General Thoughts on Ch. 1, 2 and 3

Ch. 1:

I really liked the idea that came towards the end of chapter one regarding the creation of our own personal rationale for technology in teaching.  You want to have a personal philosophy so that you can explain it and justify it to your students.  But there’s also another reason the book points out that had slipped my mind: Money.  You might have to convince somebody that school funding should go towards classroom technology that you claim that you need. 

The place I come from with my personal rational is related to this current student generation's interests.  We’re dealing with a generation of students born and bred on digital technology.  This is something they’re not only well-versed in, but that they might also have desire to do.  As a result, there’s an opportunity to expand the motivation of students by playing to that interest. 

Did anyone else have any thoughts about your personal rationale for teaching in technology?

Ch. 2:

I’m interested in the fact that it seems like no one can really agree upon what the best way to learn is.  The chapter discusses multiple different theories, many of which conflict with and disagree with one another.

Was there a theory that you agreed with most, or a theory that you thought was totally wrong?

Ch. 3:

I got into this in my discussion of simulations for the "Collaborate. Discuss. Reflection" in Chapter 3, but to reiterate: I really liked this chapter's discussion of real world application of instructional software. Many of the TLC scenarios (there were so many that I can't remember all of them, but the one where the students were learning Spanish to communicate with people in a Spanish speaking country comes to mind) were based on using instructional software for goals that developed practical, transferable skills.

Simulation software seems like a pretty cool idea in this regard. When used appropriately, simulations can relate to students the real world value of the content and skills they are learning. I understand the criticism brought up against drill-and-practice in the book. I'm not a huge a fan of teaching to the test, and I think repetitious, tedious teaching of content can turn off students from wanting to learn. There can be value in it, but it can also be used ineffectively.