Comments on: On Tools

By: Ashley Pelfrey

Ashley Pelfrey — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:13:12 +0000

I made a discovery about technology and tools in the school district where I teach, this summer. I had a class that required that I research the available technology in the district. I was amazed at the number of people that I had to contact before I could obtain the information that I needed. Once I found the information, I was even more surprised at the tools that were available I was not aware of. So, not only had I never been trained to use the technology, but I had never even been informed of the tools that I could use. I think that the major problem is not the availability of tools, just the information we are given.

By: Tim Toews

Tim Toews — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:47:30 +0000

A lot of the modern tools we use are tech for techs sake, without much thought for the potential application of said tools. We have smartboards in every room in our school, as a UDL school, but the teachers rarely use them for much more than a whiteboard. Today a teacher actually went beyond that for a couple of minutes and pulled out a map from the database that went along with the discussion, on the fly, but beyond that, its all just another whiteboard to most.

By: Elizabeth Freeman

Elizabeth Freeman — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:10:38 +0000

It seems to be that time and money is spent to get us tools, but then no money or effort it spent to teach us how to use the tools. Most teachers will not jump in with both feet and learn on their own to use a new tool, especially those that are already afraid of technology. My district received several iMac and eMac computers through KY Dataseam and the district purchased several more. The problem with this tool is that we had training on how to use them one evening after school, and during the training most of the computers were not working. That was the only day of training that we had and it was not enough for all teachers to effectively use them in their classrooms. We still have teachers that cannot find Microsoft Office on the Macs, let alone use them in the right way. I am not sure why districts get us these tools and then do not ensure that we learn how to use them efficiently. Have we asked for more training? Yes. Have we gotten more training? No. The concensus among the teachers is that they hate Mac computers. There is nothing wrong with the computers, I have learned to use them on my own and they are great. Most people will not take the time to learn to use a new tool on their own. Mastery is needed so the tools are being used to their potential.

By: Diana Jackson

Diana Jackson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:30:11 +0000

Thanks for the clarification on tools! I’ve always wondered why one is so quick to blame statistics on the technology itself. If it’s not being used, how does one expect it to be a useful tool?

By: Kim Clevinger

Kim Clevinger — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:28:47 +0000

We can’t simply use a certain technology because it is available. We need to be certain that a particular technology is going to strengthen our lesson when we use it. If not, it may result in overusage and boredom among our students. The problem with most technology is that teachers and students alike lack the knowledge and skill to use them. We need to practice using new technologies in order to reach mastery. This is when we will find it most beneficial in our lessons. If we can use it appropriately, we can teach students about it. If we can’t use it appropriately, our students are not likely to learn from it.

By: Amy Howard

Amy Howard — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:29:25 +0000

We have Smartboards we can check out in our school and many of the classrooms have airliners. I find that because I don’t have either in my classroom I use it very little. When I do use it I always forget how to set it up and I have to call and ask for help. Mastery of tools are important and I am curious to see how the new wind which all have airliners, will improve their test scores. I can’t see all those teachers using the tool like it should be used.

By: phaedrus » Blog Archive » What are tools?

phaedrus » Blog Archive » What are tools? — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:59:27 +0000

[...] subject is the basic tool box but it might help to have a basic understanding of what tools are. On Tools. Tools are technologies that extend your biological abilities in some way. It’s not enough that [...]

By: Traci Prater

Traci Prater — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 01:56:49 +0000

I think technology is just like anything else when we are teaching kids – you use anything enough, you lose their attention. Students in today’s schools require constant input to keep their attention. They are used to computers, video games, televisions, interactive cell phones, etc. that teachers are boring to them. I have to agree with Nancy above that PowerPoint has been run into the ground. The students don’t enjoy creating presentations anymore because of this. The joy of the technology has been over used. As teachers, we must try to ensure that this doesn’t continue to happen with all the new tools made available.

By: dancingnancy533

dancingnancy533 — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:19:02 +0000

So, the problem with tools is if you’re not using them then there is no need for them. That makes since when teachers want to abuse Power Point and turn every lesson into a slide show. I struggled with that when I student taught. I overused Power Point and as a result I felt I was boring the students. I need to make better decisions on when to use technology in the future to avoid these problems.

By: phaedrus » Blog Archive » Tools: What Good Are They?

phaedrus » Blog Archive » Tools: What Good Are They? — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:31:34 +0000

[...] For more on tools and distance education, see On Tools. [...]