Journal#8

Title: Fitting the Pieces Together; Successful Technology Integration with Laptops
Author: Patricia Yost
Learning & Leading with Technology, Nov. 2007

This article reports on a strategy used to integrate technology in middle schools. I describes improvements in teacher performance through the use of technology. Examples include using video clips rather than showing an entire movie, creating interactive hyper-link-infused self paced presentation documents, using word processing software tools to develop better writers, and others. The teachers infused a progression of hardware devises starting with a couple of laptops and a camera and growing over a two and a half year period. The teachers are grouped into one, two and three year teachers. They start off small and then progress with hardware and ways to implement technology.

The article is heavily detailed in description of the implementation process and the effectiveness of the strategy. The method is determined to be successful and offered as a model to adopt. It seems logical that an implementation strategy that is closely monitored and slowly brought along would be successful.

Question #1 Is implementing technology into the classroom in a stepped tiered format desireable? Yes. If I were a teacher undergoing a barrage of technological changes in the classroom, I would rather have it done in this way. This way would limit my chance of failure and frustration because I could pace myself. Also, help would be available from those of a higher proficiency than me. Also, I could feel some satisfaction by being of assistance to those not as proficient as me. This method allows for a systems of mentors and ‘mentees.’’

Question #2 Does developing proficiency of word processing tools make better writers? I would have to say No. I know this is contrary with what the article states but I think the answer depends on what the evaluator uses to measure the ‘goodness’ of a writing. The article did not elaborate on the criteria they used to measure this improvement but I suspect the improvements were mostly technical. When I write using a word processor I am continually disturbed and distracted by the warnings, the red and green highlighting, the automatic indents and numbering. I know these can be turned off and that’s what I do but they, in their active form do not facilitate better writing for me.