So little time...So much to do

In the past month I have grown significantly in my understanding of the power of how technology is transforming the world in which I live, and thus the profundity for me, a teacher.  It makes me wonder where I was and where I thought I thought I was leading my students.  I can only scrape the surface at the moment, but the two areas are my head space when I enter the classroom, and the tools that I can use.

I knew, intellectually, that electronics have been changing the world around me.  Four years ago I refused to have a cell phone.  My kids became connected to the world via their cell phones. Because of my interaction with my girls, and the litany of "if you had a cell phone we could have..." more and more I saw the cell phone as a useful tool, on a very personal level.  So, I broke down and got one.  Well, without leading you through the tedious trail of dribs and drabs of my learning curve, I became connected to the e-universe.  This class has propelled my by leaps and bounds into the clouds of computing (yes, I thought of this before writing it).  I think differently about the tools around me and the connections my kids are developing.

I thought of myself as a tool using animal when I entered the course.  Now I realize I was just emerging from the primordial ooze.  I was able to email documents to myself, could use the photocopier to scan and send images for the smart board to myself (and not everyone can do that).  BUT, now I have a web page for students to draw their work from.  I have the potential to notify parents (and students) of my calendar.  I have begun to use forms with flubaroo (OMG, a game changer that is going to be!).  I am even considering creating...gasp, hang on, a twitter account.  What has the world come to?

I am a changed creature.  I see sooo many new things to waste invest my time on when I am in front of the computer.

Thank you Google Tools for Educators, you have begun the transformation of my classroom.