Chapter 1

Chapter 1 in Using Technology in the Classroom by Bitter and Legacy discusses the importance on teaching technology to our students. This chapter discusses changes in information age trends. Some of these trends include (1) a shift in demographics, (2) an acceleration of technology, and (3) an ever expanding base of available data through which to search, sift, sort, and select. The most interesting fact that I read out of this chapter is that the amount of information in the world doubles every 900 days. So by the time you learn the new technology, even newer technology is being developed. This proves that us, as educators, need to be continuing to attend workshops and trainings to help up keep up with the ever expanding technology. This chapter also goes into detail about the technology standards. Our state standard, the TEKS, have technology standards for every grade that we must make sure that our students are taught and also that they master. I like to use the SmartBoard technology in my classroom. The students have learned to use it and it makes learning a little more fun. It reminds me of a big iPad, which of course is big right now. This chapter also discusses how the technology standards came alive with the No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind Act addresses technology specifically in the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001. This act basically states that all technology resources mist be aligned to state standards. Towards the end of the chapter, Bitter and Legacy discuss the break down of the computer and its components. They discuss the generations and developments of computer systems and they also give the public an idea of what a computer is made up of and how the operating system works.