Technology Changing The Face Of Education

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The Changing Face of Classroom Technology How have the technology needs of teachers changed during the past few years? What tech support do teachers need now compared to what they needed a few years ago? How has the job of technology coordinator changed? Those are the questions we asked our Tech Team this month. "As a teacher," John Tiffany told Education World, "I try to wow my students with technology; to give them something new to see and use. Hopefully, that sparks additional interest in the topic at hand. "I have used a Smartboard for lectures and brainstorming," Tiffany noted, "and I currently utilize Unitedstreaming, a subscription video service that allows me to download videos and parts of videos for class. I've used a microscope hooked up to a computer and to a projector. In other words, I use technology as a way to draw students into the "same old" material from a different angle." Tiffany's statement vividly illustrates the changes in classroom technology use that have taken place during the last few years. Just five years ago, most teachers were tech "newbies," struggling to learn computer basics, despairing of ever becoming proficient enough to integrate technology into their daily lessons. Most technology specialists were computer technicians and classroom cheerleaders, struggling to convince reluctant teachers that yes, they could learn to use such basic tech tools as e-mail and search engines. Recently, we asked members of the Education World Tech Team to tell us about the changes that have occurred in classroom computer use, and to share with us how those changes have affected their roles as technology coordinators and technology integration specialists. MORE USE, MORE DEMANDS "Teachers are beginning to see that the computer is not a toy -- but a tool." "During the past few years, teachers' use of technology at my school has

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