Technology is only as good as the person using it. So we need to be to know to use the technology before we can use it to teach others. It’s like golf or bowling, you have to know the technology is supposed to do before you use it. Or it can be used and tested before selling the equipment. If the technology is used in the wrong ways then the education that was supposed to happen with that technology would not be complete.

Engaging students in the learning process is a major part of education. Students should be engaged with everything that they do, but we know that it is hard to do that with a classroom of 30 students. However, it could be possible to engage everyone all at once. Teachers just need to come up with ways that will get students to think and use the knowledge that they have already acquired and learned. Grades are not always motivation. Some students are content with getting A’s and B’s and do not have to work very hard to get them, however there are some students who try to get the higher grades but just cannot seem to get them so they stop trying and their motivation decreases. So if teachers can assign projects or have little “competitions” between students and even the students and teachers, that will motivate the students to get answers quicker and think faster than their peers and even the teacher. I know that some students like that idea because I have actually tried that with my students and they love it, especially when they get the answer before me. Teachers could also challenge knowledge and have students answer questions that are related to topics that they have already learned, or the teacher could relate the topics to things that students like to do.  

In the classroom, teachers can only go so long on the “hold your nose and just eat it” routine. If teachers do the same things over and over the students will become bored and not want to learn. I think it would be like eating the same things everyday. It becomes too routine and with the fast pace of life these days, routine does not really go well with life. It becomes dull and boring. So in the design of the classroom, teachers should change things up some so students don’t get too bored. Also if things are changed up then the students will become more engaged and want to learn. Maybe the teacher could ask students for input on what the teacher could do in order to engage them in activities and learning.

I think that when designing a course it would be better to start out with a few tools and then incorporate other tools as the course progresses. The better the teachers’ knowledge and skill of the tools are a big part in the design of the course. However, the design may not stay the same as when the course was created. With the addition of tools and the advancing of knowledge with the tools can change the design of the course.