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A while back an #edchat poll on Twitter raised the question: “What objectives are necessary for effective edtech integration?” The following are ten objectives I’d like to highlight. These are the result of my personal considerations on the subject and are raised in order to provoke thought and discussion. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on the topic, too.

1. Edtech integration must have a specific purpose.
You may be surprised to learn that people at your school have different definitions of what effective “educational technology” integration is. Do you want the students to gain more experience as “Netizens”? Do you want to use familiar social media and apps to make classroom interactions more meaningful to students? Do you want to put parts of your curriculum “hybrid” online in order to take teacher-led instruction out of the classroom? Do you want to give your bilingual, gifted and/or “at-risk” students access to the classroom at home? Ask yourself these questions and share your thoughts with others at your school in order to define a specific purpose for educational technology (edtech) integration in your classroom or at your school.

2. Edtech integration should be strategically planned.
Teaching and learning will take place whether or not there is technology involved. Therefore, edtech integration must be fuelled by a desire to enhance and meet specific performance goals that require or are truly bettered with the use of technology. These goals, as always, must drive planning across the board in order to create results. Effective results in the form of learning outcomes indicate effective edtech integration.

3. Edtech integration must be systematic.
Edtech integration is an ongoing process and will require a lot of training and planning. What resources are available? What resources are needed? These factors can aid in deciding which technologies to “roll out” first. As always, keep your big goals in mind. You’ll get there and have a better chance of making it if your edtech integration is systematic. You should do it in stages because you’ll soon discover that your edtech integration is never complete. It will need to be constantly managed and updated as 21^st century technologies and the field of education evolve.

4. Edtech integration must enhance student learning.
Just because it’s cool doesn’t mean it’s necessary. This is a hard one for those of us who love technology and can see reasons to use just about everything to interact with students. But what’s the use of edtech integration if a student can make a podcast yet can’t independently format a works cited page? The focus always has to be on meeting or exceeding the curriculum standards. If your curriculum doesn’t require technology and the technology doesn’t actually improve the students’ learning (according to the standards), then it shouldn’t be there. If you don’t like the standards, well then advocate changing them.

5. Edtech integration must enhance teaching.
Edtech integration shouldn’t make life easier for the students and exponentially more difficult or time-consuming for the teachers, which would only lead to ineffective class instruction as a result of teacher burnout. 99% of teachers today work really hard and are dearly invested in the success of their students. Teacher burnout is an important issue and our society needs to consider the value it places on teachers. Edtech integration should enhance the education that takes place in the classroom, which includes both students and teachers. Considerations in the strategic planning process must address teacher needs so that teaching will also be improved through the use of technology.

6. Edtech integration must engage all students.
Some students don’t have access to 21^st century tech tools and others might be restricted from using these tools by their parents. If you’re going for widespread edtech integration, you need to make sure you’re not creating a hierarchy that will result in classism or cultural bias. Are you setting some students up for failure and others for success?

7. Edtech integration must engage all instructors.
It is unfair to integrate technology without providing proper professional development (PD) for all instructors. Those who are adept with technology will take to it quickly whereas those who are less “into” technology may feel alienated from PD opportunities. All teachers and administrators need to be a “buy-in” into the spirit of edtech integration. It’s important to create staff interaction that promotes co-feeling about the projected edtech goals. Maybe you don’t see a need for all teachers to use technology, but if you’re doing a large-scale roll-out, then it’s important to foster professional relationships among those who do and do not use the same tools. Perhaps forming official conversations between those who are and are not involved in edtech integration can underscore the importance of communicating about teaching and learning as a professional community, whether or not you’re using the exact same methods.

8. Edtech integration must drive further PD.
Going along with engaging all instructors, edtech integration needs to be taken-on with an understanding that PD will be ongoing. Because technology changes so quickly, the uses of edtech on-site and corresponding PD will need to be constantly reviewed and revised. A teacher from each one of your school’s teacher teams and at least one on-site leader could form a weekly edtech integration committee. Meeting on an ongoing basis would create a forum to discuss edtech integration including instructional successes, opportunities for improvement and new discoveries such as useful websites, apps and project-based learning ideas.

9. Edtech integration must be fluid.
There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to edtech integration. Edtech is so varied that it really lends itself to teacher exploration. One’s personal teaching style will inform which technologies work best for that teacher’s classroom. The uses of edtech can be boundless; creativity with edtech should be welcomed as long as the learning goals are being met or exceeded.

10. Edtech integration must be a part of the journey, not the destination.
Edtech integration can be a source of discovery in the classroom, both for teachers and students. Edtech integration isn’t a component that you add to your curriculum and then check a box when you’re done. It is a never-ending process. What better way is there to model a love for lifelong learning to your students than to integrate educational technology into your curriculum?