Ch. 1 reflections

I have just identified myself as one of the technology illiterate. According to Fisch, I am destined to be put out to pasture if I don't step up my game. So, here I am trying to join the world of technology in order to better serve my students . I have come to the realization that I am probably not alone in this endeavor. When I was finishing school, the internet was not even available and access to a computer was very limited. There was no formal training that I was aware of , so I kind of landed in a time warp of sorts. Technology has so much to offer; unlimited resources for education, entertainment, and communication. My only concerns with this however is that without proper instruction and the ability to sort out fact from fiction, many students will read something on the web and believe it to be true. The issue of privacy is also be a concern. Will continual conversing on the web lead to a new generation of children with out the necessary skills to have a face to face conversation? I worry about the development of interpersonal skills. There is a new Promethean board in my classroom and it was used mostly as a resource rather than a full on teaching tool. For my class, it was enjoyable and provided some great activities, but those hands-on manipulatives would win out every time. However, partnering up students for a learning game at the desktop seemed to be much more effective. I'm here, ready to step into the world of technology (with some trepidation). Let's see where it takes me.