Posts #1 and #2

#1- Technology plays a big part of my life, but only a pretty basic level. I've never been very comfortable with it, computer classes in elementary school being my least favorite class. I took a keyboarding class in high school which taught me how to be fast typer, but before that I never really saw a need to be familiar with the computer.
Now, I use my computer daily. I use the internet to do research for school,keep up with my classes on BlackBoard read the news, email, to keep in contact with my friends through Facebook, and watch videos on YouTube. But that's pretty much it. I'll write my papers on Microsoft Word, or create the occasional PowerPoint if I have to. I never got into the My Space thing, and I don't use AIM, mostly because I have plenty of other things that distract me the stuff I need to be doing.
I also use my cell phone and iPod daily, but they aren't anything fancy. I don't any desire to upgrade to anything fancy. All of the touch screens are too sensitive for me and it's way too much for me to try and figure out.
My digital camera is also something I use frequently, and this is a technology I totally get behind. I love being able to make sure I've got the shot I want, right away.

#2- I think that technology is really important to incorportate into the classroom. Just because I'm the only person who gets chills trying to work an old-school overhead projector doesn't mean that I should deservice my students by not taking advantage of every mode of learning available when I'm a teacher. People learn in all different ways, and if I can reach even a few students by some form of technology, then all of the stress would be worth it.
My only fear is that people are trying to push technology too much in the classroom. When I was a kid, I remember watching a movie that took place in the 21st century on a space station. The girl went to class with a bunch of other students, but her teacher was a hologram from earth. At the time I remember thinking how cool that would be because I could probably figure out a way to wear my pajamas to school, but now the thought of a hologram teacher just scares me. I know of so many times when I've needed that direct contact with my teacher, something that wouldn't be able to be achieved with a hologram teacher. I know that this is a ridiculous concept for this course, but we do have comperable situations. And don't even get me started on online text books. I get the convieance of them, but nothing will ever be as satisfying to me a highlighting in a book. I'm all for saving trees, but I'll recycle til the day I die if it means I don't have to give up underlining. I think it's important for kids to learn these skills but how are they going to do that from a computer. So in conclusion of this part, I am totally in favor of technology in the classroom, as long as it doesn't take over the classroom.
Recently, I was exposed to a great math program that helped me understand a concept really well. It's a simulator who's name I can't recall, but it was great because it demonstrated that no matter what the measurments for a 90 degree triangle, the pythagorean theorm will hold true. It enabled you to pull the triagle all around, all the while letting you watch the measurements change, but the equation stay the same. It was really cool. The teacher used this method to prove her point, as well as a demonstration with string or something, like they used to do in Egyptian times. She asked us which model helped us understand the concept more and the entire class raised their hands for the computer simulator. My teacher utilized this program excellently and it's something we're going to be learning from the rest of the semester. It'll be a good learning experience for me, I really think I'm going to benefit from it. Math is my weakest subject and I need all of the simulations I can be exposed to.
(My teacher only used the technology for 5 minutes, so I'm not really sure what else it's capeable of.)
So I know that my students and I can benefit from technology, it's just learning how to utilize it correctly that's the problem.