"Making the Case for Technology Integration"

1. Sheingold (1991) said that teachers will have to confront squarely the difficult problem of creating a school environment that is fundamentally different from the one they themselves experienced (p. 23). In what ways is the current K-12 environment different from the one you experienced? Do you feel this presents an obstacle to effective use of technology in your teaching? What are some strategies you feel might help teachers overcome this obstacle?

I feel that the learning environment is different from when I experienced it because in Elementary school we really did not have to worry about computers so much. Instead of typing up a paper, it was written out. This is where plagiarism comes into play. By having a computer to serf the web, students would be able to find what they were looking for, and then just copy and paste the part they needed. We also did not have any of the high technological advances that kids with special needs would need. This would cost a lot of money for the school. I do not feel this would be an obstacle when I become a teacher. With plagiarism, I would try and be prepared so I can catch any copying and pasting going on. Also, there are many children with special needs and it would not be fair to them if the other students were working with technology. If the school would buy the new technology for children with special needs, they would not feel out of place. These are also my ideas for teachers to overcome this obstacle if they did believe it was one.

2. NCATE's document Technology and the New Professional Teacher (1997) said that, in addition to technology skills, teachers need an attitude that is fearless in the use of technology, encourages them to take risks, and inspires them to be lifelong learners. What current factors and activities can help teachers develop such an attitude? What factors make it difficult for them to acquire it?

I think that if the teachers practice using the technology, they would not have any problem teaching it to their students. Back in my hometown there is a class for the teachers to learn the new technology that was purchased. When the Smart Board came out there was a class to show the teachers how it should be used. The factor that makes it difficult for teachers to develop a positive attidude for the technology would have to probably be for the older teachers. The teachers that have been in the school longer most likely has not grown up around computers or any other technology. This would make if harder for the teachers to learn because they were not brought up learning it. It is a known fact that younger people can learn faster than older people. This would probably give a negative attitude to some teachers.