In the K-12 educational setting, technology integration occurs when children willfully and actively engage in the process of content-related learning via computer-based technologies. With advances in technology, information for all, including students, is simply a mouse click away; no longer is the teacher the only source of information. However, students need to be taught how to apply their burgeoning new skills to the “real world.” Despite being ultra-proficient at using emerging technology, most students are largely incapable of using technology for academic purposes, and it is this knowledge that instructors need to impart on their students.

Graphic novels and comic books are very popular with youngsters as they provide an ideal combination of text and graphics. With the difficulties inherent in getting children to produce their own literary content, this begs the question as to why comic books have not been utilized as a motivational tool to encourage writing composition among students. From a practical standpoint, not everyone has created a comic book because it normally requires some artistic ability; at least, that is the perception. However, I recently used a comic strip creating application called “ToonDoo”, and while there was a bit of a learning curve, access to all the tools required for a neophyte such as myself to create a professional looking cartoon were accessible.

The inclusion of iPads in education is so important, because it offers a method to provide individually tailored instruction to each student. However, for the usage of this technology to provide optimal results, it cannot be seen as an afterthought, and a separate piece of the education process. The greatest effects result when this technology is viewed as a piece of the instructional process, rather than an add-on. To facilitate this curricular integration, the technological supplementation must be determined when initially planning, as opposed to simply adding it in at various random points in the school year.

The term “Digital Divide” emerged in the 1990s to characterize the discrepancy between those individuals having consistent access to computers and the internet and those who did not. There exists a denotative distinction between the Level 1 Digital Divide, which refers to the incongruity regarding access to computer technology, and the Level 2 Digital Divide, which refers to the divergence regarding how said technology is utilized. It appears that the most crucial ingredient for successfully integrating technology into the curriculum and achieving higher-order thinking by students is the presence of the technology facilitator. Lastly, this reading discusses “copyright”, “fair use,” and “plagiarism.”

Assistive technology is an all-encompassing term representing all supplementary aids and services that, through well-planned implementation, enable students with disabilities, to access and thrive in the general education curriculum. These truths should not be lost on the school leader who would be well served to recognize the legal entitlements of his/her students with regard to assistive technology. Teachers have a responsibility to match students’ instructional requirements with technology and help select technology that will enable their students to blend in with their peers and experience success. My strategy for integrating assistive technologies into my future classroom starts with learning all that I can about this topic as I must be prepared to assimilate disabled students into the curriculum.