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= =About Me=

I decided to take this online course to give myself the opportunity to be introduced to a lot of this new technology for our classrooms. I am going in pretty wet behind the ear. I use a lot of the technology, but I am really excited to learn how to transmit what I know to my students and do it in such a way that I am still going to be able to get my own Foreign Language curriculum covered as well. Seeing my students only once a week for the K-4 level, and twice a week for grade five and six, I am really working with very limited time.

I really like the idea that this virtual notebook can never be left at home, or at school. I don't have to worry about the dog eating it, or it getting lost. In my mind right now, I can see the possibility of assigning work and students accomplishing their work from school or home. For those without access at home, they will have multiple places within the school and the public library where they can do their work. As a teacher, I don't have to lug them home in my schoolbag and trek it through the snow on a cold winter's evening to correct them. I can access the notebook anywhere I am connected.

=2.1 The 21st Century Classroom=

I first want to comment on a particular piece of information. I find it very interesting that the "Daily Letters Mailed" numbers for 2010 were as high as they were. Once I started thinking about it, I begin to wonder if they are including junkmail and bills. We are now in the age of online billpay, emails, blogging, social networking, electronic invitations, and internet fliers and advertisements. How is it that the amount of letters mailed is a mere fifteen percent less tn ten years ago? Besides those numbers, nothing was extremely shocking to me. I absolutely wanted to scream to actually see the number of reality shows in 2010. I am sure that number of 329 has risen since the article was printed. The number of daily newspapers has not decreased as much as I would have thought. In these changing times, this article truly confirms how we, as teachers, need to stay current with the rest of society.

We, as public school teachers, are with these students for a quarter of their entire day. We cannot keep using old methods of teaching to get our point across. I started teaching eleven years ago and I cannot believe how much has changed since I stepped into the classroom. I remember my first year teaching in 2000 and access to a computer for anything was a luxury. Finding a computer with working internet was bonus! Now, I get emails instantaneously to my iphone. It's not so much shocking as it is frightening. The speed and huge advances are only going to increase with time.