Discussion 4 - Week 6 Hew Article

I really liked the paragraph about teacher knowledge as a barrier.
"Technology-supported-pedagogy may be classified
into three categories in which technology functions as: (a) replacement, (b)
amplification, or (c) transformation (Hughes, 2005)."
We are often told that we should integrate technology, but this article defined three ways that technology can be used. Also, examples were given to clearly express how we can use technology (replacement, amplification, and transformation). I wish that some of these researchers would to more articles along these lines. Instead of telling us what we should do, or the reasons why we are not doing, they could give specific examples of what we can do and how to do it. We keep reading articles over and over again saying that we don't integrate technology because of funds, knowledge, etc., but this is the first one that ever explicitly gave an idea of how to use the technology. The ideas that were presented weren't even ones that need tons of training for teachers to be able to do. Giving three specific ways that we can use the technology in our teaching is already giving me ideas for when I am back in the classroom. We are all trained to give specific, explicit instruction, yet we are not given any for what we need to do! I also think that telling teachers the ways that technology can be used may also change attitudes and beliefs, which was another point in the article. People are not going to use something, no matter how cool it is, if they are not shown that it can be useful.