Leveling Up a Tier with Technology Integration

In my last post, I gave an infographic that I designed for explaining the three tiers of technology integration:

But what does this all mean in a real applied setting? In this post I’ll break down what it looks like to level up on a popular and one of my most favorite technology applications — Google Slides.

Tier 1 — Teacher Productivity

Think teacher-centered, and think how technology can help a teacher get his or her work done. I always found that I had a much easier time in the classroom if I allowed my students to access my notes before I presented the information in class.

Aligned with Tier 1 technology integration, I would make these notes in a Slides presentation, then make them available on line for my students to take a look at before I taught the information. Or the downloadable notes would be useful for any student who was absent the day that I presented the information.

Their absence would not mean that they had to completely miss out on what was done in class. This system was not the most fully technology integrated, but it really helped me know that I was making information available to them in a fashion that was more compact (and possibly impactful) than a traditional textbook.

Tier 2 — Teacher Presentation and Student Productivity

Now let’s level up that Google Slides presentation to have me presenting and to guide the student activities in class. I am a huge proponent of engagement through mixed-media presentations. I like to use photos and images to provoke student inquiry, and film to present information or invite critical thinking.

After presenting information, I sometimes put in a slide of questions that students have to answer on paper or verbally. This gets students working and productive, but as the teacher, I am still presenting with Google Slides. This is the next level up beyond allowing students to access my notes, but it’s not quite yet 21st Century student-centered learning.

Tier 3–21st Century Learning Environment

A 21st Century Learning Environment puts the student in control of their own learning and has…