An ethnographic case study of technology use in the elementary classroom.

Abstract

Technology has become an essential tool that supports the education process and offers educators effective strategies in order to address all learners’ needs, and assess students’ understanding. The purpose of any instructional technology is to enhance the experience of the learners and the learners’ ability to master the material by using a range of technology such as computers, iPads, and SMART boards. This paper is an ethnographic case study to answer the research question, “How does a teacher effectively integrate appropriate educational technology to support students’ learning in an elementary classroom”? This research examined effective ways of integrating educational technology into the elementary classroom. Data collected included non-participant observations and open- ended surveys of the teachers. The sample included four elementary classrooms and four elementary school teachers from an American school and four elementary teachers from a Saudi Arabian School. The most significant finding that I have seen through my research in the United States school is that there were a large and diverse number of technologies in each classroom. The SMART boards were the most prevalent technology tool being used with the teachers using SMART boards for their daily lessons. As a result of my study I believe that the SMART board should be a required teaching tool in each elementary classroom.