Just a thought…

Wow! Time flies!  I have been busy this last year away from my blog.  I have taken on more technology duties at school, which I love!  My husband and I have added to our family.  Very exciting, yet makes us even busier!  I am also in the final stretch of finishing my Masters degree.  SO…. needless to say this was not always on the top of my list.  My goal is to start posting here again more regularly.

Okay, now onto my thought sorting.  This past week I had the opportunity to attend a conference with my fellow Lutheran educators for our national conference.  As a teacher who uses quite a bit of technology, I see it as an important part of our schools.  I see its value.  I can envision the future of where it can take our students.  I can see the big picture of how technology is being used in our world and in education.  I have been to quite a few technology conferences where hearing this vision being shared and sharing this vision with others is very comfortable for me. I am glad that some of this vision was making it’s way to the Lutheran teachers conference I attended.   While, I think we still have a long way to come, we are still moving forward.

While I was listening to Leonard Sweet, I felt very inspired as an educator to make my students more a part of the big picture.  I want them to enjoy learning and to strive for greatness.  I want them to be lifelong learners.  I want to be a lifelong learner and strive for greatness.  I know technology can help us to do just that.  Technology alone cannot do this.  We need teachers who can use the technology to accomplish these things.

As Leonard was speaking, he shared a video with the audience.  Changing Education Paradigms.  In the video Sir Ken Robinson gave a great illustration of how we expect students to sit and listen to “boring” lessons/ lectures.  Then they can go home, connect, and learn in more “exciting” ways with technology.  By making a shift to using technology we can reach the students of today.  I realize and repeat it often that it is not the technology, but the one who uses it that is effective.  I heard once, and I don’t know where, that “Technology will not replace teachers.  But teachers who don’t use technology will be replaced by ones who do.”  It is not a phase and it is not going away.

While listening I kept thinking of another video- Did you know.   I love this video and it always gets me to think.  It illustrates the shift that has taken place in our world.  The changes that continue to take place.  The changing will always be there.

To wrap it up, I was very pleased to see that in our “small” Lutheran world connections are happening more and more.  I am also happy to see that through those connections we can gain more for teaching our students.  I am looking forward to making more connections in the future and using all that I learn to educate the future!