New teachers… Seasoned Veterans… Educators talk a lot about the importance of knowing what you want to do with the technology before implementing it. I have said it!.. Decide what you want students to do and then find the technology to do the job well. Technology is a tool and we need to use the right tool for the right job… Right? Does this philosophy hold us back at all though?
As a result of the work that I have been doing through the IEAR.org community and as a District Technology Faciliator, I continue to think that this philosophy holds education back in many ways. While I remain convinced that we need to define what we want our students to do, we also need to continue to appreciate that we understand how to use technology better when we just use it as well!
Over the years, I have had numerous interactions with educators in which the person has an excuse/reason for not doing something with technology because they already do something without it or with a different form of technology. Too often we have predetermined ideas on what will work well and we prevent ourselves from “change” or “improvement”. I once had a librarian tell me that she would never purchase any “e-book” capable devices or books in her library because she loved holding a book in her hand. She couldn’t imagine people not having that feeling. Isn’t it interesting to note that Amazon is now selling more digital books than it is wood, paper and pulp books! While school teachers and staff interact and do more work over custom apps like EdQuants to reduce paperwork and be able to organize more info in less time. Sometimes we just need to try something different and explore what is being offered! Continue reading
Scott Meech is the founder of App of Approval. In 2009, Scott started 
As much as we may argue, we still want what’s best for our future thinkers and creators.
Scott currently works as the Director of Technology in 
Community and collaboration is the most vital aspect for improving education. Technology is really at a point where we can make a difference as a collective body in so many ways. Sometimes we just need a spark to ignite a movement.
I was honored with the distinction of becoming an Apple Distinguished Educator and I attended the 2011 ADE Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. This was one of the best learning experiences that I have had the privilege of being a part of. If you love to learn and you believe that technology can play an important part in the learning process, I suggest you apply for the 2013 institute.
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