This site is available to educators in the MSD of Boone Township who wish to increase their knowledge and use of technology tools in their classrooms to improve student learning.

When instructional technology first emerged, teachers were faced with some difficult questions;

1) Do I want to risk messing things up by trying something new?

The amount of risk a teacher faces for taking risks in the classroom is largely a function of the administration. If the administration is looking for teachers to implement more innovative teaching practices, teachers may find that there is much less risk than they expected.

2) I don't even know what these tools can do. How do I find the right ones?

The first step to determining which tools are the right tools is to determine what it is you want the tool to do. Years ago, teachers used to teach in an instructional technology world that was limited by what the available tools could do. There are now so many tools available that the chances there is a tool out there that does what the teacher is looking for is considerably high.

3) Even if I find tools I'd like to try, how do I know they will have the effect I want?

Many tools have been around long enough for there to be online communities devoted to their use, not to mention testimonials regarding their use. Teachers can learn most if not all of what they may want to know by expanding their online professional learning networks (PLN).

4) If I haven't used much technology in the past, trying to use more will require more of my time. How much of my time will it take?

How much time a teacher is willing to spend learning how to use and implement a new technology depends on how much the teacher wants to introduce additional technology into their classroom. It may be best to start small so the teacher can focus their attention on implementing that one tool. Once the teacher becomes more comfortable using instructional technology tools in general, they may feel more comfortable introducing new ones more often. In short, however much time the teacher wants to commit to learning and implementing a new tool is up to the teacher. What is important is that the time the teacher does spend is spent getting the most of the tool they are introducing.