Technology+Integration+Essay

Here is my technology integration essay. In preparation, I was asked to watch some videos about technology being put to use in educational settings. I chose one school's video to focus on and learned a lot from it. When I'm an adult corporate trainer, I will build four sample Facebook accounts about fictitious people to illustrate the four learning styles I'm teaching about. Each will reflect an example of possible posts, "likes" and a general style illustrating how a person with that learning style (style of mentally taking in and processing information) might structure their Facebook page. This integration of technology with my lecture style should increase interest, understanding and retention of the material I teach regarding learning styles.

Favorite Edutopia video: __http://www.edutopia.org/harrison-high-school-technology-integration-video__ I liked this video because it showed middle-aged teachers (an age group not often expected to be technologically savvy) leading the way in technological integration. Many Americans stereotype those with a Southern accent as less advanced intellectually and behind-the-times technologically (fascinated exclusively with banjos, front porches and fireflies). This video chronicles teachers and students from the South who are using technology with great success, well ahead of many more respected areas of the U.S. I love it when stereotypes are shown to be wrong! I was excited to see that they use the technology to tie various subjects and extracurricular activities together. I learned that kids, teens and adults learn and remember best when a connection is made from one concept to another, and preferably, to the real world as well. Harrison High School is achieving all those connections and the students are responding favorably. Today, almost all popular entertainment, day-to-day communication, and the general pace of life is happening in "fast-forward". The attention spans of adults, teens and children are declining rapidly. Although educators and trainers have sometimes purposely chosen to utilize traditional methods, for the sake of tradition, we cannot expect people to learn successfully that way anymore, at least not exclusively. The occasional //Fun with Dick and Jane// book or homemade cheesemaking lesson is acceptable but the majority of material must be taught with the reality of the pace at which people think during the 21st Century in mind.