Conclusion- What I will use in my classroom

I have learned a lot from this class that I want to utilize in my classroom. I was pro-technology use in the classroom before but really had no idea of the variety of possibilities, and to be honest, I was embarrassed and hesitant to use something I am so unfamiliar with. My favorite things that I learned about that I want to utilize in my classroom are the wiki-textbook that students write; social bookmarking sites that are helpful; vidcasts/podcasts of educational videos/files; student blogs; and curriculum webs. A lot of these things take a lot of time and I think it is easy to get overwhelmed- like I felt with this class!- but I think if I started implementing a little bit at a time, then both my students and I could really enrich the teaching/learning environment. Technology is the way of the future, after all. And I certainly don't want to be left behind because I am too nervous to implement technology. One of the things I read in one of those articles talked about a huge difference in attitude that it takes. The old way of thinking is that technology could be really helpful in supplementing lessons. The new wave of thought is that it is becoming intimately intertwined with the teaching. Our nation is really falling behind, both in regards to technology usage and academically. Somehow we need to bridge the gap that has been created so that struggling learners and even the very bright, but bored ones can again be successful in school and motivated to learn.