challenges of Technology Integration

Abstract

This chapter informs teacher educators and individuals involved in teacher professional development about the tensions that frequently arise when K-12 teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. Suggestions for how individuals can help teachers confront and overcome these challenges are presented. In order to describe the various tensions that exist, findings are organized around concerns that are related to the innovator (e.g., the teacher), the technological innovation, and the contextual factors that arise from the environment in which teaching and learning occur. To describe ways to assist teachers as they confront the challenges of technology integration, recommendations are framed around the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model (CAM) and the four dimensions that constitute a successful learning environment: content, method, sequencing, and sociology.