Week 2: Rubric Discussion

Technology Evaluation and Rubric

There are many different models and theories on how to evaluate technology for use in education. Please find two articles about evaluating technology that are related to your field or subject matter/grade level. Post the links to the articles and a brief summary of each article. In your summary, please include your impressions of the article including how practical you feel the models or theories presented are for a practitioner in your field.

Additionally, you must reply to at least two of your classmates' posts. Your replies must be more substantive than simple agreement or disagreement with the post. I want to encourage active discussion and respectful debate on this topic.

Article 1: Evaluating Technology Use in the Classroom

http://www.thethinkingstick.com/evaluating-technology-use-in-the-classroom/

In this article author focused on some steps administrators may use to evaluate the use of technology in a classroom environment. The author improves Marc Prensky's four typical process of technology adoption in the classroom. Marc Prensky's typical steps are Dabbling with technology, Doing Old things in Old Ways. Doing Old things in New Ways, Doing New things in New Ways.

Jeff Utecht turns these stages of technology adoption into questions that an evaluator could use during the evaluation process. The questions he added are Is the technology being used “Just because it’s there”?, Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in Old ways?, Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in New ways?, Is the technology creating new and different learning experiences for the students?

Jeff Utecht provides a great checklist of what to do when evaluating the use of technology in classroom, also he gives us an opportunity to closely follow this checklish on our classes to improve learning with effective use of technology. I believe my teaching will be more meaningful and productive if I ask this questions to myself frequently.

Article 2: Assessing Classroom Technology Integration

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech243.shtml

In this article, the author focuses on how to assess technology integration in classrooms. Many school districts have a technology integration policy, but many of them do not have policy that explain the meaning of appropriate technology. Author asks questions to a group of teachers and administrators about what kind of activities, lesson, resources, and so on should an admins, parent, students expect to see in a classroom which technology is being appropriately integrated. And then author generated a list of their response for better technology integration.

I really liked the responses, especially with examples ones. Using a random technology tool is not enough for effective technology integration, but it should be used because the tool enhances the learning and existing curriculum. Eleanor Doan put it so well:”Good tools do not make a good teacher, but a good teacher makes good use of tools.”