Intigrating Technology: Chapter 6

I definitely liked chapter 6 much more than most of the other chapters. It’s fun for me to think of all the things I will get to do once I’m in my own classroom. Something that really struck me out of chapter 6 is that the text tells us that with the integration of technology into the classroom, the teacher becomes a facilitator of learning. Instead of standing in front of room and dictating everything your students should know and should learn, you become a driving force to help the students learn for themselves, on their own. In this day and age I feel that students need to feel independence, they need to learn how to rely on their own brains. I feel that a lot of teachers today focus on getting students to regurgitate information, this approach forces teachers to let students learn for themselves.

Page 343 tells us that by integrating technology into the classroom, the students become more engaged in what they are learning, taking a more active role in the learning process. It goes on to say that students create their own learning and the teacher should assist students in becoming active learners, not just tell them what they should know. The previous page tells us that technology helps motivate students, and can even increase students desire to attend class. Technology also helps teachers cater to students with different learning styles and disabilities.

Technology is constantly changing the way we communicate, surf the web, and with the invention of Tivo and DVR’s, even the way we watch television. It’s no surprise to me that technology is changing the way students are being taught, in fact it makes me more excited to become a teacher. Think of all the resources I’ll have! Things from this chapter I plan to bring into my classroom is definitely the ASSURE model. I think that if more teachers could put such thought and planning into each lesson, they could reach more students. No wonder most students aren’t interested in school, the technology that they love outside of school isn’t correctly utilized by most teachers in the classroom. You have to draw off of what students already know, and I think the ASSURE model helps with that. I also liked the website they featured called Mighty Mentors, where teachers can sign up to be a mentor or mentee who communicate through e-mail. It’s like having a pen pal who has been where you are now and can help answer any questions or offer support, or give you tips. I definitely plan on signing up for such a service when I become a teacher.