Unit 1: Foundations of Educational Technology Integration

Lorraine Levy
5 hours ago
2 min read

Context-In Unit 1, I examined core frameworks for educational technology integration, including TPACK and SAMR, reviewed the history and current trends in educational technology, and studied the ISTE Standards for Educators and characteristics of today’s digital learners. This unit provided the conceptual foundation for the remainder of the course.

Learning Objectives Addressed

LO1.1: Trace the historical evolution of educational technology
LO1.2: Explain how major learning theories inform technology integration
LO1.3: Apply the TPACK framework to analyze technology integration decisions
LO1.4: Identify today's digital students and their learning needs
LO1.5: Use the SAMR model to evaluate and plan technology implementations
LO1.6: Identify current trends in educational technology (2025-2026)
LO1.7: Compare features and functionality of major Learning Management Systems

Featured Artifact

Learning Demonstrated: I want to learn more about personalization in learning — I see it as the essential shift needed. The large lecture-hall model still dominates; our campus continues to invest in lecture facilities (for example, the new CE building at EVC), while programs like Tesla Automotive and our consistently full nursing program show strong hands-on and industry-aligned demand. Meeting students’ needs for more online options, lab sections, and experiential learning while also aligning with industry needs would create both community-level and individualized personalization.

- Implications for Today's Teachers

Relevant ISTE Standards for Educators: The “Teachers as Facilitators” standard best supports these changes by encouraging curiosity and experimentation. Engaging students in real-world problems creates opportunities to discuss risks, failures, and personal experience — interactions that deepen learning and collaboration.

- Challenges teachers may face:

Challenges and Growth: Teachers are traditionally trained to prioritize subject content and standards; professional preparation often gives limited time to instruction on using technology for modification or transformation. Additionally, students arrive with widely varying levels of access and digital skills, which teachers must accommodate.

- Specific supports teachers need: Ongoing, site-specific training on technology tools; visible leadership and models on campus showing how to transform content through grade-level and subject-area collaboration; and safe, collaborative spaces where teachers can experiment, “fail forward,” reflect, and implement improvements.

- Artifact Reflection:

Future Application: I need more opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, share classroom practices, and learn which Canvas tools effectively boost learning and student engagement. To grow my practice within Canvas, I can move beyond simple content delivery and tap into its "community" features. By setting up shared spaces with my peers (Psychology Canvas Shell, Canvas Commons, Creative Commons, and Open Education Resources) and using interactive tools with my students, I am turning the LMS into a living lab for classroom innovation.

ISTE Connection:

This artifact exemplifies ISTE Standard 5: Designer (design authentic, learner-driven activities) and Standard 1: Learner (setting professional learning goals).

AI Use Statement: "I used ChatGBT to grammar check my writing, but all analysis and connections are my own original thinking."

Google. (2025). Gemini (Feb 6 version) [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com/