Thanks Dad!

When I was a child, my father was a light bulb salesman. He sold the type of lightbulbs that went in car interior and exterior lights. He was a traveling salesman and he went to different car manufacturers and sold the bulbs...One day his boss came in with a semi-conductor...one of those silly looking things that looks like a rectangle spider...and told my father the company was expanding...

Within a year we had one of the first home computers in our home (I was definitely one of the only kids in my neighborhood to have a brand new home computer the Commodore 64) . I would spend hours on the weekend entering lines of code to make a hot airballoon (in green) fly across the screen.

My father would build computers in our basement as a hobby...he always valued technology and encouraged us to use it...My passion for technology began at a young age...

In my classroom, I have used technology at every opportunity. My students have had a distance learning experience with Holocaust Survivors, created several yearbooks using Photoshop and InDesign, created web sites and utilized computers and the internet in many different ways...

The new technology on the internet opens the door for such amazing collaboration and opportunity for both teachers and students. I have always felt that knowledge of technology was a strength and it is one of my primary goals that I stay current...

I am currently developing a hybrid course for Buffalo State. the course will be taught 50% face to face and 50% on line..When exploring the function of a blog I have many exciting ideas and uses for blogs in my Graduate class...My goal for this course (and every course I teach) is that new teachers leave my class with practical applications of information...

Blogs will be used in the follwing fashion in my course...
1- One of the requirements of the course is to read numerous articles on specified topics each week. Rather than having them post to a discussion board I am going to have the students post reflections to their articles in their blogs. Create groups and comment on each group members reflections.

2-I also see the students blogs as a useful tool to develop lasting connections with other teachers in the same discipline. What has always bothered me about the discussion board (as Dr. Burgos stated) is that it goes away...and so does the connection with your colleagues. This is a permanent and on-going connection to your colleagues.

3-One of the major requirements of the course is that the students create a parent resource. They have an option of how to convey and distribute the information to the parents. The blog would be a very unobtrusive resource in paret communication. Obviously you wouldn't discuss personal information, but it could be a place where teachers post helpful resources, services, articles, etc.

I am so excited to further integrate technology into my future courses. I believe it is imperative that teachers are familiar with technology as it is absolutely impreative that students have these advanced skills in order to participate and compete in the 21st century. Plus how else can we spy on our kids??? I have to admit...my mother and I joined MySpace last year...her to spy on my brothers...and myself to spy on my students...guilty as charged.