Jennifer Atkinson, Chapter 11 Reflection

Three ideas or learnings from the reading
Chapter 11, Models and Strategies for Technology-Infused Lessons gave me strategies for incorporating more technology into my lessons. Many teachers in my building are hesitant to use technology because they do not feel like they have the knowledge necessary to use it. However, it is important that teachers are learning about technology and are exposing their students to it. When incorporating technology, “you must consider both teaching with and about the technology tools you want to integrate in the lessons” (Niess, Lee, Kajder, 2007, p. 239). The students need to understand the technology and how to use it for it to be a successful tool for learning the content. Another way to get students excited about new technology is to “select problems that motivate and challenge students to use the technology as a tool for exploration” (p. 244). Most students enjoy using and exploring new technology. Often, they can teach each other different features about the technology. The last big idea I focused on was the importance of questioning. Teachers really need to think about how they phrase questions, so they are providing students with higher-level thinking questions. This is a good reminder for teachers, “questions need to be clear, brief, thought-provoking, and purposeful, focused on students’ thinking rather than on encouraging students to participate in the game of ‘What Is the Teacher Thinking?’” (p. 252).

Two new ideas for integrating technology
I like the idea of using technology for more than one purpose. The teacher in the chapter used spreadsheets for math and science. Students can see the value and different uses for spreadsheets. Often, technology is used for the same purpose, so students do not realize the wide range of capabilities the technology has. I am going to challenge myself to expose my students to a variety of ways to use the same technology. The focus on how teachers teach is different in the 21st century. Teachers do not stand at the front of the room and lecture all the time. The inquiry-based indirect instruction model is more student-centered. The thinking is put on the students. The students need to problem solve and use critical thinking skills to come up with solutions. They can use a variety of technology to help them in the process of gathering information, experimenting, organizing their findings, and more (p. 248).

One concern about integrating technology
My concern is keeping up with the changing technology and educational goals; “you need to consciously work to build your repertoire of strategies to be prepared for the broadest diversity of students and the shifting educational goals for the twenty-first century” (p. 245). Teachers have so much on their plate already, it is challenging to find the time to develop lessons and experiment with technology to better meet the needs of students.