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= ** Welcome Friends! ** =

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Thank you for visiting my wiki! Created for EDTP 504, Teaching with Technology, this blog will consist of discussion on hot topics in the area of technology in the world of education. I currently teach eighth grade language arts and am constantly searching for ways to make my teaching relevant to students by incorporating a variety of technology in my daily teaching. Join me in this journey by visiting my blog often and responding with your feelings. Enjoy!=====

= Chew on this. =



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Eye opening, eh? This probably is not the first time this video has been presented to you, nor will it be the last. Each second, technology becomes increasingly more essential in every aspect of our lives. We as teachers need to understand this and embrace it by incorporating multiple technologies in our everyday teaching. Our students' lives are being molded by technology more than those of any other generation.=====

Computers, Internet, and other technology are luckily becoming more and more accessible to educators. In my first year teaching, I was lucky to have access each day of the week to three computer labs, one portable class set of lap top computers, a document camera, digital projector, and any media-viewing device you can imagine. Next year, my school is giving me a smart board for daily use. It is my responsibility as an educator to take full advantage of these advances. My students' generation is fascinated with technology, so I can work to make lessons relevant to them.

Technology is a blessing and a curse. Although students have the ability to learn vast amount of information and gain the skills some adults do not even yet have, they also may succumb to the pitfalls of technology. Cyber bullying and harassing text messages are two negatives that have been exposed to my students. We as educators are responsible to teach students safe ways to use these advancements that we are so lucky to have.

= Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? =

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Do schools create or kill creativity? This talk offers a lot to think about and debate. As educators, we must be so careful to cultivate creativity instead of focusing on entertaining our students. By doing activities without technology as long as some with technology, we can be sure to instill creativity in our students. I want to create a creative community of learners in my classroom.

= Make a splash in social media! =

media type="custom" key="6386085" The main focus in this video is the fact that the internet provides us with a level playing field. Mr. Splashy is a perfect example of that. The internet is a way to bring together people from all over the world for common goals. Although it is uncertain if all these people had the same goal to preserve the whales, people still came together. They got excited to be apart of something and that is what is so wonderful about technology. I can't wait to get my students excited about something like Splashy.

= And now the good news! =

media type="custom" key="6386103" Or is it? I firmly believe that technology can be used to do wonderful things in education, but we must be careful to still make our main focus content-oriented. It is wonderful to live in a world where we have so many resources available to us, and I am excited to be apart of this technology revolution, but for now, I will focus on teaching engaging lessons that teach my students of the fundamentals of reading and writing.

= The four ways sound affects us. =

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This video really hit me, but at the same time, the things he discusses are completely obvious. Sound is all around us, and as a avid music lover, it is a huge part of my life. My moods and actions are highly affected by the sounds around me. I exercise at a more energetic pace when listening to sound that is compelling and exciting. I write well when listening to classical and calming music.

Why haven't I incorporated more use of sound in my classroom? My students do freewrites to music of their choice, but aside from that I have not thought about how these four types of sound affect my students. After watching this ted talk, I will most definitely be more conscious of sound in my classroom.