Challenges of Teaching with Technology across the Curriculum: Issues and Solutions

Citation

Fourie, I. (2004), "Challenges of Teaching with Technology across the Curriculum: Issues and Solutions", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 193-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410533542

Challenges of Teaching with Technology … is an easy‐to‐use guide to assist teachers from preschool to grade 12 in the integration of technology into their curricula. It offers advise on the selection of suitable software for a variety of disciplines across the curriculum (e.g. science, mathematics, social studies, language arts, foreign languages, fine arts, technology courses). Readers are encouraged to incorporate aspects of the book as they see fit for the expressed purpose of using technology to promote student understanding and learning.

The book consists of 11 chapters. Two introductory chapters address the issues of using technology in the curriculum as well as major applications of instructional technology. It then continues with chapters on the use of technology in specific discipline related curricula. It also deals with the use of technology with students with disabilities, as well as the integration of technology in the curriculum. The first chapter offers a basic, but very interesting overview of the educational psychology of teaching. Readers are encouraged to start by identifying their system of beliefs about learning. Three belief systems are distinguished namely the behavioural approach, cognitive approach, and the humanistic approach. Although no teacher exclusively fall within the domain of a single psychology, this may be useful in understanding one's preferences in teaching, and the use of technology to create opportunities for learning.

The chapters are constructed in a similar fashion. Each chapter deals with the use of technology within teaching for the specific discipline. This is followed by a short history of how technology has affected the field in the recent past, an overview of technology standards for students and teachers as proposed or accepted by national and international associations particular to the field, and a brief discussion on the best in educational software for the particular field. This includes commercial, shareware and freeware. World Wide Web sites are recommended. Criteria are also offered on selecting software or Web sites for the particular field (e.g. criteria for the evaluation of foreign language Web sites). Lesson ideas are also included.

Since it is an easy‐to‐use, well‐structured book, Challenges of Teaching with Technology … can certainly help teachers who are keen to integrate technology into their curricula with useful pointers of how to go about. I am, however, not quite sure that I agree with the publisher's claim that it will become an “invaluable reference” for teachers who develop their own instructional materials and are asked to select software and Web sites for their students, or that it is a comprehensive guide.

The book is well bounded, with an easy to read print. The index is unfortunately very basic. Challenges of Teaching with Technology … is recommended as an excellent point of departure for teachers from preschool to grade 12 who are keen on integrating technology into their curricula, and who has no or little experience in this field.