Technology is a tool

Technology in my future classroom....  Well, I think that technology falls into three categories:

1.  A little bit of razzle-dazzle

2.  Teacher organization and efficiency

3.  Student engagement

All classrooms need a little bit of razzle-dazzle!  Some projects beg for the technology Gods to sing... hello classroom newspaper, pen-pals, or newsletter.  

Sometimes a piece of tech isn't directly for the students but to help the teacher stay organized.  Absolutely!!  I believe that is a benefit to the students if only secondarily.  Try to wrangle 30 1st graders without organization... yeah, they will eat you alive!  

The most important piece is student engagement.  An effective teacher is always looking at student engagement.  It evolves and changes, multiple times a day.  I am always thinking, "How can I make this lesson better for my students?  How can I connect the lesson to my students experience?"  Technology at its best engages students and connects to their experience.  Notice that I say technology at its best...

Technology is a tool, like everything in a classroom, that teachers use to engage their students.  Technology doesn't replace teaching---- that special exchange of ideas between teacher and student--- it augments it.  

I am a year away from student teaching.  I am anxious to see how my cooperating teacher uses tech; it may be an enlightening experience or an exercise in utter frustration.  

I already soap-boxed  Ipads in education and my hate of worksheets... no need to blather on about that!