CEDO 520 Musings #1

I am excited to begin my study of internet learning resources. One of the hopes for my graduate studies was that I would be exposed to many different tools and resources that can be used to streamline my classroom instruction. Clearly the old way of teaching must evolve to include internet resources. I still consider myself a blank slate when it comes to the internet in general, and I am open to exploring any ideas concerning building my teaching arsenal. To this point, my excitement towards technology in general has been tempered by the struggles I have had with implementation. I had a smartboard installed in my room about a month ago, and it still has that new car smell. A class that I took showed me how Senteo software would be a nice addition to the smartboard. I used Senteo last year, although I didn't really utilize the power of the software. Now that I know more about how Senteo works, I have been frustrated with the program not working properly. On top of that, I have gotten students excited about using Senteo, only to tell them that it is not working on the designated day. I spent probably eight hours troubleshooting and installing Senteo 2.0 while updating my smartboard drivers to work properly. Hopefully there is a glimmer of hope with the fact that I was able to use Senteo after all the fuss. It seems to be a great tool, but if it is not time effective, it shall remain on the shelf. Time will tell.
I want to learn as much as I can about where to find internet resources that I can use in my classroom. More importantly, I want to be sure that the technology that I introduce to my students will be used safely and effectively. I was hot to trot concerning Second Life when I was introduced to it, but upon investigation, I found that it wouldn't serve my needs. I originally thought I could create a virtual classroom for my students, but I know that they could and would investigate the less savory parts of the virtual world. I didn't want the fact that I introduced students to that site on my ledger at this point in my career, so I have not gone any further with my investigation. But Second Life has furthered my thinking about the possibilities of the internet. I think and hope that resources will be developed that will do a better job of restricting and monitoring student activity.
Student safety is paramount to me, and I want to make sure I understand the internet to the point that I can protect them to the best of my ability. That point is especially important with my own children, and I need to learn how to keep them safe when using the internet. The internet is a powerful tool that should be utilized, but it is important to learn how to make wise decisions concerning its use. I hope that this class continues my education on how to provide internet tools and resources to my classes and children while keeping them safe from themselves and others.