EDLD+5364+Teaching+with+Technology+Week+2

I learned a lot from this week's readings and videos. There are two points that I covered in my discussion that stand out to me so I am going to concentrate on them.

The first was the importance of setting objectives. As a teacher, we all know that we set objectives when we are doing our lesson plans. What I notice with many teachers is the fact that they do not incorporate objectives when they are integrating technology. They simply set out to use technology. "One of the enduring difficulties about technology and education...is that a lot of people think about technology first and the education later" (Schacter, 1999). We need to make sure that technology is not just an added attraction, but that there is a real purpose to it. The use of technology is so much more powerful if the students can make a connection with it and understand the reason for it. "There is...evidence in some of these studies that learning technology is less effective or ineffective when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus of the technology use is diffuse" (Schacter, 1999).

The second point that I feel is extremely important concerns professional development. In several of the studies that Schacter reviewed, student success was improved when teachers had access to professional development. I feel that teacher educator programs are going to have to evolve to be more inclusive of technology. Technology should not be an afterthought. It needs to be in on the initial education of teacher and the initial lesson plans of any teacher. Technology will provide "positive gains in achievement on researcher constructed tests, standardized tests and national tests" (Schacter, 1999). Teachers must be equipped to harness the power of technology.

Schacter, J. (1999). //The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most current research has to say.// Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009, from []