Caleb Nabower EDU 636 Article Review

The article I read, titled "Technology Integration for Elementary Students", was a primer in how to effectively integrate technology for student use. The site collects a variety of tips from a technology integration specialist. The goal here is to alleviate the way teachers typically throw in technology haphazardly. Giving kids a computer and saying "use this to find information" is not as effective as guiding them into the use.
Some examples of the tips involve maintaining academic rigor when using technology, easing students into independence, and give them sites to use. By doing this, the specialist says that students will have a better grasp of how to use technology, and as a teacher you will be able to more effectively integrate them into a lesson.

This article, while somewhat basic, serves great as a primer for tech use. Often times as teachers, we are either reluctant to use technology, or we use it in a manner that is more representative in an adult manner. While we often think that students "grow up" with technology, that often times is either false or the manner in which they grew up with it was more of an entertainment perspective. I find that my students are very adept at finding and playing games, but have severe troubles when it comes to starting a word document. Given the wider breadth of technology available in most districts, effectively using it is a must.
My favorite tip was that concerning "gradually give kids more independence." This essentially assumes kids come into a lesson involving technology with no/limited knowledge. Guide them through step by step, have them try, and repeat this, taking away a little at a time. Eventually, students will become independent in their ability to use technology, and this will enrich lessons that much more by not having to worry at all about the tech, and more focus can be placed upon the content.