Thankful for Technology

"Think about the gratitude your feeling, not just the frustrations"

This is a much easier topic to tackle this week! I have learned so much about technology and the different ways to incorporate it into a classroom. Where do I even begin?
How about the beginning... I did not attend high school during a time where computers were part of an everyday classroom. I can't believe how far technology has come in the 20 years since I graduated high school. Fast forward to the present time, and practically everything I've learned over the last 11 or so weeks have been all new to me. I am first of all thankful I took Micro App 1 last spring. It was a huge help. I don't even know if I would have been able to do this class without it. That being said my biggest challenge has been the Web Quest, and yet it was also the most creative and fun thing I've done during this class. I think with some more practice, this will be one of the best lesson plans for my students. It's web based and interactive and there is so much you can do with it. The database lesson plan is an interesting idea. I still need to figure out how to make this "live" but the lesson plan itself is again web based. The PowerPoint presentation was a blast. This was right up my alley with being creative and combining my love of history and nature at its best. I was so frustrated trying to figure out how to upload it into "slide rocket" but I kept at it and was able to figure it out on my own. I was thrilled that I did it!
So how has technology enriched my life so far... well I will start with emails. This has helped me be able to stay in touch with my family and friends who are scattered across the United States. I have been able to take online classes. I am very thankful for that, otherwise it would have been impossible for me to pursue my degree and be a stay at home mom. Time wise site classes would have been too hard for me. The Internet itself contains so much information and is very easy to access. With some careful research I am able to find almost anything I'm searching for. I think technology for me as a teacher will only enhance the learning experience for my students. As I mentioned above the lesson plans; Web Quest, Database, PPP that we have done thus far will engage students in learning. I know my own children were very interested in these lesson plans. I loved it when I heard from them "cool mom" or "that's really good." Whether you agree or disagree with it, technology is here to stay and as an educator its a valuable tool to learn.