Blog Assignment Week One

Ever since I was a little kid, I was considered different. I went to a private school which had a lot of more wealthy families. My family definitely wasn't one of those, and on top of that, I was a loud and opinionated little girl. As such, I was sort of on the fringe of a lot of groups at school. I was still a "happy" kid, however, armed with a small group of fellow nerd friends and a voracious desire to learn. My teachers all the way up were pretty compassionate, always spurring me on and helping me to feel loved and special. However, in middle school, I had two teachers who changed the way that I looked at school. The whole hormonal thing was starting to happen, and I was pudgy and nerdy, so I was getting insecure and a bit hesitant in school. My sixth grade teacher and my middle school history teacher both helped to pull me out of my self-pity and insecurities and to become a growing adolescent with a desire to succeed and to live well. I have seen several kids in my classroom experiences (as a student, a tutor, or a TA) who have had similar attitudes or have no one to believe in them. Sentimental and cliche as it sounds, I want to be an advocate for them and to believe in them, even when no one else will. I want to teach the things that have been taught to me in a way that makes them love school and to become better citizens of a growing, yet shrinking world. 

As far as technology goes, I suppose that I am a product of my generation. I know my way around the internet pretty well, can use a smart phone, and know "texting lingo." I am not really comfortable with a SMARTboard or other such education-related tech. I am excited to learn, though! :)

I think that technology is necessary in education, especially since kids are becoming more and more familiar with technology at a younger and younger age. Teaching them how to use technology well is important, as well as using technology to help them to make connections between what they know (the medium) and what they don't already know (the material.) Technology has nearly endless possibilities, and I believe that these should be used for students' benefit, as well as added comfort for teachers.