This semester has presented me with an abundance of new information. We have been given so many resources to use as we go forth and carry out our duty as teachers in our communities. My opinions about technology and teaching have drastically changed from the beginning of the semester. I now understand the need for digital literacy and the importance digital literacy plays for me as a teacher. I have progressed from being scared and frustrated with technology to a teacher who is prepared to embrace the great benefits that technology has to offer. I am commited to using technology to assist me with preparing my students to compete in a technology filled world. I am grateful for the way technology enhances my abilities and simplifies my life. I know that this is just the beginning of of what is out there, technology is always changing but it has sparked my fire to make sure that I am always seeking to increase my knowledge of technology. 

The recently article on plagarism was definitely a great resource for me. The strategies that are presented gave me a great understanding of how to help students avoid being dishonest. I never really tried to breakdown why someone would cheat. I always just looked at it as a cat and mouse game. The truth of the matter is most students aren’t really trying to plagiarize and giving them a criteria to follow will help avoid the situation all together. That is a proactive way to handle the situation in my opinion. For the students who are really trying to cheat setting a criteria is a great way to prevent the temptation. As educators we commit ourselves to being lifelong learners and that means keeping ourselves updated with the latest techniques that technology provides to assist students with teaching and what technology we can use to prevent that from happening.

Social networking is the new craze for many of the students we teach. Even though if you use the term social networking to them they probably will look at you with a look of confusion. I like the term social networking because it describes exactly what sites like myspace and facebook are really for. Unfortunately teens are using sites like these as a way to share intimate details about temselves that should not always  be shared. I think it is highly important that we emphasize to students that they need to be careful of the pictures and details that they post on line. Especially when it comes to illegal activities.  I can’t even count the amount of stories that have evolved about cases where myspace and you tube have been used to show off things that people (in my opinion) should not be proud of. In fact as we have seen in the news lately it can also be a motivation behind things they do. For example taping yourself beating up a girl to post it on you tube or my space like the recent case out of Florida. We have talked in class about the way we as educators handle this issue. For the most part schools have banned the use of most of these sites. I think that we should re-evaluate our approach to sites and talk with our students about why we have sites like those in the first place.

In all I feel my experience with the PowerPoint project was a positive one. I normally feel out of my element when it comes to being creative, but the possibilities that were presented created a spark in me. The ideas were easy to come up with but my difficulty came with executing them.  I imagine that the difficulty I had, had a lot to do with the fact that using PowerPoint in that way was new to me. Even though I had trouble with the end product the process of being creative was good for me and that is why I say that it was a positive experience. I can imagine that allowing students to use PowerPoint to create presentations with the right guidance can provide a positive learning experience for them as well. Especially students at the middle school age.

There are so many programs available for teachers to use to get there students prepared for a world that is technology filled. Sadly many students in our country can barely afford books for every student. The idea for a laptop for every student is a wonderful program to help people overseas but I can’t help but wonder about the the children here in our own country, who can benefiit from having a laptop in their home as well. I know that this is an ongoing debate and many people have different view points on it. When Oprah Winfrey opened her school in South Africa the same issues were debated. Regardless of where you stand on the issue we can’t deny that even with technology many children in this country will not be able to compete in a global marketplace.

I had my first EDTS class today. I am so behind in technology when it comes to using it inside the classroom. I am excited to finally be equipped with the knowledge of some of my colleagues. I always feel so ashamed when I am in a classroom with a smart board and I have no idea how to work it. While in class today I learned about a software that I wish I knew about last semester. It would have helped me a great deal. The video we watched got my mind going on how much our world is changing. I never would have thought that one hundred percent of college graduates in a foreign country would speak English. Now that I have thought about it it makes a lot of sense. So many times I make or receive a phone call about a bill, I reach someone located in India. Technology has allowed our world to become a smaller place. A person overseas is helping you with your account from thousands of miles away.

On a side note the cartoons the teacher used  were very cute and funny.