Post #4
As far as digital technology goes, I'm afraid I tend to fall behind the times. In any given week I do spend a fair amount of time accessing the internet in one of the campus computer labs. Most of my time online is spent checking email and completing online assignments. I did recently join Facebook so as to keep in contact with a close friend that moved. While I have found the whole social media experience enjoyable, I don't feel myself to be an addict. A regular 7 day stretch finds me checking for updates around 2 or 3 times. I do have to say my most consistent use of online time, other than email, would be reading the articles on Yahoo News. As my email is through Yahoo, I can't seem to escape that site without investigating at least one article.
While I do not own any Apple products (not that I wouldn't like to) I do own a touch screen LG cell phone. I do find myself utilizing text messaging quite often, I'd even dare say on a daily basis. A lot of my messages are spent in coordinating car pools and work schedules for my America Reads mentor team. I also tend to keep in touch with my widely dispersed family through text messaging. Other than my phone and a computer, my television is the only other form of digital tech that I utilize on a regular basis. While my schedule is busy, I do enjoy winding down at the end of the day with a good movie. With little exception I perform this end of day ritual with great consistency.
As an educator I do feel the importance of keeping up with the times. I understand many of my future students will be utilizing digital technology far more than I usually do. As a big fan of Smart Boards I  will endeavor to make this interactive piece of technology a centerpiece of lecture and presentation. Within my teaching I will also endeavor to utilize a variety of digital media such as video, audio and written texts in an effort to engage my students more fully in the material. As many of histories most important documents are digitized, students can access them easier than ever. To encourage student interaction, with the material as well as with one another, I feel the use of a class blog, website and podcast site would be helpful. Should some of my students struggle with the incorporation of certain programs or technologies, I feel there are several avenues to which I could turn. Not only could I go through the process with them, but I could also employ the skills of the schools media specialist. Through demonstration and instruction, I feel students could overcome the hurdles of digital illiteracy.