We in education have spent far too many years trying to integrate technology tools into the classroom. By that I do not mean that technology should be avoided in teaching. Far from it. However, the approach in the past has been to pick the tool, and then try to figure out how to wrap instruction around it. This is the approach that has built up years of resentment and resistance from teachers.
I think we are finally getting to the place where we understand that the process needs to be the other way around. The approach I am finding resonating with teachers is, “What are your curriuclar goals, and let’s see if we can find some tools AND / OR changes to instructional design that can help you go further than you otherwise could”. The bottom line keeps coming back to the fact that this is not about technology, it’s about learning. Tools should only be used if they allow us to teach better – and our students to learn better – than would be possible without the tools.
Edunautics 