"Don't be hasty."

That quote from Treebeard from The Lord of the Rings seems applicable to the adoption of new technologies for educators.  In fact, it is possible that everyone would benefit from not being hasty to adopt new technology in any part of their lives.  I have no doubt that there are some jobs that require high functioning and complicated technology to make anything work, but I would say that the average Joe does not need the newest app on his phone, or a built in GPS system in his car, etc.

I am not here to talk about the average person, though, I am here to discuss whether or not I would be a teacher who would want my school district to adopt the newest technologies early, or if I would prefer them to wait until these said technologies have proven their salt.  Will I be an early user, if I am allowed?  Or will I hang back and wait and see?

Quite honestly, I am a very old-fashioned sort of person.  I dislike having to figure things out on a computer.  I am very capable of doing so, but I don't like spending the time to do it.  So to answer, I will not be one of the early joiners of every new technology.  I think I will adopt new, useful technologies if I know for a certainty that they will aid my students' learning.  But if it is not proven to be drastically helpful, I will not take the time to learn it myself and then teach the students.  A teacher has too many other duties to attend to than messing with electronics, computers, videos, and what ever else technology encompasses.

I would like to stress the fact that I do know the importance of the students learning how to handle technology.  I think that it is imperative that they are taught how to use computers efficiently.  However, when teaching reading, math, science, and social studies, I think real-life interaction with books, paper, pen, hands-on manipulatives, and artifacts will teach the children quite sufficiently.