Greetings

Welcome to my blog!
My name is Tamara Craft and I was born in Creston, B.C. At a young age I moved with my family to Whitehorse, Yukon, where I grew up. Above is a picture of the house that my dad built that I grew up in. Living in Whitehorse had its challenges as well as its perks. Although the winters can be extremely cold, the northern lights and stars are breathtaking. My favorite however, is the summers where we get 24-hour-daylight! For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. I started off wanting to teach elementary school but as I get older I realize how much I also enjoy working with the older age levels. I think that one day it would be great to experience it all. I would have to say that I am more then excited that I have gotten into the education faculty and I can't wait to see all that I will be learning about over the next two years.

Today was our first 'Technology and Education' class and I was surprised and excited to find out that we are going to be doing a lot of the course work through computers and without face-to-face interaction. I really enjoy computers but I wouldn't say that I am extremely talented when it comes to working with them. I do agree with what my professor said about technology and how it allows individuals to become excellent teachers because, technology is the future. I am a little worried that I might get a little lost but I am grateful for the opportunity to get extra help during the scheduled lab times. Today in class we looked at several video clips that middle school students put together. The clips are very touching and well put together. The video clips are great examples of how technology can be used in a classroom in a positive way. It also addressed how young students can reach the world using technology, causing change, and making a difference.

So I can see how blogging and using other forms of technology can be a great asset in the schools. Blogging creates a way for the students to communicate what they are feeling to their peers and their teacher in an open way, by using multimedia. Students are able to bring across there own ideas and take pride and ownership for the things that they do. Students can learn to work with multiple forms of technology such as editing, problems solving, managing time and data, researching, and understanding the importance of technology, how it applies to society and the work field today.
However, there are many other factors that need to be addresses when integrating blogging into a classroom. Blogging can be a great way to allow parents and peers to view the work of the students and feel apart of their learning, but it can also become a safety issue. Students need to be aware of the harm that improper use of professionalism and privacy can result in various kinds of danger. Overall, if used properly blogs and other types of technology can enhance learning in a classroom causing students to feel a sense of accomplishment where they are also being equipped for a technology driven world.