Preface and Ch. 1 Reflection

Reading this preface and first chapter has reinforced my feelings that technology is important to incorporate into teaching and learning. I completely agree that teachers should use technology to engage students in the learning process. And that technology can be utilized to help students acquire meaningful learning in schools. These sections discuss that teachers should let go of some of the control in the learning process and allow students to explore and gather their own learning about the world with guidance. There are many ways that teachers can use technology in the classrooms to help students succeed. I agree that teachers need to stay on top of technology and use these resources in their classrooms. I feel that even if the school you are working at is lacking these resources, there are ways to use what you can get and incorporate it into your curriculum.

Chapter one talks about how student’s in schools are taught to pass tests but are not taught why things occur in any real life situations. I agree with that statement. I remember being told, especially in math, that this is how you get the right answer. There was no reason shown to me about how or why this is right, just this is the way it is done. I did learn how to get the right answer, but as the book talks about I did not get any meaningful learning from it that I could use in my life. And really I did not retain much of the steps and problem solving that I was taught at the time. I agree that student’s need to have learning experiences that relate to real life (Authentic Learning). If I can’t connect something that I am learning to something that I am doing, why do I need to know it? This class is exciting because what we are going to be learning is information that I can take with me into my future teaching career.

One interesting point that is mentioned in Ch.1 is that when technology was first beginning to be used in schools it was to give students an alternative way to receive instruction. Not necessarily for students to learn using the technology, but for them to learn from the technology. I have never thought about this being different things before. I am guilty of purchasing products for my kids to use, such as the leap pad, for them to learn how to use technology to learn. But it is basically instructing them and they are not really learning from using the system. Since every time they don’t want to try and read a word they can push a button and it reads to them.

Using technology to help students think and reason are mentioned in the chapter. I know that as a future teacher I need to think of ways that students can learn using technology. I also need to stay up to date on the new technologies that are available to teachers. I am interested to read more into this book and see how teachers can use technology to help students learn. I still feel a little unsure as to how to know for sure that the technology is helping them think and not just instructing their learning.