Response to "It's not about technology" by Kelly Hines

Mrs. Hines touched on some great points in her blog. She seems to really be knowledgeable about not only teaching, but learning too. She listed 4 facts that can help teachers to be successful in the ever evolving teaching field:
1. Teachers must be learners. She was saying that at the beginning every teacher has to pass the same tests and take the same classes, but decades down the road all of their experiences will be different. Teachers continue to evolve and learn what methods are most effective and they learn what doesn't work as well. Teachers must be learners to be effective, period. They must learn what new tools are available and learn how to use them. They have to keep up with what interests their students also.
2. Learning and Teaching are not the same thing. She was saying that if no learning is accomplished then no teaching has been done either. Teachers need not put students in a box and only expect certain things from them. Their ability to learn is limitless as long as they have a teacher that is willing to do some work.
3. Technology is useless without good teaching. She said that no matter how many thousands of dollars a school may spend on technology, if a teacher doesn't use it correctly or at all, then it's worthless. There are sooo many free tools a teacher can use in the classroom today, if their budget is limited. It's really up to the teacher to be creative and up to date on all of the technology available to them.
4. Be a 21st Century Teacher without the technology. This means that as long as a teacher adapts his/her teaching to the students then they will be relevant. A teacher needs to be creative and receptive. Teachers can be modern without all of the modern conveniences. "Those teachers who know how to foster communication and collaboration within their classrooms and school buildings are equipping their students with the abilities to apply these core skills to more areas in their own lives."