"Teaching with Technology"

After reading the article "Teaching with Technology", I realized just how much things have changed since I was in school in 1997. There were no computers available to the students outside of the computer classes. The extent of my computer class in 11th grade consisted of me becoming a master Tetris player. Other than that, I did not have a PC until I was 21 years old. I feel that in the relatively short time I have owned a computer, I have learned basic computer skills on my own. In the future, I hope to use technology to the fullest to better teach my students.
I agree with the article on the basis of the "steps" teachers go through incorporating technology in their teaching. While I believe that many teachers are in the familiarization and utilization phases of technology use, I think that will change very soon. People are afraid and/or embarrassed when it comes to trying new things and computers, for the most part, are still new technology. The number one goal of any teacher is to use what works. Even though you may use PowerPoint to teach, are you being effective at using the technology or should you do an art project to convey the message? Technology can be used as an aid or a crutch. As a teacher, use whatever means available to you to engage the student's minds.