Teaching+with+Technology

__**TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY**__

//** Course Description:  This course begins with learning theories and the implications for using technology to promote learning and to enhance teaching. Then the course moves to the technology strategies and best practices that impact student achievement. Students will demonstrate knowledge of ways to model, design, and use technology tools to solve problems, evaluate results, and communicate information in a variety of formats for diverse audiences. (from course syllabus) **//


 * Week One:

In week one, we are focusing on using technology in the classroom. The assigned readings for week one write of various technological usage methods. In more than one reading it is stressed that techonolgy can be used to one's advantage, while it can also be used inappropriately leading to a disadvantage. Technology is used constantly in our everyday lives more and more each day. Students are now spending more hours online than watching television (Sloan & Kaihla, 2006). They are on websites such as myspace, second life, youtube, gameing and search engines. These are the 21st century students. The readings from, //Learning as a Personal Event: A Brief Introduction to Constructivism//, //How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School//, and //Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools// all discuss how teachers must make a connection of some kind whether it be with the community, students' lives, web, or prior knowledge leading to constructivism or connectivism. According to Solomon and Schrum, authors of //Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools//, "Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or generates new ideas or concepts based upon current and past knowledge" (2007). Many of the readings discuss how relevancy should come into play when introducing a topic to the students. The word relevancy is not used in the readings but rather a meaning of real world application. Teachers are to captivate the students by relating a real world action or activity with what is being taught to help engage the students for constructivism. If they can understand how the topic relates to the real world, application of the subject matter should come easier, leading to new constructivism for a possible project that can integrate technolgy usage. This would allow for learner-centered activity rather than teacher-centered. Guiding the students to a point in which they can connect allows for them to construct which leads to learning. A way to really reach the student is through the use of technology since many are so technologically-savvy. **


 * According to the readings, there can be downfalls to technology usage in and outside of the classroom. As author McPheeters (2009) of //Social Networking Technologies in Education// states, "Like so many other technological innovations, social networks are accused by many of impacting society and education negatively." This can be understood when students spend much of their time social networking. For example, second life can be looked at as a non-realistic way to change who you are and how you would like to see yourself. According to Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools, "MySpace, for example, is popular with teens, Youngsters post their biographies, exploits, photos, and more and link to a network of "friends." It'sOther downfalls as stated in How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, "Inapproriate uses of technology can hinder learning - for example, if students spend most of their time picking fonts and colors for multimedia reports instead of planning, writing, and revising their ideas. And everyone knows how much time students can waste surfing the Internet" (Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000). Teachers also feel that techonolgy can make it seem as though they are not doing their job as a teacher. From //If I Teach This Way, Am I Doing My Job: Constructivism in the Classroom//, a teacher stated, "I can't let the students surf the Web or play on the computer. That is like having 20 minutes free on Friday and telling the students to do whatever they want. If I do that, I am not doing my job" (Sprague and Dede, 1999). Some teachers are afraid to embrace technology because of possible reprocutions. As a result, technolgoy is not being used to the fullest.

In conclusion, techonolgy plays a large role in the lives of students and corporate world. As the states Texas Long-Range plan states, we must prepare our students for the innovative future. We must use appropriate resources that will engage the students and not hinder them. We must give them some real world application so they may use constructivism. Using technology helps to engage, captivate, and allow for cognitive learning. It allows for the students to have more learner-centered learning rather than teacher-centered. **

**Week Two:**


 * In week two, various methods of technology implementation are discussed to help reach the diversity of student's learning capabilities. A teacher is highly encouraged to seek diverse methods for all learners. According to the video, //Diversity of Learners//, in previous years, there was a one size fits all method of teaching. This is no longer the case. Now teachers must find alternative methods of teaching to reach the diverse group of 21st century students. The video, //The Brain Research//, discusses how Neuroscience has discovered that students learn in an assortment of methods. It is the goal of CAST to build lesson plans for the diversity of students. The video states the three methods of networking as strategic, recognition and affective. The video //Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning// from CAST gives the idea of how in reality we have devices and accommodations made to ease the lives of those who are disabled or may have a problem of some sort for any circumstance. The video states how teachers must look at teaching their students in the same perspective. Teachers should build lessons that accommodate various learning styles. Finally, the video, //Principals of Universal Design for Learning//, discusses three principal methods of building a universal design for CAST. CAST first uses representation. This is so the students may learn what is being taught. The second principal is expression. This indicates ways in which the student may express themself whether through verbally responding or some other alternative method. The final principal is engagement. The third principal should entertain, challange and motivate the students to want to learn more. These are all methods that are used in the construction of lesson planning through CAST.

Week two provides readings that help an individual such as a teacher to get insight of research-based methods of technology integration. For example, according to the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (2007), the KWHL method is discussed. This method requires students to use a form of word processing on a computer to indicate, what they know about a given topic, what they want to know, how they plan on learning the topic, and what they have learned. This is a typical method used in an everyday classroom, but the book suggest for the teacher to allow the students to use a computer as an alternative to the typical paper submission. The book also discusses other methods of techonolgy intergration using various computer softwares and online sites available.

