A Comment on the Dedication

We wrote the dedication in an attempt to put our comments on technology into perspective. The uses of technology we emphasize require a great deal from teachers - a somewhat different view of teaching/learning and the time to learn and implement an ever changing set of skills. While the view of how students learn most effectively and how best to encourage learning may have changed, teacher commitment remains one of the most essential determinants of positive student outcomes and is basic in the creation of any effective classroom environment. Our focus on my mother is our way of recognizing teachers with this level of commitment.

During a recent visit with my mother, we talked about her use of the technology I described. She was even able to find the device.

My only way of explaining how this worked would be to compare it to a "ditto machine" - a technology from my early days of teaching. This comparison may be of absolutely no help to some of you. With the Hektograph, an image is created on a special paper with special "pencils" or a special typewriter ribbon. This paper is then pressed against the "jello-like" substance in the hektograph pan and some of the ink is tranfered in the process. Individual sheets of blank paper are then pressed against the substance in the pan and the ink recreates the picture and text on the blank sheets of paper.

We hope our attempt to broaden your exposure to the "technologies" of teaching and learning has given you some cause for reflection.