Prensky

I feel that Prensky has a lot of great ideas for teaching with technology. I think he comes on a little strong about how often teachers should use the technology compared to the students use. From my experience the students don't care about the interactive whiteboard that much. This could be because its not used to its full potential, but i still think the students aren't impressed by it as much as teachers are. And to be honest im not that impressed by the smart board either, its just a really big touch screen as far as I'm concerned. Prensky's ideas on partnering is something that i do strongly believe in though. I have always believed in being more of a coach instead of an instructor when i teach. I think that the students don't mind working, but they do mind working alone. The only time my students aren't able to ask their peers a question is during a test. That is so that i can receive accurate feedback about how well the students understand the concepts. I like the idea of group tests because it is more realistic outside of the school life. But, the state tests are not group based, so i feel it doesn't prepare them as well. I think the book itself was an easy read, and useful for teachers that are looking to incorporate more technology into their classroom. Even though i didn't agree with everything Prensky said and some things may not have been new information to me, I was still able to get ideas of how to run my class to better engage the students. Which is what i feel it is all about.