week two: 5364 TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY

This Thanksgiving Week has given me a chance to reflect on my computer/cellphone usage. I use technology to help with tedious tasks (income forms), shop online (amazon, etc.), bank online, and basically stay in touch with others via email, voice mail, webcam (video link). In my reflection, I concluded that the use of technology could be a blessing or a curse. A blessing in the sense that it could save us so much time and energy so that we could spend more face to face contact time with those we care about the most. It could be curse if we allow technology to turn us into addicts by mindlessly playing computer games and always staying connected to the internet for the latest news flash.

week one: 5364 TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY

THE EDLD 5364 COURSE BOOKS WE ARE READING ARE THE MOST INSIGHTFUL AND INFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY BOOKS I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME. THE BOOKS ARE TITLED "WEB 2.0 NEW TOOLS, NEW SCHOOLS" AND "USING TECHNOLOGY WITH CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS." IN THE PAST, I HAVE WONDERED WHAT WERE THE CATEGORIES OF SKILLS THAT STUDENTS MUST KNOW, AND WHAT WERE THE BEST CHOICES OF PROGRAMS AND APPLICATIONS THAT TEACHERS COULD USE IN THE CLASSROOM. LO AND BEHOLD, ON PAGE 7, (BOOK: USING TECHNOLOGY WITH CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS) THERE IS A MATRIX THAT DESCRIBES THE APPLICATIONS THAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE USING IN THE CLASSROOM. THE WHOLE CHAPTER FOCUSES ON PLANNING QUESTIONS, INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES, AND THE SEVEN CATEGORIES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR TODAY. I WAS AMAZED THAT THE MATRIX SUMMARIZED 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY SKILLS IN A EASY TO UNDERSTAND FORMAT.