In my humble opinion, integration and infusion are one and the same.
People started talking about infusion after integration became a very
tired word. See, everyone thought that if we just bought a bunch of
computers and stuck them in schools kids would get smarter. Then they
realized that no, you had to use the computers. But wait, you couldn't
just do drill and kill software 24/7 on them (and they did try!) you had
to use them in context with other learning. Thus was born integration.
But integration didn't really work. See, technology is a tool, not an
idea. The idea is information literacy and the outcome is student
achievement. But technology integration attempts to make the computers
the idea and use of computers the outcome. There is a huge difference in
there. So the technology fetishism continued, and the student
achievement didn't manifest. Exit technology integration (stage right).
Ahh, but we still need to use these boxes, because we paid a lot of
money for them and people are asking about our shiny new door holders.
So let's reinvent integration as infusion. It does a little better
because this concept sees the tool as a spice, a little bit of extra to
add some zest to the main course of soup. The problem, though, is that
some still saw the "little bit" like Texans see chili (or Thais see
sweet and sour soup). Sure, there are some other flavors in there, but
what you really notice is the intense burning sensation of your taste
buds being cauterized by some rather hot little peppers. Think instead
of a nice bay leaf or some of those spices in cheese cloth. It goes into
the broth for a while, but then gets removed from the final
presentation.
Say it with me now, technology is a tool. We use technology. Technology
does not guide decisions; technolgoy does not influence student
instruction. Technology is a support mechanism - a scaffolding that
allows learning to reach new heights but then is dismantled to allow the
beauty of the student learning to shine on.
Integration? Infusion? Nah....Information Literacy is the way to go.
Keep it real - keep it focused on student achievement as a goal,
information literacy as the path to the goal, and technology as one of
the bricks that makes up the path; there but to be trod upon.
Chris - http://schoolof.info/infomancy
Christopher Harris - cgharris@gvboces.org
Coord. School Library System / Media Services
Genesee Valley BOCES - Le Roy, NY 14482
Phone: 585.344/658.7942 | Fax: 585.344.7579
Website: sls.gvboces.org | Skype: gvboces-sls
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