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One of the most difficult things to implement is to get teachers to incorporate the use of technology into their teaching. I always knew that technology was not being used enough in the classroom in educating our students. What I did not know and understand was how bad it is and the ramifications behind it. After reading this chapter, I have a lot more insight into the problem. It is a much bigger problem than many know and understand.

Technology literacy is a term I had never heard used before. When I think of technology, literacy is not a word that I associated with it. Technology is usually associated with toys and gadgets. However, we never think about the understanding and knowledge that is required in order to be able to effectively use these toys and gadgets. This is where the problem lies in most classrooms and schools across America. School Districts are spending millions on hardware, but very little on training teachers to use this hardware. Because teachers do not understand and know how to use this hardware, it goes unused and the students are the ones that are affected in the end.

There was a time when there was no internet in the schools. You had to go and physically look up everything you wanted to know which at times was very time consuming. Instead of Google, there was the Dewey Decimal System and card catalog. Because there was no internet, you had to physically go to the library to find your information. These are no longer problems for the students of today. All the knowledge and information they want is literally right at their fingertips. Just type it in using a keyboard, and there it is. Now of course the internet is required for this, but most schools have the internet now. Some underprivileged students may not have high speed internet access at their home, but the school has it. This is why I was shocked to learn that 65% of students reported that they access the Internet most often at home, whereas only 14% claimed school as their primary access site (Kaiser Foundation, 2005). Now the question I have is what is the reason for the number of students accessing the internet at school being so low? Is it that the teachers are not incorporating internet usage in their classroom curriculum? or Is it that there are not enough computer resources for many of the students to be able to use the internet? These were the questions are kept in the back of my mind when I was planning and performing my field-based studies. I had to make sure that if I required my students to use the internet on a classroom assignment, all had access to the internet.

ISTE standard III tells us that as educational technology facilitators we are to apply and implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for utilizing technology to maximize student learning. Research indicates that technology's use in the classroom can have an additional positive influence on student learning when the learning goals are clearly articulated prior to the technology's use (Ringstaff & Kelley, 2002; Schacter, 1999). This applies to both the teacher and the student. As technology facilitators and leaders implement TF/TL III, they will find a strong disconnect between the ways technology is used for teaching and learning and the ways students use technology in their own personal lives (Williamson & Redish, 2007). When conducting my field-based activities, I had to clearly articulate to the teachers why I wanted them to use the technology in their classroom. Initially there was some resistance, but once I agreed to help them get set up, there were no problems. I wanted the teachers to compare the performance of their students during a time period when technology was not being used vs. a time period in which technology was being used. I wanted the teachers to see first hand the effect that the use of technology would have on their students' performances. I would meet with them every two weeks for updates.

I am a hands on learner. I learn by doing. Once I start a task, I follow it all the way through in a timely fashion. I am uncomfortable when my grade, performance, or result is affected by someone else. I had to become comfortable with this during the Educational Technology Leadership degree program and some of my field based activities. I was difficult trying to explain to the teachers individually what was expected. I should of had one time set aside to address everyone at the same time. I also should have set up a blog to for the teachers to post comments, questions, and concerns. This would have been much more convenient than going around to each person individually all the time.

References:

Kaiser Foundation. (2005). //Generation M: Media in the lives of 8-18-year-olds//. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from www.kff.org/enmedia/upload/Generation-M-Media-in-the-Lives-of-8-18-Year-olds.pdf

Ringstaff, C., & Kelley, L. (2002). //The learning return on our education technology investment: A review of findings from research//. San Francisco: WestEd RTEC.

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.

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to Do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, p. 58.