Something gathered this week from a reading that can be found useful to some is from the article, Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconmic Status (2002) that discusses four approaches to teacher-student or student-student interation and response during a lecture. The reading gave example of how a teacher or students may respond during a typical lecture. This captivated me for the reason that I sometimes do this. Allowing the students to do more student questioning and response allows for greater depth of learning. This article also discusses how a students self-esteem can effect the product of a student's work. Techonolgy intergration seems to me a form of raising an individual's self-esteem through the process of allowing them to learn in a alternative method than the usual one size fits all method mentioned above.

Week two, //The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement// (1999), gives examples of seven different studies. These studies show that there is a definite change in student achievement whether slightly or largely increasing, it does. From this week's discussion board, it seems that a few can be in agreement that the studies were well over ten years ago meaning there is most likely a difference much more great than the results given in the reading. Other research-based readings show also that there has been improvement in student achievement due to technology integration.

This week from the group project, articles were found that more ideas of technology integration in not only lessons but in assessments too. Assessing students through technological methods provides a means for diverse student's to show what they have learned in an alternative method to written testing. Assessments such as online games, clickers that allow for poll type questions, and various computer softwares available. Overall, it has been proven that technology is the way to increase student acheivement in the 21st century. After all, this is the main way of communication to others for many in our society. Whether it's through text messaging, email, wikis, second life, web cams, chat rooms and much more. Technology is what our students are used to going home to. This is where we must meet them in order to reach them and their diverse living styles.**

​ ​ **Week Three:**


 * In week three, there are various videos and readings to stress the fact that there is a mass amount of diversity in learning for this generation of students. The video,** **//Welcome to the Digital Generation //, gives the specifics of how students of this age are completely consumed by electronics or as spoken in this class technology. The students of this generation are highly inclined with the ability to know and learn technological skills at a quick rate. This sometimes means that students avoid even looking at instruction manuals because they are able to figure out how a product works without. The student Luis from //Digital Youth ////Portrait ////- Luis //, is a senior student who eagerly reaches out to the community and his family in technology usage. Luis, works with elementary students to build legos that relate to the Lego League from First Robotics. This is an event for ages 8 and up that allows them to begin computer programming forcing the Lego /robot to move in the manner they program. This helps the student become technically involved and creates higher thinking. Luis works hard to reach out to the younger generations to help them increase their learning capability. Cameron, another student from** //**Digital Youth** // //**Portrait** // **is also technically inclined. Cameron works well with video production. He created a green screen with poster boards in his garage so that he can change the backgrounds in his video productions. Cameron also works with his teacher in creating videos for his classmates to better understand a concept or lesson being taught. //Kansas Technology Rich Classrooms- Partnership for 21st Century Learning //, is a school that worked with students to use technology for a project. The students did not think they were capable of completing the task given by the teacher, but in the end, the students excelled at technically creating specifically chosen careers and locations. This is the challenge that more teachers are encouraged to give students. Schools want teachers to raise the bar by implementing technology that will allow the students to take over creating a student-centered learning environment. The final video for the week was,** //<span style="color: fuchsia; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">**Top 10 Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom** //**. This video listed ideas such as using streaming videos, creating one's own interactive exercises, using an interactive white board, social networks, and creating wikis and blogs. The ten tips given help keep engagement with the students by using products and devices they are already accustomed to.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The reading from week three gave ideas of how to create technology-based lessons and create a online book. Week three give the resource CAST. This website allows an individual to create a lesson plan that touches all areas. The goal is to make a UDL. A UDL is a Universal Design for Learning. The brain recognizes three areas for learning. These are networks identified as, Recognition, Strategic, and Affective. The Recognition network gathers the facts. The Strategic Network allows for the planning such as solving a math problem. The Affective Network is what keeps the students engaged. These three networks are crucial to creating a UDL Lesson Plan. The Book Builder allows an individual to create an electronic book. This book will read aloud to an individual, translate from English to Spanish, contains a glossary, and has three coaches that help the student to better understand and engage critical thinking skills.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Overall, in week three, the key is to create a Universal Design for Learning. This is what helps keep all students in the game of learning. Creating a universal lesson allows for all learners to receive the opportunity to learn in their style. Using technology in this method is imperative. This major engagement tool helps the students to interact and work with what they know best. Using a variety of methods such as technology resources, textbooks, graphic organizers and much more helps to reach the diversity of student learning. The overall goal is to reach every student in one lesson so each student has the opportunity to a non-restrictive environment of pure learning.**

Week Four:

