Section III Planning and Implementation

The use of technology for teaching and learning process requires all teachers to take technology training workshops which are conducted via a variety of activities such as: “lectures, demonstrations, discussions, hands-on workshops, web-based activities” (Picciano,2011, p.220), on the different hardware, software and applications which can be used as tools to facilitate learning inside and outside the classroom. For this reason “teachers should work harder.” (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2009, p. 327). The teacher should not only keep the knowledge acquired in the workshops, if not, strengthen their knowledge through the different programs and information found on the Internet, because the technology is varied and constantly changing. According to Picciano “the life cycle of most computing equipment is 4 to 7 years, but is not unusual to see equipment used longer”(p.187). The teacher has to recognize that education is really changing from a traditional to a modern constructivist view where the focus is aimed at using technology as a teaching tool for developing students' critical thinking skills. “We have moved from an era where print dominated the literacy landscape to one where multiple forms of electronic communication are inseparable from literacy development” (Cummins, Brown, & Sayers, 2007, p.93).

The different school districts have assessed the costs of technological equipment and some have developed strategic plans to request monetary funding such as grants to implement the technology education curricula so there is variety in activities of teaching techniques to meet the different student’s needs. According to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan “We must dramatically improve teaching and learning, personalize instruction and ensure that the educational environments we offer to all students keep pace with the 21st century." Depending on the amount of funds acquired for the purchase of technology the schools have developed centralized and decentralized facilities so that teachers can carry out their teaching process. My personal opinion is that all schools should have both facilities as they are of great benefit to both the student and teacher. According to Picciano the decentralized facility “eliminates the need to move the children to the lab and bring the technology to them in the classroom”(p.233), this is ideal so that teacher’s could put the “floor plan workstations Rows, Clusters, Hourseshoes”( Picciano,2011, p234-235), depending on the different student’s needs, but the reality is that not all schools have the funds available to do it. While the majority of schools do not have the necessary funds their only option is to bring technology only to the computer lab classroom (centralized) where students and teachers can have access to the technological tools taking advantage in maintenance costs, etc. The schools that have technology “provide additional services to upgrade it with newer technology when is necessary” (Picciano,2011, p.249).

On the other hand, one of the most controversial issues in the discussion board was “sexting”, where we start to think about how some students make use of the different technological tools. This also lets us see the various risks in exposing those who practice the use of text for other purposes. Although there are programs in schools to guide parents and students on the practice of sexting, students sometimes risk their lives with strangers giving their personal information without being aware that this unknown person can do with the student's personal information. There are software and websites to alert parents of the students about the different calls, texts that students do and website, etc which students accessed, but these programs have an additional cost and parents are not aware of these additional services which can protect their children from any sexual predator, etc.