Chapter 1 Becoming an e-teacher

Becoming an e-Teacher- Chapter One

Focus Question-How do new technologies create new opportunities for teaching and learning?    

Instead of more traditional learning environment, which includes textbooks, lectures, and worksheets, new technologies open up new opportunities to learn.  With these new opportunities students are engaged and actively interacting in their learning experiences.  As I reflect back on my own learning, I have been most successful in classes where I have been engaged and involved.  Last semester in one of my classes my professor assigned moral and social dilemma questions to the class.  He gave everyone a topic to research and prepare to debate.  We were to gather information on both sides of the topic.  Although we presented our research in class, I could have easily written a blog post or created a website to present my topic.  Comparing that class with many of my other classes where the teacher has read straight from the text book and then gave us paper pencil test to gage how much information we retained, I much prefer classes that I have some control over what I’m learning.

Tech Tools Links: 7 Things You Should Know About…

This website has lots of reviews of technology, applications and tools.  I found it to be very helpful.  In about two pages anyone can have a brief summary and description about the product.  In the link below is an example of the summaries. 

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7027.pdf

Summary and Conclusion

I have never been the tech loving kid.  I use and like my IPhone and computer but I would not choose to blog or do digital things.  I much prefer hands on projects like scrapbooks and posters.  I worry that by introducing more technology to classrooms we risk losing the interpersonal relationships with our students.  Using technology can be a very solitary and individual activity and I have a hard time visualizing how it can be used in primary classrooms in a positive way.