New Technology

As I sit in a classroom with a variety of colleagues from across my district and beyond, I feel the sun on my face and find myself listening and agreeing to what is said. Prior to coming here today, we read a brief article by Bob Marzano, one of my favorite education gurus of our time, on interactive white boards. In this article, Marzano shares a study that using interactive technology can have a profound impact on student learning. Of course, the study shows that it's not the technology itself but how the teachers using the technology are structuring the learning. I do believe technology serves as a wonderful tool, but I believe it is just that--a tool. As teachers we need to embrace this tool because it can help us differentiate our learning activities, but we need to continue to do our own work before we get to class so we know how to use it to help our students.