Is There an App for That? A Model to Help School-Based Professionals Identify, Implement, and Evaluate Technology

Teachers and administrators face an increasingly common dilemma in classrooms and schools nationwide: the haphazard integration of technology. It has become ubiquitously accepted that the integration of technology into all aspects of teaching and learning is not only beneficial but also necessary (Nickerson & Zodhiates, 2014). Yet, little consideration is typically given with respect to how that technology is selected, implemented, and evaluated (Edyburn, 2014). This haphazard approach can lead to the selection and adoption of technology for the sake of technology rather than identification of relevant technology built on a strong foundation of need. Too often word of mouth or brief Internet searches are the sole basis for the adoption of devices and systems impacting students and teachers. By applying what works in a personal context (e.g., a quick android app search for tracking exercise) to the professional context, educators are in danger of selecting technology that is ineffective, misaligned, or incompatible with (a) the desired outcomes and (b) philosophies of learning and behavior management. Therefore, a systematic process for identifying, implementing, and evaluating technology use in schools is warranted.

We have established the Software Identification Evaluation and Decision-making (SIED) project to develop a framework to guide education stakeholders (e.g., administrators, teachers, students, and parents) in identifying and leveraging advanced technologies to improve student outcomes. In this presentation we will present a systematic process based on the Project SIED conceptual model to guide educators through the initial identification of need (i.e., what is the problem), followed by the selection, implementation and evaluation of relevant technology (i.e., how can we meet this need).