Dell,+Katie

Final Exam: I would respond to the principal by saying:

I ask because I believe that technology is an important part of teaching this generation and is a useful tool that allows all students to learn. The generation of students in our schools today has grown up in a world based on technology and because of this and high speed communication, they are interested in instant gratification and have short attention spans. Technology helps us, as teachers, speak the native language of these children and tend toward their interests and highly developed technology skills. Beyond this, I believe that technology allows all students to learn. Research suggests that people learn in different ways, from listening, to speaking, to visualizing, to physically manipulating objects. Technology like powerpoint and computer programs help visual learners “see” what they are learning as the teacher is talking, or it may help them manipulate the data, environment, or items they are learning about. Technology makes several media types readily available, allowing all students to learn and also demonstrate their learning. I also believe it is important to vary your teaching techniques and media to keep students interested in every topic and lesson. Technology is also important in the classroom because it is such an integral part of our society today. In school, children learn academics, but they also learn how to be good citizens. In a world blooming with technology at a rate far quicker than cyber ethics, the school can also be a place to encourage proper ethics and citizenship within the realm of technology. There is no doubt that the students of today will use technology in both their personal and professional lives, so it is only proper to teach and encourage good cyber citizenship within the classroom. ** At the beginning of this course I knew that technology was important for introducing several learning styles and diverse ways of learning, but I had no idea how important these concepts were. In designing my own lesson plan I realized just how much technology can open the gates to allowing students to learn in different ways, and how it relates to the cyber culture they are growing up in. Before the course I did not realize that there were so many issues with using technology. I am arriving at the conclusion now that good cyber citizenship and proper use of technology can be exemplified and taught within the classroom setting. The technological ethics of our world cannot keep up with the pace of technology itself, so teachers must be prepared to encourage proper use of technology and demonstrate that through their lessons. **