Chapter 3

This was another one of these chapters that presented pretty much entirely new information. Though I've taken a few education classes I've never encountered anything pertaining to the technological variants of the educational system. So learning about the different types of software was all very new to me. It wasn't as though I was having revelation after revelation, because I remember some of the software that is discussed (math blaster) but I just never before was asked to look it at or identify it the way this chapter does. I also learned that the idea of Drill and practice isn't as bad as it sounds. From an educators stand point I would tend to steer clear of anything that sounds like a "drill" but as this chapter described the drill and practice can give immediate feedback and can be such a helpful tool to build your students skills. I also was turned onto the idea of using the material as a tool to meet needs in the classroom. There are simply somethings that we may be limited to but the use of technology can really expand those possibilities and unlock a lot of previously un openable doors.
I think using the tutorials and possibly the games in my own classroom would really help structure and supplant alot of classroom needs while other tasks can be worked on. I'd also like to explore the idea of some of the drill and practice tools and techniques, now that they don't sound so horrible to me maybe they are can offer some promising results.
I'd just like to ask, at what point does technology become more than just a supplement? what point do we as teacher supplement the technology?

Chapter 2

This second chapter again, dove into a lot of this historical information that seems to be the foundation of broad pedagogy as well as this technology pedagogy. To begin with, I wasn't at all to familair witht the differing schools of Directed vs Objectivist. This seemed to be really helpful while considering the rationale behind technology use in the classroom. The TIP model section of this chapter was probably the most informataive and usefull, I wasn't familar with the methods presented or the reasoning behind them, but after going through these steps or phases I realized the potetnial of following these guidlens and the importance therein. These models will definatly be somthign to intergrate into my own classroom- They just seem so formulaic and practical that it would be hard to deviate from them. The Tpack section too I was a new and definatly useful tool that I'd be sure to intergrate. I'd also like to see this being put into use by most of my own teachers. I think that far too many teachers are un balanced in their understandigns. Espeically when it comes to intergrating technology into the classroom, we have far too many teachers either weighted in powerpoints, one paticular field of scholarly work, or we have teachers that know how to adhere to each student, know the proper form that a teacher should fit, yet they have no knowledge of any paticular content area.
I think my one question would be- what can an educator do if he faces strong oppostion to this technology inclusive lesson? should they turn over or should they try and show those opposed a demonstration of some kind?

Chapter 1

Laying the foreground for the rest of the text, chapter one opens this book with some of the very basic, perhaps mundane, yet fundemental aspects of education technology and where it is today and how it got there.
I wasn't at all aware of the varied prespectives that "define educational technology" steming out of the past I can see how diffrIent the impact of technolgoy had to be anticipated from vocational to educational broadcasting. Some of this history was pretty intersting too. Computers we often think of as quite new (and in many respects they are) but i feel our impression of computers coniceds with the internet, we forget -though obstuve and bulky- computers have been around from nearly 60 years. I also wasn't really aware that these archaic computers were primarily used for educational purposes.
I think just the general approach to technology covered in this chapter would be the main focus I take away from it, seeing how computers have been used, the pitfalls and benifits that we have gained from these computes, give new light for the future of them. Also recognize that there are many influential factors that have shaped and are continuing to shape that technolgoical atmosphere today. The digital divide for one really stands out to me and I think that staying aware and on top of that divide would be essential to my own classroom.
One question that I have though would be- what is the significance of really studying the history or computers in that what a computer was and did then- is so far diffrent from what and how one does now.

