I'll start by saying that I'm pretty excited for Teaching with Technology. Today's class was a little overwhelming, with terms like Webinar and podcasting flying around. My current use of technology pretty much starts and ends with stalking people on Facebook, though I did use Final Cut Pro and iMovie extensively in high school (which feels like a long time ago). When Kristin and Jeff started explaining why they feel it is important for us to integrate technology into our teaching, I began to realize that there are lots of cool possibilities out there. I can clearly see the opportunities that new technology tools can provide for both teachers and students alike, provided we make good use of them. (I am particularly interested in exploring the controversial topic of using cell phones as tools in the classroom...thoughts???)
What intimidates me the most about technology is how quickly it progresses, how easy it is to fall behind. I've never been one to blog, or Twitter, but I am definitely starting to see how these tools can serve to enhance a student's learning experience. Since teenagers are so heavily involved with the internet, Facebook, cell phones, MySpace and Twitter accounts... why not meet them where they are at? As future teachers, we need to utilize all the resources available to us, so that we can provide student's with ways to be expressive, creative, and unique.
I am new to blogging, and am a little (ok, very) uncomfortable with the fact that everyone will be able to read what I blog about... I feel like a big dork. But, I hope to use this as a way to mark my progress, and will hopefully be able to look back and see how far I've come. So, be nice, fellow SMACers. :)
