Chapter 12

There are many key elements to a successful lesson plan as pointed out in chapter twelve. First of all, teachers must have prerequisite knowledge about the content of there lesson. If teachers did not have background knowledge of what they were teaching then they turn out to be life-long substitutes. A clear introduction, detailed and layered objectives without repetition, and finally a closure/reflection section are essential. Although it seems simple, putting together a lesson plan and incorporating technology surpasses lesson plans of the past. As I have said before in my previous blog, it is important to understand what type of technology is being used in the lesson; the lesson must not be just about the technology itself (unless learning how to type is in fact the lesson). If one is using multiple types of technology, it is important to have the correct materials for every one and to be sure to have a back up plan.

My own reflection of this section reminded me most of how my high school required a technology section in our band classes. I thought that the programs that we were practically forced to spend a certain amount of time on just wasted the valuable time I had during the day to play music. The only benefit of making band-students use music writing computer programs lies in the individual who actually wanted to be a composer; I can't remember a single person who actually produced something from those programs. However I also pondered that maybe it was my instructor who was using the technology in the wrong way; maybe there was some other beneficial aspect to the programs we were required to use.

One question I have about this section revolves around the concentration of subject matter. There are multiple examples in the text which rely around every subject but literature and English except for Huck Finn who graced us with his example in Ch. 4. I think that the second section of the chapter was the most beneficial for me; the contextual examples of the lesson plans themselves strengthened my theories of what my own lesson plans are going to look like. Unfortunately it is hard to use excel in explaining The Scarlet Letter. I do believe that programs such as Inspiration will be especially helpful in creating character maps and maybe plot development of some of the more tricky novels.

Chapter Four!

Learning to use technology as a tool within the context of academic subject areas is important; teaching through technology allows students to gain knowledge through modernizing resources. Through the internet and many computer programs, technology can be applied to every academic field. However, a teacher must decide which program or content area of the internet which will most effectively provide useful information and knowledge. Teachers must also be careful not to use technology which students are too unfamiliar with; in order for students to benefit from the programs and resources, the technology itself must not be too specific. Especially in the English classroom, resource technology is has vastly improved the availability of information. Finding the right technology for one's classroom and grade level is very important.

One question I have involves the realism of lesson plans such as the 4.1 example of Huck Finn. The example lesson plan is lengthy, and as I recall, we as students almost breezed through Huck Finn and certainly did not have enough time to incorporate the amount of technological resources as the 4.1 example had.

Resource technology greatly improved my experiences and knowledge of research writing. Without the use of technology, my experience in research writing would have been less educational and interesting.

Week one reflection

I found the first chapter of Guiding Learning With Technology rather uninteresting. The information was not important, just redundant; I feel that most students my age have already discovered the importance and presence of technology in education. However, I understand that every book needs and introduction and definition of terms. The history of education was rather choppy and I feel that I probably could have summed up the evolution of education and technologies force more effectively.

Chapter two was more engaging. The techniques to help students learn through technology were helpful. I believe that many students can learn through technology in ways they would not be able to without technology. Because I want to teach secondary level English, the use of word processing and information-resource fetching is very important. Students must be able to be fluent in ms word and many types of search engines...

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