Week 1: Technology Integration Framework & Organizational Alignment

 

Background - Technology Integration at Skyview Middle School

In 2022, Skyview Middle School implemented a 1:1 Chromebook program, giving students access to a device during the school day. However, students were not permitted to take the Chromebooks home, and access to a device did not necessarily mean students had balanced opportunities to engage in valuable digital learning. A previous examination of digital equity at Skyview identified differences in instructional practices, professional learning, and family support as important factors influencing students' experiences with technology.

This is important because the digital divide is more complex than simply asking who has a computer or an internet connection. The U.S. Department of Education (2024) describes digital equity in terms of access, design, and use. This framework itself makes me think differently about technology integration at Skyview. Providing students with a Chromebook only addresses part of the access issue; it does not automatically ensure the technology is used in ways that improve learning. Access to a device is only the first step in addressing digital equity at Skyview.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

The technology integration framework that could provide meaningful support for Skyview is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK. Mishra and Koehler (2006) developed TPACK to understand the relationship among technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. The TPACK Framework helps teachers consider how content, pedagogy, and technology can combine efforts to support student learning. Instead of using technology just because it is available, TPACK encourages teachers to start with what students need to learn and then determine how technology can support that learning. It can provide students with chances to explore, create, collaborate, and demonstrate their knowledge in purposeful ways (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).

TPACK gives Skyview a way to plan together and think intentionally about technology, with a focus on using it to help students think more deeply, work together, and understand and master the curriculum. This is an area of need for Skyview. Teachers must move past "basic training" and start talking about inspired teaching. TPACK gives Skyview a path to plan together and time to focus on how technology can help students think harder, collaborate more, and master the curriculum.

Context

TPACK fits well with several initiatives already in place at Skyview and in District 49. Frameworks include Marzano’s New Art and Science of Teaching (NASOT), 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Classroom, Capturing Kids’ Hearts, and High Reliability Schools, all of which emphasize intentional instruction, student involvement, collaboration, and enhanced student outcomes. TPACK does not require adding another initiative. It provides another lens for thinking about how technology can support the work we are already doing.

Skyview has made considerable progress in providing students with access to technology. The next step is making sure that access leads to purposeful learning. TPACK gives teachers a common language for having these conversations. This shift fits naturally with our existing focus on purposeful lesson design and student achievement.

Relevance

TPACK is relevant because access to a device does not automatically create a better learning experience. Researchers have identified differences between passive uses of technology, such as completing digital worksheets, and more active uses, such as creating, problem-solving, communicating, and collaborating (Reich et al., 2020). The U.S. Department of Education (2024) likewise stresses moving beyond access and focusing on how technology improves teaching and learning.

This connects directly to Skyview’s work around digital equity. Equity goes beyond making sure every student has a Chromebook. If one student uses a device to create a podcast or collaborate on a project while another primarily completes digital drills, their learning experiences differ significantly. TPACK helps focus on the quality of the learning experience.

This also changes professional development. Teachers need more than training on how to use a particular app. They need opportunities to think about when, why, and how technology can improve learning. This shifts the focus from learning how to use a technology tool to thoughtfully designing meaningful learning experiences for students.

ISTE Alignment

TPACK also connects to the ISTE Standards for Educators. The standards describe educators as Learners, Leaders, Citizens, Collaborators, Designers, Facilitators, and Analysts (ISTE, 2017). TPACK supports several of these roles. As Learners, teachers explore new technologies and consider their curricular value. As Designers, they create learning experiences that connect content, pedagogy, and technology. As Facilitators, they use technology to encourage creativity, collaboration, and student ownership. As Analysts, they use evidence to determine whether technology is actually improving learning.

TPACK also supports the ISTE Standards for Students, including Empowered Learner, Creative Communicator, Global Collaborator, and Innovative Designer (ISTE, 2016). When technology is intentionally integrated, students have opportunities to make choices, communicate ideas, collaborate, and create solutions to authentic problems.

Evaluation

The TPACK Framework fits well with the Colorado State Model Evaluation System for Teachers because both focus on improving teaching and student learning. TPACK is not an evaluation system, but it can give teachers another way to think about how technology supports effective instruction. It fits well with Colorado’s standards for content knowledge, classroom environment, learning facilitation, and professionalism (Colorado Department of Education, 2026). For example, TPACK encourages teachers to think about whether technology helps students understand the content, stay engaged, collaborate with others, and take a more active role in their learning (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).

At Skyview, TPACK could be incorporated into the conversations already occurring during coaching, lesson planning, and classroom observations. TPACK could help us have more meaningful conversations about how technology can strengthen the teaching and learning that is already happening in our classrooms (Colorado Department of Education, 2026).

References

Colorado Department of Education. (2026). State model evaluation system for teachers—Colorado Department of Education.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2017). ISTE standards for educators. https://www.iste.org/standards/educators

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x

Reich, J., Murnane, R. J., & Willett, J. B. (2020). The state of technology use in American classrooms: A national survey of teachers. Educational Researcher, 49(8), 575–586.

Selwyn, N. (2016). Education and technology: Key issues and debates (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A call to action for closing the digital access, design, and use divides: 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. U.S. Department of Education.

Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., Sheldon, S., & Byers, J. (2023). Digital equity in education: From access to outcomes. Educational Researcher, 52(6), 337–349.