How can technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning?
I love open-ended questions like this! There are so many different answers that it's difficult to decide on just one to choose. However, I'll give it my best shot. Here's what I think. I believe that the process of choosing a tool is every bit as important as the use of the tool. What I mean is that there's a process that should be followed when using technology to support/assess student learning.
From the very beginning, when I'm thinking about using technology, I want to really reflect on the technology choices that I'm making. Just because there's a really cool whizzbang new tool out on the Internet doesn't necessarily mean that I should use that tool. I need to think about whether or not the tool will meet my student's needs. If it's not meeting their needs- or if it could cause more confusion that it fixes, then it doesn't need to be used.
On the other hand, I also want to give my students the tools that they're going to need to succeed in the future. I don't want to set my students up for failure in a world where knowing how to use technology could be the difference between having a job-or not having a job.
I suppose that my main point is that technology is a tool. Someone wise once told me that you need to use the right tool for the right job. Sometimes technology may not be the best tool, and sometimes it may be. The challenge is deciding when it is- or when it isn't.
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