October 27, 2009
Iowa State professor pushes for integrated technology in classrooms
By
Michelle Rydell
Although today’s teachers have classroom capabilities that were unimaginable 20 years ago, it also means educators now have the responsibility to apply and integrate new technologies to produce the best students.
That’s the crux of Denise Schmidt’s teaching philosophy, at least. Schmidt, an assistant professor in the department of curriculum and instruction and faculty member in the Center for Technology in Learning and Teaching (CTLT) at Iowa State University, firmly believes that educators must effectively infuse technology into their classrooms, and not just use it as an afterthought.
“Technology without curriculum really isn’t where we want to go,” said Schmidt, a former elementary teacher in Iowa schools. “We want to mindfully connect technology in content subject areas such as literacy, science, math and social studies. There are a lot of ways that technology can be used to make a very engaging and enriching classroom environment that focuses on student learning.”
Schmidt served as the associate director of the CTLT before becoming an assistant professor in 2004. Her courses involve technology use in education, and bring together Schmidt’s two interests – technology and literacy.
One of Schmidt’s primary interests is digital storytelling in the classroom, which allows students to express themselves in a variety of ways and learn through visual, auditory, and print media. Recounting what they have learned through words and images empowers students to exercise more creativity. Developing and illustrating story lines helps students assume ownership of what they learn and grow the ability to express that to others, Schmidt said.
“It’s all about today’s student and the 21st century learner,” she said. “We need to figure out how we are going to keep students engaged in classroom activities by using technology in ways that will capitalize on students’ abilities to use digital tools.”
Schmidt is researching the use of technology in K-12 schools and in higher education teacher preparation. She is especially interested in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), a framework for conceptualizing different kinds of knowledge a teacher needs to integrate technology effectively.
In other words, Schmidt is studying how pre-service teachers develop and apply TPACK during their preparation program at Iowa State. The research will track students over time, beginning in introductory courses and following them through their student teaching internships and beyond. Tracking progress of student-teachers over time allows Schmidt to gauge how prepared Iowa State students are to use technology in classrooms when they leave the university.
“Our hope is that our graduates will be leaders and change agents for schools in using technology in classrooms,” Schmidt said. “Technology can be used as a tool to help expand human potential, especially in our classrooms.
