Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works
By Howard Pitler, Elizabeth R. Hubbell, and Matt Kuhn
(ASCD/McREL, 2012  Learn more)

Reviewed by Kevin Hodgson

One of the things I admire about Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works is the framework around which the content is built. The book focuses on the pedagogy behind the use of technology, and the emphasis is less on the tools (although the book is packed with examples) than on the rationale behind the tools. The book is marketed as a companion text to Classroom Instruction That Works, but I read this it as a separate resource, and you can too.

This book moves over a lot of ground, from creating KWL charts on Google Doc — to using online surveys to collect data from students to creating Venn Diagrams on the iPad — to tapping into WolframAlpha for information analysis — to producing stop-motion movies around science ideas. Using a revised Bloom’s Taxonomy chart that integrates thinking along digital lines, the authors here are intent on showing and demonstrating how thoughtful technology planning by the teacher leads to classrooms full of engaged students who can dive deep into content-area exploration in a variety of genres, formats and assessments.

Teaching trumps tech

This book, with a timely introduction by Will Richardson, is the second edition, and the authors – Howard Pitler, Elizabeth R. Hubbell, and Matt Kuhn – acknowledge that the pace of change is outracing the pace of publishing (something I know all too well from editing my own collection of pieces around writing, technology and teaching).

And so, they frame the book this way: “Our intent is not to write a book about technology, but rather a book about using technology as one among several tools for providing good instruction. This way of thinking about technology is helpful for educators overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of the latest gadgets and applications. (2).”

I like that the framework for instructional practice is constructed around creating a supportive environment for learning, shifting into helping students to develop understanding of an idea or concept, and then moving into extending and applying that knowledge in ways that build off the instruction. The authors seek to weave technology concepts into the various phases of that instructional conceptual design, and for the most part, they succeed.

My only real complaint is that there are too many tools here, and if their intent was to make it easier for teachers and administrators (this book is published by ASCD so I assume that is the primary audience), it may in reality be a bit overwhelming to even look at the table of contents, which covers five pages. Teachers who dig in, however, will find plenty of examples and strategies that can provide a nice road forward into using technology to plan instruction, and also, to engage students in learning.

Kevin Hodgson is a sixth grade teacher in Southampton, Massachusetts, and is the technology liaison with the Western Massachusetts Writing Project. Kevin blogs regularly at Kevin’s Meandering Mind and tweets more often than is healthy under his @dogtrax handle.

The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide
By Doug Johnson
(Jossey-Bass, 2012 – Learn more)

 Reviewed by Rhonda Leduc

“HELP!!!  I’m drowning in technology lingo — and way too many computer cords!!”

Is this you? If so, Doug Johnson’s “The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide” may be just what you need to help gain knowledge and perspective about technology and its uses in the classroom — particularly if you read this book in a group setting or with peer support. However, Johnson’s book is not simply a step-by-step, how-to guide.

Johnson takes a less direct, wider approach to addressing classroom tech. He helps teachers look at technology from a “big picture” point of view, including educating readers on what needs to be in place first in order for them to be successful users and facilitators of technology in the classroom.  Readers will find useful checklists to help you consider and consolidate the technology you currently have and evaluate your tech support. He also offers ideas on how to go about getting what you need to be a successful technology user.

Chapter Two covers the basic questions about technology, such as “what type of computer should I buy?” Johnson makes a good effort to answer these questions, but as technology is always changing and the terminology can be overwhelming, I feel the material in this chapter is an example of where the novice may get confused and perhaps frustrated. If you’re just getting your feet wet, you’ll benefit from having someone with more technology experience, or a support group, to help you through some of the issues he raises here.

Additional chapters focus on suggestions for technology use to improve teacher personal productivity (email, websites, etc.); ways to incorporate technology into current teaching practices; incorporating 21^st century learning skills; strategies for managing hand-held devices and other forms of technology, and strategies for safety and ethical use of technology.

Tips, checklists and tables

Johnson ends his survival guide with his predictions for the future and a readings and resource list. Throughout the book, prominent “Survival Tip” bubbles can be found that give practical, common sense tips. While the title of the book implies it might be primarily geared to the novice technology user, there is enough material in it to provide useful information for advanced users.

I particularly like the various checklists that outline what competent users of a particular technology should be able to do. These lists inform current users of a technology who may not be aware of all of its possibilities and features. Another useful inclusion: tables that outline how a teacher can incorporate technology into their current practices. For example, a play or skit assignment can be filmed for multiple viewing, later analyses and/or editing, and saved for future classes.

What’s missing?

This book would benefit from a glossary of terms and more graphic images to complement the various technology tools and programs (e.g., PowerPoint, Twitter). And it begs for an accompanying DVD – or even QR codes – to which readers could refer for visual explanations, greater detail, or additional information.

Understand that the elephant can only be eaten one bite at a time (p. 199).

While some readers will likely enjoy and connect more to Johnson’s conversational tone than others, I believe The Classroom Teacher’s Technology Survival Guide serves as a beneficial resource for educators interested in expanding their professional skills and knowledge of technology use and would be an excellent resource for professional learning study groups and libraries.

Rhonda Leduc is a grade 6 teacher in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada with a particular interest in technology use in schools and connecting students to the world beyond their own. Rhonda has a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Victoria and a Master of Education degree in Educational Policy Studies with a focus in Global Studies in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.