EDUC 504: June 26th Class reflections

This first class was informative and surprising. I was unaware of the many aspects in which our lives are affected by everyday technology. To be honest, it left me with a feeling of wariness regarding the amount of information I have displayed on the web. I realize that the internet as well as other technology can greatly serve us in beneficial ways, but find that I am already engaging in more cautious behavior online.

Because potential employers can access this information with ease, I am making conscious efforts to be more self critical when I post on my own or others' facebook profiles, myspace pages, etc. I would be incredibly disappointed with myself if I sabotaged my potential career with a single comment or photo, as the teacher mentioned in class did with her comment about working with "little chitlinz in the ghetto". Although this was not appropriate conduct for a professional, it is alarming to consider the ways in which we make ourselves vulnerable by simply participating in social networking.

The drawing activity in which we were to draw the types of technology that we expect will be present in our own classrooms was helpful because it emphasized the need to be knowledgeable about those types of technology. I included computers, a television, a DVD player, and a projector. Although I feel fairly competent with the basic functioning of all of these devices, I began to speculate about the potential of having more technology, and knowing how to use it more productively and extensively.

This course seems as though it will really improve my technological awareness within the classroom setting. I am hoping to learn more about technology's usefulness in the high school classroom so that I will be able to meet the current needs of today's high school students. I want to gain a more fluent understanding of how modern technology is present in the lives of adolescents. It is through these understandings that I will discover yet another way to relate to my future students.