The document discusses the author's experience learning to more fully utilize technology tools like Microsoft Office through course assignments that required applying the tools to educational problems. The author learned to "delve beneath the surface" of each tool to understand its applications better. An effective strategy for technology integration discussed is ensuring it benefits student learning in a way that traditional methods could not. The author's goals of creating a webquest, website, and other technology-based assignments helped prepare them to better model technology use for students and increase expectations for students' technology use in the classroom. Completing the coursework made the author feel more equipped to integrate technology appropriately into teaching.

1. My Personal Growth Plan stated, “Now I realize that although I knew how to use programs such
as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the Internet that I was barely scratching the surface with all of their
applications.” Zhao (2003) says that technology tools are as “irrelevant and useless as pebbles until they
are used to solve a problem…They only become a tool, a means to an end, when they are connected to a
problem.” (p.3) Appropriately, each of the assignments connected to Microsoft Office (i.e. Educational
Application of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) asked me to explore the problem of practice and how use of
this technology solves the problem. In each of these assignments, I learned to scratch, rather delve,
beneath the surface of each of these technological tools to truly learn more of their applications. An
effective teaching strategy for integrating technology that I learned from class is that there has to be a
benefit or a purpose for student learning that could not be achieved through the archaic pencil and paper
approach. The integration of technology has to be partnered with content and part of a teachers’
pedagogy to be truly effective. Dils (2000) cites that, “learners do not passively absorb knowledge, but
rather construct it from their own experiences.” (p.102) Use of technology, if nothing else, provides
experiences for students to construct meaning on their assignments. This is why I feel that my
Educational Application of PowerPoint exemplifies good teaching with technology. It makes me, the
teacher, a facilitator, and allows student to be in control of his/her learning through the use of multiple
technologies.
Integrating the Internet while I was researching my Innovation Analysis for Inspiration was
tremendously useful. There were countless sites that provided critiques of the program which guided
and sometimes redirected my prior knowledge of the program. In addition, maintaining a netvibes page
allowed me to stay on top of things for my busy school schedule this summer. Netvibes served as my
technological file cabinet by allowing me to keep and organize everything in one place.
My goals of creating a webquest, STAIR, and website were easily met through completing CEP811
and when school begins, I have no doubt that my students will be able to use and learn from them. As I
said in my Personal Growth Plan, “My technology goal is to make my students feel as though I am not the
immigrant, but a baptized native to this changing world and culture that they run.” While it would be
very difficult to assess this goal now, I am sure that in the fall, students will be able to see clearly, that I
value technology in my teaching and in my learning. I’ll better be able to model its’ use and increase my

2. expectations of student use of technology. An example of this will be implementing my new goal of
student blogging in my Family Life class and monitoring student participation on my Netvibes page. My
only concern here would be if “accepting terms of use” for Edublogs would be inappropriate for minors.
If I am supposed to address my tips and tricks and article discussions in assessing my
contributions to class, then I may be torn. I don’t know if my tips and tricks were useful for anyone. It’s
not that I have a problem sharing information, I just don’t like saying anything if I don’t feel like it is
useful. It’s hard when responses are “forced” when I don’t think I have anything to say. My article
discussions, I think, were above and beyond what I was likely supposed to do. I blame/give credit to my
TE846 class that is forcing this concept but on a level which I have grown to loathe because it seems so
contrived and covers an intolerable amount of reading and “guided responding”. However, these articles
were easy to read, engaging, and were easily applied to my every day professional career- all of these
factors made learning more enjoyable and not so overwhelming.
Other contributions, such as assignments, were effective assessment tools for me to
demonstrate my learning and benefit me in that they will be useful when school begins. The assignments
helped me to grow. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to shedding a few tears over Excel and
Implementing a model Lesson Plan!  I suppose the cliché that, “what doesn’t kill you makes you
stronger”, is true because here I am and a stronger teacher (and probably person) as a result! Essentially,
I feel more equipped to appropriately integrate technology and less like I’ll have to rely on those
“technological natives” of mine.