The Good and the Bad

Selber mentions that being forced to use technology is something "that places an extra workload burden on teachers, adding considerably to their overall job activities" (2). I enjoy having technology to use in the classroom and at home, but it was a long road for me to reach that point. His comment makes me recall teaching a composition course a few years ago, during which time my university implemented a technology initiative. All courses were required to have a presence on Blackboard, though that could be as minimal as posting the syllabus. I was completely unfamiliar with Blackboard, and the technology inititive caused a fair amount of stress. I managed to post my syllabus, but that was all. Eldred and Toner mention that "At technology-bound institutions, where technology use is an explicit administrative goal but whre release time and instructional support are less forthcoming, instructors might choose to use the most convenient, accessible, and available resources to fulfill administrators' expectations..." (35). Today, I use many Blackboard features in my courses and appreciate the technology. At the same time, I notice that my face to face courses have more of an online presence each year. This means that such courses often have face to face time, along with an additional online workload (essentially doubling the work). This is a case when "computers may even be counter-productive in many educational settings" (5). My online courses tend to be much less time consuming. I am still discovering new ways to use technology, and I think my relationship with technology remains ambivalent.
Bethany