Reflection on Technology Integration

The two lessons chosen for this aspect of my portfolio were in Caribbean History and

Social Studies and the classes came from different levels as well. This was done to illustrate that

technology in its different forms can be integrated at any level and with any subject. In preparing

the lesson, I had to consider the availability of the resources as well as the appropriateness and

applicability of online to our curriculum. In my school, access to ICT equipment can be very

difficult because of very limited supplies. The school does not have Internet service and requests

for the ICT equipment needs to be done five days in advance. In delivering these lessons I

needed to make sure that I secured the necessary hardware at least one week in advance. As I

tried to acquire online material to aid in my lessons, I realized that although there is a wealth of

materials available much of it is not applicable to a Trinidad and Tobago context. This proved

may be challenging at times and on these two occasions I found myself creating multimedia

content to ensure that I was able to complete the objectives in the lessons. This was a little bit

difficult since I did have much experience using some of the software that was required to create

the content. I had to enlist the help of the Information Technology Teacher at my school to guide

me through this process. I must admit that while learning and practicing with the software, I

found myself creating exciting content that could be used in other lessons.

The history lesson entitled, Migration of Humans into the Americas and the Caribbean,

was delivered to a form one mixed gender class. I used a combination of movie clips and a

Doodly video to deliver this lesson. I chose to create a Doodly video because it was one of the

tools that was introduced to us in this DipEd programme. I needed to create content about the

“push and pull factors” that contribute to migration from a Trinidadian perspective. The first

problem I encountered was a financial one. This software had a cost attached to it. I decided to
purchase this product because I was intrigued by it and I believe that I could create Doodly

videos for my other classes. I engaged the expertise of the school’s IT teacher to help me to

manipulate the software. The final product was exciting, concise and relatable to the students. I

believe that due to the novelty aspect of this technology made the students excited about the

lesson and they were better able to understand the content. The assessment of the lesson reveled

that the students understood the content, but they were able to apply what they learnt.

The second lesson entitled Constitutional Monarchy and Republicanism was delivered to

a form four Social Studies class. Teaching students about the different elements of Government

has been a daunting task in the past. Many of the students expressed that this topic was their least

favourite. I needed to find a way of giving this topic life. I decided to use real life footage of that

monumental event and put it together in a movie format. I felt that if the students could visualize

some of the changes that occur in Trinidad and Tobago when this change took place, they would

be able to appreciate the significance of the event. The only difficult part of this task was

sourcing the footage. My experience with using movie making software made putting together

the clips very easy. I was able to use various techniques to create a seamless 10 minute movie

that incorporated the majority of the content of the lesson. At the end of the lesson the students

were able to accurately explain the content better that those who just used print material.

As I reflect on the different forms of technology used in the delivery of these lesson, it is

my belief that they enhanced the content and greatly influenced its success. Using the videos,

audios and graphics in the lessons this teacher was able to tap into the different learning styles of

the students. I have found that using multimedia technology in my classes has awaken a renewed

sense of curiosity among my students. They enthusiastic about learning, they engage in

meaningful class discussion and their academic performance have improved. This awakening has
also affected me personally. I am always trying to in cooperate some form of technology in all of

my lessons. I have joined several online sites that demonstrates different ways educators can

integrate technology in their classes. I always believed that technology in the classroom was the

equivalent of a PowerPoint presentation. I have learnt that it is so much more that that. It is my

intention to create a library of technology-based lessons not only for my personal use but to be

shared with my fellow educators. Now that my eyes have been opened about the success of

technology in the classroom, it is my intention to further my knowledge and experience in this

new frontier.