Response to Chapter's 1 & 2

Chapter 1:
As mentioned in Chapter 1, educators are extremely slow to react to all types of technology that could possibly be used in the classroom. It has been my experience from several classrooms that I’ve observed that emerging technology is rarely used. I think that technology in the classroom needs to be maximized since the current generations of students are techno savvy. There are many benefits of using technology in the classroom such as keeping students entertained, engaging students in active learning, increasing software and application skills, and so on. In my opinion, one of the easiest ways teachers can keep up with emerging technology is by attending technology Professional Development (PD) classes.

Also in this chapter, the author discusses keeping students safe when using the internet. I know firsthand that school districts cannot block all inappropriate material on the internet. Therefore I like the idea presented by the author that teachers should teach students the skills they need to navigate the darker sides of the Web. This includes knowing what to do when inappropriate material pops up on the screen and or knowing how to react to the hazardous material.

Chapter 2:
Though this chapter about weblogs was entirely too long and oftentimes repeated itself, I found the information extremely informative. Before this course, I never viewed or used a weblog. Therefore, the book provided several examples of ways a weblog can be useful in the classroom. I loved the idea of creating a class portal, posting a weekly update about what students are doing and achieving, my classes classroom rules, home work assignments, handouts, etc. Though this seems idealistic, I actually wonder how many of my students will have access to the internet