Week 4 Posting 4

There are many benefits and downfalls related to the teaching and learning process of effective integration of technology. Technology should never be used just to be used. It should always add relevance and fit in with the curriculum. Technology should allow students to take ideas and plans a step further and make learning more enriching. Technology should not be used as a filler of time and resources. It should not be a babysitter to entertain students while teachers have time to grade papers. If used correctly technology should be used in order to prepare students for the fast paced technology infused daily life they will be expected to lead outside of school and prepare them for their futures.

Depending on what the teacher’s objectives for the lesson are, the types and levels of technology to be implemented will vary. For some lessons the computer could serve as teacher, assistant, learner or a combination of the three. By allowing the students to use websites such as NARA’s Digital Classroom, they are able to see history come alive. They are able to see and not just read about monumental moments in history. Teachers must of course teach their students about how to discriminate the information that they find online. They need to know that just because someone has typed something and posted it online does not mean that it is from a reliable source. Once this task is done then the students will be able to move on to learning how to conduct a search. This can be frustrating to many, but once it is learned it is invaluable.

Effective integration of technology is when the use of technology in a lesson enhances the learning experience and creates motivation in the students. It is not just something added to a lesson to fill the technology requirement on the evaluation form in PDAS. Technology and the resources it can provide should become so ingrained into the classroom that it is not thought of as something added or special but as a normal routine.