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Week 1 assignment, Parts 1.5 and 1.6

I think that some educators are still somewhat reluctant when it comes to the use of technology. Many can use email and basic word processing operations, but there are still those who fear it. This was one of my reasons for pursuing the courses that Lamar provides. I do believe that as younger educators enter the field the use of technology tools will increase. Most campus facilitators in my district have no formal technology training except for the fact that they enjoy creating or are not afraid to experiment. I really doubt that districts will insist that facilitators have adequate training before assuming their duties. I think that before this can happen a new administrative and district mindset has to occur. I also believe that teachers and administrators must continue to learn and grow in order to keep up with the constantly changing technology practices. As stated in the text, educators must be encouraged to seek basic skills in order to further integrate technology into the classroom. The thrust in districts is still passing statewide testing, and technology standards are on the back burner.

In Chapter 2 “Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences”, the time is not available for the average educator to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. Many educators still believe that having students do reports on the computer is the extent of technology in the classroom. Many have no idea of the 2, 0 tools that are available to them. According to Fullan, (1999) “The Climate in today’s schools frequently complicates the planning process even further.” In the quest for school improvement, teachers are currently faced with new sets of learning standards, higher student performance goals, and pressure to implement more innovative teaching methods.” For many educators asking teachers to integrate technology into their classroom adds more layers to instructional designs. This concept of Planning and Designing for Technology needs to be as important as the statewide testing. Personally, before this course, I had no Idea of how to implement technology into the classroom