Monday, November 28, 2011

The Final Word

For this article, I've already chosen the quote I want to end with, although I haven't quite decided yet on which parts of it to use. It came from an interview with an education professor at SBC, Jeff Frank, and I think it's probably the best approach to technology in the classroom because it doesn't focus specifically on trying to adapt to technology, but learning to adapt in general, which is what teaching is really about.

He said, “It is important that teachers are trained well in technology before entering the classroom. But, it is also important that teachers are trained well to know the subject that they are teaching. And, it is important that teachers are trained well to understand the needs of the students who are in their classrooms. All of these things—technology, the subject, students—change (sometimes quite dramatically) from year to year. So, instead of focusing on instrumental things (the newest technology, the latest changes in content, the most publicly heralded demographic changes), teacher education programs need to prepare students for uncertainty, because change is integral to what it means to teach. Technology is just one more added layer. It is an important layer, but it is no more important than the other types of changes that teachers will manage and respond to from year to year.”


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