Journal #2

Infusion or Integration
Kimberley Ketterer

In this article the author talks about several conferences for teachers that she attended. During some of these conferences she would speak directly to teachers, students, and administrators, and noticed that two key words kept coming up. The only problem was that in some cases the two words were being misused, leading her to wonder if some of the folks she talked to actually know the meanings of each word. So Ketterer goes on to discuss the definitions and differences between "Infusion" and "Integration". She also listed several examples of historical and current forms of uses in the classroom.

1. How has technology benefited students over the years?

Since my days in grade school, technology has always offered an alternative method to educating students. I could remember sitting down to a lecture at the blackboard about whales. I found that my teacher at the time was fairly knowledgeable about the subject. However, when the projector began to run and I could actually see whales as they existed in nature, it brought the creature to me in a whole new way. I feel that the same is true for students today. Films are a great way to present, but now students need something more. Computers and technology can offer that. From reading Ketterer’s article, it’s clear to see that computers can now do the same things it took several different tools to do in the past.

2. Has integration of students and technology been more beneficial for the student or the teacher?

I think that integration of technology and the classroom has been equally beneficial for both. For the student it obviously grabs their attention and allows them to have a closer connection to their work. For the teacher, it allows them the opportunity for a wider spectrum of methods to teach various subjects. They can use PowerPoint presentations to teach math, interactive computer programs to teach social studies, and video to teach biology. There are no limits to what technology can do in a classroom for the benefit of both students and teachers.