In week four, I have discovered a variety of ways to teach with technology. After finishing week three's UDL and Book Builder, I have seen the various ways of implementing technology usage in the classroom from seeing my group members' assignments. Week four's video, //The Collaborative Classroom: An Interview with Linda Darling-Hammond//, she discusses social and emotional work. Teaching is both social and emotional work. The social aspect of teaching is done everyday. The emotional aspect can cause such sincerity or distress. Teaching with technology only makes the social and emotional work that much easier. Teaching with technology allows for the technology to either ignite the social aspect or do the talking for you. Technology usage can bring students and teachers to an emotional balance, making teachin and learning simpler than the past. In the video //Project Learning: An Overview//, students use technology in the making of projects. Students at variuos schools are given challanges for projects and create the results. For example, geometry students at a school were required to submit a plan to bid for a job. The plan required the students to design a state of the art school for the year 2050. Other projects consisted of students working with University students and companies. The collaborative work allowed for them to expand their thinking. In Hawaii, students build fuel effcient cars to compete in a race. All of these technology incorporated projects allow the students to rise self-esteem but most of all create higher thinking. In the video, //Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts//, students collaborate in groups through Google Docs and Wikis. Having the students collaborate in such a manner prepares them for the social skills necessary in the work force. The video, Team Teaching: Two Teachers, Three Subjects, One Project, allows also for students to collaborate. The studetns work together on a blood projects. The students work in each class on different fields of blood with the use of technology.

The book, //Using Technology With Classroom Instruction That Works//, discusses cooperative learning. Students engage in cooperative learning. This type of learning allows for the students to each give insight or excel in specific areas. The book gives recommendations to use a variety of criteria for grouping, use informal,formal, and base groups, maintain managable group sizes, and combine cooperative learning with other classroom structures. Allowing the students to collaborate in various ways gives studens engagment which results in learning. The book, //Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools//, discusses professional development. In the discuusion board for this week, many seemed to have liked the quote that discusses that professional development should be done with curriculum and technology integration. Many feel that technology professional development is given, but not understood unless given with curriculum. The book discusses various ways of implementing technology in schools. Blogging and wikis are effective methods of professional development. This allows teachers to use the source while continuing to learn the source. This can help the teacher in learning to use Web 2.0 tools. Finally in the online book titled//, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning//, discusses how a teacher gave math students the option of taking a math test with paper or pencil, on a computer, or even having the computer read the problem aloud to them. The online book also discusses that different forms of assesments should be given. It gives a scenerio of how people react differently when given something they may know how to do but it was given to them in a different method of casual liking. Giving students the a variety of assesment options can be beneficial if appropriately done.

In week four, teaching with technology has given more insight of various ways that technology can be beneficial within the classroom. What I find difficult is the lack of resource at my school. All of the ideas and wonderful, but I do not have the resources at my school. I can work with what I have, but the school has blocked me from wikis, blogs, google, etc. This only allows me to use resources that are paid for by the district such as brain pop. That is the reason for my UDL mainly consisting of Brain Pop. I know it's a source that I can use. We are currently working with our district technology head in revising some of our limitation. Being in this course will hopefully help me with giving them insight and ideas of how we can use many of the resources that the school has blocked.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Week Five:

In week five, the readings, videos, and group <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">collaborations <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> have covered many new resources for me to implement and use in my classroom and within the school. From the book, //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools //, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">it <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> emphasiz <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">es <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> that assessments should not be limited, and various forms of assessments can be done with still having students do well on standardized tests. The book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, also <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">discuss <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> assessments. This book gives the idea of having <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">student assess him or herself <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">. The students do this by grading themselves from a given rubric. The teacher can then take the rubric and <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">develop <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> graphs and surveys to give students visual results. I reall <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">y liked this idea <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> and plan to implement it as soon as I return to school. In the video, From the video, //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Big Thinkers: James Paul Gee on Grading With Games //, he discusses how games are a way for people to problem solve. He emphasizes that games are strategically giving feedback to the player so the player knows what needs to be done to get to the next stage. If we can do this within the classroom. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Students <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> will know how they are doing and be able to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">achieve <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> to an extent of knowing where they need to be. In //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Big Thinker: Howard Gardner on Digital Youth //, Howard Gardener discusses five ethical properties to his Good Play Project. The five ethics consist of the following: Identity, privacy, ownership and authorship, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">creditability <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> and <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">trustworthiness <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">, and participation in the community. He states that online an individual can be many people and make herself who she wants to be. For example, in Second Life, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">an individual can build himself or herself <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> how he would like. The Good Play Project works on maintaining the online ethics. In the video, //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Big Thinkers: Sasha Barab on New-Media Engagement //, Sasha Barab discusses their project, Quest Atlantis. This program allows the student to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">visualize <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> what they are learning as a gaming system. He uses the example of Erosion. He states that if you give students this game that has them solve how the erosion <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">occurred <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">rather than lecture, the student will be able to achieve the knowledge of Erosion at a higher rate than lecture. The speaker states that media engagement is the key to successful student learning. In the videos, //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Vision for Technology in K-12 Education // and //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Vision for 21st Century Learning //, the main point discussed is how can we reach the kids with technology and how do they want to learn. The videos show how technology can be implemented for engagement and most of all student learning.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">Today in the 21st century it is crucial to stay on top of technology. The students learn at a quick rate. Teachers <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">must not be <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> afraid to take risks and attempt new technologies. Reaching out to these new technologies will allow <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;"> students <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">to have a better understanding of what is being taught. It will not so much feel taught as much as it will them learning it on their own through various learning activities. We can reach all learner <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">by using <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">UDLs and other online <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">resources. Teaching with technology is a great way to captivate and engage students for higher thinking and improved student achievement.