Incorporate with a Purpose

     Wilber's third chapter was interesting.  Right from the start I liked what was being said; "...any teacher must have a reason for using technology in his or her teaching" (Wilber 43).  I know we have talked about this a little bit, but I'd like to revisit the topic if you don't mind.  There are a lot of teachers who do a wonderful job of finding the right sources, educating themselves, and properly incorporating technology in their classrooms.  However, there are some who do it just to do it.  I mean let's be honest for a second here. Hasn't this class made us all think, "Oh crap, I really need to use some of these things if I plan on actually reaching my students"?  Well, if it hasn't done that to you, it has made the thought occur to me.  I think that sometimes teachers have this same thought and then proceed to throw technology into lessons in attempt to keep students' attention.  But, don't you think such a style could just be worse for the learners? I know that when a professor makes a rather sad attempt at appealing to my age group, it is ineffective.  Yes, we should use different teaching tools and keep variety in our classrooms.  However, this is only needed when those tools will actually aid in further learning.
     Furthermore, if we use these modern methods of teaching then we can help our students use them more effectively on their own time as well.  This is also something Wilber discusses, "In deciding what sources, modes, and links to incorporate, our students can learn to discern what should or should not be incorporated into the texts they create..." (46).  This is a great way to look at the use of technology in schools.  If we take the time to use the internet or online databases with our students, then they might not struggle as much when it is time for them to do so on their own.  I know I would have greatly appreciated one of my high school teachers teaching me to research on a database, instead of having a crash course during my first college paper.  Just something I thought was a great point, and one that I had never really considered. Hope you all agree!