Week 14

I read a few different articles while researching the future of technology in education and found there seems to be a theme of trying to change the mindset of teachers as well as the whole education system of from thinking "we've always done it this way" to "how can we best integrate technology and prepare our students for the future." It is difficult to integrate technology because it is always changing and becoming more and more advanced, but as teachers it is important to prepare our students for the future and technology is a huge part of life now. In one of the articles I read, Joyce Johanson makes a good point when she says,
                 "Americans accept the advantages technology offers us at home, on the highway, in business and industry. We accept, expect, perhaps even demand, these advantages in all aspects of our lives except education. Why? Why is it that the educational "we’ve always done it this way" and "it’s worked for over 100 years" attitudes block the integration of technology into our schools where we are educating children for a future that demands they understand and use technology? The fact is that if America wishes its future generations to be able to meet the demands of a global community, to compete in a world that is technology-based, and to manage the vast amounts of data and information available, we must give today’s children the tools through education." (http://www.wiu.edu/thecenter/articles/thefuture.html)
             I agree with what she says here and think that as technology becomes more and more a part of life and work it becomes very important to teach our students how to use it as well as use it to keep their attention as we teach. How we do education is changing and technology is one of the main forces driving this change.