Readings! Every good class starts with background knowledge!

For the first assigned reading in 7410 Instructional Technology Leadership, I got a little overwhelmed! There were so many terms that I had heard of before but never really knew what they meant. I now understand the appropriate definitions, which makes more sense. I had only heard of educational technology as the technology available for teachers. Now that I have read the true definition, I understand that it is not only the technology available but also the process used. This is very helpful because the process is essential. I had never heard of technology integration before though. The way I understand it is that technology integration explains how teachers incorporate technology in the classroom depending on their situation. What I do is not always appropriate for the teacher next to me, so she should do what is appropriate for her and her students. I really did not know the definition of instructional technology before this class (which is kind of sad considering that is what my Master’s in!!!). I just assumed it was technology used during instruction. The definition the book gave expands on my simple definition by explaining that it is the technology used with teaching and learning. The technology needs to encompass both how the students learn and how the lesson is delivered. Learning these new terms helped me keep my “overwhelmed-ness” down because now I can read with ease and not stumble over all the big words!



I found it really interesting to read about the history of educational technology. I had never thought about what came first since I was born into the computer era and raised in the internet era. I just assumed like any “kid” that computers were always around. I knew that people did not always have them, but I never really put in thought into what they did have. Computers played such a big part in my education that it makes me feel that two of the most important historical events in educational technology were the first computer used for instruction and the first computer used with schoolchildren. Since I remember having computers in my elementary school, I know that my educational career was shaped by computers and I cannot really imagine not having any computers to help teach and to help reinforce concepts. I also feel that the birth of the World Wide Web plays an important role in educational technology. The World Wide Web is necessary in my daily teaching and it played a huge part in my educational career with research and basic reinforcement. When a student is not grasping the concepts that are being taught, it is very easy and helpful to use the internet to find a new phrasing or illustration to clarify. Having this quick and fast resource available is helpful in the learning process for both students and teachers to help reinforce extend resources. I would be lost without laptop or a decent Wi-Fi connection!


While reading the section entitled “Lessons from the Past,” I found myself nodding along in agreement. I have learned a lot of the lessons discussed in the reading by observing my past teachers and through my own teaching experiences. I found that the discussions about how technology does not make lesson as much as the teacher does. Even though there are tons of resources available online, it does not mean that students can absorb the information without a little bit of help from a content expert. Yes, there are some students who can read and grasp the concepts with very little effort and could care less if a teacher is in the room or not. However, most students need a variety of explanations then just what they read. A teacher is important in education to help those students who need information introduced in different ways or need more illustrations before they can grasp the main concepts. Teachers are important so they can walk students step-by-step instead of throwing all the information at the students at once and hoping they got it. Teachers help to motivate students and they help get rid of the “I am stupid and cannot learn” syndrome a lot of students develops throughout their educational career. Technology is an important part of education, but without the teachers of the world, there would be a lot of lost students wandering around confused with “I am stupid” attitudes hanging around them.


I know that many people do not believe that education needs technology and that it is sometimes hard to create a compelling case for it. However, I think technology is needed in education and it is not hard to make a compelling case for educational technology. Technology plays a major role today’s society in both the business and social aspects of the 21st century. Introducing students to technology at a younger age helps to prepare them for what society wants from them and then they can evolve as technology evolves. If we wait to educate them, it will be harder and more frustrating to learn new technology when they have not learned the basics. With a society revolving around technology, all schools should be introducing technology in some way!


Research studies do not always show that technology has a positive effect on student achievement in schools, but the studies depend upon teacher knowledge of the technology, teacher comfort with the technology, and the students’ knowledge and comfort-level with the technology. If the teacher does not know what he/she is doing, then the results can be disastrous. If the teacher does understand what he/she is doing and knows what the students should be doing, the results will show a more positive outlook on technology. Technology knowledge should play a role in research studies, because right now, the studies are not showing very accurate results, which results in a lack of funding. In the face of No Child Left Behind and the economic crisis, it is important that we make educational technology stand out in the crowd and not to be frowned upon. Technology costs money and it must be shown that it has a positive outlook for schools to fund it. No Child Left Behind requires scientific research before providing funds. Displaying technology and the benefits it brings is important to keep technology in the classrooms during this stressful time. Having sound research studies will help increase funding and then more students can access new and innovative technology.


I can see how non-educators question technology usage in the classroom. I do not agree with them, but I can see where they are coming from based on my own observations. If you walk through my school, you will see some teachers using technology to benefit the students, but you will also see teachers who use technology that does not benefit the students’ learning. People on the outside do not always see everything that goes on in a school, so they do not always see the benefits but mostly the pitfalls. There are teachers who use technology that is aligned with the standards and it does help improve understanding and motivation with the students. However, there are teachers who do not use technology to emphasis the standards, but to show how they are the “cool” teacher and to just joke around with the students. Being the “cool” teacher does not produce an effective learning environment. Being the teacher who can bring in the standards and the technology to support it should be noticed, so people can start seeing the benefits and not just the “cool” teachers’ effect on education.


