I have spent the better part of this beautiful sunny Texas Sunday morning exploring this website, my class, reading the tutorial, the articles ,and the expectations and viewing some of my classmates' pages and profiles. True to typical form I find that it is now nearly one o'clock in the afternoon. I have become totally engrossed in the process and exploration of the ideas presented here. I am almost speechless (or typeless as it may be) in how to present the blur of thoughts racing through my head.
The article on media exposure and media use, if not just astounding in the statistics listed, was a wake up call to all educators at all levels on the expectations of our students for their lives. Our traditional methods of teaching are hard pressed to compete with this interactive virtual world that they live in. The "point and click" society to which they are subjected to has taken us, as educators, far beyond the statement we used to say of "they want me to stand on my head and dance when I teach".
I am as excited as I am scared at the prospect of educating my students in this digital age. Even though my comfort level as a "digital immigrant" is relatively competitive (I feel I can keep up pretty good with my students technology-wise) I also feel an urgent need to keep up that pace and a need to stay "one step ahead". My hope is that this class and my pursuit of this degree will help me to bring knowledge to my students to make them successful in their lives. I also hope to share this information with every colleague I encounter so that they also may enrich their own classrooms. This may seem like an idealistic dream but I think it imperative that educators become those digital immigrants that can leave their "accent" behind. The old country or old ways have value in the classroom and our childrens' lives and should not be forgotten. but it is our responsibility to merge these two. In doing so we can create a better future for our children and in turn for ourselves as well.
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