Welcome to my blog!  I am a self-proclaimed “digital immigrant” – I grew up in a time before technology really took off.  Through my studies, I’m learning about all kinds of new technologies that exist (like blogging!) that could have great applications those of us who teach in classrooms full of “digital natives” – kids who never lived in a time when computers (or cell phones, or many other technologies) didn’t exist. 

My goal for this blog is to share some of what I’ve been learning in the hopes that some of you out there who are “digital immigrants” like me can be exposed to some of the technology that you might not otherwise be familiar with or might be hesitant to try because you’re not comfortable.  I’m here to tell you – if I can do it, so can you!

One of the first things that I want to talk about is the “new” face of the internet.  When the internet was new, it was a great source of information but was only one-way, kind of like a teacher lecturing a class.  Over time, the web has become more and more interactive – like a collaborative classroom where everyone has an opportunity to contribute.  This has come to be known as “Web 2.0” because it is the “new” version of the internet.  You can find information on Web 2.0 and links to some great tools to use in the classroom at http://web2012.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools.cfm. These tools can be used by students as well as teachers to make lessons not only more interactive and collaborative but also more engaging for those “digital natives” that fill our classrooms. 

I’ll go into more detail on some of these in future posts, so stay tuned!