Theories of Critical Thinking

Teaching in a classroom that has no technology is quite the learning curve for teachers, both veteran and new.  By reading these articles, it is very plain that the presence of technology in the classrooms is not how students will walk away with the knowledge that they need.  It is all about how districts, schools, departments, and teachers in the classroom all work together to use the technology.  The articles break down how students learn and how things have changed in organization of the levels of learning.  Coming from a Webb's Depths of Knowledge background, it was a little difficult to follow the organization and break down of Bloom's Taxonomy.  Utilizing technology appropriately, gives students the opportunity to tap into the higher levels of learning necessary to gain mastery of the particular classes that they are taking.  

One thing in particular brought out in the Huitt article was how teacher made tests generally only register in lower levels of taxonomy (Huitt 2011).  One thing that needs to be taken is how teachers write their lesson plans and how they incorporate the technology to implement better instruction.  That seems to be an easier task with more concrete disciplines like math and science versus more abstract content areas like English and History.  The necessary technology needs to be easily accessible for the particular lesson.  When the integration is maximized, much like accommodations, the will be fluidity between the student and the teacher.  The students will be able to recreate situations that will enable students, in a sense, to become the teacher.  Or at least the protégé.

Willingness to embrace change is one of the biggest areas of focus.  Teachers need to be open and knowledgable of more than simply lecture and test.  With the different platforms available and the different modes of delivery of information, teachers have to be students and can even learn from the children that they teach.  This quote really sums up what needs to be happening in classrooms these days.  "Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions -- as accessible as all other classroom tools."  (National Educational Technology Standards for Students, International Society for Technology in Education 2010).