Response to "Unleashing Potential with Emerging Technologies"

Let's face it; technology has progressed dramatically since we went to high school. It would even be fair to assume that technology has progressed quicker than we, as teachers, can keep up with. Because we don't understand how recent technology works, some teachers are afraid to use it because of the possibility for students to get distracted by access to other things or cheating amongst classmates. Teachers need to realize that properly maintained technology can not only entertain a classroom of unruly students but also be very educational. Things like weblogs, wikis, digital storytelling, and podcasts can all keep students attention. One hang-up brought to attention by the author was, "[d]oes doing something old with new technology mean that I'm teaching with technology and that I'm doing so in such a way as to really improve the reading and writing skills of the students in my classroom? (Kajder 214)" I feel that this is a key question to ask when using any technology because if new technology isn't helping the students, then it shouldn't be used.