Thing 3

The realm of blogging has changed the way people communicate. It allows users to contemplate ideas, thoughts, and concepts and apply, integrate, and adapt their own opinions about the topics of interest. I am a self-described "sports junkie" and my only experience with blogging in the past has been posts to sports sites. It's like being on talk radio and being able to "trash talk" about your favorite team or athlete in real time without being put on hold. The proliferation of blogging increases daily and it has become apparent that the resources we as educators have access to also multiplies daily. The ability to connect with users all over the world is a bit empowering. Sharing your opinion on educational topics does cause me some hesitation however. While commenting on sports sites, it is almost expected to be criticized and abused. It comes with the territory. However, when posting thoughts to an educational forum, I am reluctant to post with the insecurity of being criticized. The field of education is my profession and I don't want to be accused of being an educational moron or elitist. The more I begin to understand blogging as a tool for my own professional development and not a means of spouting off, I'm sure I will become more comfortable with its positive influence on my career and my classroom.

The Effects of the Digital Age

This blog is a preliminary rant about how I perceive student's disassociation with teachers who are not willing to adapt to the ever-changing technologies of the digital age. Our students' skills and abilities are being stunted due to our lack of understanding. Today's teachers are having a difficult time adjusting to the array of digital media at their disposal, including Web 2.o. The digital age has and will continue to effect the basic academic necessities of our students. The culture of learning has transformed into an abstract reality. With the influx of social networking sites, such as myspace.com, facebook.com, msn.com, etc. our students are becoming more globalized than the academic content they are supposed to be mastering. The attempt of educational leaders to create confined contents and standards are forcing teachers to adjust their pedagogical views. The relationship between what students know and how they learn are causing greater gaps in academic achievement. The digital age should be accepted as a welcome addition to pedagogical approaches. We as educators cannot, without omniscient abilities, comprehend nor predict what our technological future holds. We must embrace the digital citizenship of our students. We must allow them to live, work, and lead the digital age into the exploration of their future endeavors. The connections, literal and otherwise, will enable them to become contributors to their own pragmatic ventures.