Teacher training is important to use technology, but I also feel that teachers need motivation to use it successfully. Training for technology is offered at my school but teachers do not partake so the technology continues to sit and collect dust. There are trained teachers in the building, but I still feel like they do not always use technology to the best of their abilities. It can be very frustrating when hearing teachers tell me that it takes too much time to create a PowerPoint so they write out an overhead sheet or it is too complicated to take a class to the computer lab so they handwrite their papers. The teachers are not motivated to actually use something new and different, so they do not want to learn and deal with the learning curve of technology. Educators always say that motivation is a key factor for students’ learning but it is also a key factor for teachers. I have met teachers who demand the best technology available but then they do not use it because they do not know how and do not want to play with it until it does work. They are not motivated to put in the extra time, so they let the technology sit and it is never used. Teachers need to see that there might be some extra time involved, but the rewards for the students learning outweighs the extra couple of minutes they spent learning. Encouraging teachers to use the available technology would help get more teachers to use what they already have instead of never learning new things and staying in the past when the students are in the future.


Sometimes there are problems with using technology in classrooms but it is usually caused by not being used effectively or implemented correctly. These problems can lead towards research that does not support technology and the relationship with improved student achievement, which results in less funding for the technology. When teachers do not use technology effectively, it will not show the benefits. The research studies need to go into classrooms where technology is used to motivate and engage the students and they will see the correlation between student achievement and technology. It is not right to judge technology effectiveness when teachers are still not attempting to implement the technology the correct and effective way.


Sometimes people say that they received an amazing education without computers, so why cannot today’s students get an education without them too? I can see their point that today’s students can receive an excellent education without a computer; however, they might be lacking a portion of their education that would prepare them for entry into society. It could be argued that they could learn those skills on their own time at home, but that is a lot of pressure for parents and guardians to know the latest technology at home and know how to use it correctly. The readings made a good point by saying that those students who were incompetent with computers would be forced to be our plumbers, but even plumbers use computers. They use computers for simulation training, scheduling, and looking up necessary parts to fix complex clogs. Computers might not play a major role in their everyday plumbing world, but all professions are moving towards computers to help with their daily tasks. A student will not necessarily become a plumber because they are not good with computers, but they will most likely not become a computer technician. A student can have an excellent education without using a computer, but they will have gaps in their technology knowledge that could help them find jobs and survive secondary school. When someone says that their education is better than that man leaning against wall, it is just that person’s opinion. There might be students who feel that computers are not necessary, so they did in fact receive an excellent education without computers, but there will always be those students who need a teacher to show them how to use a computer and could use the motivation that computers bring to education.


I have been using technology to teach since my first teaching field experience. For every classroom I have been in, I have felt that technology has made a positive impact on my students’ learning. I have tried teaching both ways, with technology and without, but every lesson I do with technology, I leave feeling my students had a better grasp of the concepts with the use of technology. I love giving concept checks and quizzes using the Personal Response System (clickers). The students are excited to use the clickers, they are motivated to behave appropriately so they are not taken away, and they are engaged in the questions and answer thoughtfully. After every question, I set-up the program to display the anonymous bar graph of how many students chose each answer with the correct answer highlighted. With this immediate feedback, the students can know how they are doing and the students get to discuss why “A” was the most popular answer when “B” was the correct answer. Without the immediate feedback and discussions, the students will not get to see how everyone is thinking and how they should be thinking fully to grasp the concepts. A pencil and paper quiz would not let them have these types of interactions with analyzing their thinking and joining in a group discussion on the concepts as much as the technology based quiz do.


There are new and improved technology trends in hardware and software development all the time that can take a technology based classroom to the next level of instruction! My school recently got wireless installed for the whole building and it makes a world of difference when using the laptop carts. Before the wireless installation, it was a headache to try to get all the laptops logged on a small router. Now the laptops are logged on in a matter of seconds, which saves a large amount of instruction time. I am also very interested in new technology that can score essays more reliably then a human can. I spend a great deal of time grading short answer and essay questions on tests and quizzes. If a computer program could do the grading, I could be able to see more data on who understood this concept and who needs more time. It would also ensure almost 100% precision when grading. After reading 90 something different versions of an answer, it is not easy to make sure that the grading stays consistent from student 1 to student 90. A computer program would not get a tired mind, so student 90 would still feel like student 1. Having a computer program that grades writing would also help with catching students who love to plagiarize. With the internet being such an integral part of our society, it is very easy to search for information and just copy/paste. I have caught numerous students who do this for their science fair research paper and I am sure even more plagiarized but I did not catch them. A computer program would make sure all students are being honest students and everyone is learning from writing instead of learning how to copy/paste.
 There were a lot of interesting facts that jumped out to me while I was reading about Standard VIII on Leadership and Vision. It really made me think when I read that people are sometimes reluctant to be pro-technology because they may have other things that are more important like passing AYP (annual yearly progress). I had never thought about worrying over AYP or any other issue in schools. I do think about them, but I have never thought technology or passing a yearly test. I think that to pass the big test, I need technology to motivate my students into preparing and reviewing. I understand where their thoughts are leading them to think of the final goal, but is it not important to look at the processes we can take to reach the goal?


I kind of had a “duh” moment when reading about “Qualities of Exemplary Technology Plan.” By the time I made it to the end of the section, I felt like hitting myself on the head and saying “duh” aloud to no one in the room, but my two sleeping cats (I know…too much information about my life!). All the different qualities made perfect sense once I read about them, but I would have left most of them out if I had tried to make a plan on my own. The most important one I saw that I had never thought of before was aligning the plan with district, county, and state plans. How is a successful plan going to work if it counters the state goals? How is it supposed to get support if everyone is focused on the national plan? No one will be able to help you with your plan if they are focused elsewhere. However, if the plans are aligned, then everyone’s thoughts are already in one area and you can just join in!