Journal # 2

"Infusion or Integration" by Kimberley Ketterer
September/October 2007 in Learning and Leading with Technology

In this article for L&L, Kimberley Ketterer discusses the differences between two popular technology buzzwords, "infusion" and "integration," that are being bandied about my teachers and students alike. Ketterer is a professor at the University of Oregon who specializes in technology use in the classroom. In Ketterer's experience, students and teachers misused these words or used them interchangeably to mean the same thing. However in educational technology circles, Ketterer uses infusion to mean the introduction of new hardware or software as teaching tools. Examples of infusion might include: computers, scanners, digital cameras, mp3 players, and flash drives - just to name a few. A "ditto machine", typewriter, or pencils were the new tech toys of yesteryear, she states to illutrate that technology has been in the classroom for years. "Infusion" of technology in the classroom is nothing new! Similarly, "integration" of new technology in the classroom has also been around for years. Some historical examples of integration are: cut and paste book reports, filmstrips on various subjects, and tape recorders. Today "integration" of new technology might be listening to a book read over a mp3 player as part of a literature class or creating multi-media presentations as group projects. Ketterer makes the point that educators can have infusion but no integration "but not the other way around." Once technology is integrated, it's there to stay - just like paper, pencils and calculators.

How might a teacher use the ipod as an integrated technology tool in the classroom?
If I were the teacher, I would use the ipod as a guest lecturer. I could have my students take a virtual field trip to the Met museum in NYC, and listen with their ipods to a file that I have received over email. I would share or broadcast it from my itunes. It would include a prominent artist talking about his or her work we have displayed on a website showing a clip of his piece.

What technology that is currently being "infused" will be here to stay in the classrooms of tomorrow's America?
I think that mp3 players and ipods can be used successfully, along with blogs and podcasting (which uses ipods). Similarly, scanners and digital cameras should be in every classroom like computers and printers. Students need to know how to use these tools to create interesting multimedia presentations. Lastly, video conference between classrooms and labs would be cool. Some student can dissect frogs while others watch via the videoconference tool. I would have loved that!