Thing #1

Technology and I have never had the greatest relationship. While I find the new advancements intriguing, I can never seem to conquer the task of comprehending how to use them to assist me in everyday life. The sixth habit of lifelong learning states that as a learner one should use technology to his/her advantage. This proves to be the hardest habit to embrace in regards to my lifelong learning process.  Granted I use the Internet for Facebook, online homework assignments, and sending emails, but that is the main source of technology in my life. I hope to learn of new ways to use technology. In doing so, I anticipate that I can enrich my learning process, and use the new technological discoveries to my advantage. By becoming more knowledgeable about the technological gadgets that are right at my fingertips, I will be able to better serve my future students.

Growing up, I was always told that education was an important key to being successful in life. From a young age, I took learning into my own hands. I would always experiment with ideas, read anything I could get my hands on, and asked lots of questions. I was consumed with the appetite for knowledge. As I grew older, I realized that the amount of knowledge I obtained was a combined effort by my teachers and myself. Although teachers play a huge part in the learning process, it is ultimately up to the individual to take responsibility for his/hers own learning. As the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink". With this said, I find that the easiest lifelong learning habit for me is habit number two which states that learners must accept responsibility for their own learning. It is the easiest for me because at a young age the importance of education was instilled in my being. In my opinion, you must have a desire to learn in order to truly gain knowledge.

In regards to Web 2.0, I am anxious to learn numerous, innovative ways to integrate emerging technology into my classroom. New things are always being developed, and thanks to the Internet and other tools these things are always just a click away. There seems to be an endless amount of resources available due to Web 2.0.

Setting up my blog for this project was nothing short of a simplicity. However, when faced with this task in my Children's Literature course, creating a blog was beyond challenging. As with most things, experience and determination proves to decrease the amount of obstacles and frustration standing in the way of the final result.