Chapter 15

It's hard to imagine that this wonderful textbook is finally complete. It's been a great way of covering the material at a manageable pace. And this final chapter seems in a peculiar way, a summation of everything that we have learned. To start, it seems that this chapter deals with what may be not necessarily the hardest situation, but certainly or possibly the most challenging for a good teacher. I think the main point the chapter issued that i didn't exactly "learn" but was happy to see put into print was the understanding that a handicap, or disability, is not a defining characteristics of a student. I was also introduced to a great number of ways of managing a classroom with students who have disabilities. Especially true for any english class, some of the digital readers or typing products really seem to be innovative and useful. I also was happy to see some of the ideas for a "no-tech" classroom, because though i'm hopeful for the future and what i may bring forth, I am a realist in that Most situations will be meet with inadequate resources and we have to as educators work with what we can.
I'd think just about everything I've learned in this Chapter I'd like to use in my own classroom. The digital readers and the NEO keyboards would I think both fit so well into my classroom if needed. But again, that understanding that students are not defined by their disabilities- That I feel is the most important thing I can take away from this chapter and bring into my classroom.
It's hard to come up with a question, but I suppose i'm still curious on to the protocol that school districts must go through in order to provide all the material that a student with a handicap may need.

chapter 4

Going back to chapter 4 was both a recession in chapters and the progress of teaching technology. The basic three, word-processing, spreadsheets and databases are all seemingly very basic tools and perhaps archaic. Ask any student however, these are not only the most fundamental tools in the students vocabulary, but they are the most important and most practical. This chapter gave a few ideas how to best use and extract the best use out of each program. I “learned” a great number of things, but I would more adequately say I was already pretty familiar with them, but I was just offered some new and good ideas. Namely, using the word processor as a tool for group work, like a group poem or fiction piece, where one student can add or adapt a piece that’s already in existence. Also I wasn’t really aware that much studying went into when a student should start using word processing (age 4-5). Also what was funny for me to read and reaffirming, was the idea that using or relying on a word processing application diminishes the students handwriting, and (though not discussed spelling). I myself am a product of the word processing age and my handwriting has suffered terribly.

            As I said before, some of the ideas proposed I would defiantly like to incorporate into my own classroom, like for instance the group writing project, where one student contributes and adds to works a groups. Also, I would like to going along with my previous concern about word processing effecting handwriting, I would defiantly like to use it for those students who suffer—as I do—from poor hand writing.

            My main question would probably have to be: how can spreadsheets making be somewhat entertaining? As I recalled it was the bane of my high school experience because it was so boring and so spirit killing. What can teacher do to liven this up a little bit?

chapter 13

There was a great deal of information covered in chapter 13, and I’d have to say that the vast majority of it pertains a great deal to the ideas and feelings I have about the current teaching/ education situation. There is a great debate as of late over the importance or place even of arts and music within the current education curriculum. I guess what I learned most was the extant or importance or significance it has in the whole educational curriculum. The arts perpetuate “creative approaches to modern problems”. The same can be said about Music and the entire “music theory” I also learned a great deal about the issues of funding that plague both programs. I had no idea about the programs that can help support or integrate music or art theories into the classroom. I have always been sort of curious as to the effect of music and art of the art of literature, there is a great deal of connection between music composition and literary composition that I would like to explore in my own classroom. Some of the strategies for safe image sharing would also be very  helpful in my own classroom, I’d also like to poke around with the idea of creating movies/ art and its role on the world of literature. The one question I have would be how to limit costs, or how to show to the school board the reason and practicality of such spending, for in my opion it is importance should outweigh its costs, most schools afterall have enough money for a modern chemistry lab, why not fund the arts?

Minute by Minute

I'm not entirely too sure that this blog is meant to be formatted the same way as our others.
So I'll try and blend that formula with more of a reflection as a whole on the article.
To begin with, I really enjoyed this article. I feel that assessment is at the root of good (or bad) teaching. I can't tell you how many teachers i've had that poorly asses their students and subsequently fail to teach them, or fail to keep them captivated.
One good point the article got at is, what is the purpose of assessment? is it to quiz the student if they remember a specific date, or can assessment no only see how your students are doing by having them demonstrate learning and understanding.
I liked a lot of the ideas that were given as a examples. The a,b,c,d cards seemed a now archaic form of "iclicking"
It was new to me to consider that i should continually be involved in an active conversation with my fellow teachers. To explore in my own classroom different methods, but to also draw those out and discuss them with my peers. Thus seeing what works for me and my class, and what works for a class say down the hall, in a different subject perhaps.
I feel that this is centeral to good teaching, turning away from simply static teaching, rather fluent and evolving.