December 10, 2004
LoTi Framework Essay: Week 15

    It is now the end of the semester, and I have spent the past five weeks immersed in technology.  I mentioned at the beginning of this section that I considered my self to be at level two of the LoTi Framework.  At that point, the only reason I considered integrating technology into my teaching was for babysitting the students or for making worksheets, tests, and grading templates.  I really wasn’t very knowledgeable in the field of technology, so I figured that I wouldn’t be capable of attaining higher levels on the LoTi Framework until I learned more about technology.
    Over the past five weeks I have learned more about technology than I have in my entire life.  I firmly believe that in order to move up the LoTi Framework, a person must gain a solid foundation about technology.  Without the knowledge, there can be no basis for assignment.  How can you asks your students to create something that you don’t know how to create?  That being said, these past five weeks have given me more of an understanding about how different aspects of technology function.  Creating, designing, and managing our websites have been wonderful.  I am not an expert, but I feel very capable to do something like this within the classroom. 
    Now, just because I am more knowledgeable about technology doesn’t mean that I am able to advance up the LoTi Framework.  With more knowledge, I am still stuck at level two.  It is what I do with this information that will move me up to higher levels.  Currently I would say that I moved up to level three.  I am able to incorporate the higher levels of thinking, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in to my lessons with technology.  I can create WebQuests in which students are given problems that involve using their higher thinking skills.  No longer are the lesson objectives technological; rather, technology serves as a tool for musical objectives.