I keep telling myself, "I think I can! I think I can!" When my children were small, I held their hands as they explored the world around them. One day they just spread their wings out let go! I have come to the realization that I have been standing still with my arm extended out. I know that I need to move forward, but my feet seem to be firmly rooted in the ground around me.
I would most definitely describe myself as a digital visitor. I honestly only explore sites that have been recommended or required. As I think about the assignment at hand, I am finding that I am feeling very excited! I need an escape! I need to explore! When I was younger my parents always told me to never touch anything because I might break it. Therefore, I didn't. I have found that through most of my life I have stayed on the safest path possible. Well not tonight! I am giving myself permission to explore and to take the back roads!
The first places that I visited this evening were the tech tool sites! Wow! I really think Kahoot is a blast! I would probably use Kahoot after a lecture as a way to formally assess my students. I am sure the kids would love it and, to insure their success, I would break the students up into teams to improve their odds.
During my expedition, it has become increasingly clear that digital writing is becoming the new wave in technology. I see how important it is to use tools that will scaffold the students as they write. Let's face it, technology is what interests students today! The benefits of using these tools are endless, and not to mention they are easy to navigate through. The developers offer tutorials that are almost fool proof! A risk that I foresee may be in that a student may give out personal information to an off site that they may have been redirected to. I must say that I loved how easy it was to navigate through the recommended sites that my teacher gave us! I copied and pasted the link page to use as a reference tool for future travels!
I sure have enjoyed my journey tonight! I can see the benefits of moving in the direction of becoming a digital native not only for me, but for my students as well. I ask myself, "how can I help my students move forward in a digital world, if I myself cannot?" There is so much information that can be accessed at the push of a button. As a teacher who uses technology, I would imagine that the hardest part would be narrowing the topic. For example, the Blooms Taxonomy chart that my teacher asked us to review had a wealth of information. Where does one begin so that they may not veer off of the path? One thing for sure is that with the use of technology one can create a plethera of interesting lessons that would have quality, accuracy, and would be useful in evaluating and analyzing a student's understanding.
Based on my expedition, I have come to the understanding that the road to success is always under construction. I now know understand that I cannot stand idle by. I must extend my pathways. My goal is to be successful and spread my wings and fly!
