Guiding principles of technology (teaching)

My goal from students is understanding of scientific processes and how these show up in their lives. When I taught middle school, the goal for the class was helping students become better, more informed travelers on spaceship Earth. With each unit, they would have to compile a Tenants Manual For Spaceship Earth for the topic.

Now that I am teaching high school chemistry, I try to help students see how the state mandated curriculum actually applies to their lives.

What I think technology in education should do?
1. Increase students understanding of material.
2. Make sharing information easier.
3. Make preparation time shorter.
4. Improve the ability of teacher and/or student to grasp a concept.
5. Facilitate communication between students and teacher.
6. Serve as a way for students to demonstrate understanding.

Guiding education principles.
1. Learning requires effort. The only person learning is the one working at it.
2. Understanding is not equal to memorizing, recalling, or writing.
3. The process of answering questions is a helpful way to gauge understanding.
4. Learning often takes place when someone explains a concept to another person.
5. Knowing information is only a portion of learning. Being able to use or interpret it completes the task.
6. Working with materials and doing something can be both a learning experience and a way to gauge understanding.