Technology Operations and Concepts TL-IWhat is school? A place to teach students a million facts about a million subjects? A place where students can restate what the teacher said? Are schools a place where students can demonstrate their knowledge by taking numerous tests? I don't think these are my goals when it comes to teaching or learning. I moved from simple memory to one of deeper understanding. I believe that technology is something necessary in today's world to collaborate, manipulate, research, discuss, explain and present ideas. I believe it is my job as a teacher to find a way to help students use technology more effectively. I believe that technology in a certain sense has always been part of my learning starting from high school. I remember using word processing to write term papers. Later in college I used technology to express my ideas, but I don't remember professors using it to teach me. I remember using technology to recall information or write my opinion, but not as a collaboration tool. This thinking didn't change until I started teaching in a district that hired new technology directors, replaced technology standards, invested money in technology resources, and built the district's technology infostructure. This push from the district on the effective use of technology has helped shape my view of technology in the classroom. In my early years as a teacher, one of the fears I had about using technology was that I would use some application and it would later become obsolete. I didn't want to teach my students to use a certain type of technology, but instead I wanted to teach them to use technology as a means to collaborate, manipulate...... middle of paper......schools saw technology as an obstacle or simply as something that was not necessary. This being the wrong end of the spectrum, it showed me how I didn't want to use technology. . I think this has helped me to be able to influence student learning by knowing what not to do. Schools that supported technology showed me how to use technology to increase student achievement and get students interested in learning. These schools showed me that I can provide tools for students to collaborate, manipulate, research, debate, explain, and present ideas. These are the skills that students need today to fully develop and participate in the larger world. I believe that as a teacher who uses technology I give my students the tools to use and guide them to use the tools, but what is important is not the tools but the process they allow students to participate in.