Lessons Learned

From reading the articles and looking at the websites I learned that I really am more involved in technology than I thought. I feel like I don't know a lot but then I go through exercises or look at different articles and come to realize that I really know what they are talking about. I feel like I could relate to some of the articles when teens say that writing in technology is not related to formal writing because I grew up experiencing the same thing. I think if my teachers had been more eager to use technology and help us relate our personal writing to formal writing maybe formal writing wouldn't be such a struggle. I was texting on a regular basis at 15 years old and had no one help me distinguish from slang writing with friends to appropriate and correct formal writing in other situations. I simply had teachers ridicule me for writing incorrectly. It makes me feel bad for them that they were so closed minded and scared of technology that they didn't attempt to bridge the gap and help us make connections to be better writers.

The video titled "Did you Know?" was very powerful to me and at the same time it terrified me because I know that the numbers have become more drastic in comparison since the video was made. I noticed that the video was created in 2007 based on numbers reported in 2006 and if it was so drastic 5-6 years ago I can't even imagine what kind of trouble this nation is in now-especially since technology integration is still not happening in so many schools. I find myself being afraid of technology integration because trying to do this to it's full capabilities will take so much time and I would have to be a forerunner in my school and in whatever I do. I know that it will be a lot of work and even more time away from my family because many teachers I will work with will not have resources like they have old paper resources. I know technology is necessary I just don't know how integration can be a reality.

Another thing I learned is that I can't get away from technology. No matter how much I want the world to slow down and go back to the simplicities of life that is never going to happen. I know I am going to have to embrace technology so that I can help facilitate my students' learning in technology rather than ignore the fact that they will use it. After reading these articles and viewing different websites in trying to help my weaknesses I have found that I am excited to see what students can really do with the help of technology. Technology has the potential to help students become better people that can be powers in the world for change. I just know that technology can also give the potential of helping our society to become even more corrupt and to go in a bad direction and helping give this knowledge that can be used for good or bad really scares me.