The Biggest Impact

I think the thing that made the biggest impact on me was how much technology there is that I didn't know about, and how much money has been spent on putting technology into education with the poor result that has followed. I was surprised at all the software and programs that I had no idea existed and I was surprised at what I didn't know! Everyone in the class seemed to be so familiar with everything we worked on and with the computer at large and I didn't know anything about anything! I thought I knew some things before I took this class, but I was wrong! That was definitely an "AHA" moment for me! Another one was when we had to do the blog. I had heard of blogs, and seen my student workers typing on them, but I had never had any personal experience with one. It seemed difficult at first, because I didn't really understand what to write, but it got easier and it is just kind of like writing in a diary, really, its just that everyone in the world gets to read it! :) Of course I had a Aha moment every time we learned some type of software, because the only things we did that I had any experience with were Microsoft Word and Excel and a little experience with desktop publishing. But most of what we did, I had never experienced. Even with Word and Excel and DTP, I learned something I'd never done before, so it was a good experience for me. It was a huge surprise to me to find out how much money has been spent by the federal and state governments on putting technology into schools with such a poor result! It is definitely time for the schools to have something to show for all those dollars that have been spent and to begin to use technology for their students. That was another Aha moment for me. It has been my experience that technology in schools is a by-stander and not anything considered important to use in the education of students. Of course, teaching to the test is what is considered most important these days in Texas schools. If they can find a way to do that with a computer, then I guess we'll use them a lot! To tell the truth, I'm not sure if I'll use this blog after this class or not. I'm guessing I probably will not use it, but you never know. I may want to go back and re-read what I've written to gain a new perspective when I'm taking the other two ETEC classes I need for my degree (which you are teaching!) in the Fall semester.

I think Romano's idea of Technology Enhanced Curriculum is realistic. It seems like an idea that would work in schools and more importantly be accepted by school districts and teachers. There is the rub, is that it has to be accepted by teachers and it has to be something that teachers will do and use and it has to be something that is easily phased into the classroom routine. It is definitely something akin to what I would come up with for using technology in my classroom or in my school. I think as far as developing my own model for using technology in my classroom, I would have to have computers in the classroom for those students who are working below grade level. I don't think Romano took those students into account and as we know, there are always those students in every grade level. Those students are not going to be able to make 90 and above, even with the tutorial on the computer. They are going to need more than just the teaching/test/tutorial that the rest of the students are getting. Having the tutorial on the computers in the classroom or having the lessons on the computer so they can listen to the lesson again and again on the computer would be something that I would add to my model. I like the idea of having a computer lab, but I feel it is important to have computers in the classrooms as well, especially for those students who are behind. I also think the expectation of 90 and above for all students is a high expectation. Some students just aren't going to be able to do that. That is a thing about Romano's model that I think is unrealistic. Yes, there are many things in life that we expect 100% out of, but it isn't realistic for us to, because quite frankly, it isn't often that we get 100% of anything. But when you are dealing with students, it just isn't realistic to expect to get 90% from every one of them because you have too many that are working too far below grade level (in most schools, that is.) Otherwise, I think my model would closely resemble Romano's, using television/video, a computer lab and then adding the computers in the classroom for those students who can't keep up for whatever reason. I really like the idea of using the television in the classroom. I think it is a medium who's use has finally come into its own. I think it has a lot to offer today's classroom if it is used in the right way.