Chapter 1 Blog

 Something I learned from this chapter was how technology can be used to motivate students. This can be done through a number of different ways. Firstly students can be supported by manual operations during high level learning. This means that students may be more motivated to learn complex skills like writing compositions or solving math problems when tools through technology help them to do the low level skills involved which may include making corrections to written drafts or doing arithmatic. Another way teachers may use technology to motivate their students is by engaging them through production work. This means that students who learn by creating their own products with technologies such as word processing, multimedia, hypermedia, and other technology products show higher engagement in learning and a greater sence of pride in their achievements. The third thing I learned from the reading was the meaning of the Digital Divide. The Digital Divide is a discrepancy in access to to technology resources among socioeconomic groups.

To connect these new ideas to the classroom I think it would be very important to use the available technology to motivate students as much as possible. This may be achieved by allowing students to write essays using word instead of havin them hand write. An issue that I may run into as a teacher is the digital divide. As a teacher I will need to be aware of this by not relying completely on technology but to incorporate it when nesissary and available.

One question that I have about the material is when using manual operations that give aid to students, how may it effect them when they are required to do things with pencil and paper (ex. writing essays or working out math problems)?