Transcript for Linda Shriver Video

Transcript for the video Technology Integration Matrix Levels: One Teacher’s Journey by Linda Schriver.

I like to think of the TIM, the Technology Integration Matrix, as the framework for how we teach.

The TIM gives Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers a way to plan, implement, and evaluate technology in the classroom. At first glance it will look a bit complex, but let me help you simplify the 5X5 matrix.

The actual Matrix can be found at fcit.usf.edu/matrix. Click on Matrix.

See I told you. At first glance it can be a bit overwhelming. Hang in there. I’ll break it down for you.

The top row moves through five levels of technology integration in the curriculum: Entry Level, Adoption, Adaptation, Infusion, and Transformation.

A great analogy for these descriptors is the transition a teacher makes from first year teacher to maybe a more seasoned teacher.

I was a lot like the Entry Level as a first-year teacher. I stood and delivered the content. My students listened or watched. We built fluency, with basic facts and skills. Decisions about how and when to use tools, as well as which tools to be used, were made by me, the teacher.

As I moved through my first year teaching, I developed a lot like the Adoption Level. I began to teach procedures. At the Adoption level on the TIM, technology tools are used in conventional ways. The teacher makes decisions about which technology tool to use and when and how to use it. Students’ exposure to individual technology tools may be limited to single types of tasks that involve a procedural understanding.

As my teaching matured and I grew more comfortable, I was similar to the Adaptation Level. I became more of a facilitator. I still made most of the decisions, but I guided the students in the learning. With the TIM students have a greater familiarity with the use of technology tools and have a more conceptual understanding of the tools than students at the Adoption Level. They are able to work without direct instruction from the teacher and begin to explore different ways of using technology.

As time passed, I became the “guide on the side”—just as the Infusion Level, on the TIM. I used a lot of different resources, and they were integrated seamlessly into teaching and learning. Why? Because I had experience. I knew my stuff! The Infusion Level on the TIM has the instructional focus on student learning and not on the teaching tools themselves. For this reason, Infusion level work typically occurs after teachers and students have experience with a particular technology tool.

On good days I was rockin’ the Transformation Level! At this stage in my teaching career, I guided my students, I tried hard to facilitate higher order learning activities, and honestly it was my hope students would apply that understanding and knowledge. And so it is with the TIM Transformation Level. Students are encouraged to use technology tools in unconventional ways and are self-directed in combining the use of various tools.

So, I hope that helped. The analogy of a teacher from Entry Level to Transformation. It’s the growth mindset.