Finishing the course,,,

This will probably be my last blog entry, A., because I have finished my Educational Technology four week course, and B., because do I really have something so profound to say that people will want to “tune in” to the next episode? I will conclude in saying how valuable the learning has been in this course, not only because it is current and can be necessary computer knowledge to have, but also because it reminds me of that state of “unknowing” my students may experience from time to time. If I can understand that state, hopefully it will remind me to be gentle and try different methods to get a teaching across and also know that some times repetition will enhance the learning. I must also practice patience, as one would hope a teacher would, but specifically in the technology realm. I can’t tell you how many times I consider people who are on their cell phone (a form of technology) rude! There is no thought among users to silence their phones in places such as libraries or even bathrooms. In the class, I will ensure that rules are adhered to though. (There is a limit to everything. In the class, I decide!)
One other little side note that I noticed while in the computer lab. I became so focused on trying to complete a certain task that, I forgot to look up and acknowledge the people around me. Maybe it wasn’t the technology that made that happen, it may have just been me. But I am of the absolute belief that we need to get off of texting on our phones and remember to talk to people face to face!

My second attempt at blogging

I may have this now. I think it's great to see the advances one can make day after day, hour after hour, need I say moment to moment? I took the Dreamweaver tutorial in hopes of being able to create a website before the end of my four weeks. Moving through the tutorial, there were many moments of "Cool"or "Oh, so that's how you do that." But despite the tutorials, doesn't it always seem like everything is moving along perfectly and you've saved your work and then,
you can't pull your work back up. It gets lost in some black computer hole. Note to self, keep remembering to save your work as you go.
I think too, for those who are not as proficient on Photoshop, or Dreamweaver or whatever new program we happen to be exposed to, it's a humbling experience. For an Education Technology course, this is a great thing, since we folks are going to be teachers, it reminds us of what our students experience as they are trying to learn new things. We are reminded of the need to read (through our tutorials), explore (by pointing and clicking ourselves) and synthesize what we have learned.
I think, too that having the technology at our fingertips can be a benefit, but as I have observed, and as we heard, multi-tasking doesn't seem to enhance learning. There are twenty students who are performing almost twenty different tasks. There should be moments when technology should be put aside and full attention given to the instructor. When we finally get into the classroom, I'm sure we will also appreciate getting the full attention we hope for.

Help!

Can I get through this? Well, it seems as though I can (somewhat). I think I finally got my address down (so you can actually find my postings) and I think one thing I have to say, one of the most important things to remember when working with computers, is patience! Take the time to read through help items and if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
This little frustration of not being able to figure out (or wait for) my address is probably typical of most computer users today. We want it and we want it NOW. If you take the time to use the helps offered by the program you are trying to learn, you can probably get through it.
But once you figure out how to work things out, you can use the "power" of the computer for good or evil. Think of the pictures you can edit in photoshop. It could be used to enhance Grandma to a slimmer figure (which presumably is for good) or blackmail an enemy by superimposing his head on a Chippendale's dancer body (but would your enemy look at that as bad?).
The thing is, with all the time we are saving by using computers, we should have more time for family and friends. So why is it that people are becoming more and more shut off from their neighbors and not leaving the comfort of their glowing screens?
But all those things aside, we must keep up. If we don't take the time to learn the latest and the greatest technology, we will go the way of the dinosaurs.