Week+3

= Week 3 =

=== After reading the material suggested by the course, I found interesting to see the increasing amount of examples related to teachers using technology in the classrooms and how districts are opening to such activities. Solomon and Schrum (2007) show several scenarios where teachers are successfully using technology. As stated by Hammond cited by the above authors "Web 2.0 tools will alter students' and teachers' patterns of practice, inside the classroom and out." There is no need now to have a classroom since the web is a virtual entity functioning in the same fashion. We are not just in a "flat world" as Friedman affirms in the economic side of things, I believe we also have a social flattening factor affecting schools and learning. Technology oriented teachers and regular students are most of the time at the same knowledge level and skills when using tools found online and should communicate closer to make learning effective. ===

=== On the other hand, technology can be misused and instead of helping learning, it generates painful experiences. The Media loves stories about these issues. Teachers, students, and general population can get in trouble. It is why teaching safety procedures and strategies to avoid possible danger when performing online activities is highly recommended. We have to carefully plan our lessons if we intent to use technology to engage students. The planning questions, (proposed by Pitler //et al.// (2007)) focused on what is the student learning, the strategies needed to provide evidence of learning, acquired learning, and the ones to help students practice, review, and apply learning, are excellent. Using the template definitely helps us get more organized. ===