After watching those two videos that Carla suggested, I could not think of anything else but how many technology tools I can add to my repertoire in class with my students. Frankly, never had I thought about using a cellphone as a teaching tool. The only image that came to my mind when I came across that segment of one of the videos was the notice in the classroom informing the students that cellphones were prohibited during the classes. Not to mention the opportunities I missed when identifying numbers was the learning goal of the day. A whole lesson plan, having the cellphone as a tool for the students to calculate the sums printed on a board game, was right there, in front of me, ready to be used.

The message that both videos directly conveyed to me when I first watched them was that young students can effectively be engaged in the learning process nowadays if teachers incorporate technology into their curricula. It is undeniable that technology, in all its forms, has taken over our lives. At the same time, contradictly, I can notice that students do not seem to benefit from the vast offerings of technology. It has had so little impact on academic learning.

The main reason for that, in my opinion, lies on the fact that teachers have been deprived of a more systematic, ongoing professional development program in this area, focusing on integrating technology into instruction and management. Teachers, and I include myself on the list, need to break this huge barrier, for technology can become a focal point for student and teacher interaction and an opportunity to create significant change in our academic setting.

To sum up, by bringing technology to the classroom, I believe that I can improve learning and engage students in the tasks proposed. Technology, associated with teachers' expertise and vital role in orchestrating its use, can foster enthusiasm on the part of the students and anchor teaching to learning more successfully.

Domingos Di Lello