It's Elementary!

After reading this first chapter, I found it interesting and important that integrating technology with classroom content can overall improve student achievement. It was helpful to see in Lenski's study that students' academic growth tended to be greater when teachers frequently integrated technology. This chapter adequately explained various ways to implement different technological tools into the classroom which can help meet learning needs for every student. For a teacher, providing multiple ways and opportunities of learning for diverse needs of students is a primary focus. When reading about the different forms of technology and the suggestions that the chapter provided about integrating them into classroom-content, I found myself generating ideas about how I could include technological tools in my future classroom.

This chapter also discussed the difference between a classroom teacher and a computer teacher. The book stated that a classroom teacher DOESN'T necessarily need collaboration to integrate technology, but a computer teacher CAN'T integrate technology with classroom content without the involvement of a classroom teacher. After rereading this specific section twice, I still remained a bit puzzled at why that is? I think that a computer teacher can implement some classroom content during their class by using outside resources from the actual computer. However, I do think that the computer teacher would be limited to few technological tools in comparison to a classroom teacher and would then not be able to improve student achievement.
I definitely agree that aministrative support plays a critical role in the success that classroom teachers will have when integrating technology. The attitude and the school staff is important because it can help to create an environment where teachers feel comfortable and encouraged to integrate technology and classroom content.