Chapter Twelve

1. Identify knowledge inputs that are useful in designing lessons that integrate teachnology.

It really goes back to the TCPK (technological pedagogical content knowledge). When a teacher designs a lesson, he has to think strategically about content, technology and teaching/learning inputs. To make the lesson effective, he has to know what he wants the students to get out of the lesson (content), which teaching strategies/learning strategies would work best for this subject and which technologies would best improve the students' understanding of the topic.

Thinking about this reading, I remembered some teachers in my high school who made us use new resources or new programs in the computer lab for fun, basically. I've never used those programs ever again, and I don't even remember the names of them. So I have to wonder, why did they make us learn something that didn't improve our understanding of a lesson? Can I, as a teacher, just take a day to teach my students a piece of technology I find fun to mess around with?

This applies to the classroom, because I want to be an effective teacher; and to do this, I need to be prepared and knowledgeable about my content area, technology and teaching/learning skills. If my lesson plans are ready and well designed, I'll be, I think, more enthusiastic and helpful to my students.