Do We Really Need Technology in the Classroom?

Using technology in the classroom isn't a "good", "bad" or "neutral" thing. It is a necessary thing. I can't see the use of a word that implies emotion for something that has become so important and pervasive in our lives, in our world, even as I use my laptop now to complete this assignment and blog it for all my fellow teachers to read. Technology allows us to share information with our students, with each other and across the world. It allows students to collaborate and constantly improve and change their learning. It allows students and teachers to "tinker" with ideas and plans that don't always work. The technology tool makes our learning and communication better and more efficient while at the same time as built in flexibility for students to work and collaborate at their own pace. “To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society, students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information and ideas, to conduct original research in order to answer questions or solve problems, and to analyze and create a high volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts in media forms old and new.” -from the Common Core Standards If a teacher is hesitant to use technology in their instruction I would first want to know why they are reluctant. They more than likely have limited experience with technology and what you don't know can hurt you in this situation. The next step would be to guide and move them to the direction of learning the "tools", for as they can see in the Common Core statement, in order for our students to be college and workforce ready they need to incorporate the tools of technology to enhance and expound higher level thinking skills. In short Technologies Offer Tools to Solutions. TOTS